Whatever Comes Next
by dawsonscasey
Summary: "You ever think about it? How if one thing from that night had been any different, we might not be where we are right now?" Dawsey. AU.
1. Chapter One

**Hello! I'm very excited to finally get this new story started for you guys. As some of you know, this has been in my head for the better part of a year and a half, and I'm glad to finally get it going. Hopefully, it doesn't disappoint.**

**Just a reminder, this story is AU. Also, it is Rated M. So, fair warning. There's nothing too intensely graphic in this chapter, but I just wanted to let you know.**

**I hope you enjoy.**

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"You want another one?"

Gabby glanced up to the bartender, her tired eyes moving from him to the empty shot glass sitting in front of her. She quickly weighed the pros and cons of downing another shot of tequila, ultimately deciding it to be in her best interest to have one more, giving the guy behind the bar a nod as he filled the small glass.

Despite having been sitting here for awhile, she was surprisingly sober. More sober than she would've liked. But even though she had every desire to drown her sorrows in alcohol, she knew she couldn't. She was upset, not stupid. She wouldn't let herself get plastered tonight, not when she was in an unfamiliar bar across town from her apartment.

Although, it wasn't her apartment anymore.

Shaking her head, she forced the thought away as she downed the shot, missing the raised brow from the bartender.

"Rough night?" He questioned, filling up the glass without prompting this time, Gabby focusing her attention to the glass of water she'd made sure to order, quickly swallowing the rest of it.

"You could say that." She muttered bitterly as she picked up the liquor, knocking her head back as she accepted the burning liquid down her throat again, nearly slamming the shot glass back onto the bar.

"Wanna talk about it?" He questioned, Gabby's eyes narrowing despite the sincerity in his tone.

"No thanks. But I'll take another." She spoke roughly, nudging the glass with her knuckles. Merely nodding, the man filled the shot glass once more, this time turning to leave, walking further down the bar as he left her alone with her alcohol.

But this shot she let sit, her eyes zeroed in on the clear liquid, her mind elsewhere as she sat perched on the same barstool she'd been at for the better part of the evening.

She never imagined this is where her life would end up. In fact, she envisioned quite the opposite. Though she never pictured marriage this soon, she did like to think she would've found her soulmate by now, the one person she was destined to be with forever. The person who'd love her unconditionally, someone who would always be by her side. She figured she would've met that person already. And she did.

Or she was led to believe she had.

_He_ made her think she had.

She thought he loved her. For three years, he filled her head with lies. He assured her he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, his words being solidified by the ring that had been on her finger for the last seven months.

The ring that, up until a few hours ago, hadn't ever come off.

Two hours ago, she'd been sitting at home with the love of her life. Two hours ago, Gabby had that ring prominently displayed on her finger. Two hours ago, she had a fiancé. But now, that was nothing but a memory. She'd not only lost the man she thought she'd be spending the rest of her life with, she lost a life that could've been. All the plans they'd made, all the late nights spent talking about their future, it was all a lie. He never wanted that with her, he strung her along for three years, letting her believe their love had been real.

And she didn't know why. She didn't know why he had done this to her. She didn't know what she'd done to cause all this. It wasn't as if they'd been perfect. God no, they were far from it. They had their problems; they were both too stubborn for their own good, neither could listen to reason when they got their heart set on something, neither would ever want to back down first. And she knew the last few months had been hard on them, that both of them were struggling. But they were in love. She thought he loved her. But he didn't. And she couldn't help but wonder how long that had been the case.

She _needed_ to know how long he'd been planning on ending things. Was it sudden? Did he just wake up one day and realize he wasn't in love with her anymore? Or had their life together been a temporary thing for him all along. Gabby had no idea when he first started thinking of calling off their engagement, of how long he'd been wanting to break up with her. She could only hope he hadn't been feeling like this for awhile, that he hadn't spent God knows how long dragging her along in a relationship he was planning on ending.

But a part of her knew, deep down, this wasn't a sudden realization. She knew he'd been thinking about this for awhile. His behavior the last few months, how distant he'd been; the coming home late, or not coming home at all. How he'd leave the room whenever he got a phone call. Not only did she think he'd been planning this for awhile, she had a pretty good feeling he'd been finding comfort in the arms of other women while she struggled to keep their relationship together. But still, she believed him. Every time he said he loved her, that he couldn't wait to get married to her, she believed him. Maybe because it was easier than facing the truth. Maybe because, deep down, she hoped things would change once they got married.

But he never meant any of it. For years, she believed every stupid, blatant lie he filled her head with, only for her to be tossed aside like their relationship meant nothing.

And that's how she found herself in this unfamiliar bar, her gaze focusing back on the shot glass sitting in front of her. Gabby picked it up and downed the drink quickly, grimacing as the liquid burned her throat, silently praying for it to numb the pain she was feeling. She'd never been one to turn to alcohol for relief, but after her sure future had been turned upside down, Gabby figured she deserved it. She deserved the moment to not have to feel this particular pain, knowing that this feeling would only get worse the second she walked into work tomorrow and had to face him. She would have to force herself to keep her head high, and not let him see how much his choice had broken her. Even though all she wanted to do was fall apart, she knew she couldn't. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing he destroyed her life. In less than twelve hours, she'd have to walk into that firehouse and pretend that she was fine, that her heart hadn't just been ripped out of her chest and shattered. She would have to deal with all that tomorrow, so right now she figured she deserved a little relief.

If she was being honest with herself, she would gladly never have to face him again. She would put in a transfer, start over at a new house, and begin a new chapter of her life away from him. But she knew she couldn't do that. She refused to let him win, and her transferring houses would be the ultimate victory. She wouldn't leave behind her entire life just because of him. He made this choice, if either of them should have to leave, it should be him. But she knew that would never happen. So her only option was to face it, to walk into work like she was unbothered by what he put her through.

But for now, she knew she didn't have to pretend. She didn't have to deal with him yet, Gabby having stumbled across a bar neither of them had ever been to in hopes that he wouldn't find her here, not that she was expecting him to come look for her after she walked out. Her desire to find a new place was more so the fear of her going somewhere they frequented, only to see him picking up other women to take home, Gabby knowing they'd be going back to the bed that _they_ once shared. The thought was bad enough, having to see it in person was something she didn't think she could handle. She didn't need to see him leaving to go hook up with another woman hours after he ended things, although the unsettling feeling in her gut told her their engagement hadn't really stopped him from doing that in the past, it was just now he had the option of taking them home.

A loud cheer jolted Gabby from her thoughts, turning her head to look down the bar, finding the source of the sound as she saw a few older men cheering on their buddy as he chugged a beer, Gabby quickly tuning out the noise around her again as she stifled an eye roll. Since she showed up to the surprisingly busy pub, she'd effectively ignored the chaos around her, choosing to focus on the alcohol in front of her instead of the people near her. She found herself back in the midst of her own thoughts, not hearing the sound of the bar door opening, or the sound of the heavy boots against the wood floor as a new patron came up to the bar, stopping beside her. She didn't notice any of that, her eyes fixated on the now empty shot glass in front of her. It wasn't until she heard a greeting did her head snap up.

"Casey."

Gabby nearly jumped as she saw the unfamiliar blonde now standing next to her, not knowing how long he'd been there. But his attention wasn't on her, it was on the bartender, as the keeper of the liquor came up to stand across from this man.

"Hey Cal." The man supposedly named Casey responded, the bartender holding out an already prepared beer, Gabby watching their interaction curiously.

"You want another one?" The man, Cal, offered, Gabby glancing to him and nodding. She felt Casey glance towards her, but he quickly looked away. As Cal poured her shot, he spoke up again. "So how's the job treating you, Casey?"

"Well, speaking of that, I'm actually starting my new job tomorrow." He spoke with a grin, taking a drink of his beer.

"Congrats, man. That's great news. Your first drink is on the house tonight."

"Thanks Cal." With a nod towards the bartender, Casey turned to leave, his eyes locking with Gabby's for a split second, wordlessly flashing her a soft smile before slipping past her. She turned her head to watch him, Casey soon disappearing into the crowd and out of sight.

Over the next hour, Gabby decidedly broke from her own thoughts and started paying attention to those around her, silently observing the crowd as she took to drinking water instead of the hard stuff. She chose not to focus on any person too long, not wanting to invite any unwanted attention, but she couldn't help but watch that man named Casey any time he came into her view, something about him drawing her attention, Gabby keeping her gaze on him longer than she would others.

Something she quickly noticed each time she found him was that he was with a different woman every time he came into view, and even from across the bar she could tell he was flirting, shamelessly. It also soon became apparent that each time he went in for his final shot, he got turned down. Each and every time. It was almost becoming amusing to her, watching as all of these women walked away from him, leaving him to go and try to find someone else. And try he did.

Gabby was sure she saw him with at least five different women the past hour, and she couldn't help but wonder how much longer he'd soldier on until he gave in. While she definitely found it funny, she could only assume he didn't see the same humor in it.

After watching him get shot down for the umpteenth time this evening, Gabby moved her attention from Casey, looking around aimlessly until she heard shuffling in front of her. She turned to look ahead, seeing Cal standing there, placing a drink down in front of her beside her other glasses, Gabby furrowing her eyebrows as she looked up at him, clearly confused.

"What's this?"

"A drink from that guy over there." He gestured, Gabby following his movements to find a familiar face watching her, the man smirking as he winked at her, holding up his glass. Gabby didn't bother to stifle the eye roll this time as she instantly recognized him as the man from earlier, who'd been chugging a beer as his friends cheered him on. The one who seemed to be a little too old to be acting like a drunk frat boy.

Seeing her reaction, the man's smirk only grew, Gabby turning her head before she could see him push himself up from his bar stool.

"So I take it you don't want it?" Cal asked, Gabby shaking her head.

"No thanks." She responded, Cal giving her an understanding nod, seeing his eyes move from her to someone at her side, Gabby following his gaze to find the clearly drunken man now a few inches from her, leaning his weight into the bar.

"Hey pretty lady." He spoke lazily, his eyes glazed over from the amount of alcohol he'd consumed this evening. Releasing a light scoff, Gabby kept her eyes forward, taking a sip of her water as Cal took the gifted drink away. "What, you didn't want it sweetheart?"

"I'm not your sweetheart." She spoke through gritted teeth, placing her water down on the top of the bar, turning to look back at him.

"Feisty, aren't we?" He murmured with a chuckle, placing his hand on her arm. Gabby immediately snatched it away, narrowing her glare at him. "I bet you're a fun time, baby." He began slurring over his words, his body leaning against hers.

Despite her fear, she refused to let it show, Gabby pushing back against him, forcing him to move.

"Roy, cut it out buddy. She doesn't want your company." Cal spoke from behind the bar, leaning over and placing his hand on his shoulder, the man apparently named Roy shrugging off his touch.

"She's just playing hard to get, aren't you honey? I've seen the way you've been watching me." He mumbled, bringing his hand up to caress her face, Gabby smacking it away.

"Get off me before I-"

"Back off, man." Another male voice spoke, Gabby seeing Roy's body be pulled away from her, the man now practically shielding Gabby from the drunken man. She quickly recognized him to be Casey, the blonde pushing his hand against Roy's chest. "I think she was pretty clear she doesn't want to talk to you."

"Get out of here, Casey. Go find some other whore to take home, mind your business." He spoke angrily, smacking Casey's hand off of him.

"Leave her alone, Roy." Casey bit back, straightening his back.

Gabby saw Cal motion at someone further down the bar, and soon the guys Gabby saw this Roy guy with earlier were dragging him away, hearing him mutter something under his breath about 'this bitch' not being worth it as his friends pulled him from the bar.

Blowing out a relieved sigh, Gabby ran her hand over the side of her face.

"You okay?" Casey asked, his body now facing her, Gabby able to make out a hint of worry in his eyes.

"I'm fine." She responded shortly.

"I'm sorry about Roy, he's an asshole."

"Most men are." She responded quickly, not even registering the words until they left her mouth. For a split second she felt guilty for snapping at the man who'd helped her, but that feeling quickly faded. She didn't owe him anything and hadn't asked for his help. And, based on the way she's seen him parading himself around the bar this evening, there was a chance he only stepped in to try and get her to go home with him.

But his reaction wasn't what she was expecting, Casey's eyebrows raising in near amusement, his tongue running over his bottom lip as a grin appeared across his face. "You know, most people would just say thank you." He spoke lightly as he sat down on the stool next to her.

"Yeah, well, I didn't ask for your help." She responded quickly, his grin only widening. She felt herself getting annoyed at his demeanor, not understanding why he was finding this funny or why he was even still here.

"Fair enough." He conceded, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "But, regardless, I'm glad you're okay." He continued, Gabby able to detect the slightest bit of sincerity in his words.

When she said nothing, he pressed on. "I'm Matt." He introduced, holding his hand out towards her. Gabby's eyes flickered down towards his hand before back up to his face, not moving to return the gesture as she tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"Hasn't everyone in here been calling you Casey all night?"

"That's my last name." Matt answered, dropping his hand when he understood that she wasn't going to accept it. Gabby simply nodded, taking another sip of her water. "Do I not get to know yours?" He questioned as she signaled to Cal for another shot, Gabby remaining silent as she downed the shot as soon as she could.

"Cal, go ahead and put the lady's drinks on my tab." Matt spoke, not taking his eyes off of her. The bartender nodded as Gabby looked at him unimpressed.

"You really think paying for my drinks is gonna get me to sleep with you?" She questioned bluntly, Matt choking on the beer he was in the midst of drinking.

Once he composed himself, he placed the glass down before responding. "I don't remember mentioning anything about trying to sleep with you. I don't even know your name." He mentioned again, Gabby ignoring the comment.

"Well, I just figured since you haven't had much luck tonight, your next tactic is paying for alcohol to try and get someone to go home with you." She explained, Matt cocking his head to the side. "Speaking of, shouldn't you get yourself back out there?"

"I'm not following." He replied quickly in confusion.

"You haven't been able to land a woman to take home yet, and it's getting late. Might as well keep trying until you find someone desperate enough."

Ignoring the shot she took at him, he raised his eyebrow in curiosity. "Have you been watching me?" A satisfied smirk was resting on his face, Gabby rolling her eyes.

"Don't flatter yourself." She shot back, looking away from him. Even though there was some truth to his question, she'd never admit to it.

"Alright." He spoke with a breathy laugh. "Well, even though you _haven't _been watching me, I'm still gonna take your advice and get back out there. Enjoy your drinks." He told her, grabbing his beer and walking away without another word.

The night wore on, Gabby falling deeper into despair as she continued to drown her sorrows in alcohol, doing everything she could to ignore the fact that here very soon, she'd be facing the man who broke her heart, and she'd have to deal with a firehouse full of people looking at her with nothing but pity.

And that was nothing compared to what her brother will think.

The main reason she was still here was because she didn't want to have to face her brother tonight, although she had no other option. Here soon, she'd be showing up at his apartment with the bag of few clothes she'd packed, and have to explain what happened. How she needs to stay there until she can find a new place. How everything he'd told her for years was right.

She wasn't looking forward to the lecture. And even though she knew he meant well, and he loved her regardless, she knew he wouldn't be able to stop himself from reminding her how he warned her to stay away from that relationship.

So she continued to sit on the stool, spacing out her drinks to try and keep as much as her clarity as possible, desperate to put off the conversation with her brother for as long as she could.

But she wasn't the only one having a rough night, her head snapping up as she saw Matt come up to the bar a few stools down from her, groaning softly as he waited for another refill, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. He looked frustrated, beyond it actually, and Gabby couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

But the sound was louder than she intended, Casey's head turning to look at her, his eyes narrowing.

"Something funny?"

"No, just seems like you're a bit frustrated. Can't find anyone willing to go home with you, huh?"

Grabbing his beer from the bar, he walked towards her, a look of confusion mixed with annoyance covering his face. "What exactly is your problem with me?" He asked, ignoring her question.

"I know your type." She responded with a shrug. She knew his type too well, she just hadn't realized it at the time. She'd been engaged to his type. And, for the sake of the woman, Gabby could only hope Matt didn't have someone waiting for him at home.

"And what type would that be?" He prodded curiously.

"You don't see these women as people, you only care about finding someone to sleep with. You prey on women for a meaningless fuck and then toss them aside. And, that's fine. As long as they're willing, who cares. But I know your type, and I've had enough of being around men like that." She muttered bitterly, missing the flash of darkness that flickered in his eyes, Gabby clearly having hit a nerve without even realizing it.

"You only met me a few hours ago. You don't really know me."

"Maybe not. But from what I've seen, I don't think you and I would get along very well." She replied bluntly, Matt shaking his head as he placed his drink back down on the bar.

"Well, as fun as this entire evening has been, I think it's time for me to get out of here." He spoke, an edge to his tone that hadn't been there before. "See you later, Cal." Matt called out down the bar, the bartender waving goodbye as Matt shoved his hands in his pockets, beginning to walk towards the door. But he stopped as he got to Gabby's side, turning his head towards her, his voice low. "I'm sorry for whoever hurt you."

As soon as the words left his lips, he walked away, Gabby's blood boiling as she whipped her head around to watch him go through the door, anger coursing through her veins. She grabbed her jacket and bag, practically stomping out of the bar as she went in search of him, pushing the door open forcefully as she was met with the cold air, her eyes darting around the street until she found him. He was walking down the sidewalk, his back to her as she jogged down the steps.

"Hey!" She called out in anger, effectively stopping his movements while she hurried to him, Matt turning around, releasing a heavy sigh as he saw her. "What was that?"

"What was what?"

"Your comment about being sorry, what the hell was that about?"

"You really don't take apologies well, do you?" He commented frustratedly, Gabby crossing her arms over her chest.

"Excuse me?"

"You have been at my throat all night, when I did nothing to you. And then I apologize for whoever sent you to this bar, angry at the world, or angry at men at least, and still somehow I'm the bad guy?"

"So, what? You just assume because I wasn't putting up with your bullshit that I must've been hurt terribly by some guy?" She fired back, Matt huffing out a breath.

"Well am I wrong?" He questioned, eyeing her intensely. The way her body physically recoiled told him all he needed to know, Gabby faltering for a moment before regaining her hard exterior.

"It doesn't matter whether you're right, it doesn't mean you know anything about me." She fired back defensively.

"That sounds familiar, doesn't it?" He questioned sarcastically, Gabby's eyes narrowing. Their eyes locked as they stood there, anger radiating off the both of them as they glared at one another. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm gonna get out of here. You've effectively ruined-"

Matt's bitter words got cut off by Gabby roughly grabbing the edges of his jacket, pulling him towards her as she slammed her lips into his. He was initially stunned, as her lips moved against his roughly. The feeling wore off after a few seconds, Matt greedily returning the favor as they fought against one another. His hands moved to her waist, holding her firmly in place while she deepened the kiss, all of their inhibitions out the window as his grip tightened on her hips, Gabby moaning softly into his mouth.

When air became a necessity, they pulled back, their chests heaving as they stared at each other, Matt seeing the challenging gleam in her eye, his head tilting in confusion.

"What was that?" He asked between breaths, Gabby's gaze flickering from his eyes to his lips, a soft smirking playing over her face.

"What was what?" She questioned, repeating his words from a few minutes prior, her grin widening as she saw him let out an annoyed huff.

"You spent the entire night pissed at me, talked about how you've had enough of guys like me, and then you just kiss me after berating me?"

She could tell he was confused at the events that had transpired in the last five minutes, and maybe a little irritated. But she didn't care. Running her eyes over him one last time, she cocked her head to the side, meeting his puzzled gaze.

He was exactly the type of distraction she needed right now.

"You wanna get out of here?" She asked, ignoring his question as she gently bit on her bottom lip, watching his eyes widen slightly.

"I thought you didn't like me?"

"I can't stand you. Does that matter?"

Before he had the opportunity to answer her question, she pressed her lips against his again, this kiss much more heated than the last one, which he didn't think possible. But she pulled away as quickly as she came to him, Matt's eyes staying closed as he blew out a breath.

"No it does not." He muttered, his eyes opening to find her darkened gaze waiting for him. "So, uh, my place or yours?"

"Yours." She responded instantly, Matt nodding as he took a step away from her, needing to calm himself down. "I'll follow you." Gabby replied, Matt sucking in a breath as he nodded again, the two heading in different directions towards their vehicles.

As Gabby got into her car, she released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, nerves filling her body at what she was about to do. As she put her car in drive and followed what she found to be Matt's truck, she felt a wave of guilt flush through her system, and she didn't know why. She wasn't cheating, she wasn't doing anything wrong._ He_ left her. She owes him nothing. And she hated that he still had her feeling like her having a one night stand with some guy she met at a bar was her cheating on him. Because it wasn't. She couldn't cheat if their relationship was over. If he was gonna be out finding random strangers to hook up with, there was no reason she couldn't do the same.

But the further they drove, the more doubt that started to creep in. She wasn't sure if it was because of the fact that up until earlier this evening, she'd still been engaged. Or if it was because it had been such a long time since she'd been with anyone else. But all she knew was that she wasn't sure if she really should be doing this. Especially with the man she was currently driving behind.

Her thoughts shifted as Matt's truck parked against the curb, Gabby parking behind him on the surprisingly quiet street, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly as she thought over her options. She knew if she wanted to bail, this was her chance. She watched as Matt killed the engine on his truck, Gabby blinking harshly as she tried to figure out what to do.

Just as she had almost convinced herself to drive away, her gaze moved down, a small flash of reflective light catching her attention, a heavy feeling settling in her stomach as she caught a glimpse of her engagement ring. The engagement ring she'd taken off in haste as soon as she left the apartment earlier that night. The one that didn't really belong to her anymore.

And in that moment, she made her decision. Screw feeling guilty. Screw this indecisiveness. She was doing this for herself. She deserved a night of fun. A night of meaningless, harmless fun. And Matt was going to give it to her. She didn't owe her ex anything, he didn't deserve to be the thing keeping her from having a good time. He'd taken enough from her already, she wasn't gonna let him take this too.

Turning off her car, Gabby got out, locking up as she saw Matt waiting for her, leaning up against the side of his truck.

"Thought you might've changed your mind." He spoke lightly, twirling his keys on his index finger. Despite the truth to his words, Gabby played it off, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing he'd been right.

"There's still time." She responded, coming to stand in front of him.

"I'll take my chances." He replied with a smirk, pushing himself off the truck, Gabby catching a glimpse of the writing on the side as he moved, the words shining under the street light.

_Casey Construction_

"Ready?" He asked, Gabby's eyes flashing back towards him, her eyes landing on his lips again. Before she could answer, she pulled him towards her, Matt releasing a breath of contentment as they battled against each other, Matt pinning her up against his truck. He pressed his hips into hers, Gabby's breath catching in her throat at the movement. Matt moved his lips from hers to trail across her face, tracing down her jaw to her neck, Gabby releasing a soft sigh of pleasure as he left his mark on her skin, her hands gripping his arms tightly.

"I still don't even know your name." He spoke against her, gently biting her neck before his tongue came out to soothe the skin, Gabby pushing herself into him.

"It's Gabby." She breathed out, her teeth grazing his ear, Matt letting out a low moan at her actions.

"Alright, Gabby," The way her name left his lips sent chills through her spine, him drawing out the syllables as he whispered in her ear. "Let's take this inside, shall we?" Following his lips over the same path he took earlier, he found his way back to her lips, capturing her in a dizzying kiss before pulling away, Gabby's eyes staying closed for a few extra moments, trying to gather herself.

Matt reached for her hand, pulling her behind him as they walked up the path towards his front door, Gabby barely able to take in her surroundings as they climbed the steps. She hung back behind him while he unlocked the door, pushing it open and walking inside, Gabby following his steps.

She barely got inside before Matt slammed the door shut, pressing her body up against it as he attacked her neck once more, simultaneously shrugging off his jacket, the material falling to the floor with a silent thump.

Grabbing his face with her hands, Gabby moving his head up until she could capture his lips with hers, pushing his body backwards into the living room, their lips never disconnecting. Their movements were sloppy and frantic, Matt sliding his hands over her shoulders under her jacket, pushing the clothing to the floor, while Gabby's fingers moved to the buttons on his shirt, blindly beginning to open the material.

Matt managed to lead them to his bedroom, Gabby practically ripping open his shirt and peeling it from his body, moving her kisses to his neck, down to his exposed collarbone, her hands running over his toned skin.

He began kicking his shoes off, Gabby stopping her movements to follow his actions, Matt's hands moving towards his jeans as he unbuttoned them, sliding them down his legs and kicking them to the side.

"You're still wearing too many clothes." He muttered, Gabby's eyes raking up and down his body, the thin boxers left on him leaving little to the imagination.

Matt went to work, hastily pulling her shirt over her head, Gabby letting him as he tossed the material to the ground, grabbing her by the hips and leading her to the bed, pushing her down on it. She slid back, giving him room to move as he hovered over her, placing a few sloppy kisses on her mouth before his hands found their way to her jeans, his fingers teasing the skin just above the fabric, Gabby moaning softly against his lips.

Kissing his way down her neck, he began placing kisses over her chest, leaving multiple marks as his fingers undid the button on her pants, sliding her zipper down. Gabby let out a frustrated huff when he pulled back completely, standing halfway off the bed as he hooked his fingers under the waistband of her jeans, roughly pulling the material down her body, throwing them out of the way without a care.

Their movements became frenzied, Matt hovered over her as he slid one hand under her back, expertly unclasping her bra, removing it without question. His eyes fell to her exposed, heaving chest, an appreciative grin falling onto his face before he ducked his head down, placing kisses all over her skin, Gabby's labored breaths turning into moans as he captured her nipple in his mouth. One of her hands moved towards his neck, Gabby basking in the feelings he was stirring within her as he moved to give her other breast the same treatment. While he had her distracted, his hand moved down her body, his fingers lightly ghosting over her covered center, Gabby bucking her hips up into him at the contact.

Releasing the hold his mouth had on her skin, he glanced up at her with a smug grin. "Someone's excited." He spoke softly, Gabby rolling her eyes, using her grip on his neck to guide his head back towards her.

"The more you talk, the more it makes me want to leave." She whispered, Matt falling silent as he went back to work, worshipping her body with kisses as he made his way back down, his lips continuing down her torso, his fingers peeling the last item of clothing from her body.

Within seconds, he was focused between her legs, the combination of his mouth and fingers working wonders on her as she was overwhelmed with intense sensations, pleasure shooting through to her fingertips as he expertly showed off his skills. Gabby's grip on his hair tightened as he picked up his pace, Matt feeding off her reactions to him. It felt like an out of body experience, Gabby not used to this amount of effort put towards making her feel good.

After he'd paid a sufficient amount of attention to that part of her body, he began kissing his way back up, Gabby streamlining the process as she forcefully grabbed his face with her hands, pulling him up to her as she kissed him heatedly, Matt freeing himself from his boxers, removing the last barrier between them while Gabby took control of their kisses. She felt him pressing against the inside of her thigh as they kissed, Matt blindly reaching into his bedside drawer, pulling out the foil package he'd been searching for. The two broke apart, Gabby pulling back the covers and adjusting herself on the bed, Matt rolling the condom on as she watched him intently, pleasantly surprised at what he had.

Hovering over her, Matt threw the sheets over top of them, lining himself up against her entrance as he captured her lips in his again, slowly inching his way inside. Shifting from their pace up until this point, his movements were slow, not wanting to hurt her as he slid inside of her, hearing her gasp against him. He gave her a few seconds to adjust, her body feeling incredible around him as he waited for the signal to continue, Gabby soon lifting her hips to meet his.

The hesitant pace didn't last for long, their movements soon becoming needy and rough, both taking and giving whatever they wanted. Moans of passion and pleasure filled the room as he thrust into her, working them towards that release they both so desperately needed.

* * *

Gabby was working on clasping her bra as she looked around for her shirt, needing to find her last piece of clothing that had been thrown aimlessly around the room. Soon locating it by his dresser, she leaned down to pick it up, turning around towards the bed, finding him watching her intently. The edge of the bed sheet was partially thrown over his waist, leaving little of himself covered as he laid there shamelessly, a satisfied smirk resting on his lips while his hands were clasped behind his head.

"This was fun." He commented, Gabby raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, it was something." She responded quietly, her words unknowingly encouraging him.

"Well, from what I could tell, you seemed to enjoy yourself." He replied smugly. "More than once."

She ignored his comments, sliding her shirt over her head and running her fingers through her hair, wanting to at least try and hide the fact she'd just spent the better part of a couple hours in bed with this man.

"We could do this again sometime." He spoke when she had yet to respond, Gabby chuckling as she slid on her shoes.

"No thanks, I'm good."

"Suit yourself. Maybe I'll see you around."

"I wouldn't count on it." She replied sharply, heading for the bedroom door, stopping in the doorway to glance back at him. "Uh, well, thanks for this, I guess. I'll see myself out."

"Anytime." He responded, Gabby leaving before he could make any more comments. She stopped by the living room, grabbing her jacket, before heading for the front door, needing to get out of this apartment.

As she made her way to her car, the weight of everything began to hit her. It wasn't that she regretted what she'd done. Because she didn't. Surprisingly, she managed to enjoy herself. Even though she would've rather not gone home with someone as self-assured and arrogant as Casey, he proved to know what he was doing. It wasn't the sex she was struggling with.

It was the fact that this is where her life was now. It was how she never imagined herself to be in a position where she'd be able to go find random strangers to hook up with. Even though that hadn't been her intention when she went out tonight, it's where she ended up. And there was nothing wrong with that.

But somehow, that's what she was struggling with. It was that she now had the freedom to go and do whatever and whoever she pleased, when she never imagined that to be a part of her life anymore. She had been promised a forever, but after what happened tonight, what she'd been able to do, it made her really understand that promise was gone. It was in the past, it meant nothing. And while she'd already known that the second he ended things, the events of the night only solidified it, making the ache in her chest a thousand times worse.

Tears clouded her vision as she began driving towards her only place of solace. The only place she knew she could go, the drive taking barely ten minutes in the empty streets of Chicago, Gabby continuously blinking back the tears in her eyes to keep her vision focused.

Pulling up outside his apartment complex, she grabbed her bag and got out of the car, wiping a stray tear from her cheek as she made her way inside, walking the familiar path to the elevator, quietly making her way to the third floor.

Her feet felt heavy as she walked down the hallway, stopping in front of the door she'd gone through many times, bringing her fist up to knock on the wood. It was late, well past two in the morning, but she knew he was home.

Continuing her constant tapping, she heard shuffling on the other side of the door, Gabby taking a step back as she wiped her face one more time, trying to make herself look at least a little bit presentable. But the second he opened the door, he knew something was wrong, his concern breaking through his exhaustion, his eyes flashing down to the bag in her hands before back up to her face, Gabby unable to keep up the facade as her older brother watched her.

"I, uh, I need to stay with you for awhile." She whispered, afraid if she spoke any louder her voice would betray her.

Taking a deep breath, Antonio nodded, stepping out of the way to make room for her. "Come on in, sis." He spoke sadly, Gabby swallowing thickly as she stepped inside, feeling a small source of comfort from the fact that, no matter what happened in her life, she could always count on her brother.

* * *

**So, how are we feeling? Maybe a little confused? Hopefully a little intrigued? I'm excited to get into more of this story and their lives, because, as I'm sure you could tell from this first chapter, we don't really know anything about them. There's a lot of backstory that I'm looking forward to getting into, hopefully you guys are excited as well.**

**I know we haven't gotten into much yet, but I do want to give you all a little clarification to the timeline of this story. As this chapter shows you, Matt and Gabby had never met until tonight. This story is in no way connected to any storylines done on the show, it's completely AU. Aside from the characters (and once we get further into it, you'll see who all knows who), there are no similarities to the show. **

**Speaking of characters, there is one thing I want to let you all know. Shay is in this story, she never died or anything like that. I want to be transparent with you guys, when I first started writing this about a year and a half ago, I had Brett in this instead of Shay, but there were two reasons I decided to go ahead and change it. One, I absolutely love Shay and miss her character. And two, I honestly don't think I have it in me to write a lot for Brett right now. I'm not the biggest fan of what they've done to her character on the show, and I've found it's much easier for me to write this with Shay instead. That's not to say they're interchangeable, because they definitely are not. I've had to rework a lot of ideas/scenes to fit Shay, because they are very different characters. But I just wanted to explain my reasoning a little bit. I hope none of you mind.**

**I can't wait to hear what you all think of this first chapter. Trust me when I say, things are gonna get a lot crazier. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter Two

**Wow. Thank you for the love and support on the first chapter. I'm so excited for you guys to see where this story goes, and I'm glad you all are so interested in it. It truly makes me so happy.**

**I hope you enjoy this new chapter, we get a little bit more information on Gabby and her situation. Happy reading!**

* * *

**T W O**

* * *

Gabby picked at the chipping paint on her coffee cup as she sat at her brother's kitchen table, feeling Antonio's eyes on her as he moved throughout the kitchen, preparing their breakfast.

It was early, a little after seven, and with the late night Gabby had it felt even earlier. When she showed up at her brother's doorstep last night, she explained the bare minimum to him as they sat in his living room, despite him pressing her for more information.

"_He just broke up with me, Antonio. There's not much more to it. He said he didn't want to be with me anymore, so I left._"

"_That's it? You all were together for three years, and that's all he says? You all hadn't been fighting or anything?_"

"_I don't know what you want me to say, he wanted to end things, that's it. It's over, I'm fine._"

Needless to say, their conversation didn't get very far. Gabby was exhausted and didn't feel like explaining everything to him, especially when there was so much she didn't understand herself. They spoke for all of ten minutes before Antonio gave up, knowing she had to be up for work in a few hours. But it was clear their conversation was far from over, he just knew better than to push her more than he already had.

"Are you sure you want to work today? I mean, no one would blame you for taking the shift off." He spoke as he brought over two plates with some eggs and toast on them, Gabby blowing out a soft breath.

"I don't need to take the shift off, I'm fine." She replied, Antonio raising his eyebrows as he sat down next to her.

"Gabby, it just happened last night. There's no reason you should have to go and be with that asshole for 24 hours." He prodded, Gabby sucking in a deep breath.

"I'm fine, Antonio." She reiterated.

"No you're not. And you shouldn't be. You don't have to be strong all the time, sis. What he did to you, you're allowed to be upset about it."

"I told you, I'm fine." She bit back, taking a sip of her coffee. "He made his decision, there's nothing I can do about it. Wallowing over some guy who doesn't wanna be with me isn't going to change things. He's already wasted years of my life, I'm not gonna let him take anything else from me."

Clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, Antonio nodded. He knew she wasn't okay, but pressing her on it would only make it worse. So he went back to his breakfast, the two sitting in relative silence as they ate, Antonio noticing her leg bouncing up and down against the ground, something he knew she did when she was nervous.

"Whether you're fine or not, you know you can always call me, right?" He murmured, Gabby tilting her head up to look at him. "No matter how you're feeling, going into work today, that's going to be hard. I just want to make sure you know I'm here if you need me."

"I know you are." She responded, glancing towards the clock above the stove, pushing her chair back. "I gotta get going, I'll see you tomorrow." Antonio's eyes flashed from his sister to her still full plate, a slight frown forming on his face.

"Don't you wanna eat?"

"I'm not really hungry, but I can get something at the station later." She responded quickly, Antonio holding his tongue as he just nodded.

"Alright, well stay safe out there." He replied, pushing himself up from the table, disappearing into the living room. Gabby put her dishes in the sink before following his path, seeing him digging around in his desk drawer. Gabby moved towards the door, grabbing her coat and her shift bag, turning to face her brother just as he began walking towards her, holding a key up towards her. "This is for you. I meant what I said, you can stay here as long as you need."

Gabby smiled softly at her him, reaching out to take the key, pocketing it as she stepped forward to hug him, wrapping an arm around his neck. "Thank you, Tonio." She whispered, feeling him squeeze her tightly before they pulled away.

He rubbed his hand up and down her arm lightly, giving her one last supportive smile before Gabby walked towards the door, his smile falling as she left the apartment, Antonio unable to shake the uneasiness he felt at his sister going to work today.

* * *

Casey stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist as he walked towards the counter, beginning his routine to get ready for work. As he was brushing his teeth, he caught a glimpse of the marks covering his skin. The marks Gabby left on him. There were multiple patches of discoloration across his chest, and a few at the base of his neck. Hopefully, the collar on his shirt would be able to cover the purple-ish bruising, his smirk widening as he saw the faintest outline of teeth marks on his shoulder, Matt remembering the exact moment he'd elicited that reaction from her.

Shaking his head, he pushed the thoughts of last night from his mind, continuing to get ready for the day ahead. He couldn't be distracted today, not when he wanted to make a good first impression at his new firehouse. He needed this house to work, it had to work. He couldn't continue being shuffled around the CFD. Each time he got placed at a new house, it made it harder and harder for his men to trust him. He knows how firehouses work, it never takes long for word to spread that Casey has gotten kicked from multiple houses. And even though the reasoning is never made public, people hear things. No matter how misguided they are, rumors spread and it makes his job harder. It's made it nearly impossible to gain the trust and respect of his firefighters, and those are two things he has to have in order to do his job.

And another thing that stayed planted in the back of his mind was that he knew headquarters was running out of places to send him. Since he got kicked from his last house a few months back, he'd been filling in at different spots throughout the city, never knowing when his next shift would be. It had gotten to the point where he filled in for other firefighters, Lieutenant or not, because he needed the money. For awhile there, part of him had been worried this was his career now, that he'd be a floater forever. It was looking to be in the realm of possibility until he got the call two weeks ago that a firehouse in the heart of the city was looking for a new Lieutenant. Casey jumped at the chance, not even caring which house it was, he just needed the job. He'd gone to deal with paperwork last week, and he went to tour the facility a few days ago. His visit had been during another shift, he wasn't able to meet his new coworkers, but he'd met with his new Chief. From everything he saw during his brief visit, it seemed like a great house, and he was excited to start working there.

Although along with his excitement came some nerves. He knew what his reputation was around the department, and he had no idea if those rumors had spread to his new house. It didn't matter that the words said about him weren't the entire story, once people heard of the past reasons for him getting bumped from houses, they formed their own opinions, and they were rarely kind. If you asked him, the grounds for him continuously getting transferred weren't really his fault. He'd made some mistakes in his time, he'd never deny that, but nothing that ever warranted him being moved. It had been too many cases of his word against someone else's, and more often than not he lost that fight. Trouble always seemed to find him, and it resulted in him getting bounced around houses for the better part of his Lieutenancy, as well as carrying around people's judgements and assumptions of him.

But he refused to let it happen again. He had a good feeling about this house, he had to. Matt was well aware this could be his last shot, that it was his one final chance for a completely fresh start. He didn't know anyone from this new house, as well as he could remember they'd never even worked the same calls together, and that could only work in his favor. No one knew him, and hopefully that meant no one knew of the rumors said about him. There'd be no formed opinions before he even had the chance to get there. This was his opportunity to find a stable house where he could stay for years to come, and he was determined to make it work.

* * *

Gabby quietly walked in the side door of the firehouse, keeping her head down as she stayed close to the wall, ignoring the chatter of voices she heard coming from the squad table. Without ever looking up, she entered through the first set of double doors in the garage, trying to make herself invisible as she walked the familiar path towards the locker room.

She knew her moments of solitude were fleeting, that at any moment she'd run into someone, that she'd see _him_, and the walls she'd placed around herself would be tested. Despite what she'd told her brother, and as much as she wanted to believe it, she wasn't ready for this. Gabby wasn't sure if she could get through this day without breaking, but she had to try.

Turning the corner into the locker room, she looked up for the first time, her pace slowing as she heard familiar voices deep inside the room. Her fight or flight response began to kick in as she nearly stopped altogether, having to find the courage to walk the remaining few feet.

She could hear him, hear the laughter in his voice as he spoke with Shay and Severide, hearing how carefree he sounded. Like he hadn't just destroyed her entire life twelve hours ago. He sounded fine, and it was frustrating her more and more by the second.

From what Gabby was hearing, if she had to guess, she'd say he hadn't told anyone what happened. Based on the laughter coming from the other side of the lockers, Severide and Shay knew nothing of their broken engagement, although Gabby was sure it wouldn't take long to figure out.

All she hoped is that she wasn't there when the house found out, she didn't need to see the reactions of everyone learning she'd been dumped. Things had been a little tough here for Dawson as of late, but once the news broke about her ended engagement to 51's favorite firefighter, she knew that would only get worse. Aside from Shay, she wasn't sure if she would have anyone on her side. Not that she'd ever ask that of them, but there had already been a shift in her relationship with the members of 51, and this was bound to make it worse.

Her frayed relationship with her colleagues was mostly her doing, she knew that. Since her relationship had first began to crack all those months ago, she'd been distancing herself. It hadn't even been on purpose, but news of their relationship issues had spread fast, and it made it hard for them to be in the same room together while on shift, which resulted in Gabby spending a lot of time in the bunk room alone. It was easier than them bickering on shift and making everyone uncomfortable, so she'd started spending a lot of time by herself. And now, she was sure that would only continue.

Shay had tried her best to include her, and to always check in on, but Gabby wasn't making it easy. She'd been trying to figure out how to fix her crumbling engagement, she wasn't focused on much else. Although it didn't seem to matter. Despite how hard she tried to do what he wanted, to be what he wanted, it didn't matter. She wasn't enough for him. And now her relationships at work had suffered because of it.

Knowing she couldn't hide forever, Gabby held her head high as she took the last few steps towards her locker, glancing towards the group of three as she stepped around the bench. His back was to her, clearly not aware of her presence, as Shay and Severide saw her enter.

"Hey Dawson." Kelly spoke up, Shay flashing her a smile, Gabby reciprocating the gesture, forcing one onto her face as well.

"Hey guys."

He had yet to turn around, but she saw his neck clench, clearly trying to compose himself, Gabby waiting a few seconds to see if he'd look at her. But he never did.

Peeling her eyes away from the group, she began working on the combination for her locker, listening in as their conversation resumed. But the joyous tone to his voice was gone. He sounded more like the man Gabby had been dealing with for the last few months, his voice lacking enthusiasm as he spoke with Kelly and Shay.

"Alright, I'm gonna go get some coffee before roll call. See you guys out there." He left without another word, not even glancing in her direction as he exited the room, Gabby keeping her focus on the inside of her locker, swallowing thickly at all the photos of the two of them covering the door. Photos she'd need to remove.

Shay watched the interaction, or lack of one, between the couple with a curious stare, her eyes narrowed as she tried to get a read on what that was about. Glancing to Kelly, he held the same confused look in his eye, Shay shrugging as she nodded at him to leave, knowing if she were to get anything out of her partner, they'd need to be alone. Understanding her request, Severide shut his locker and turned to leave, Shay focusing her attention on Dawson.

"You doing alright?" She asked carefully, Gabby putting her bag in her locker, not bothering to look towards her friend.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Did something happen between you guys?" Shay questioned softly, making sure to drop her voice as she spoke. She knew there were many prying ears in the firehouse, and if there was something going on, she knew Dawson wouldn't want it broadcasted to the entire house.

But Gabby ignored the question, turning to face her friend, trying to think of some excuse that wouldn't be considered a lie. But she never got the chance as Shay's focus went in another direction, her eyebrow raising as her head cocked to the side.

"Well, never mind. Looks like you two had a good night." She spoke teasingly, Gabby's eyes narrowing in confusion.

"What?"

Reaching out towards Gabby's collar, Shay moved her jacket out of the way, exposing the purple patch of skin on her neck. "He left a mark." She chuckled, Gabby swatting her friend's hand away, forcing a fake smile onto her face as she pulled her collar tight to her skin.

"Would you stop." She muttered, bringing her ponytail to rest over her shoulder, trying to aid in hiding Casey's marks. When she woke up this morning, she'd noticed a lot of remaining bruising still covering her skin, Matt apparently having been a little too eager during their night together. In hindsight, she probably should've directed him further south before letting him blemish her body, but it hadn't exactly been on her mind in the moment.

Gabby checked her appearance in the small mirror hanging on her locker door, needing assurance that the mark Matt had left on her neck was completely covered. It wasn't that she was ashamed of it, she honestly wasn't. If last night had taught her anything, it's that she owed nothing to anyone except herself. When she woke up this morning, she actually found that her night with Casey made her feel a little bit better. It wasn't because of him, but it was the fact that she knew she could move on. She took that first step in being with someone else again, and it proved to her that she could. She was capable of getting past this, and in time, it gave her hope that she'd be okay.

But that didn't mean she wanted to parade around with the marks on full display. She was a single woman, and free to do what she wanted, but she knew if _he_ saw them, he'd demand answers. And most likely not bother to do so in private, and that was not a conversation she could deal with right now. She couldn't focus on anything other than getting through this day, she didn't want to make things harder for herself by flaunting off the fact she hadn't spent the night alone.

"So things are getting better." Shay stated, a pleased smile resting on her face. "I'm glad, I know it's been hard for you two lately."

Gabby's bottom lip fell between her teeth, unsure of how to respond to her friend. Here was her opening, her chance to tell Shay about their broken engagement. But she couldn't. Not yet.

Glancing down to her watch, Gabby merely nodded, shutting her locker. "We need to get out there." She replied, not waiting for Shay's response before turning to leave.

With Shay in tow, Gabby headed for the conference room, shoving her hands in her pockets as she walked, bracing herself for shift ahead.

Stepping into the room, all eyes landed on her and Shay as they came through the door, Gabby's spine straightening as the house watched her for a moment. Her eyes bounced around the room nervously, before her gaze locked with his, seeing his face hardened into a glare as she stood there. In that moment, it felt as if everyone knew. That the entire house knew she'd been dumped by the man standing in the back of the room. She felt vulnerable under their stares. But as quickly as they had looked her way, they went back to what they were doing, all eyes leaving her except for those belonging to the man standing against the wall.

Gabby released a heavy breath, feeling Shay place a hand on her back, silently urging her to keep walking, the blonde unsure why her friend had stopped so suddenly in the doorway. Dawson continued into the room, keeping her head up as she looked around for a seat, her muscles tightening as she noticed the only available ones were at the table in front of him.

He was standing against the back wall, his body weight leaned into it as he spoke with Kelly, the two talking quietly to one another. Pursing her lips together, Gabby began walking towards the seat, moving her gaze to the ground as she got close, feeling his eyes burning into her head when she came into his view. She sat down directly in front of him, Shay sitting to her right as they waited for Boden to come in. Gabby was honestly surprised he wasn't here yet, seeing as her and Shay had arrived a few minutes late. But she wasn't complaining, Gabby happy to avoid the lecture she surely would've gotten had the Chief been here to notice her tardiness.

The longer they sat there, the more uncomfortable she felt, Gabby nervously tapping her fingers on the table as she tried to filter out the sound of his voice behind her while he spoke with Severide, although it was nearly impossible with him being less than a foot away. Being around him made her feel sick, like she could throw up at any second. And she hated it.

"So you don't know anything about him?" He asked quietly towards his friend, Gabby's leg shaking under the table.

"No, I've never met him. I asked Boden, but Chief didn't have much to say. Just that he's a great guy. Became a Lieutenant after barely four years on the job, so he's good. Really good." Kelly responded.

"And he's starting today?"

"Yeah, he is. I think he's already here, saw some guy in there with Boden when I got here this morning."

"Well, this should be fun."

Any conversations going halted when Boden walked in the room, nodding at his firefighters and paramedics as he stood in front of everyone. "Good morning." He bellowed throughout the small room, similar greetings coming from the people around him. "Glad to have everyone back today. As you all know, we have a new truck Lieutenant joining 51."

Gabby's eyebrows furrowed at the information, looking around to take in the reactions of her coworkers, all of which seemed unfazed by the news. "Did you know about this?" Gabby asked quietly as she leaned towards Shay, trying to draw as little attention as possible.

"Yeah, Severide told me last week. It's been like the only topic of discussion around here lately. You didn't know?" Shay asked curiously, her eyes flickering to the man standing behind Gabby. Not wanting to interrupt further, Gabby simply shook her head.

"Lieutenant Stephens has taken a position at headquarters, he decided it wasn't in his best interest to return to firefighting. So, we've got our new permanent truck Lieutenant. Even though Herrmann did a decent job filling in…" Boden spoke with a smirk, teasing cheers being heard throughout the room. "But our new Lieutenant joining us has been on the job for nearly ten years, been a Lieutenant for six of those. He's great at what he does, and I imagine he'll fit in well around here."

Gabby heard the far door open as Boden was speaking, but didn't pay much attention to it as she listened to the Chief, her mind already elsewhere. It wasn't until she heard some rustling that she glanced over, her eyes flashing towards the supposed new Lieutenant quickly, barely taking him in before looking back towards the Chief.

It took a few seconds for her mind to register what, or rather who, she saw, but the second she did, she felt her heart drop into her stomach. Her eyes landed on him again, feeling bile rise in her throat as she saw him standing there, smiling softly as he took in his surroundings. He was looking around the room, Gabby's breath hitching as she watched his movements. Before he saw her, Boden spoke up, regaining the man's attention.

"Everyone, I'd like you to welcome Lieutenant Matt Casey." Boden introduced, members of 51 clapping as Matt walked towards the center of the room where Chief was standing, Gabby's eyes locked on his moving form. She felt like it was impossible to breath, like any second now she'd snap out of whatever nightmare this was, and this wouldn't be happening. "Casey." Boden prompted, holding out his arm as he took a step back, signaling Matt to speak.

Clearing his throat, he nodded as his eyes darted around the room, taking in the faces of his new coworkers. He forced himself to push aside the nerves he was feeling as he began to speak. "Well, hi. I'm not sure what else there is to say, but I'm looking forward to working here. I've heard nothing but great things about this house, and-" He stopped short as his locked eyes with hers, his mind ceasing all other function for a split second as he saw exactly who was sitting in front of him. His lips twitched into a slight smirk, seeing the dazed look on her face. But he quickly remembered where he was, Matt snapping out of his headspace as he continued looking around the room. "Yeah, that's pretty much all I've got." He finished, Boden nodding as he took a step forward.

"Now, Herrmann here has been running truck as of late." Boden started, the older man raising his hand so Matt knew who the Chief was referring to, Matt nodding at him. "I know you're fully capable of running a truck, but if you need any guidance the first few calls, Herrmann can help you out."

"Yeah, of course. I'm sure I'll be taking you up on that." Casey spoke, flashing the firefighter a grin. He wasn't sure if that was some sort of test from Boden, if the Chief was trying to get a read on his new Lieutenant and his ego, but if it was, Matt was sure he passed. "At least until I get names down."

Boden nodded, patting Casey on the back. "Alright, well once we get through our morning meeting you all can get to know our new Lieutenant here a little better." Casey took the signal that he was dismissed, Matt walking towards the far wall, leaning his weight against it as Boden moved onto the next topic.

He knew he should have been paying attention, that whatever Boden was saying was bound to be important, but he couldn't keep from watching Gabby. She was the last person he ever expected to see here. Last night when they met, he didn't exactly get the 'first responder' vibe from her, but then again he only got her first name a few minutes before they were naked in his bed.

Pushing the image from his head, Matt blinked a few times, trying to regain his focus. He couldn't get swept up in what happened between them, especially because he knew it couldn't happen again. This house had to work, he needed to stay here, and getting involved with one of his coworkers was a sure-fire way to jeopardize that. Even though he didn't really see that becoming an issue, knowing that she's not exactly fond of him. Despite knowing she enjoyed herself, he also knew she didn't like him. Whether it was actually him she didn't like, or whoever she clearly had been projecting onto him, she couldn't stand him. But he didn't want things to be uncomfortable between them. Though seeing the way Gabby refused to even look at him, he knew things already were. She was tense, he could tell she was forcing herself to keep her eyes forward, like the last thing in the world she wanted to do was look towards him.

But then she did. He wasn't sure if it was by accident, or if she just couldn't stop herself, but their eyes met across the small room, neither of them looking away from the other. He could see the uncertainty and shock in her gaze, Matt also picking up on what seemed to be a little bit of fear. And he didn't understand that at all. He's not sure what she thought he was going to do or say, but she didn't have any reason to be scared. The last thing that would help him here would be everyone finding out him and Gabby spent one meaningless night together. It was no one's business but their own, and it's not like it would ever happen again. As far as he was concerned, she had no reason to be worried about what he might do or say, but he knew she probably needed to hear those words out loud. Matt needed to be able to talk to her, alone, so they could come to an agreement about how to handle what happened between them.

Gabby forced herself to look away from him, feeling his eyes burning holes in the side of her head, going against every thought in her head telling her to run out of there. This wasn't supposed to happen, she'd slept with a man who was now her coworker, who was now her ex-fiancé's boss. The man she'd used to forget about her life for a few hours was now someone she'd have to spend multiple days a week with, and the feeling made her nauseous.

"Do you know each other?" Shay whispered from beside her, snapping Gabby from her panicked thoughts.

"Huh?"

"Casey. Do you know him? He keeps looking at you."

Swallowing thickly, Gabby quickly shook her head, her neck clenching as she tried to control her nerves. "No." She responded shortly, glancing back towards Matt, thankful to see he had finally looked away. "Maybe we worked together on a call once, but I don't know him."

Shay kept her eyes on Dawson for a few moments, trying to figure out why the woman seemed so tense. She'd been acting weird since she first got here, but the second the new Lieutenant came in, it's like she'd seen a ghost. Looking past Gabby towards Casey, she saw the man watching her again, only for a second, before he realized his stares had been caught, Shay seeing his spine straightening, Matt refocusing his attention on Boden. Her eyes narrowed, confusion filling her at the firefighter's actions.

Dawson might not have known Casey, but from what Shay could gather, he seemed to know her.

"Alright, that's it for this morning. Let's have a great shift today. Truck, I trust you can get Lieutenant Casey settled in." Firefighters around the room nodded, Boden excusing himself as he left them to meet their new Lieutenant, a crowd soon forming around Matt.

Gabby stayed planted in her seat while everyone else moved, her hands clasped together tightly as she ignored the movement around her. Even though it was truthfully the last thing she wanted to do, she knew she had to talk to Matt. But the conversation that needed to be had, that couldn't be done out in the open.

Shay pushed herself up from her seat, watching as Severide made his way towards the mass of bodies around the new Lieutenant, the paramedic stopping as she noticed Gabby still firmly in her seat.

"You gonna come introduce yourself?" Shay asked, Gabby blinking rapidly as her eyes found Matt, the man currently speaking to Cruz and Otis.

"No, um," Gabby cleared her throat, returning her gaze to her folded hands. "I'll wait, everyone's kind of crowding him right now." She spoke, Shay frowning at the obvious nerves radiating off her friend. But she knew better than to push it.

"Alright, suit yourself." Shay responded, patting Gabby's shoulder softly before sliding past her, coming to stand by Severide.

As he was being introduced to everyone, Matt tried his best to keep names and faces straight. And despite being a bit overwhelmed by all the new people, he couldn't help but feel his nerves lessen with each passing second, feeling welcome here as everyone came up to greet him. Well, almost everyone.

He noticed Gabby staying put in her seat while everyone else came up to him, trying his hardest to not focus on her still form as he met his new coworkers.

The crowd began to thin out, leaving just a few of them in the room as a group of two men and a woman walked up to him.

"Kelly Severide." The man introduced himself, holding out his hand towards Matt. "I'm the squad Lieutenant, it's nice to have you here."

"Ah yeah, Boden mentioned you. I'm excited to get to work with you, man." Casey responded with a smile, shaking his hand firmly. "I'd love to sit and talk with you later, get a feel of the place, if you don't mind."

"Of course not, anything to help you out." Severide responded.

"I'm Leslie Shay, one of the paramedics here at 51." The blonde in front of him grinned.

"It's nice to meet you." He spoke, his eyes flashing towards Gabby before moving back to the group.

"Bryan Walker, sir." The last firefighter introduced, extending his hand. "I work on 81. I'm really looking forward to getting to learn from you."

"Oh, well, I'm sure you all can teach me a few things." Matt joked, shaking the man's hand quickly. "But just Lieutenant is fine." Casey clarified, Walker nodding.

From her position at the table, she had a clear shot of Bryan and Casey speaking, Gabby feeling her stomach turn as they laughed. She felt like she was going to be sick, she couldn't stay here anymore. She needed a minute to breath, to gather herself before she could do anything else.

Without another thought, she slid back her seat, the noise much louder than she intended, Gabby seeing the heads of the group of four turn towards her in her peripheral vision, but she never looked their way, keeping her head down as she hurried from the room.

Shay watched her friend with concerned eyes, releasing a soft sigh as Gabby disappeared down the hallway.

"Everything okay there?" Severide asked, putting their conversation on hold as he turned towards Walker.

"Oh, you know Gabby, she's being dramatic as usual." Bryan huffed out, rolling his eyes. Matt's eyes narrowed as Walker spoke, his gaze bouncing between Severide and Shay, searching for any reaction towards this man talking about Gabby that way. But they didn't seem phased by his words, Matt wondering if this was a common practice done by the firefighter, talking down about his coworkers. "Sorry about her, Lieutenant. She's a handful." Walker continued, Matt giving little in response. "But, speaking of, I need to go deal with something real quick. It was nice to meet you, Lieutenant." Bryan spoke, flashing a wide grin before heading towards the door Gabby had just left through.

Once it was just the three of them, Kelly spoke up again. "Is she alright, Shay?"

"I don't know, she's been acting weird all morning. I don't know if they're having problems again, but she seemed upset."

Matt watched the two speak, trying to figure out what exactly they were talking about through their less than descriptive words. But Kelly soon sensed his confusion, blowing out a sigh as he leaned his body weight against the wall.

"Gabby Dawson, the woman who just left, she's our PIC. Her and Walker, they're together." Matt choked on his breath at Severide's words, his harsh coughs filling the room. Kelly and Shay exchanged confused looks, the squad lieutenant patting against Matt's back. "You alright?"

"Yeah, sorry." He replied once he'd gained his composure, clearing his throat. "So they're dating?"

"They're engaged." Shay responded, Matt's neck clenching as the information washed over him, the man biting down harshly on the inside of his cheek as he felt himself get lightheaded.

"Oh." Casey spoke, trying to clear any emotion from his voice, but it was nearly impossible. "I didn't know you were allowed to date in-house." Matt was having a hard time forming coherent thoughts, as the weight of everything hit him, so he said the first words that came to his mind.

"No, you can. Just not within the same company." Shay clarified, Matt giving her a nod, his eyes flickering back to the hallway where Gabby had gone.

"Maybe it shouldn't be allowed at all though, they definitely cause their fair share of drama." Severide mused, Matt turning back to look at him.

"Kelly." Shay warned.

"I'm sorry, but it's true. I know she's your best friend, but more often than not, according to Walker, she's making things difficult."

"Yeah, well _your_ best friend has a warped sense of the truth." Shay bit back, Matt's brain working on overdrive as he tried to wrap his head around everything. But even through his fogged mind, he could tell Shay didn't have the highest opinion of Bryan Walker.

"Anyway," Kelly spoke sharply as Shay rolled her eyes, "There's usually something going on between them, whether they're fighting or what. But it keeps things interesting, I guess."

"Just ignore him. Dawson's great, you'll love working with her. She's an amazing paramedic."

Matt simply nodded, his mouth going dry as he tried to work through everything he'd learned in such a short amount of time. How the woman he slept with last night was engaged, engaged to one of his firefighters. He couldn't help but wonder why Gabby had kissed him, why she suggested them going home together, why she slept with him, when she was engaged. He didn't want to make assumptions about her, that she slept around behind her fiancé's back. Matt knew nothing about her, or about their relationship. He didn't want to presume anything, but it was hard not to.

She was engaged. She was engaged, and they slept together.

He needed to talk to her.

"So, you want me to show you around? I can help you get situated before we get too busy." Kelly suggested, Matt taking a deep breath as he nodded. He had no reason to deny Severide's request right now, or at least no reason that he could explain. His conversation with Gabby would just have to wait.

* * *

Gabby gripped the edge of the sink as she stood in the bathroom, her knuckles turning white as she leaned her weight into her arms, her head hanging down while she took steadying breaths. She still couldn't shake this unsettling feeling in her stomach, and she still wasn't entirely sure she wouldn't throw up. Although with the situation, it'd be justified.

She lifted her head up when she heard the door swing open, meeting Bryan's eyes through the mirror as he walked in, stopping just inside the room. He crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze locked on her distressed form.

"How are you doing?"

Gabby released a dry chuckle, shaking her head as she turned around to face him, her body weight resting against the counter. "We're not gonna do this, Bryan." She responded shortly. "What do you want?"

Sighing deeply, he took a step towards her, glancing around the room. "Have you told anyone about our engagement?"

"You mean our broken engagement." She spoke bitterly, Bryan clicking his tongue against his teeth in irritation. "No, I haven't said anything. Figured since you're the one who ended things, you could do the honors."

"Jesus Gabby, do you ever stop?" He bit back harshly, taking another step closer. "You and I were miserable, I did us both a favor. Quit acting like it was some big shock."

"You did me a favor? Dragging me through this relationship for years was supposed to be a favor?"

"That's not what I meant, can you please stop being so goddamn difficult for once." His voice got louder with each word, Gabby's body recoiling as he spoke. "I didn't come here to get into another fight with you, I've had enough of that. I just wanted to know if anyone knew."

She could hear his contempt for her in his voice, Gabby willing herself to keep her emotions in check.

"I didn't tell anyone." She responded shortly, her voice barely audible.

"Okay. Well, I will. I don't want to make a big deal about it." He replied, Gabby's eyes falling closed as he spoke, his words slicing through her like a knife. "Oh, and before I forget, do you know when you'll be able to come get your stuff?"

Gabby's eyes snapped open at his words, her eyebrows furrowing. "Uh, no… I haven't really had time to think about it." Bryan nodded, Gabby able to feel his annoyance at her answer. "I can call Antonio, see if he can help me get my stuff after shift tomorrow."

"That'd be good. No need to prolong this."

"Yeah, wouldn't wanna make a big deal out of it." She repeated his earlier words, Bryan stifling an eye-roll. "I'll have my stuff out tomorrow."

"Good." He replied sharply, turning around to head towards the door. But he barely made it a step before turning back around, Gabby straightening her back as he stared at her. "Let's not make this weird for everyone, alright? We're over, there's no need to make them feel uncomfortable about it."

"I wasn't planning on it."

"Alright. Well, I'll see you out there I guess." He replied, walking through the door without another word.

The second she was on her own, she let down the guard she put up around herself, unable to stop the tears filling her eyes. She brought her hands up to cover the sides of her face, her body trembling as silent tears strolled down her cheeks, Gabby's hard exterior cracking as she stood in the bathroom alone.

* * *

Matt sat at the desk chair in his office, his gaze focused on the blank wall in front of him. It was only one hour into shift, Severide just having finished giving him the unofficial tour of the house. Even though Casey had been given a tour of the facility already, he let Severide show him around. It had given Matt the opportunity to get to know Kelly a little better, learning about how long Severide had been on the job, that he'd been here since finishing his candidacy, Matt also learning that him and Shay were roommates and best friends. He got a lot of insight into Kelly's life, as well as learning more about the culture of the entire house.

Everyone here was close, he was coming into a family. And they'd welcomed him with open arms. Despite replacing a Lieutenant who had been here longer than most everyone in the house had been on the job, they were all excited to have him here. After some questioning, Casey learned from Severide that Lieutenant Stephens had gotten injured during a call. A ceiling had collapsed on him, leaving him needing surgery and messing up his back pretty bad. It sounded awful, and Casey couldn't help but feel for the man. But according to Severide, Stephens had been thinking about stepping down from his position for awhile, the accident just gave him the push he needed.

When Severide spoke of his former Lieutenant, Matt could tell how respected he'd been. And those weren't easy shoes to fill. Being in many different firehouses over the years, Matt knew how hard it was to step into a role filled by someone loved around the house. It made him nervous for a moment, Matt wondering if he'd be accepted easily into this group because of the circumstances. Even though it was Stephens decision, Matt was still replacing a beloved member of 51. He knew that could sometimes rub people the wrong way.

But that hadn't been the case at all.

During their walk around the house, any time members of the firehouse saw him, they'd stop and talk to him. He chatted with almost everyone during his tour, all of them welcoming him with wide smiles, making him feel right at home.

This house seemed to be the perfect fit for him. He couldn't have asked for a better firehouse to be moved to. Everything here seemed to be exactly what he needed.

Except for one thing.

He might've ruined his chance here before it even started. Without even knowing it, his actions last night might've already lost him his ability to stay here. If anyone found out about what he'd done, they'd never trust him. Especially Walker. He could hardly look at the man, knowing what he'd been doing with his fiancée the night before. This is quite possibly the best firehouse he's ever worked at, and he could've already managed to ruin it.

Soft tapping on his door pulled him from his thoughts, Matt's head snapping towards the sound as he saw Gabby standing on the other side. Through the glass, he could see her red, watery eyes, and the sorrowful look covering her face. She'd been crying, and recently. He wasn't exactly sure why, but considering she was now working with the man she cheated on her fiancé with, Matt had a few guesses as to what was causing those tears.

Waving her in, he watched as she took a deep breath, her head turning side to side to make sure they were alone in the bunk room before she opened the door, slowly stepping inside. She stayed quiet as she shut the door behind her, taking a few steps away from him, leaning her body against the wall.

"Hi." She spoke out, her voice soft and unsure.

"Hi." Matt responded, turning in his chair to face her, watching as she tapped her finger up and down repeatedly against her arm, a thick tension filling the room as the weight of what they'd done settled around them.

"I, uh… We need to talk." She started, her eyes plastered to the ground, avoiding his gaze like her life depended on it.

"Yeah, we do." He breathed out, rubbing his clammy hands over his knees. "Did I miss the ring last night?" Her head snapped up at his words, finding Matt watching her intently. "Severide said you and Walker are together, that you're engaged. Did I miss the ring last night?" He asked again, his patience wearing thin.

Taking a deep, unsteady breath, Gabby shook her head. "No… you didn't." She replied, crossing her arms over her chest. She watched as different emotions played out over his face, her defenses rising as she realized what he must be thinking of her. "I don't need you to judge me." She bit out quickly, her teeth clenching as he stood up.

"I'm not, but you didn't exactly make it clear you were with someone. In fact, you coming onto me, you coming home with me made it the opposite of clear." He responded firmly, Gabby eyeing him challengingly.

"I don't owe you anything."

"No, what you do behind your fiancé's back is your business. But now it affects me. I don't sleep with taken women, and now I have to work with the guy you cheated on."

"You have no idea what you're talking about." She fired back angrily, Matt huffing.

"Oh, I have no idea? You went out to a bar and slept with some man who's not your fiancé. There's not much else to understand." He snapped at her. "I'm not judging you, but now we have to deal with this. I never would've slept with you had I known you were engaged."

"So you don't just hook up with any woman? You actually draw the line somewhere? I never would've guessed." She responded dryly, his eyes narrowing at her.

"Is that really what you're turning this into? Taking a shot at me for going to bars, when you're the one who cheated on your fiancé?"

"I didn't cheat on him!" She yelled, her frustration winning out, Matt taking a step back at the force of her words. "He broke up with me. He ended things between us last night, that's why I was at that bar." Her voice got more quiet with each word, avoiding eye contact as she spoke, missing the sad look shining in his eyes, and how his features softened as he heard the pain in her words. "I didn't go out looking to hook up with someone, it just… happened. I know I came onto you, or whatever, but that's not why I went out."

"You don't owe me an explanation." He responded quickly, Gabby finding the strength to look up at him again. "I... I didn't know that happened, Kelly didn't tell me. He just said you two were engaged, and I panicked."

"Because he doesn't know. No one does, at least not yet."

Matt nodded slowly, taking a deep breath. "If I had known this is where I'd be working, I would've never slept with you. Even though you two are broken up, I just wouldn't have…" He trailed off, Gabby nodding.

"I'm sorry about this, Casey." She spoke softly. "Really, I am. I never meant to put you in this position. I didn't even know you were a firefighter, I thought you worked in construction."

"I do. But it's something I do in between shifts." He explained, Gabby nodding as her hand came up to rub over the side of her head.

"I know this puts you in a bad spot, even though Bryan and I aren't together anymore, but…" She cleared her throat, shaking her head as she blinked back the tears in her eyes, the events of the past day taking its toll on her.

"It's not your fault." Matt replied, Gabby tilting her head to the side as he spoke. "You didn't do this on purpose. I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions."

"It's okay." She murmured.

"But we both did… what we did last night. You didn't force me into anything, neither of us knew we'd be working together, let alone seeing each other again. This isn't your fault."

Gabby nodded, taking a deep breath as her eyes flickered around the room.

"So, what do we do?" Matt asked after a few moments.

"It's probably best for everyone if we just forget it happened." She responded, Matt nodding in agreement. "We can't change it, the only thing we can do is move past it. You and I are gonna have to work together, and then everything with Bryan…" She trailed off, shaking her head lightly. "We should just forget about it."

"Okay." He replied, Gabby releasing a relieved breath.

"Thank you, Casey." Matt gave her a nod, Gabby stepping towards the door.

"Gabby," Him saying her name stopped her movements with her hand on the door handle, Gabby turning to look at him. "I am sorry about what happened between you and Walker."

Swallowing thickly, Gabby nodded softly, giving him a weak smile before slipping through the door, Matt sighing deeply as he watched her go, following her movements until she disappeared from the bunk room.

* * *

**So, we've learned a little bit more about them, Gabby's ex is a new character. There's definitely a lot we're gonna be learning about him as we go on, he doesn't seem too great right now. I know there's still a lot of questions to be answered, especially now that we've gotten a taste of some of the stuff in Matt's past, but I hope you guys are enjoying this so far.**

**I want to say thank you again for all the support on this story. You all keep me motivated to continue my Dawsey stories, it truly means the world to me, the love you all have given me. I can't thank you enough.**

**I'm eager to hear what you all think of this chapter, I can't wait to get further into this story. I hope you enjoyed this one!**


	3. Chapter Three

**Hello! Here's another chapter for you all! I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**THREE**

* * *

Gabby glanced down to the checklist resting in her lap as she sat in the back of 61, her body planted on the stretcher while she went through and checked the supplies. This wasn't something that usually needed to be done right now, in fact she hadn't even mentioned to Shay that she'd be out here, but she needed to distraction. She needed to be away from everything, or rather _everyone_, in the house right now. Gabby was having a hard enough time dealing with the fallout between her and Bryan, but throwing Casey's presence on top of everything else had just about sent her over the edge. It felt like she was spiraling, and the only way she'd be able to get through these next twenty or so hours of shift would be to keep to herself.

Her body involuntarily shivered as the cool December air flooded through the open garage doors into the back of the rig, Gabby pulling her jacket tighter to her as she continued her work.

Buzzing in her pocket distracted her from her task, Gabby pulling the device out of her pocket, releasing a soft sigh as she saw her brother's name and photo appear on her screen. Placing the clipboard down on the bed beside her, she answered the call.

"That didn't take long."

"_Huh?_" Antonio questioned back, Gabby's posture relaxing.

"It's only been a few hours and you're already checking up on me." She elaborated, hearing him blow out a long breath.

"_I had a free moment, wanted to see how you're doing._"

"I'm fine, Antonio."

"_Mhmm. Well, when you stop lying to yourself, you know where to find me._"

Gabby rolled her eyes, focusing her attention on the edge of her sleeve before speaking up again. "I know you're trying to help me, but you're not."

"_I'm sorry, sis._" He breathed out apologetically, Gabby's bottom lip falling between her teeth. "_I know this entire situation is terrible, I just wish I could do something to make it easier._"

"Well, since you mentioned it, would you be able to help me tomorrow morning for a couple hours?"

She heard him hesitate for a few seconds, shuffling something around before he answered her. "_Uh, possibly. What do you need?_"

"I have to get my stuff from Bryan's apartment." She lowered her voice as the words left her mouth, not knowing if anyone was in earshot.

"_Ahh._" He replied shortly, clearly holding his tongue. "_Would we be able to do it the day after? I definitely want to be there to help you, and I want you to have your stuff, but tomorrow is kind of a crazy day for me over here._"

"He needs it to be tomorrow." She replied quietly, hearing a frustrated sigh come through the phone.

"_He can't wait another day?_"

"I don't know what you want me to tell you, Antonio. He said he didn't want to prolong this, or make a big deal out of it." She bit out sharply. "I can do it myself, I was just asking."

"_Hey sis, it's okay, alright?_" He replied calmly, hating that she was getting worked up. "_I'll talk to Voight, let him know I have somewhere I need to be. Do you want me to meet you there?_"

"Are you sure? I don't want you to get in trouble." She questioned softly, trying to get a handle on her emotions.

"_Positive. Just tell me when to be there and I'm there._" His soothing voice came through the phone, Gabby's eyes falling closed as she took a deep breath.

"Okay. Well then, yeah, after I get off shift would be good. I can let Bryan know we'll be there. Thank you, Antonio."

"_Nothing to thank me for. I'll be there, I promise. Can't promise I won't deck the bastard when I see him, but I'll be there."_

"Antonio…"

"_It's the least he deserves, Gabs. How he's treated you, what he's put you through… he deserves a hell of a lot more than that._" He replied sternly, Gabby's breath catching in her throat.

"Tony, please, I can't do this right now." Her voice wavered as she spoke, Gabby blinking furiously to keep any tears from falling, hearing him sigh heavily before responding.

"_I'm sorry. Really, I am. I'm not meaning to upset you._" He replied quickly, Gabby pinching the bridge of her nose as she sat hunched over on the bed.

"It's fine, I know you're not. I'm just… I'm trying not to think about it right now."

"_I know. I love you, sis. So much. You know that._"

A soft smile fell to her face, Gabby wiping under her eyes. "I do. I love you too, big brother."

"_I'll see you tomorrow morning, alright? Stay safe out there._"

"I will. You too."

Gabby hung up the phone, placing it down beside her as she rested her palms on the edge of the stretcher, her eyes closing as she took slow breaths. With every passing moment, getting through this day felt more and more impossible. But her only saving grace was her brother, knowing that once she did manage to get this shift over with, he'd be there for her. Just like he had been her entire life.

* * *

Matt stepped out of his office, deciding to venture out of the confines of the small room. He'd spent most of his time in there so far, getting himself situated, mentally preparing himself for what his life was going to be like here at 51.

The situation with Gabby complicated things, no question, but she seemed adamant about keeping it to themselves, which he was thankful for. He felt bad about what happened between her and Walker, but ultimately it was none of his business, and on a selfish level, part of him was glad they weren't together anymore. Not because of how it was affecting Gabby, because clearly it was. Her behavior since the moment they met told him she was taking this hard. But them not being together made it a lot easier on him. Sleeping with the ex of one of his firefighters was better than sleeping with their fiancée. It wasn't much better, but still, it was better.

Better for him, at least.

He wasn't sure Gabby took the same comfort in it. In fact, he knew she didn't. And she had no reason to.

When he found out they weren't still together, it was like a weight had been lifted off his chest. He felt guilty about it, but he actually felt relieved, hearing Gabby's words of Walker breaking up with her.

But he knew she didn't get to have that same feeling. There was no relief, no bright side, she was still in the same place she'd been in before, having to work with the man who left her. Except now, Matt's presence only made things more difficult for her. And he did feel bad about it. He felt guilty that something that had clearly hurt her so badly had been the thing to make his life easier. He wished it wasn't like that, but there was nothing he could do to change it.

All he could do was go along with how she wanted to handle this, which he was more than happy to do. As long as no one found out about their night together, his position here would be fine. He was more than willing to go along with her plan, that as far as everyone else in this house was concerned, they'd met for the first time today. And that was the end of it.

Matt wandered around the maze of hallways that was 51, trying to find his way back to the common room. If this had been any other set of circumstances, he would've spent the entire morning getting to know his new coworkers. They hadn't even been called out yet, which Matt found to be strange, him having heard over and over how busy this house was, but the radio silence should've given him the time to learn more about everyone here. It could've given him a lot of face to face time with the people he'd be spending days with, but he found himself needing the time alone. He needed a minute to gather himself after what he unsuspectingly walked into. It wasn't the ideal situation he'd been hoping for, that's for sure, but surprisingly, it seemed like everything would turn out okay. That despite what had happened last night, it wouldn't affect his work here. And he was beyond thankful for that. He couldn't be moved from another house, his career wouldn't survive it.

"There's our new Lieutenant." Herrmann's voice caught his attention as Matt entered the common room, everyone looking up from their seats. "We thought you might've gotten lost." The older firefighter snickered, Matt chuckling.

"It was close. This place is like a maze."

"Yeah, you'll get used to it. Settling in okay?"

"I am." He responded, his eyes moving around the room, taking in the faces of those around him, trying his hardest to remember names. Some of them he knew already; Severide, Herrmann, Shay, and Walker were the easy ones to remember, for different reasons. And of course, Gabby, but as he glanced around, she was nowhere to be found. He hoped that her absence wasn't because of him. But, considering everything else she had going on, even if he was part of it, he knew he wasn't the only thing keeping her away from the group.

"Wanna come sit, Casey?" Kelly offered, nodding towards the open seat between him and Walker.

Nodding slowly, Matt walked towards them, placing himself down in the chair.

"So, what's your first impression of 51, Lieutenant?" Walker asked, leaning back into his seat.

"It's been great so far. Everyone here is really welcoming. I didn't know what to expect, but it seems great here."

"What house did you come from?" Shay asked before taking a bite of her apple, the blonde perched next to Severide.

"Well, uh, I haven't been at a house for awhile." He answered, clearing his throat. "I was stationed at 12, for a bit. But the last few months I'd just been picking up a few random shifts." Matt replied carefully, earning a few nods.

"Good story there?" Kelly questioned, Matt shaking his head.

"No, just some personal stuff. Nothing really interesting." He covered, Severide nodding in understanding, not wanting to press the issue.

"Well, we're all glad you got put here. Lieutenant Stephens is a great man, and was one hell of a firefighter, but we all knew he was ready to step down. We were a little worried about what kind of guy we'd be getting, but it seems like we've lucked out." Severide spoke with a grin, Matt shaking his head.

"Well, let's go on a call first and we'll see about that."

"Fair point." Kelly responded, resting comfortably in his chair as he clasped his hands behind his head. "So, what else is there to know about Matt Casey? You from Chicago?"

"Born and raised."

"You got family here?"

"My sister, yeah."

"Jeez, Sev, what is this, twenty questions?" Walker asked with a chuckle, Kelly waving him off.

"You got a girlfriend? Maybe a Mrs. Lieutenant Casey?" Matt felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his chest at the question, but did his best to hide how much the harmless words affected him, shaking his head side to side.

"Nope, just me. What about you? You married?" The snort from Shay answered his question, Matt smirking at her reaction as he glanced between the paramedic and firefighter.

"Kelly? Married? That's funny. He can't commit to anything, let alone a relationship."

"That's not exactly true."

"It's a little true." She commented back, Matt listening to their banter.

"So, Severide can't do commitment, good to know. What about you, Shay?"

"She's not much better than I am." Kelly retorted, earning a punch to the side from his blonde best friend.

"Ignore him. I'm, unfortunately, just as single as Kelly is right now. I'd been dating someone for a few months, but she ended things a couple weeks ago. So right now it's just me." Matt nodded understandingly, flashing her a sympathetic smile.

"Yeah, Walker here is the only one who seems how to do commitment." Severide grinned, Matt's back tightening as he glanced to the firefighter, seeing a tense look on his face. "At least you and Dawson have figured that whole thing out. Maybe there's hope for the rest of us."

Casey went quiet as he tried to keep from staring at Walker, an uncomfortable feeling settling in his stomach, knowing that the words coming out of Severide's mouth were a lie. Bryan looked equally as uneasy, the man shifting in his seat as he avoided the comment.

"Hey 81, would you all mind showing me around the rig?" Casey asked, needing a change of scenery as the unsettling feeling had yet to pass.

"Of course not, Lieutenant." Walker spoke up first, quickly pushing himself from his chair. The man seemed just as uncomfortable as Casey, clearly wanting to get away from this conversation. And Matt couldn't blame him.

The members of truck walked out into the garage, leaving Severide and Shay alone at their table, a few random members of engine sitting together across the room. Once Walker disappeared through the double doors, Kelly turned to Shay, his eyebrows raised in question.

"Has Walker seemed a little off to you?" He asked, Shay glancing out through the doors as she nodded.

"Yeah, he's been acting strange all morning, especially whenever Gabby comes up."

"What is the latest with them, do you know? I didn't really wanna get into it earlier with Casey there. I was trying to save him from that mess as long as possible."

Shay shook her head, releasing a heavy sigh. "I have no idea. Gabby hasn't exactly been herself lately. She never wants to talk about it. I know they were fighting all last shift. Hell, everyone knew they were fighting all last shift." She grimaced at the memory, Kelly nodding in agreement. "Obviously, they came separately this morning. There's something going on there, but I don't know what it is. I never want to ask, because when I do she just shuts down."

Huffing out a breath, Severide glanced around before responding, lowering his voice. "I know they love each other, but my God I miss how things were before they got together." He mused, Shay pursing her lips together. "Especially since the engagement, it's like the old Gabby disappeared. And I know her and I were never that close, not like you guys are, but I miss the old Dawson."

"Me too." Shay murmured sadly. "She hasn't really been acting like herself for awhile, and I know all Walker tells you is how difficult she's being," She spoke, her words tasting bitter as they left her mouth, "but something's going on with her, and it has been for awhile. I'm worried, Kelly. But she won't talk to me."

"I didn't mean anything by that earlier, by the way." Severide clarified, Shay eyeing him. "I love Dawson, you know that. But Walker is my best friend, so yeah I hear him vent about her. Just… some of the things he's been saying lately, part of me doesn't understand how they're even still together. He seems miserable, and she doesn't look much happier."

"Yeah, I can only imagine what all he's been saying about her…"

"I know you don't really like him-"

"I used to not have a problem with him," She interjected, "but you've seen some of how he treats her… he's an asshole, Kelly."

Blowing out a sigh, Kelly clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "I try not to get involved in their relationship. You know how they are, one day they hate each other then the next day they're fine. I'm sure that's all this is."

Shay opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by the bells ringing throughout the house, signaling truck, squad, and ambo to a car accident a few miles away.

Their conversation got put on hold as they raced towards the garage, joining in the madness of everyone sliding on their gear, hurrying to get out into the city.

* * *

Matt blew out a deep breath as he hopped down from the rig, releasing the nerves from his body as he surveyed the scene. Truck pulled up first, squad right behind them as they took in the chaos around them. A van had plowed into the driver's side of a car, the crushed metal sitting in the middle of the intersection, smoke billowing from the hood of the hit vehicle.

"How do you wanna play this, Casey?" Severide asked, Matt's eyes bouncing around the street, quickly working through a plan.

"You all work on stabilizing that car, Otis and Mouch, get the back of the van hooked up to the rig. Once we can get the driver out, we need to get it moved. Herrmann, go see how the van driver is doing. Walker, get an extinguisher, that smoke doesn't look good." He called out orders, everyone getting to work as soon as the words left his mouth.

"You heard the man, squad lets get to work on this car." Severide ordered, men running in different directions as Casey headed towards the crushed car, going around to the far side, knowing that was the best angle he'd have on the victim trapped in the car.

"_Where do you need us_?" Casey heard Shay's voice come through the radio, Matt looking up to see 61 just pulling up to the scene.

"Shay, go check the guy in the van. Dawson, I need you over here with me." He called immediately, the words leaving his mouth before he even registered them.

Ducking down, he looked into the car through the busted passenger side window, finding the driver seemingly frozen in fear, her hands clasped tightly to the steering wheel, despite her side of the car being smashed in. He saw her shaking, blood covering various parts of her body.

"I'm Lieutenant Casey, can you hear me?"

His words snapped the girl from her shock, tears streaming down her face as she strained to move towards the sound of his voice.

"Try not to move. Keep as still as you can, alright." He told her immediately, the girl's tears increasing as panic coursed through her. Her breaths were shallow, Matt grimacing as he saw the gruesome gash in her left arm. "You're gonna be fine, we're gonna get you out of there." He assured her, soft whimpers escaping her mouth. "Can you tell me your name? I'm Matt."

"Jordan." The girl replied, her voice hoarse as shock filled her system.

"How old are you, Jordan?"

"Sixteen."

"Okay Jordan, we're gonna get you out of there soon, alright? Just give us a few minutes." He tried to keep her calm, Matt's head snapping up as he heard Gabby's voice.

"What do we got, Casey?" She asked, squatting to the ground to place her bag down.

"Sixteen year old girl pinned in, she's got a deep cut on her arm, and I'm sure there's more injuries but I can't really tell specifics. We need to get a collar on her, she's trying to move."

"Matt!" The girl called, fear dripping in her voice.

"I'm right here, Jordan." He responded, ducking his head back down to look at her.

"I can't feel my legs. I… I don't know what's happening."

"Hey, Jordan listen to me. You're gonna be fine, my friend Gabby is coming in and she's gonna help you, alright?" Matt kept his voice steady, doing his best to keep the girl calm. "Just stay still, and take slow, steady breaths. Gabby's coming in to help." He reiterated, looking towards Dawson, who had the c-collar in hand.

"Hi, Jordan." Gabby spoke, her soft voice breaking through the noise. "I'm Gabby. I'm gonna come in there and make sure you're okay. You're doing a great job staying still." She praised gently, looking towards the passenger side window, knowing that was her best source of entry. But the shards of glass coming from all directions made it tricky.

Before she even had to ask, Matt punched out the remaining glass, double checking quickly to make sure none was left to cause any injury, Gabby flashing him a small, thankful smile. She began scanning the door, trying to figure out the best way to maneuver the small space.

"Come on." Casey spoke, holding his arms out, Gabby eyeing him curiously before understanding what his gesture meant. Knowing she didn't have another choice, she wrapped her arm around his shoulders, letting him lift her into the car, sliding her in legs first, Matt keeping his grip on her until he knew she was settled.

Taking a step back, Casey watched as Gabby began to work on Jordan, continuously saying reassuring words of encouragement to the scared girl as she collared her, Casey taking a moment to survey the rest of the scene. Members of squad had stabilized the car Gabby was in, a few of them going over to help Shay and another ambo remove the unconscious van driver. Walker was standing at the front of the car, every so often blowing the extinguisher over the smoke, but his eyes were glued to Casey. There was a look in his eyes Matt couldn't quite read, but Casey was sure the firefighter saw him help Gabby into the car.

"Walker." Matt called, snapping the man from his headspace. "Eyes on the smoke," He scolded. "There's one of us in there."

Bryan's face hardened, the man nodding before returning his attention to the front of the car, Matt grabbing his radio. "Herrmann, how much longer until we can get that van moved? We need a stretcher and backboard over here."

"_Just another minute, Lieutenant._" His voice came back through the radio, Matt looking over to see Cruz helping Mouch hook up the van to the front of 81, Otis in the driver's seat, ready to pull the van back as soon as he could.

"Casey!" Gabby's voice hit his ears, Matt leaning down. "Can you get me some gauze and bandages?"

"Got it." He responded, squatting down to grab the supplies from her bag, reaching in through the window to hand it to her, watching as she went to work on Jordan's injuries.

"How much longer until we can get this van moved?" Gabby asked again into the radio, Matt hearing a nervous tone to her voice.

"_We're moving it now._" Herrmann responded, Matt glancing inside.

"What's wrong, Dawson?"

"We need to get her out of here now." She replied firmly, Matt nodding despite Gabby being unable to see him. "She's got glass impaled in her stomach."

"Alright." He responded with a grimace, moving towards his radio. "Shay, you free?"

"_Just got the guy out, ambulance 87's got him. What do you need?_"

"Be ready over here with the backboard and stretcher, as soon as this van is moved we gotta get this girl out. She's impaled in her abdomen."

"_On it_."

"Alright, we're ready to move the van. You guys good, Casey?" Severide called to him from the other side of the car, Matt holding his hand up to signal him to wait.

"Dawson, you good?"

"Yeah, let's get her out of here." She repeated, Matt nodding as he gave Kelly a thumbs up.

The process began, the screeching of the van being heard throughout the street, Matt taking a step back as the front of the car settled onto the pavement, hearing Jordan shriek at the jolt of it hitting the ground.

"Shit." Severide breathed out.

"Dawson, you guys okay?"

"Jordan, it's fine. You're okay." He heard Gabby comforting the girl.

"What happened?" Casey called to Kelly.

"No one put supports on the front side, and it looks like the van hitting the car messed up the tire and it had lifted the car up. Are they okay?"

"Dawson?" Matt spoke, not having yet gotten an answer.

"We're okay." She responded.

"Who was supposed to put those supports on the front?" Severide screamed as he moved towards the car.

"Sorry Lieutenant." Capp yelled back timidly, earning daggers from his Lieutenant, knowing he was in for a lecture once they returned to the house.

"What's the best way to get her out?" Casey asked as Severide and Shay came up to the now reachable driver's side of the car.

"These doors are gonna be impossible to open, we might need to go in through the back windshield."

"Let's do it." Casey said, 51 beginning the process. They got the back window out, Herrmann crawling through with the backboard. Watching from beside the passenger side door, Casey could see smoke start to flow through the air vents, and everyone else noticed it to.

Herrmann and Dawson got her onto the backboard, being as careful as possible as the firefighter slid out of the back of the car first, Gabby staying put in her seat as she helped push Jordan through the opening. They barely got her out before more smoke started pouring in through the vents, Gabby coughing as the thick air filled her lungs.

"Dawson, get out of there!" Casey yelled, gaining the attention of 51. Gabby turned around, her eyes widening as she saw black smoke hitting her face, and she saw the flashes of flames peeking behind the vents.

"Dawson!"

It happened in an instant, Gabby scrambling to the passenger side window as the flames shot through the vents, fire filling the air around them. A loud boom caused members of 51 to duck as the car flashed over, fire consuming the vehicle.

She expected to feel excruciating pain. To feel heat consuming her body, but she didn't. She knew she hadn't made it out on time, she should have still been in that car, and she couldn't figure out why she wasn't.

It took her a few seconds to register what happened, for her to feel the body underneath her, for her to realize she was on the hard ground. Finally opening her eyes, she was met by a turnout coat, her eyes looking up to see Casey underneath her, his arm wrapped tightly around her body. He had pulled her from the car, the two tumbling to the ground in the process.

Fire billowed out from the vehicle, causing Matt to drag them back, sliding across the pavement to get them away from the heat.

She wasn't sure how he had gotten her out in time. But he had. He'd yanked her from the car, leaving her with a few scratches and cuts instead of multiple burns.

Matt felt a twinging pain shooting through his lower back as members of 51 came to get the fire out. He knew it must've happened during the fall to the ground, the pavement underneath them unforgiving as he'd fallen, his injury not helped by Gabby's weight landing on top of him. But that wasn't really important right now. He was just thankful he'd managed to get her out. It could've been a lot worse, he knew that.

He'd acted on impulse when he saw the smoke, not even registering his actions as he'd grabbed whatever part of her he could to get her from the car. He knew he'd pulled her forcefully, and he hoped he hadn't hurt her. But even a few injuries from that were better than multiple burns covering her body.

"You guys alright?" Severide asked frantically as he came around the car, watching the scene unfold in front of him. But Gabby didn't respond to him.

"You okay?" Casey whispered, registering the death grip Gabby had on him, and how her body was shaking.

It took her a few seconds to answer, her hand clenching the material of his jacket tightly. "Yeah… I'm- I'm okay." She breathed out, Matt moving into a sitting position, Gabby's grip loosening as she rolled off of him, sitting down on the pavement by his side. Casey's arm was still wrapped loosely around her back, feeling how tense her body was.

It had been a close call. Too close. And they all knew it.

"You okay, Gabby?" Her head snapped up as she registered Bryan's voice, seeing a few members of 51 now crowded around her and Casey, the fire having been put out.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She found her voice, glancing to Casey. "Thanks." She spoke quickly, ignoring the pain coursing through her body as she pushed herself up from the ground, unable to hide the grimace on her face.

"You should get checked out at med, Dawson." Severide spoke, Gabby shaking her head.

"I'm good." She waved him off, her eyes finding Shay's over by 61, her partner clearly worried as she was trying to focus on Jordan. Wordlessly, she grabbed the ambo bag and began moving towards the ambo, ignoring the sharp pain shooting through her leg each time she took a step. She knew she'd have a few bruises, but right now she couldn't focus on that. Jordan needed to get to med, and quickly.

Severide extended his hand out as Gabby walked away, helping Casey up from the ground. "You good?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just glad I got her out." Matt blew out, being met by nods from the firefighters around him, Severide patting him on the back.

"Good work, Lieutenant." Herrmann spoke, Casey flashing him a soft smile.

"It was nothing. Let's get finished up here and back to the house." Matt told them, reaching down to pick up his helmet that had fallen off during his and Gabby's crash to the ground, disregarding the pain he felt move through his lower back.

* * *

Gabby stood at the nurses station, tapping her pen rhythmically against the countertop as she worked through the paperwork. Her and Shay had managed to get Jordan handed off to the doctors, Shay having gotten her stable during their ride. They weren't sure if she was paralyzed, but Gabby hoped the loss of feeling was just temporary. She was only sixteen years old, with her whole life ahead of her. And now, she might be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life, all because some guy ran a light.

Releasing a soft sigh, Gabby finished up the last line of the paperwork, handing it off to the nurse before turning around, finding Shay standing close to her. She hadn't even realized her friend was there, but the blonde was watching her carefully, her eyebrow raised as her eyes raked Gabby's body, searching for signs of injury.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, Shay."

"Is that why you're still limping?" She questioned, Gabby taking a deep breath before stepping around her partner, thankful Shay missed the wince on her face as she placed weight on her injured leg.

"I'm a little sore from Casey pulling me from the car, but it's fine. I just need to walk it off." Gabby replied, Shay turning around to follow her out of the hospital, but the blonde stopped in her tracks as something caught her eye.

"Gabby, wait." Gabby heard the pleading tone to her voice, turning around slowly. "What happened to your side?"

"What do you mean?" She asked in confusion, Shay coming up to her and gingerly lifting her arm.

"You got burned."

"What?" Gabby looked down, seeing a patch of her jacket had been charred, and she could see the skin on her side, the fire having gotten through her shirt as well.

"You don't feel that?"

Gabby shook her head, looking back up to Shay. "No, but I was kind of just focused on my leg. I didn't even notice."

"We should get you looked at. Clearly this is worse than you've led on."

"No, Shay, come on, let's just go back to the house. We don't need to wait around here for that."

"Your skin is burned, Gabby."

Glancing back down towards the injury, she looked at it. They saw burns every day, and this was definitely one that wasn't anywhere near serious. Her skin was red, and she'd probably have a few blisters, but it was nothing that wouldn't heal on its own. "You can patch it up for me. I really just wanna get out of here."

Shay watched her partner closely, before ultimately giving in. "Fine. But I'm looking at it before we leave." Gabby nodded in agreement, the two walking out, Shay having to slow her pace because of Gabby's slight limp. Every thought in her head was screaming at her to force Dawson to get checked out. Between the pain in her leg that clearly hadn't eased up, and the burn on her side that the woman hadn't even noticed, letting Gabby walk out of here went against every thing she'd be taught in her years on the job. But she had to trust her friend when she said she was alright, Shay knowing she'd be keeping a closer eye on her than usual.

The paramedics got out into the rig, both climbing in the back, Shay shutting the doors behind her. Gabby sat down on the stretcher and began removing her jacket while Shay got out the supplies.

"I just want it on the record that I think this is a mistake." Shay spoke as Gabby slowly peeled the shirt away from her body, bringing the material up to rest over her shoulder, giving Shay plenty of room to work.

"Yeah, I know."

It took about ten minutes for Shay to clean and dress the wound, the woman wrapping a bandage around her stomach to keep the dressing in place.

"I'm gonna want to look at that and change your dressing in a few hours." Shay spoke, throwing away her trash and reaching into the compartment under the bench, pulling out an extra shirt.

"Okay. Thank you, for doing that." Dawson spoke, removing her burned clothing and putting on the new one.

"Of course. You need me to look at your leg?"

"No, I'm alright. Let's just get back to the house." Shay reluctantly nodded as she finished cleaning up the mess they'd made, the two women getting down from the back of the rig and moving to their seats.

The ride back to 51 was done mostly in silence, a heaviness looming in the air as Shay drove through the streets of Chicago. Gabby seemed to be lost in her own little world, her gaze focused out the window, while Shay decided it best to keep quiet, letting Dawson work through her thoughts on her own.

After they pulled into the garage, Shay and Gabby climbed down from the rig, the PIC shivering as the cold air hit her bare arms. Luckily, she had an extra jacket in her locker, but she knew she'd need to put in the order for a new one sometime today.

Shay hung back behind Dawson as they walked in, Gabby's limp still slightly detectable as they moved to the double doors.

"Hey, they're back." Cruz called, gaining the attention of the room as the two paramedics entered.

"Hey guys." Shay spoke as Gabby turned to the right, intent on heading towards the locker room.

"Dawson, Boden's looking for you." Severide called, his words stopping Gabby in her path as she walked the few steps back towards the entrance to the common room.

"Why?"

"No idea, he just came in about ten minutes ago, said to tell you to go see him when you get back."

Nodding slowly, Gabby took off in the other direction, slowly walking past the common room, doing her best to conceal the pain her leg was in. Although she wasn't doing a very good job.

The room was silent until Dawson was out of view, Casey hanging back by the counter as he watched her limp away.

"She okay, Shay?" Herrmann asked, Leslie sucking in a deep breath as she stepped inside the room, crossing her arms over her chest.

"She's shaken up, but she's saying she's fine." Shay responded, earning some nods from around the room, Matt understanding this to be a common occurrence. "But she didn't want to talk about it, so I left it alone." She spoke, coming towards the round table, falling into the open seat next to Kelly.

"Did they check her out at med?" Walker asked, everyone in the room listening intently. It wasn't lost on anyone how Bryan's first move wasn't to check on Gabby, the firefighter having not even asked about her up until this point, and Casey couldn't help but feel a little agitated at him for that. Matt knew it wasn't his place to have an opinion, but he couldn't help it. Even though Walker had broken up with Dawson, at some point in time he had loved her enough to marry her, and Matt couldn't understand why he was seemingly so indifferent about what happened to her.

"No, I tried to get her to but she wouldn't. Her leg is still hurting her pretty bad, she's been limping on it, but she wouldn't let me look at it." Shay responded, Severide placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "And she got burned."

"What?" Herrmann was the first to question it, Matt's eyes widening at the information.

"She has a burn on her side, burned through her jacket and her shirt. I bandaged her up, but she wouldn't stay to have a doctor look at it. I guess she got caught by some flames before she got pulled out." Shay spoke, Matt shaking his head.

"I thought I got her out of there in time." Casey murmured, everyone turning to look at him as they heard his words.

"Casey, it would've been way worse had you not gotten to her when you did. Trust me, she's lucky you were there." Shay responded, Matt giving her an unconvincing nod in return.

"Well, I'm just glad she's alright." He responded, feeling uncomfortable with the eyes of the firehouse on him. His gaze locked with Walker's, the man staring at him for a second before looking away.

Everyone eventually fell back into their own conversations, Matt moving from his place at the counter towards the table, sitting a chair over from Severide.

"So, first call here and you've already saved one of our own." Kelly spoke with a grin, Matt rolling his eyes as he settled into his seat. "That's gotta be some sort of record." Casey ignored the comment, Kelly chuckling at him as he went back to his newspaper.

"How should we play this?" Matt's eyes moved up from his phone when he heard Shay's voice, seeing her turned towards Walker, the two sitting across the table.

"Huh?"

"Gabby. We all know she's gonna do her typical Gabby thing where she closes herself off and pretends she's fine, but that never helps anything. That was a close call today, and she's already been acting like something's wrong." Shay stopped to take a breath, eyeing Bryan carefully. "We need to look out for her."

Matt saw the man's shoulders tense, Bryan sighing deeply as he faced the blonde paramedic. "It's not really my place anymore, Shay."

Severide's ears perked up as he dropped the newspaper in his hands, turning to look towards Bryan while Shay's eyebrows rose in question, a look of confusion settled into her features.

"What are you talking about?"

"Guess I should just get this over with now." Walker mumbled, pushing his chair back and standing up, the cold look never leaving Shay's face. "Hey guys, there's something I need to talk to you all about." He started, gaining the attention of the entire room as he spoke, Matt watching as Walker's eyes bounced around to the different faces. "Last night, Dawson and I decided to end things. For good."

A shocked silence fell over the room, Matt's face remaining neutral as he caught the many surprised and confused looks of his new coworkers.

"We just realized things weren't working, and we weren't happy anymore. So we figured it would be best to call it quits."

Casey's eyebrows furrowed unintentionally at the man's choice of words. That wasn't exactly what happened, in fact from the little Gabby had told him, that wasn't at all what happened. Walker had dumped her, and from what he could tell, she wasn't apart of the decision. So he wasn't sure why Walker was making it seem like it was a mutual thing.

"Ah, man, Walker, I'm so sorry." Herrmann voiced, Bryan simply shrugging at his words. Matt's attention was pulled from Walker when he caught a glimpse of Shay, the woman silently fuming in her seat. He could tell she was holding something back, but it seemed like she was going to lash out at Bryan at any moment. Despite looking like she wanted to kill him, Matt watched as Shay quietly slid her chair back and left the room, most likely going in search of her partner.

"Maybe you two can patch things up." Mouch spoke from his seat on the couch, Walker shaking his head.

"No, it's definitely over. But we're okay, and we don't want it to be weird for you all. We'll be fine, we just wanted you all to know what was going on. It's for the best." Bryan told the room before returning to his seat, going about his business like nothing had happened.

* * *

Gabby stepped into the open doorway of Boden's office, tapping on the frame lightly as the man looked up at her, giving her a soft smile and waving her in.

"Come on in, Dawson. Shut the door behind you."

Doing as ordered, Gabby came in, closing the door and heading for the chair across from his desk, Boden watching her closely as she moved.

"How are you feeling? That was a pretty close call today."

Gabby shrugged her shoulders, not even phased by the fact that he heard about what had happened. "I'm alright. My leg is a little sore, and I guess I got burned on my side." His eyebrows furrowed at the new information, Gabby continuing. "But Shay looked at it, I'm fine. Gonna need a new jacket, though, but I'm fine."

Boden nodded apprehensively, trying to get a read on where her head was at. But he wasn't having much luck. "And how are you doing with everything else?" He asked softly, Gabby's bottom lip falling in between her teeth.

"He told you." She stated quietly, the Chief giving her a sad smile.

"He did. Walker told me this morning you all had broken up." Gabby nodded, biting down on the inside of her mouth as she fiddled with her fingers in her lap. "I am sorry to hear about that, Dawson. Truly, I am. But I need to know it won't be an issue, the two of you continuing to work together."

"Is this you saying you'll have me moved if it's a problem?" She asked quietly, Boden shaking his head as he sighed.

"That's not what I'm saying, Dawson. I said the exact same thing to Walker when he told me. I don't want either of you to be moved, but if it does become a problem, one of you will most likely be transferred, yes." He responded, clasping his hands together on the desk in front of him. "Look, I left it alone when you two got together, and when you got engaged. You two are in different companies, so technically, there was nothing wrong with it. But if you two can't work together, then that is a problem. I need to know you can both be professional and not let your personal issues affect how you act out on calls."

"It won't." Gabby replied firmly, straightening her back as she sat there. "At least on my end, it won't."

"Alright. You're dismissed."

Gabby nodded, pushing herself up from her chair and walking towards the door, exiting without another word.

But she only got a few steps out the door before she saw Shay, the blonde waiting for her at the end of the hall, her arms crossed over her chest as she stood there, staring at Gabby with a sad look in her eyes. And Dawson knew what that look meant. In that moment she knew Shay had been made aware of her broken engagement, which meant the rest of the house probably knew as well.

Sucking in a steadying breath, Dawson walked towards her, the two meeting halfway.

Wordlessly, Shay wrapped her arms around Gabby, bringing her friend into a secure hug. The two stood there for a few moments, Shay running her hand up and down Gabby's back, squeezing her tightly. Dawson felt tears welling in her eyes, but refused to let them fall, knowing they weren't exactly anywhere private.

"You know, don't know?" She whispered, Shay pulling back but staying close, keeping her hands on Gabby's arms.

"Walker told us a few minutes ago. Honey, why didn't you tell me?"

Taking a deep breath, Gabby looked away, feeling Shay squeeze her arms in comfort. "Well, it was his decision so I figured he should be the one to let everyone know." She replied softly, Shay's head tilting in question.

"Wait, what?" She asked, Gabby watching her closely. "What do you mean it was his decision?"

Furrowing her eyebrows, Gabby took a step back, wrapping her arms across her chest protectively. "What did he tell you?"

"He said you all decided to end things, that you both thought it was for the best."

Dawson could stop the scoff that escaped through her lips, shaking her head as her eyes fell closed. "Of course he did." She muttered, bringing one hand up to cradle the side of her head.

"Gabby, what really happened?" Shay asked, concern filling her voice.

"He, uh- he got home last night and said he didn't think this was working out anymore. Basically that he didn't want to be with me anymore and he wanted to end things. I had no idea he'd been wanting to break up with me." She whispered, avoiding eye contact as the words left her mouth.

"That asshole." Shay muttered, anger filling her body.

"We've been having problems, which I know everyone knows, but I never thought he wanted our relationship to be over…" Gabby's voice was soft, Shay hearing the pain and hurt in her words, her heart breaking for her best friend. "But it is what it is. I can't do anything about it now."

Shay saw Gabby putting those familiar walls back up around herself, the blonde sighing as she placed her hand on Gabby's arm.

"He's such a dick. I'm so sorry he did that to you." Seeing her pulling away from her, Shay wrapped her arms around Gabby once more, feeling her PIC eventually relax into her hold. "I'm here for you, you know that. Whatever you need."

"I know. Thanks, Shay." Gabby responded quietly, squeezing her tightly before pulling away. "But right now all I want to do is forget about it."

Biting her tongue, Shay just nodded, wrapping her arm around Gabby's shoulder as they began walking through the house. "Then that's what we'll do." The blonde spoke, leading Gabby through the hallway. "What do you say we go for a drive, have a late lunch away from the house today?" Shay offered, a warm smile falling onto Gabby's face as she leaned her head down on Shay's shoulder.

"That sounds perfect." Gabby responded, neither woman glancing into the common room as they headed for the garage, having to separate as they went through the door. "Thank you." She whispered, Shay grinning widely at her as she wrapped her arm around her again, Gabby's arm going around her side.

"Anything for my best friend." Shay responded, rubbing over Gabby's arm as they walked to the rig, intent on doing her best to keep her friend in good spirits.

* * *

Matt glanced down to his watch as he stepped out of his office, beginning the walk towards the locker room to change out. His first shift at 51 had just finished, and it had been eventful, to say the least. He felt like he was finally able to relax, now that he'd gotten through his first shift, especially seeing as how well he was beginning to fit in here. The situation with Dawson aside, everyone here was amazing at their jobs, and he felt like he really fit in here. Despite still getting to know these people, it felt like he'd been working here for years. He was able to come into this group with no problems, and for that he was thankful. He had an incredible group of men on his truck, and he was sure as hell proud to lead them.

Despite the slow morning, the pace around the firehouse had picked up immensely yesterday afternoon, there barely being a moment until the evening where at least one, if not multiple, companies weren't out on a call. The fast pace proved to not be nearly as challenging as he was expecting, and in fact, he welcomed it. He was able to be thrown into the job and his men quickly found out how he runs his truck, and from a firefighting standpoint, things had gone seamlessly.

But there was one issue that seemed to keep coming up, despite Casey trying to ignore it. And that was Walker. Matt still found himself weary around the man, and he wasn't sure how long it would take that feeling to go away. Even though he felt better about the situation once he knew Bryan and Gabby weren't together anymore, he still felt weird around Walker. He felt like he was lying to his men, and that was the last thing he wanted. But he also knew there was no way he could tell anyone what had happened. From what he could tell, Gabby was already having a hard enough time around here, he wouldn't do anything to pile onto that. And selfishly, he needed his and Gabby's secret to remain just that; a secret. Even though he knew it was for the best, he felt uncomfortable about the entire thing.

From early on during his shift, Matt had quickly found out that Walker was one hell of a firefighter. He might've been the best one on truck, by far; the man was damn good at his job. But Casey also picked up on some things he wasn't sure if he liked. Walker had one gigantic ego, and while Casey hadn't had any problems on that front yet, he knew it was there. That kind of attitude was dangerous with a job like this, it could be the difference between life and death, and Matt knew he had to keep an eye on it.

And another thing that really bothered him was how he treated Dawson.

During his first shift, Casey wasn't sure the three of them had been in the same room except for roll call. In fact, now that he thought about, he'd only really seen Gabby out on calls. She'd hidden herself away while they were at the house, only appearing when necessary. And it wasn't lost on Casey that once Walker had told everyone of the separation, Shay and Dawson hadn't spent much of their downtime at the house. But from the little interaction he saw, he couldn't help but think Walker wasn't the nicest guy in the world. He'd taken a few shots at Gabby throughout their shift, and made a couple snide comments that were clearly directed towards her even if he didn't say her name. He'd talk about how lucky he felt to be out of that relationship, and how Gabby had been nothing but a headache the last few months. How it was nice to finally be a free man again. It was childish, to say the least, and Matt didn't care for it.

Casey couldn't tell if Walker thought he was lightening the mood, or if he was trying to put people at ease once news of their separation broke, but to Matt, it only made him weary of the firefighter. And, from what he could tell, it was making the house uncomfortable too. It wasn't even because it was directed towards Gabby, Matt just didn't like the way he was acting. As far as he was concerned, Dawson was just another coworker. That's how they needed it to be if this was going to work, his issues with Walker didn't stem from the fact he was talking bad about the woman Casey slept with the night before. It was that he thought it appropriate to make the comments at all. For as talented as Walker was at his job, he could come across as a real asshole. And Casey wasn't impressed.

But he tried to keep his feelings to himself and out of the job. Casey knew he came in on a rough day for both Dawson and Walker, and that maybe he wasn't like this all the time. He wanted to give the man the benefit of the doubt. Maybe, despite being the one to end things, it had been a slightly twisted coping mechanism for him. Matt didn't want to judge him too harshly, knowing it had only been a day since his and Gabby's long relationship had ended. So he would wait a few more shifts before making his final judgements about the man. But so far, his behavior had rubbed Casey the wrong way.

But even with all of that, he couldn't help but love being here. He felt lucky to be placed at this house, and despite his initial worries about how the situation with Gabby would affect things, he was feeling better about it. There was no reason this couldn't work.

Turning into the locker room, Matt walked down to the last row of lockers, stopping in his tracks as he saw Gabby and Shay seated on the bench. Gabby's shirt was pulled up, folded up under her bra line, Dawson holding the material out of the way while Shay wrapped a white bandage around her torso.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude." He spoke, his eyes darting away from the scene in front of him.

"It's okay, I'm just finishing up." Shay responded, securing the bandage before sliding back, giving Gabby the chance to pull her shirt down.

Once she was covered, his eyes found hers, their gazes locking momentarily as Shay sat there oblivious, cleaning up the trash from changing Gabby's dressing. He swallowed thickly, unsure of why he felt so uncomfortable walking in on them. It wasn't like he saw anything, and even if he had, it's nothing he hadn't seen before. But he guessed that was why he felt so uneasy. And from the look in her eye, he figured she was feeling the same way.

"How's the burn healing?" He asked, moving toward his locker, Shay patting Gabby's shoulder before leaving the room, going to throw the trash away.

"It's alright, I'm still a little sore but I'll recover." She responded, Matt nodding.

"I'm, uh, I'm sorry you got hurt." He told her. He hadn't had a chance up until now to talk with her about the call, and he wanted to let her know how sorry he was. "I know you got burned, and Shay said your leg was a little roughed up. I should've pulled you from the car sooner."

Gabby furrowed her eyebrows, shaking her head as she stood up and moved to her locker. "You don't owe me an apology. You probably saved my life. Or at least saved me the life I have now. I meant to tell you earlier, but thank you. For what you did."

"I'm just glad you're okay." He responded, trying to settle the nerves in his stomach. "...You are okay, right?" Since hearing of her injuries the day before, he hadn't been able to shake the feeling that she was more hurt than she let on, but he hadn't seen her, or had the chance to make sure she was alright.

"Yeah, I'm okay." She responded softly, Matt feeling someone of the tension leave his body at her assurance, the two locking eyes again as they stood there, neither one able to look away.

It wasn't until they heard voices approaching did they snap out of their locked gaze, Severide and Walker turning the corner as Gabby focused her attention on the inside of her locker.

"So, you've finished your first shift. We should celebrate." Severide spoke with a grin as he walked past Matt, Casey pulling out his bag and searching for his clothes.

"What do you have in mind?" Matt questioned.

"Maybe some beers. And the Hawks game."

"Sounds good to me." Matt responded lightly, pulling his tucked in polo from his pants, beginning to change out of his shift clothes.

"Damn, what happened there Casey?" Kelly asked as Matt removed the clothing from his body, turning to face the man with a confused look on his face.

"What?"

"You have a huge bruise on your back, you get in a fight or something?"

"No, nothing like that." Matt spoke, turning to try and see what Kelly was talking about. "Must've happened when I pulled Dawson from the car." He replied, Gabby lifting her head from her locker to see the deep purple and yellow bruise wrapping around his lower back, disappearing beneath the waistband of his pants. Noticing her watching him, Matt gave her a soft, reassuring smile. "It doesn't hurt or anything." Casey spoke, Kelly seeing Matt's gaze on Dawson, both Walker and Severide glancing towards her.

Knowing exactly whose eyes were on her, Gabby simply nodded, pulling her bag from her locker and shutting the door. "Thanks again, Casey." She responded, leaving the room without another word.

Turning back towards his locker, Matt caught the hard look covering Walker's face, but the man didn't say a word, Severide changing the subject.

"So, I don't know what your plans are, but a couple of the guys here own a bar, Molly's. It's a really cool place, and we'll all be there tonight if you wanna stop by."

"Yeah, I'll think about it. Thanks."

* * *

**So, there's another chapter. There was kind of a lot going on, but looks like Casey's fitting in nicely at 51. His first shift went well, considering.**

**There's a lot of interesting things coming up with this story, I hope you guys are excited. I know some of you have mentioned you're interested in learning more about Gabby's and Matt's pasts, and I'm super excited to get into those as well.**

**Thank you so much for taking the time to read this story, it means a lot. And if you can, I'd love to hear what you all thought of this chapter, and what you think might be coming up for our favorite first responders. Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter Four

**Here's another chapter for you all. I hope you enjoy this one.**

* * *

**F O U R**

* * *

"I wasn't expecting you to beat me here."

Gabby glanced up from her seat on the porch, seeing Antonio walking down the sidewalk towards her, two cups of coffee in his hands. She felt a shiver run through her body as she sat on the cold concrete, watching her brother sit down on the step next to her.

"I was able to leave right at shift change." She responded, graciously accepting the warm beverage as he held it out in front of her.

"How'd it go?" He asked, Gabby taking a long sip of her coffee, shrugging her shoulders in response.

"It was… about how I expected. Once they found out, I could tell no one really knew how to act around me. Bryan pretty much avoided me, except for cornering me in the bathroom wanting to know if I'd told anyone anything, and telling me he needed my stuff out." She responded, feeling Antonio tense at her side.

"He didn't do anything else, did he?" He asked, his voice a mixture of concern and anger.

Shaking her head, she took another sip of her drink before responding. "No. I mean, I wasn't there when he told everyone we ended things, but from what Shay said, he didn't exactly give the whole truth."

"What did he say happened?" Antonio questioned, hoping this might be his chance to get more insight into their breakup.

"Just that it was a mutual decision, that we both wanted to end things, stuff like that." She responded, her eyes focused on the quiet road in front of her. "But he can say whatever he wants, it doesn't matter."

"Don't you think everyone should know what really happened?" He asked, Gabby glancing towards him. "It was his choice, he shouldn't be allowed to hide behind some bullshit lies."

"You know how it is for him there, everyone in the house loves him."

"They love you, too." He interjected, Gabby scratching her fingernail against her coffee cup.

"Anything he tells them, they'd have no reason not to believe it." She responded, ignoring his comment. "There's no point in me turning this into a fight, and claiming he lied. I don't even know if anyone would believe me if I tried to tell them what happened."

"But you can't just let him walk all over you. That's not fair, he chose this, he can't hide behind it"

"Antonio, can we please just drop it." She spoke, frustration evident in her voice. "It's done, it doesn't matter. I wasn't there when he told them what happened, it won't change anything. I don't want to make things difficult for everyone, I've done that enough already."

Antonio's eyebrows furrowed deeply, his stomach turning as he listened to her words. "What do you mean? Why would you think you've been making things hard, you didn't do anything." He responded, Gabby sucking in a deep breath, focusing on her coffee cup, refusing to look at her brother. "Did he tell you that?"

"Antonio…"

"No, answer me Gabby. Did he tell you you make things difficult?"

He was fuming, Antonio clenching his fists in anger as his watched his baby sister. Based on her reaction, he knew the answer to his question. And it made him furious.

Antonio had never liked Bryan Walker. From the moment he met the man, he saw through the bullshit, seeing straight down to the narcissistic tool underneath the bright smile and welcoming demeanor. The detective had never been a fan, and that feeling only intensified when he found out Gabby was dating him. When their relationship first started, Antonio warned her to steer clear. He tried to tell her that Walker was bad news, and she should walk away. But, Gabby being Gabby, did the exact opposite.

During the first couple years of their relationship, Antonio left it alone. He thought Gabby was happy, so he let it be. There had even been times he thought he might've misjudged the man who seemingly made Gabby the happiest woman on the planet, but those were few and far between. Their relationship was turbulent, even Antonio got whiplash from how up and down they always seemed to be. Throughout the first two plus years of their relationship, Antonio had just been waiting for a phone call from his baby sister saying that her relationship had fallen apart. But then seven months ago, he'd gotten a very different call.

When he found out Walker proposed, Antonio did his best to be supportive. He'd never seen Gabby happier than when she came to visit him, her new ring placed proudly on her hand. Despite his uneasiness around the guy, he played nice for Gabby's sake. But soon after they announced their engagement, things had taken a turn.

Their honeymoon phase after the engagement lasted for all of a few days, the fallout worse than Antonio could've ever imagined. Gabby had grown distant, she was quiet, almost as if she was a different person. She still had her moments, Antonio often seeing the stubborn, hard-headed girl he grew up with make an appearance, but she was timid. There were times he hardly recognized her, and he never knew what to do to help. He knew Bryan was the cause of the constant change in her demeanor, he just didn't know what the man was doing to her to cause such a shift.

But he was beginning to have some idea.

Hearing those words come out of her mouth, how her first instinct was to place the blame on herself, he knew the words weren't hers. All his years of training told him that this wasn't something that had come into her head on her own, the words were something she'd probably been told over and over, something that had been ingrained in her.

And the thought made him ill.

"Can we please not do this here?" She breathed out, her voice pulling him from his thoughts as she pushed herself up off the concrete step. "We only have so much time before he's gonna be home, I'd like to be gone before then." Gabby spoke, Antonio biting his tongue as he nodded. He wasn't anywhere near done with this conversation, but he also knew she was right; this wasn't the time or place for it. Especially because if she did tell him what all had gone on in her relationship, and he learned the specifics of what Walker had put her through, he couldn't promise he wouldn't kill the man.

"Alright." He responded, following her actions as he stood up, the siblings climbing the few steps to the front door. Antonio let her lead the way as they went inside, his eyes bouncing around the unfamiliar home. Despite Gabby having been living here for well over a year, Antonio had only seen the place twice; once when he'd come over for dinner when this had just been Bryan's home, and once when he helped her move in. He guessed it was fitting he was now helping her move her things out.

"So, most of my stuff is in here." She spoke, leading him through the living room towards the hallway, Gabby stopping at the first closed door on the right. Antonio paid close attention to his surroundings as they walked through the apartment, his confusion only growing as he saw the state of things.

It looked like a bachelors pad. In fact, if Antonio's memory served him correctly, it looked shockingly similar to how it had been decorated when he helped her move in. Except now, Gabby had been living here for a long time, but there were hardly any traces of her anywhere.

Following Gabby through the door into what he knew to be the guest room, he glanced around at the stack of boxes, his confusion only growing. A lot of them were opened, like they'd been gone through to find a certain item, but they were mostly packed up. They were stacked where Antonio had left them while helping her move in all those months ago.

"Did you, uh, already pack some stuff?" He questioned, Gabby taking a step towards an open box.

"No. After he ended things, I only stayed long enough to pack a quick bag." She explained, Antonio rubbing his hand over his mouth, releasing a gentle sigh.

"Did you never unpack?"

Shrugging slightly, she nodded her head out towards the hall. "I have the stuff I need in the bedroom."

Glancing around at the scene in front of him, he shook his head sadly. "Gabs, it doesn't look like you even really lived here."

Blowing air out between her teeth, Gabby went over to the closet, making herself busy as she opened the door, showing more boxes of what he presumed to be her things. "It was his place before I moved in, and he likes his stuff." She replied, not really responding to his statement. "I always meant to unpack more of my things, but I just never got around to it... At least it helps us now, though." She muttered, turning to face the large stack of boxes in the closet.

Reaching up towards the top shelf to get a box, she stopped short when she felt a hitch in her side, Gabby releasing a gasp of pain as she quickly brought her arms back down, pressing over her covered bandage.

"What's wrong?" Antonio asked quickly.

"Nothing, it's nothing." She waved him off, but he stood his ground.

"Are you hurt?"

Knowing he wouldn't let up until he got some answers, she released a soft sigh as her hand hovered over her burned side. "I had a close call yesterday, but I'm fine." She was quick to add on the end, seeing worry cloud his features. "I was in a car with a victim, we had just gotten her out before the car went up in flames."

"Gabby…"

"Antonio, I'm okay." She reiterated. "I busted up my leg a little bit, and I got burned on my side."

"You got burned?"

"Just a little bit. It went through my jacket and my shirt. But you don't need to worry, Shay kept an eye on it, she made sure to keep changing the bandages during shift. And I'm gonna continue to do that the next few days. It's already starting to feel better. You don't need to worry about me."

"You can't just tell me you've been burned and then expect me not to worry." He responded, his eyes raking over her form, needing the reassurance that she was okay. "You said your leg was hurt too, is it burned?"

"No, it's not. I don't even really know what happened there." She responded, Antonio giving her a questioning look. "I was still in the car when the fire started, I don't really remember what happened, but I got pulled out before it went up. I don't know if it just got twisted, or what happened, I just have some cuts and a pretty ugly bruise, but I'm okay."

"You swear?"

"I promise, Antonio."

Accepting her words, he nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. "Alright, I believe you. But if something starts to hurt, or your burn gets worse, you gotta tell me."

"I will. Now can you start getting those boxes down for me, please?" She asked, nodding towards the closet.

Antonio complied, Gabby taking a step out of the way

"So who got you out?" He questioned as Gabby began work on the opened boxes on the floor.

"Hmm?"

"You said someone pulled you out of the car."

"Oh. It was our new truck Lieutenant, Matt Casey." She responded, biting on her bottom lip as steadily taped up the boxes. "He got me out."

"Well, I'll have to stop by and thank him. Maybe while I'm there I can have a nice chat with Bryan."

"Antonio…"

"I'm sorry." He sighed, shaking his head. "I just really hate this guy, Gabby."

"Okay, well can you at least keep getting boxes down while you hate him."

The siblings worked their way into a steady rhythm as they went through the process of packing up her things, Antonio tasked with the job of getting the boxes out to the car while Gabby began going room to room, getting whatever belongings of hers she could find. It hadn't taken her very long, Gabby coming to the realization that her brother had been right. Aside from her things in the bedroom, she really didn't live here. Even though she had called this place her home for over a year, seeing how sparse her things were made her feel like she'd been more of a guest than someone who lived here. The sobering reality of it was Bryan never really let them make this place theirs, it had stayed his despite him asking her to live with him, she just never noticed until now.

"Alright sis, I've got all the boxes in our cars." She heard Antonio's voice ring through the hallway as she stood in the bedroom, her body planted by the bed as the last box of her things sat in front of her. "We'll need to be careful when we open my backseat, I had to get a little creative with the last few." He joked, Gabby looking up as he appeared in the doorway. Seeing the pensive look covering her face, he furrowed his eyebrows, stepping into the room. "You alright?"

"Yeah, just finishing up with the rest of my stuff." She deflected, nodding towards the half-full box sitting on the bed, comprised of some random belongings she'd found during her last sweep of the place. "Do you still have the packing tape?"

"It's in the kitchen, want me to go get it?"

Shaking her head, she bent down to grab a hold of the box, picking it up slowly. "No, that's okay, I can do it out there."

"Alright. Is that the last of it?"

"Mhmm." She responded, taking one last glance around her former bedroom. "Let's get out of here."

Antonio nodded in response, turning to leave while Gabby began walking. But she only made it a few steps before the cardboard slipped from her grasp, the box crashing to the floor, spilling its contents all over the rug. Antonio turned back around at the noise, seeing Gabby release a frustrated sigh, her hand running over her forehead as she kneeled to the ground. The detective followed suit, crouching down across from her, moving the box back to its upright position before Gabby began throwing her things back in there.

She grabbed what was in her line of sight, Antonio helping return her belongings back to their home, Gabby reaching under the bed to retrieve some of the items she knew had bounced under there.

Blindly feeling around, she grasped at whatever she could, her eyes narrowing in confusion as she felt something she hadn't been expecting. Gabby grabbed ahold of the satin material, pulling it out from under the bed as she sat back on her heels, her eyebrows furrowing as she inspected the foreign nightgown. Although from just holding it in her hands, she could tell it didn't leave much to the imagination. Her bottom lip fell in between her teeth, her grip on the clothing loosening as she released a shaky breath.

Antonio sat there silently as he watched his sister, clearing his throat uncomfortably as she held the lingerie in her hands. But the awkwardness he was feeling soon turned to confusion as he watched her angrily throw the material back under the bed, forcefully reaching for the last of her things and tossing them back into the box.

"Do you not want that?" He asked, Gabby shaking her head as she haphazardly closed up the cardboard.

"No, uh-" She cut herself off, swallowing thickly as she tucked her hair behind her ear. "It's not mine."

Antonio's face went rigid at her words, his eyes glancing back towards where she had discarded the material, anger flooding his body as he realized the implications of what her words meant. His hands clenched tightly at his sides, fury burning through his body. "That piece of shit." He bit out through gritted teeth.

Before she could respond, they heard the front door shut, Bryan's voice echoing throughout the apartment. "Gabby? You still here?"

Wordlessly, Antonio pushed himself up off the ground, rage coursing through him as he headed for the door. But he didn't get very far before Gabby grabbed his arm, blocking his exit with her body.

"Please, don't do anything Antonio. I just want to get out of here." She pleaded, her brother shaking his head.

"He needs to know he can't treat you like this. He's a dick, the least he deserves is me beating his ass." He responded in frustration, pulling his arm from her grasp.

"Can we please just go." She tried again. "The last thing that would help is you sending him to the hospital and ending up in jail. Nothing you do to him will change anything."

"He was cheating on you, Gabby!" He spoke angrily. "I can't just let that go. How are you so okay with this?" He questioned exasperatedly, fire flooding his veins. But his anger quickly softened as he looked at his baby sister, realization washing over him. She couldn't look at him, Gabby unable to meet his eyes, her jaw trembling slightly as she focused on the ground, folding her arms protectively over her chest. Blowing out a sad, heavy breath, he spoke again. "You knew."

"Gabby?" Bryan's voice broke their discussion as they heard him walking down the hallway, the firefighter sure to be in the bedroom any second.

"Please don't do anything stupid." She pleaded one last time, turning towards the door as she saw him round the corner.

"Hey, I didn't know if you were still here. You didn't say anything." He spoke awkwardly from the doorway, glancing behind her to her brother. "Oh, hey Antonio. I didn't know you'd be here."

"I wasn't gonna let my sister move out on her own." He responded coldly, Gabby able to feel the anger radiating off her brother's body as he stood behind her.

An uncomfortable air filled the room, Bryan biting his tongue as Gabby turned towards Antonio. "Can you take my last box out to the car please?" She asked quietly, Antonio's releasing his harsh glare on the man, his gaze instantly softening as he met his sister's eyes. He nodded silently, bending down to pick up the last of her things before heading for the exit, his shoulder bumping into Walker's forcefully as he left the room.

Bryan stumbled back at bit, bringing his hand up to rub over his arm. "I see Antonio hasn't changed." He responded, shaking his head.

Clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth, Gabby decided against commenting, knowing any words she said were bound to cause a fight. Instead, she walked towards him, Walker bringing his hand back down to his side as she got closer.

"So… I got all my stuff. I don't think I forgot anything, but if I did, I guess you can just give it to me at the house." Gabby spoke, trying to keep her voice firm. She didn't want to show him any signs of weakness, despite the pain settling in her chest.

"Sounds good." He responded, shifting back and forth on his feet.

Taking another step towards him, she reached into the pocket of her jeans, pulling out the silver key that didn't belong to her anymore, holding it out in front of her. "Here."

Wordlessly, Bryan took it from her, tapping it against his fingers as Gabby stuck her hands inside her jacket pockets.

"And, uh-" She cleared her throat, pulling out the velvet box that had been weighing her down all morning, Bryan's eyes landing on the small square box in her hand. The box holding the ring that was supposed to be hers forever. "This belongs to you."

Slowly taking it from her, he drew in a deep breath, snapping it open to look at the object that was meant to represent their lives together. Closing it quickly, he slid it into his pocket, looking up to meet her eyes.

"I am sorry, Gabby." He nearly whispered, Gabby blinking back the unshed tears sitting in her eyes. "I'm sorry we couldn't make this work… I really wanted it to."

She bit the inside of her cheek as they stared at one another, her stomach heavy with dread. She wanted to believe him, and for a split second, she did. She believed he always meant to be with her, that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. But then the second was over, reality crashing down around her. Despite how much she wanted his words to be true, she couldn't ignore the nagging feeling in her gut telling her they were all lies. That he was only saying them for her benefit.

Actions spoke louder than words. And his actions told her all she needed to know about what he had wanted out of their relationship.

She needed to get out of here. It felt like the walls were closing in around her, the years of broken promises and forced lies crushing her.

Shaking her head, she walked past him through the doorway, swallowing thickly as she felt his eyes on her. She forced herself to turn back, meeting his gaze as they stood feet apart.

"Bye Bryan." She whispered, dropping her head and walking down the hallway, moving as quickly as she could to the exit.

* * *

Matt glanced up to the sign outside the bar as he stood on the sidewalk, confirming he'd come to the right place as he walked up the steps, desperate to escape the cold evening air. Stepping inside the bar, he took in the new surroundings as his eyes bounced around the busy room, quickly finding a group of familiar faces. From what he could make out, nearly all of 51 was here, either posted up at the bar, or serving from behind it.

Sliding his way through the crowd, Matt made his way over to them, coming up to stand beside Severide, placing his hand on the man's shoulder.

"Casey! You made it." Kelly spoke loudly, Matt getting the impression his new friend had already had a few.

"Yeah, I finished up my job early, decided to stop by and take you up on your offer." Matt replied, sitting down on the stool next to Kelly, glancing up to see Shay walking towards him behind the counter, armed with a glass of beer. The paramedic placed the drink in front of him, Matt flashing her a smile. "Thanks Shay."

"No problem, it's on Kelly." She replied, Severide waving her off before turning towards Matt.

"You said you finished up a job?"

"Yeah. I do construction part time."

Severide nodded, opening his mouth to respond but he was cut off by a man coming up behind him, grabbing his shoulders roughly and shaking him, Matt turning to see a clearly inebriated Walker standing behind them.

"Severide, I finally did it!" He spoke happily, Matt glancing at him with a confused gaze, Kelly wearing a similar one.

"What did you do?... Did you just get here?" Severide asked, the thick smell of alcohol hitting his nostrils.

"Shay, can I get another one!" Walker yelled down the bar, before turning back to Kelly. "I'm a free man, Severide. I'm finally out." He spoke with a grin, Matt taking a swig of his beer as he listened to him.

"What does that mean?" Kelly questioned, Shay walking towards them with a beer bottle in hand, her hard gaze focused on Bryan.

"Dawson's officially moved out, I have my home back." Casey nearly choked on his beer as Walker spoke, seeing Shay's entire body tense, Kelly grimacing at the firefighter's words.

"You might want to cool it on the beers, man." Severide responded, grabbing the bottle from Bryan, turning to face his friend. "So wait, Dawson moved out?"

"Yup, her and Antonio got all her things this morning."

"Oh, wow." Kelly breathed out, Matt glancing between Severide and Shay, earning different reactions from both of them.

"What?" Bryan asked.

"Nothing, it's just… I guess we all thought you two would patch things up. That's what usually happens. But this is real, you two are done."

"It sure is. We're over. She gave me the ring back this morning."

Casey saw the gleam in his eye, and the slight smirk resting on his lips; Walker looked almost thrilled at the fact that his relationship was over, and Matt didn't know what to make of that. Looking up at Shay, the blonde appeared as if she was ready to murder him. Like if he said one more stupid, drunken thing she'd lunge across the bar and strangle him, and Matt couldn't blame her. From the short time he'd been around the paramedics, he knew they were close. If he were in her shoes, he knew he wouldn't appreciate the excitement radiating off the man from the fact that he'd ended a serious relationship and broken the heart of his best friend. Hell, he didn't even know Dawson that well, and Walker's behavior was annoying him.

But he knew it wasn't his place to comment on it. He didn't know them, he wouldn't say anything about it unless Walker's behavior started to affect the job. And that definitely didn't apply when they were off shift at a bar. So Matt stayed quiet, listening intently to the conversation happening inches away from him, unable to keep himself from glancing to Shay and Kelly every few moments.

"Wow. Are you guys okay?" Kelly asked as Bryan shrugged.

"This may be a shitty thing to say, but I'm great. Truly, I am." He responded, Kelly raising his eyebrows slightly.

"Asshole." Shay muttered under her breath, Matt looking to see if Walker had heard her, but it didn't appear that he had.

"And Dawson?"

"I don't know, really. It's not my problem anymore. I think she's okay, I don't know. Even if I did ask, I doubt she would give me an answer. You know how she is, she can make things difficult."

"Maybe it was just because she was engaged to a prick." Shay spoke again, her voice louder. Severide definitely heard her this time, but somehow, Walker hadn't. Or if he had, he ignored it.

"All that matters now is I finally get to have some fun." He spoke, a sly smirk resting on his face as his eyes bounced around the room, Kelly shaking his head.

"Man, are you sure that's a good idea right now. I mean, do what you want, but you just broke up with Dawson. Maybe it's not the best idea to do this here…"

"Why should it matter, she's not here. I can finally have some fun." Walker responded, finding the gaze of a woman across the bar, his smirk widening. "Speaking of, I have somewhere to be. Later guys." Bryan spoke, grabbing his beer before walking away from the small group.

"Kelly, I'm gonna kill him." Shay breathed out, tossing her rag down angrily on the bar.

"Shay, there's nothing you can do. That guy… that's not Bryan, I don't know why he's acting like this, but it's not him."

"Bullshit." She shot back. "He's a dick, Kelly. He always has been. He never cared about her, you heard him. He was all but jumping up and down over the fact he dumped Gabby."

"We don't know the whole story."

"Why are you always defending him?" She replied frustratedly, "Gabby's your friend, too, remember? He treated her like garbage, and you don't care."

"That's not true, Shay."

"It is true. If you're gonna be an asshole like him, at least own up to it." She bit back, slamming another beer bottle down in front of Severide before stomping down the bar, needing to distance herself from him.

Blowing out a sigh, Severide turned to Casey who'd been sitting there quietly, focused on his beer. "I'm sorry about that. I know you probably think we're insane by now…"

Matt waved him off, shaking his head. "It's fine. I came in at a weird time for you guys, I know things are difficult right now."

"Yeah, that's one way to describe it… I know Walker's kind of crazy tonight, he's not usually like this. I'm not sure if the breakup is just hitting him really hard or what, but this isn't usually him." Matt stifled a scoff, knowing enough about the situation to know Walker didn't care one bit about the end of his relationship. But he couldn't say that.

"It's fine, I'm not his Lieutenant right now." Matt responded, earning a nod from Severide.

"And then that with Shay… she's really protective over Dawson. Especially when her and Walker first started having problems, so that's kind of what caused that." Severide spoke with a sigh. "I'm sorry you're getting dragged into all this, but welcome to 51 I guess." Kelly chuckled dryly, Matt smiling as he shook his head.

"It's sure been interesting so far, that's for sure." He mused, the two taking sips of their beers while they sat at the bar.

The night wore on, Matt soon finding himself alone at the bar after Severide had gone to try and get Walker to slow down, the man's alcohol intake starting to become an issue. Everyone else from 51 had dissipated around the room, giving Matt a chance to look around at his surroundings. He had been waiting for Kelly to come back for nearly half an hour when the squad Lieutenant appeared with Walker by his side, Severide saying how he was gonna get the man home, telling Casey that he'd take a raincheck on the hockey game.

The first few minutes after Kelly left, Matt debated going home as well. He was tired, and a few extra hours of sleep couldn't hurt. But he had yet to make any move, the firefighter sitting perched on his bar stool, nursing the same beer he'd had since he came in.

"You good, Casey?" He looked up at the sound of Shay's voice, Matt nodding as she came to stand across from him.

"I am. Are you?"

Sighing heavily, she nodded, tossing her rag over her shoulder. "I'm sorry about all that, I'm not the biggest fan of Bryan, but Kelly and I should've had that conversation in private." She apologized, Matt shaking his head.

"You're fine, I know you're just looking out for your friend. And in your defense, he was acting like an asshole." Matt spoke, earning a grin from Shay.

"You heard that, huh?"

"Yeah, a little bit." He chuckled, his eyes glancing around the room before landing back on Shay. "But I can't say I blame you." He told her, Shay watching him with curious eyes, Matt speaking up before she could question it. "So, uh, does Dawson ever come here?" Matt tried to ask as casually as he could, but he knew he'd failed based on the way Shay's eyebrows furrowed at his question. "Pretty much everyone else is here, but she isn't. I was just wondering, didn't know if this was her scene." He clarified, Shay pausing for a second before nodding.

"She does, she's an owner." Shay replied, Matt's eyebrows raising in surprise. "But she hasn't been around much lately…"

"Cause of Walker." Matt finished, Shay remaining silent, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched him carefully. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, it's okay." Shay responded quickly. "I'm just kind of surprised you picked up on that after like, one shift. Although I guess the breakup and everything makes it self-explanatory." She spoke, Matt nodding softly.

"Is she doing alright?" He questioned, watching the paramedic take a deep breath.

"She's… hanging in there, she's definitely taking it harder than Walker is." She replied bitterly. "Although I'm pretty sure the entire house is taking it harder than he is. But Dawson will be okay, she bounces back quickly." Shay explained, Matt thinking over her words as he took another sip. "Speaking of… do you and Gabby know each other?"

Matt felt his breath catch in his throat, his mind blanking for a moment before shaking his head. "No, why do you ask?" He questioned, finding his voice.

"I saw you kept looking at her on shift yesterday, thought you might've known each other." She responded with a shrug. "And, from what I can tell, you seem to be more on Gabby's side with this whole thing, which is surprising considering Walker is on your truck, so I just thought maybe you two knew each other."

"We don't know each other." He responded, earning a nod from Shay, the blonde paramedic clearly waiting for more of an explanation. "I thought she looked familiar, when I saw her at the house. I was trying to remember if maybe we'd worked together or something, but I couldn't place her." He covered. "I didn't mean to creep you out or anything." Shay grinned at his words, shaking her head.

"You weren't, don't worry. I just didn't know if you guys were friends. I guess I was kind of hoping you guys knew each other." She admitted, Matt tilting his head in confusion.

"Why?" He questioned, Shay releasing a heavy sigh.

"With everything going on, I thought it might help her to have another familiar face on her side at the house." Shay elaborated. "Everyone at 51, they all love Gabby but Bryan is like everyone's favorite person on the planet, which I don't really understand." She muttered the last part under her breath, shaking her head before continuing. "So even if they don't mean to, I feel like they're gonna side with him." She vented, her eyes widening slightly after a few seconds as she caught Matt's gaze. "Sorry, I don't know why I'm even telling you all this, I'm sure you don't care about all the house relationship drama. I'm not trying to make you pick sides here or anything."

"No, it's okay." Casey quickly assured her. "I'm not taking sides in this, I don't know either of them so I'm just trying to stay out of it. I know what Dawson's going through is hard, and Walker doesn't seem to be making it easy on her, but I'm trying not to get too involved when it doesn't really concern me." Matt explained, earning an understanding nod from Shay.

"That's smart." She mused. "Not something I'd probably ever be able to do, but smart." Matt shook his head in amusement, earning a laugh from the woman.

"But even though I'm trying not to involve myself, I also don't mind you venting, if you need to." He spoke with a smile, earning a matching one from Shay.

"I like you, Matt Casey." She responded, Matt chuckling as he took another sip of his beer.

"Thanks, Shay."

* * *

"Truce?" Shay glanced up from her newspaper as she sat in the common room, finding Severide standing in front of her with a fresh cup of coffee in his outstretched hand. It had been a few days since their fight at Molly's, and things had been tense between the roommates, Shay spending the last day and a half doing what she could to avoid him. Seeing her raise her eyebrow at him, he sighed, sitting down next to her. "I'm sorry for the other night."

Glancing from him to the coffee, Shay reached for the mug, a small, hesitant grin resting on her face. "I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't be taking it out on you, you're not the person to be mad at. At least not for this." She joked, relaxing a bit when she saw him let out a deep chuckle.

"It's okay. I know you're just looking out for Dawson." He replied quietly, Shay nodding as she took a sip of the warm beverage. "Is she alright?" Severide questioned, looking past Shay towards the other paramedic sitting at the end of the long table across the room, her head buried in her book.

"She's… I don't even know. She's staying with Antonio until she can find her own place. I went and checked on her yesterday, looked at her burn to make sure everything was still okay. Physically, she's alright. Mentally… I don't know, Walker really hurt her. I still haven't gotten her to tell me exactly what happened, but she's not doing well." Shay spoke sadly, her mouth forming into a frown. "And what about Walker? You get him home the other night?"

"Yeah, I did. He passed out as soon as I got him there, though. And he wasn't kidding, all her stuff was gone. You would've never known she ever lived there." He spoke softly, Shay shrugging her shoulders.

"From what I saw, it never looked like she really lived there to begin with." Shay muttered, Kelly blowing out a heavy sigh, patting the blonde on the arm.

"She's gonna be okay, Shay. Like Walker said, they thought it was for the best. But still, I can't imagine how hard this is."

"I wouldn't really listen to anything Walker says…" She mumbled, Kelly tilting his head curiously.

"What do you mean?"

Glancing around, Shay dropped her head, leaning in close to her friend. "Walker lied about their breakup."

Her words only confused him more, Kelly glancing to Gabby before looking back at Shay. "No he didn't. She moved out, gave him the ring back, they're over."

"He didn't lie about them being broken up, he lied about how they broke up." She clarified quietly, Kelly waiting for more explanation. "He broke up with her. Gabby had no say it in, he blindsided her with it the night it happened. She had no idea he'd been wanting to break up, she was wanting to fix things between them."

Severide's eyebrows furrowed, an unsettling feeling filling his gut. "But why would he say it was mutual when it wasn't?"

"So he didn't look like more of an asshole than he already is, I guess."

"Shay-"

"Hey guys." Casey's voice broke through their conversation as the truck Lieutenant came into the common room, nodding towards Severide and Shay.

"Hey Casey." Shay responded, Kelly nodding back as the man walked past their table, heading for the counter. Matt grabbed an apple from the bowl, turning back around to see Severide walking towards him, the firefighter coming to a stop beside him.

"Hey man, I'm sorry about the other night. I know we were supposed to watch the game and everything."

"It's no problem. I know you needed to take care of that." Matt responded, his eyes flickering towards Gabby, before looking back towards Kelly. "And I got to know Shay a little better, it ended up being a nice night." He spoke a little louder, earning the attention of the blonde paramedic, the woman turning around in her seat with a grin on her face.

"Yeah, Casey and I had a nice chat. Better watch out, Kel, I might have you replaced here soon."

"Ha ha." He replied dryly, shaking his head. "But anyway, we'll definitely have to reschedule, maybe next time we can just have the beers at our place." Kelly spoke, nodding towards Shay.

"Sounds fun." She responded, Matt flashing them a soft smile.

"I'd like that." He replied, taking a bite of his apple.

"Antonio? What are you doing here?" Matt's attention moved towards the entrance at the sound of Gabby's voice, seeing a man walking up to the table she was sitting at. From his quick glance, Matt saw a badge around the man's neck, Casey quickly understanding this man was a cop. He just wasn't sure how he knew Gabby, and what he was here for.

"God, I hope Walker is hiding somewhere." Severide muttered under his breath, Matt's eyebrows furrowing as he watched Gabby stand up from her seat, the man coming to stop across from her.

"Burgess and I were in the neighborhood, asked her if I could stop by and check in on my little sister." The man spoke with a grin, realization settling over Casey, Severide's comment about Walker quickly making sense.

"Mhmm." Gabby responded, clearly unimpressed with his explanation. "Well, you can leave I'm fine." She dropped her voice, but Matt was still able to hear her words.

"I'm not just here to see you." He spoke, walking away from his sister as he moved further into the room. He stopped by the couch, patting Herrmann on the shoulder as he passed by. "How you doing, Shay?" He asked once he got to the table, leaning down to give the paramedic a hug.

"I'm doing good, Antonio. It's good to see you." She replied with a smile, not having seen the man when she stopped by his place to check on Gabby. "How's the job treating you?"

"It's good, been keeping me busy, but I'm alright. Hey, Severide." Antonio greeted, stepping closer to shake Kelly's hand.

"Hey man."

Antonio's gaze landed on Matt, Casey's eyes flashing behind him towards Gabby for a split second, seeing the weary look on her face. "You must be Casey." He spoke, Matt's eyes narrowing in confusion, unable to keep himself from glancing back to Gabby again. Matt couldn't imagine Gabby would've told her brother about him, about what happened between them, but the cop clearly knew of him. Matt just wasn't sure in what capacity.

Swallowing thickly, Matt nodded, shaking the man's hand. "Yeah, Matt Casey." He introduced, Antonio grinning at him.

"Antonio Dawson." The man replied, releasing his grip on Matt's hand. "You're actually part of why I stopped by, I wanted to thank you."

"Uh, for what?" He questioned, seeing Gabby walk towards them in his peripheral vision.

"Gabby told me about what you did, pulling her from the car the other day. I just wanted to say thank you for saving her." Matt released a silent breath, tension leaving his body as he shot the man a soft smile.

"Oh, it was nothing. I'm just glad she's okay." Matt replied, glancing towards Gabby, the smile still resting on his face.

"Alright, enough talking about me like I'm not here." Gabby spoke uncomfortably, earning a few laughs from the group.

Glancing around the room, Antonio took notice of who all was in here, or rather who wasn't here, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Don't worry sis, I'm actually about to leave, I can't stay long. I just wanted to check in, and meet Casey here. But I'll let you get back to your work." He responded, placing a quick kiss on her forehead. "It was good to see you guys, nice to meet you Casey." Antonio spoke, walking away from the group, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing at his quick turnaround. She felt like she was missing something, that he wouldn't have come all the way here just for that, but he turned the corner before she was able to question him.

Antonio walked down the hallway, glancing back to make sure no one was following him as he began moving through the firehouse. He did come to here to check on Gabby, and meet Casey, but he had one other agenda in mind during his visit.

It didn't take Antonio long to find the man he was looking for as he pushed open the bathroom door, seeing the firefighter standing at the sink, washing his hands. Bryan's head snapped up at the sound, huffing out a heavy breath as he saw the detective through the mirror.

"Whatever you want, Antonio, I don't have the time." He replied, drying his hands as he turned around.

"I just want to know why you did it." Antonio's voice was firm as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Why I did what?"

"Why did you propose to my sister when you had no intention of marrying her?" Venom dripped from the older Dawson's voice, Bryan shaking his head as he walked towards the man who was blocking his exit.

"I'm not doing this right now." Walker tried to slide past him, but was stopped by Antonio's hand pushing against his chest.

"Answer the question."

"Antonio…" He bit out, the detective shaking his head.

"Or answer this question for me. How long had you been cheating on Gabby?"

Walker's eyes narrowed, pushing Antonio's hand forcefully from his chest. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Bullshit. How long were you cheating on her?"

"Back off, Antonio." He spat, shoving against Antonio's chest, moving him out of the way.

Fire spread through his veins, Antonio grabbing Walker by the shirt, slamming him up against the wall.

"What the hell." Bryan choked out, Antonio pinning the man with his forearm.

"I don't know exactly what you put my sister through these last three years." Antonio's voice was quiet, anger burning in his eyes as he held the man firmly to the wall. "But listen to me when I tell you that you never deserved her. And I swear to God, if I hear anything about you making things worse for her, I'll put you through this wall next time, do you understand?" He bit out, Bryan breathing heavily. "You got what you wanted, you turned her life upside down. Now just leave her alone."

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about, I haven't said anything to her." He defended, shoving against Antonio until the man backed off.

"And you better not. I won't let you hurt her again." Antonio spoke harshly, glaring towards the man as he moved to the door, walking through it without another word.

Bryan adjusted his rumpled shirt, anger flooding through his system as he moved to the door, whipping it open and stomping towards the common room. As he got down the hall, he saw who he was looking for in the crowded room, finding Gabby sitting at the table next to Shay.

"Hey!" He shouted as he walked in, earning shocked looks from everyone around him. Gabby looked up immediately, her eyes widening as she saw Bryan marching towards her. "I don't know what lies you've told your brother about what happened, but knock it off!" He yelled, Gabby shrinking in her seat as his loud voice filled the room. Shay stood up, holding her hand out as he leaned over the table.

"Back up, Walker." Shay bit out forcefully, positioning herself in front of Gabby.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Dawson responded once she found her voice, her words unsteady.

"Your brother is fucking insane, that's what I'm talking about!" He shouted, slamming his hand down against the table, causing Gabby to jump in her skin.

"Walker, stop." Kelly spoke from behind him, pulling him back from the table.

"She's been telling her brother lies about what happened, then he comes in here threatening me. I thought breaking up with her would end this shit." He replied furiously, Kelly pushing him away from the table.

"Bryan, you have to calm down." Kelly tried again, glancing back towards Gabby, Shay having her arm wrapped around Dawson's shoulders protectively. The rest of the room watched on in shock as the scene unfolded in front of them, too stunned to move.

"Sev, she-"

"Walker!" Casey's voice boomed throughout the room, everyone stopping as Matt pushed himself up from his seat. "Go check how much salt is in the truck. There's a storm rolling through tonight."

"Lieutenant-"

"Now." He barked, arms crossed over his chest. Realizing this was a battle he couldn't win, Walker gave in, shooting another glare towards Gabby before forcefully pulling himself out of Kelly's grip.

"Tell your brother to back off." He spat towards the paramedic before disappearing out of the room, slamming the door against the wall as he went into the garage.

All eyes fell on Gabby once he was gone, tears welling in her eyes as she quickly slid from Shay's grasp, standing up and leaving the uncomfortably silent room without another word, unable to stop the single tear that slid down her cheek as she went.

* * *

**And there's another one. Walker seems like a real winner, doesn't he? But for the other characters, I always liked the dynamic between Casey and Shay on the show, so I enjoyed getting to include a little bit of that in this chapter.**

**I know a lot of you have been curious as to why Gabby would even be with someone like Bryan in the first place, but there's a lot of background there we have yet to get in to. As the chapters go on, you all will continue to get more insight into things that happened in the past, with both Gabby's and Matt's previous relationships. As well as why the house loves Walker so much, despite him being kind of terrible. Answers to all that, and more, are coming as we get further into this story. And I'm very excited.**

**I hope you all enjoyed this one. I cannot thank you all enough for the support and kind words you all have given me with this story. I'm so excited to hear what you thought of this one. Thank you for reading.**


	5. Chapter Five

**Thank you all for the feedback on the last chapter! I hope you guys enjoy this one as well. Buckle up, we've got a bit of a wild one.**

**Just a warning, part of this chapter is Rated M. Have fun.**

* * *

**F I V E**

* * *

Gabby sat hunched over on the bench in the locker room, forcing herself to take steady, slow breaths as she focused on the dead quiet of the room. She'd been sitting here for nearly an hour, and had yet to find the courage to get up and leave. She didn't want to go back out there, not after Bryan's outburst, and she found the quiet of the room comforting, she felt safe in here. Despite the openness of the locker room, no one had bothered her in here. She was completely alone, and that's what she needed right now.

After all but running from the common room, Shay had quickly followed after her, finding her pacing back and forth in front of the lockers, stray tears falling down her cheeks. Even though she appreciated Shay's desire to help, Gabby asked her for some space, knowing she needed the moment to just breathe. The blonde had quickly agreed, giving her friend a hug, reminding her she was here if needed, and then left.

Gabby had needed a second alone to forget about what just happened. Forget about the flash of fear she felt when Bryan stormed towards her. Forget about how, for the first time in awhile, she felt scared of him. She needed time to work through those feelings on her own.

She just didn't expect her few moments of quiet to turn into a full hour of hiding.

Gabby was so lost in thought she didn't hear the footsteps approaching her in the locker room, or the person saying her name. It wasn't until she felt someone place a hand on her shoulder that she snapped back into reality, Gabby jumping slightly as she looked up to find Casey standing there, a concerned look covering his face.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I called your name, but…" He trailed off, Gabby shaking her head, sliding back a bit to get out from under his touch.

"It's okay." She responded softly, avoiding his eye contact.

"Uh, Boden's looking for you. Said he wants to see you in his office." Matt told her, watching her shove her hands in her pockets as she nodded, pushing herself up from the bench. Wordlessly, she slid past him, heading for the exit. "Are you okay?"

His question stopped her, Gabby turning back around to face him, Matt catching a glimpse of her tired eyes. "Never been better." She replied sarcastically, Casey releasing a soft sigh.

"Dawson…"

"What do you want, Casey?" She asked exasperatedly, taking the few steps back towards him, her face hard with anger.

"Nothing, I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"Oh, so you're some nice guy now?" She bit back, huffing out an annoyed breath. "I don't need your pity. You and I aren't friends, we don't even know each other."

"It's not pity, I-"

"So what it is, then? Guilt? You feel guilty, for some reason, for sleeping with me? Cause you found out the only reason I was even at that bar was because I got dumped?" She questioned, her words sharp. "You know what, it doesn't even matter. I needed a distraction and you were there. That's the extent of our relationship. You don't need to pretend to care for my sake, trust me. I don't want it." Her voice was bitter as she spoke, Gabby sliding past him without another word to exit the locker room, leaving a confused and frustrated Casey there on his own.

Walking through the firehouse, Gabby kept her head down as she passed the common room, not wanting to see the pitiful stares from her coworkers. She didn't need it from Casey, and she definitely didn't want it from them. She just wanted to be left alone.

After what felt like an eternity, she found herself outside of Boden's office, knocking softly on the door.

"Come in." She heard through the glass, Gabby pushing open the door, stopping abruptly in the doorway as she saw Bryan sitting in there with Chief, Boden nodding towards the empty seat next to Walker. Silently, she shut the door behind her, coming to sit down, placing herself as far as possible away from him. "So, I heard about the incident that happened earlier today." He spoke firmly, clearly unimpressed by the situation.

"Chief, I'm sorry." Walker spoke first, Boden narrowing his gaze.

"I believe I made it very clear to both of you, that if you all couldn't handle your problems that there would be some discussions that needed to take place. If you all can't act like adults, we'll have to look into moving one of you to another house. I don't want to have this discussion again." His voice was rigid, Walker nodding throughout his speech.

"I understand, Chief. I was out of line earlier. I let my emotions get the best of me, when I should've just gone and talked to her about it. It won't happen again." He replied, earning a slight nod from Boden.

"Good. You all have to keep this stuff off shift, this can't become the normal around here. It's not fair to everyone else, and it's not fair to you all. If this starts affecting work, that's when it becomes dangerous, and I won't let it get that far."

"Understood." Walker complied, both men turning to look at Gabby.

"Dawson?"

"Understood." She replied softly, still unsure as to why she was getting this lecture.

"Alright, you two are dismissed. Remember, this happens again and some other discussions will be taking place." He warned them, Walker nodding as he got up to leave, heading for the door. But Gabby stayed rooted in her seat, fiddling with her fingers in her lap.

"Dawson? Is there something else?" He asked, Walker stopping in the doorway to see Gabby still seated, his eyes narrowing at her, unsure of what she was doing.

When Boden had yet to get a response from her, he nodded at Bryan, signaling him to go, the man glancing to Gabby again before agreeing, shutting the door behind him as he left the office.

"Something wrong, Dawson?"

"I just.. I don't understand why I'm threatened with the same punishment as him, when I didn't do anything." Boden released a heavy sigh, folding his arms over his desk. "I was just sitting there, and he stormed in, yelling at me, and somehow this is also my fault?" Her words were soft yet firm, and full of confusion.

"Dawson, what happened stemmed from the ending of your relationship. The point remains the same, if you two can't work together, then someone's gonna have to go. This can't become the place where you two hash out all your problems."

"So what you're saying is that if he does that again, he comes up and starts screaming at me, and slamming his hands down on the table, acting like a child, that I'll be in just as much danger of getting moved as he will be."

"Dawson, that's not what I'm saying…"

"It's understood, Chief." She spoke before he could finish. "I get it. Just making sure we're all on the same page." She responded quietly, standing up without another word, ignoring Boden's attempts to further explain himself as he called her name. She wasn't sure if it would get her in trouble, but she couldn't find it in her to care as she left his office, needing to find a place to be alone. She needed a place where no one could bother her. The only problem was that she wasn't sure that place even existed in this firehouse.

* * *

Matt maneuvered through the snow and ice covering the driveway of 51 as he made his way inside the firehouse, desperate to escape the harsh winter air. It was Christmas Eve, and the house was determined to make the best out of being here over the holiday, Shay and Herrmann having spent the last few shifts decorating the place to make it feel more festive. They'd gotten a tree and decorated it, displaying it proudly outside the common room, as well as put up wreaths and tinsel around the house, trying to make the circumstances a little better. Although as first responders, there were many holidays missed, having to work Christmas Eve into Christmas was a little sad for those of 51 with families, knowing they'd miss some of the Christmas morning festivities. As Matt had come to learn during his first shift, Herrmann was one of those men eager to leave right at shift change, the man having a lot of kids to get home to.

While some were a little bummed to be spending this day at the firehouse, Matt wasn't one of him. He embraced the distraction, knowing tomorrow would be a difficult day for him. This wasn't how he pictured Christmas to be for him. If someone had asked him several months ago how he'd be spending his Christmas, it would've been entirely different to now. He would've had an apartment fully decorated, a large tree taking up way too much space in his living room, overflowing with presents, and he would've been spending the day with his wife.

But none of those things were happening anymore. His apartment was bare, not a decoration in sight; there was no tree, no presents. There was nothing that even remotely resembled Christmas.

And there was definitely no wife. Not anymore.

Shaking his head, he pushed the thoughts away as he walked into the garage, not wanting to wallow in self-pity. He couldn't change anything about what happened, he just had to move on from it.

"Hey Casey." Severide spoke as Matt passed the squad table.

"Hey man." Matt responded, Kelly standing up, coming to match his stride.

It was Casey's fourth shift at 51, and in the past week and a half he'd learned a lot about his coworkers. He had learned all about Herrmann's family, even though he still couldn't keep all the names of the kids straight, he learned that Otis and Cruz share an apartment, that Mouch had just gotten married to a Sergeant from the 21st district down the street, and he learned that Gabby's brother, Antonio, was a detective at that same district. He'd learned all that and more about his new coworkers, Matt finding out new things about these people every day.

But the same couldn't be said for them getting to know him. He didn't share much, when it came to personal questions about his life or his family. Matt didn't want his past situations to tarnish what he'd found in this group at 51, so he tiptoed around any questions about his personal life, usually keeping his answers short and moving the subject in a different direction.

"That was fun the other night, you coming to our place." Severide's voice broke through his thoughts, Matt nodding in agreement. "We should do that again."

"Yeah, definitely. It sure was an interesting night." Matt chuckled, Severide laughing as well as images of a drunken Shay filled their minds. For as blunt as the paramedic was normally, Matt quickly found out that with a little alcohol in her system, she lost any filter she had.

The two got inside the firehouse, Kelly walking with him towards the locker room, Matt catching Gabby's gaze as the woman turned the corner into the hallway. "So, what are your Christmas plans?" Severide asked, Gabby dropping Matt's gaze as the two became passing ships, the paramedic walking past them without a word.

"Um, nothing. Just me. I have a pretty big construction job the day after, so I'll probably just get ready for that. What about you guys?" Matt asked

"Shay and I usually go to Herrmann's. Neither of us have family in the area, or family we want to spend the holidays with, so we usually go hang out with his family." Kelly explained as they got to the locker room, Severide nodding to Walker as he saw the man standing there at his locker. "You could come with us if you want, I know Herrmann and Cindy would love to have you."

"Maybe, I'll think about it." Casey responded, moving towards his locker.

"We talking about Christmas plans?" Walker asked with a grin, Kelly nodding in response.

"Yeah, I was just seeing what Casey was doing. What about you, what are you doing?" Severide asked carefully, knowing that up until a week ago, his Christmas plans would've involved Dawson.

"Well, Gabby and I did have plans to go away for the night, go spend some time together out of the city, but obviously that's not happening." Walker replied, closing his locker, Matt catching the smirk on his face. "But I met this girl, Jennifer..." Bryan blew out a whistle, shaking his head. "She's a different level of crazy, found that out last night." Matt's gaze flashed to Severide, seeing the man unimpressed with his friend, but he said nothing. "I figured I'd take her. I still have the room, might as well not waste the money."

"So you're taking her on a trip you had arranged for you and Gabby? Over Christmas? Isn't that a little serious for some girl you just met at a bar?" Kelly asked with a grimace, Matt biting his tongue.

"Yeah. I mean, it's not the ideal situation but I don't want to waste the money. And it's not like Jennifer will know the difference. She's just excited to get out of the city. Plus, I'm eager to see more of what she has to offer." He joked, Matt shaking his head as he went back to his routine.

Casey was all for someone doing whatever they wanted, Lord knows he has, but there was something about Walker that just rubbed him the wrong way. It was the way he flaunted around the fact that he was now single, when he'd broken the heart of someone they work with. It was that he seemed to not care about how Gabby was doing, and that all that mattered to him was making it known that he had moved on.

There was just something about the man that Matt didn't like, and the Lieutenant certainly didn't trust him.

"Well, uh, I'm glad you're having fun." Severide said uncomfortably.

"Oh, I definitely am. I've been having a lot of fun." Walker replied, shutting his locker before heading for the exit, clapping his palm against Matt's shoulder as he left. "I'll see you guys out there." He spoke as he turned the corner, but his progress was stopped abruptly, Matt turning to find Gabby standing there. "Oh, sorry." Bryan spoke, the two clearly having run into one another.

"It's fine, I was just getting my book." She responded quietly, clearing her throat as she stepped to the side, moving around him to get to her locker.

Both Casey and Severide watched the awkward exchange, Gabby refusing to look their way as she got into her locker. Kelly eventually looked away, but Matt couldn't. He silently hoped that Gabby hadn't heard what Walker had just been bragging about, that she didn't know he was taking some other woman on a trip meant for them. But the man hadn't exactly been quiet, if Gabby was close enough she would've heard. And the thought left an unsettling feeling in his gut.

He wasn't sure why it mattered, Gabby had made her feelings towards him perfectly clear over the last week. From her blowing up at him in the locker room, to practically avoiding him at every opportunity since, she definitely did not want to be around him.

But what was worrying him was the fact that she didn't seem to want to be around anyone. Since Walker's outburst last week, she'd pretty much kept to herself. From what Casey could tell, she was pulling away from every person in the house. She never really hung out with them during down time, and whenever Matt would see her, she was by herself in the bunk room, reading a book.

He felt bad for her, he truly did, even though he'd never voice it because that was a surefire way to get her to lash out at him again, but it was clear to everyone how isolated she'd become. Shay had made many attempts to try and talk to her, but was shut down every time, Matt hearing the details of what happened each time the blonde would come back and talk to Kelly. It was clear the paramedic was worried for her friend, and Matt couldn't blame her. Part of him wished there was something he could do to help, but he knew that was the last thing Gabby wanted.

And he also couldn't figure out why he cared so much.

Despite barely speaking to him over the last week, her feelings towards him were perfectly clear. She couldn't stand him. Whether it was because of that night at the bar, or him showing up to 51 right after, she hated him. Although Matt couldn't help but wonder if her hatred for him stemmed from her just needing someone to hate, and he was the easiest target. Or if she truly did not like him. He couldn't tell, and he'd probably never find out, but based on the way she avoided him whenever she could, and the glares he'd receive from her on occasion, he knew she wasn't a fan of his.

Casey was sure the house would've picked up on it by now had Gabby not been completely isolating herself. And maybe a few of them had, because despite Gabby choosing to keep to herself, whenever she did have to interact with them, there was much more contempt directed towards Casey. He honestly found it odd that no one had asked him about it, but maybe he was the only one able to notice.

All he knew was that Gabby was clearly struggling, but she didn't seem to want any help.

So he let it be.

He didn't try and reach out to her anymore, he didn't bother with trying to make sure she was okay. She didn't want help from him, or from anyone, so there was nothing he could do. It wasn't his problem, so he left it alone.

* * *

Gabby turned on her heels to move from the locker room, desperately needing to get out of the small space. She had been in there getting ready for shift when Bryan came in, the man not uttering a word as he went to his locker.

He had barely looked in her direction since that day, Gabby sure he had taken Boden's threats to heart. Bryan had pretty much ignored her since he lashed out at her in the common room, the two barely looking at one another whenever they were forced to be together. Gabby knew he didn't want to risk getting transferred, so he was leaving her alone. And for that, she was grateful. Even though the fear she felt when being around him had dissipated, she still didn't like being alone with him if she could help it. He wouldn't do anything to her here, he wasn't that stupid and she knew it, but she still found it best to avoid him whenever she could, Gabby quickly putting the rest of her things away and getting out of the room as fast as possible.

When she turned the corner into the hallway, she found Casey and Severide walking towards her, Gabby hearing them discussing their holiday plans. Although she found Casey's eyes almost immediately, she dropped his gaze, her face plastered to the ground as she passed them, vaguely hearing Casey mention how he had nothing planned for tomorrow before they were out of earshot.

With her eyes focused on the ground, she continued moving towards the common room, intent of getting a cup of coffee before going to the bunk room. It had become a routine for her as of late, spending much of her time at her bunk, more interested in the book in her hands than dealing with certain people in this firehouse, especially now with Christmas right around the corner. Tomorrow would be hard enough, she was dreading the day and she didn't need to sit around and listen to how everyone would be spending their holiday. That would only make her feel worse. This was the time of year for family and togetherness, but all she really wanted was to be alone.

After Bryan's episode last week, people had checked in and asked her if she was okay, to which she always gave the same answer; she was fine. But it didn't take long for his actions to be forgotten around the house. By the next shift, no one acted like he had done anything as Bryan came in with that wide smile, being overly nice to everyone he interacted with. Everyone but her.

She knew he was trying to get them to forget about how he'd acted, and to his credit, it worked. Because by the end of that shift, no one seemed to care about him confronting her in the common room. Aside from Shay, everyone had either forgiven him for his actions, or simply forgotten all together, and all was back to normal.

Except Gabby's new normal included staying as far away from him as she could. She didn't want to be around him, especially with Boden's threat of a transfer looming over them. So she kept to herself. She would appear when necessary, but never stay for very long. Not wanting to be around him meant having to distance herself from everyone else, but she wasn't even sure if anyone in the house noticed. In fact, with the exception of Shay, she was sure they didn't.

But she didn't care so much at the moment. All she wanted was to be able to do her job, and to be left alone. And spending most of her time in the bunk room gave her that.

Gabby barely got a few steps into the common room when she realized she'd forgotten her book, the paramedic cursing under her breath as began walking towards the conference room, taking the shortcut back to the locker room. Part of her hoped that the room would be empty, but seeing as how she'd only been out of there for all of a minute, that was very unlikely.

As she got closer, she heard Walker and Severide speaking, their voices easy to hear in the otherwise quiet house.

"_Well, Gabby and I did have plans to go away for the night, go spend some time together out of the city, but obviously that's not happening._"

Gabby slowed her steps as she heard Bryan talk about her to Severide, and most likely Casey as well, her arms folding over her chest as she listened to him go on about some girl he'd hooked up with last night.

"_So you're taking her on a trip you had arranged for you and Gabby? Over Christmas? Isn't that a little serious for some girl you just met at a bar?_"

Gabby heard the uneasiness in Severide's tone, but wasn't able to dwell on it as she listened to Walker rattle off his excuses and reasons for his actions. She bit down on her bottom lip roughly, picking her steps back up as she turned to go into the locker room, not wanting to listen to this any longer. And at least if they knew she was in there, they'd most likely stop until she was gone.

But she hadn't gotten very far when her body collided with Bryan's, the man knocking her back a few steps as they both turned the corner at the same time. After quick apologies, she slid past him, feeling Severide's and Casey's eyes on her as she retrieved her book, Gabby refusing to look their way as she closed her locker and left without another word.

* * *

"Hey girl." Gabby looked up from her book to see Shay standing at the foot of her bed, the blonde wearing a small smile.

"Hi." She responded, closing her book and placing it on the table, Shay taking that as an invitation to sit down.

"I just wanted to check in, see how you're doing." Shay spoke, Gabby nodding slowly.

"I'm alright."

"Good." She responded with a slight smile. "So, uh, Kelly and I are doing the same old dinner at Herrmann's tomorrow night, that should be interesting. It always is." Shay spoke with a laugh. "What about you? You and Antonio doing anything fun?"

"No, Antonio's on an undercover thing right now, has been for a few days. I don't think he'll be back by tomorrow. I think I'm gonna spend the day with my parents, though."

"That's gotta be hard on him, not being able to see the kids on Christmas." Shay spoke, earning an agreeing nod from her friend. "But getting to spend the day with your parents, that'll be fun." Shay replied, patting Gabby's leg.

"Yeah, nothing like breaking the news that your fiancé dumped you to get everyone in the holiday spirit." She muttered, Shay's eyebrows furrowing.

"They don't know?"

"No, uh… I haven't told them yet. I meant to, but I just kept putting it off and well, they'll know soon I guess."

"I'm sorry, honey." Shay murmured, earning a shrug from Gabby.

"It's alright, just another thing I wasn't really planning on. But it'll be fine, I haven't spent a lot of time with my parents lately, it'll be good."

"I'm glad, I know they'll be excited to see you. I'm just happy you'll be with your family. You'll have to tell them hi for me." Shay replied with a grin, thankful to see a matching one fall onto Gabby's face.

"I will. And you'll have to tell me if you actually manage to get through dinner without some food being ruined, or something getting broken." Gabby responded with a chuckle.

"Ah yes, the Herrmanns definitely know how to throw a party." Shay joked, glad to see her friend smiling.

It had been a hard week, and Gabby had spent most of that time completely shut off from everyone. But Shay was hopeful they were turning a corner, that maybe Gabby was slowly starting to find her old self again. And even if she wasn't, Shay was determined to enjoy this moment with her friend.

* * *

Gabby was perched up against the wall outside the locker room, her foot resting against the brick as she waited for someone in particular to come out. It was the end of shift, and most everyone had fled as soon as they could, wanting to get home to their families. But there was someone still in there, someone she needed to talk to, even though she knew it wouldn't end well.

Gabby knew she should just leave it alone, that nothing good would come from her having this information, but she needed to know. Even though the last thing she wanted to do was be around him, she needed answers. For her own sanity, she couldn't keep wondering about how long it had been going on. She felt like once she knew for sure, she'd be able to let it go. Or at least that's what she was hoping.

She hadn't been able to get it out of her mind since the day she'd been packing up her things. When she found that clothing under their bed, the clothing that wasn't hers. And hearing him talk yesterday about the women he'd been sleeping with, that dragged the question to the forefront of her mind once more. She knew she had to talk to him before it drove her crazy.

Although there was a part of her that always knew, finding that clothing had only cemented the fact that Walker hadn't been faithful to her during their relationship. It solidified what she already knew in the back of her mind, but now she just needed to know something else. And there was only one person who could give her the answers she was looking for.

Her gaze snapped into focus as she saw him come from the locker room, his bag resting over his shoulder, changed out from his shift clothes. She was pretty sure they were the last two from second shift there, considering nearly twenty minutes had passed since shift change, and by the abrupt halting of his steps, she knew he wasn't expecting to see her waiting for him.

"Can we talk for a second?"

"Gabby, whatever this is… we can't be getting into fights on shift, you heard Boden." He replied with a heavy sigh, Dawson shaking her head.

"I'm not gonna fight with you, I just have a question. It'll be quick, I promise." She spoke softly, Walker clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth before nodding, taking a few steps closer to her.

"Alright, what is it?"

"I just want to know how long." Her statement confused him, Bryan's head tilting to the side as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"What?"

"How long had you been cheating on me?"

Walker sucked in a deep breath, shaking his head as he angled his body towards the door. "I'm not doing this. I told your brother the same thing, I'm not-"

"Just tell me." She responded back firmly, stopping his movements. "It doesn't matter anymore, you don't have to keep pretending you weren't. But I need to know how long."

"Gabby…" He sighed, Gabby straightening her spine.

"How long?" She asked again, Bryan's eyes locking with hers.

"About a year." He responded quietly.

It felt like the wind had gotten knocked out of her, like she'd been punched in the gut repeatedly from his admission.

He had been cheating on her long before he proposed to her, nearly as long as they'd been living together, and that was something she couldn't stomach.

"So, before you even had any intention of marrying me, you'd been sleeping with other people." She murmured, afraid to speak any louder.

"Gabby…"

"How many times?" She questioned, anger flooding her veins as he stood there in front of her.

"I… I don't know." He replied lamely, Gabby biting on her bottom lip roughly as she shook her head, trying to wrap her mind around this. But she couldn't.

"I just… I don't understand, why did you do it? Why did you stay with me?" She questioned forcefully. "God, why did you ask me to marry you?!"

"I don't know."

Gabby took a step away from him, needing the space for a moment as her hands came up to cover her face, rubbing over her head as she forced herself to take deep breaths.

"I'm sorry, Gabby." He spoke quietly, his words causing her to turn back around towards him, her face filled with a mix of rage and devastation, Bryan seeing up close the damage he'd caused.

"Did you ever love me?" She questioned after a few painfully silent moments. "At all? Was any of this ever what you wanted?"

"I did love you, for awhile." He swallowed thickly once he answered, his response filling her with more pain and hurt than she'd ever admit.

"Why didn't you just break up with me, then? Why drag me along, why stay with me when all you wanted was to sleep around, why do any of this?"

His hand came up to rest on the back of his neck, Walker averting his eyes as he thought over his words. "I don't know, I guess I just didn't want to make things hard, for us or for the house. I thought this was easier."

"So your solution was to propose to me?" She was baffled by his words, unable to grasp his reasoning.

"I knew how much you wanted to get married, I just figured maybe if I did propose, it would help…"

"Help with what?" She questioned frustratedly, her teary eyes locked with his.

Bryan was hesitant to answer, nerves radiating off his body as he shifted his weight between his feet, wanting to look away from her but also unable to.

"I thought it would help me figure out how to love you again."

Gabby's eyes fell closed as his words washed over her, her bottom lip trembling slightly as realization set in. He didn't love her, and he hadn't for a long time. He wasted years of her life, without having the decency to tell her that he didn't want this, that he didn't want her. Instead, he did something that only made it worse.

He gave her hope. He gave her hope that despite their issues, they'd be okay. He put that ring on her finger, giving her a reason to believe they could work through anything. He made her believe he loved her. He gave her hope and then he crushed it. He crushed her, without a care in the world.

Unable to even look at him, she turned away and began walking down the hallway, white noise filling her head as tears welled in her eyes, Gabby's pace picking up as she pushed her way through the double doors, needing to get out of this place and away from him.

She had been wrong earlier, when thinking this Christmas couldn't get any worse.

Because it just had.

* * *

Gabby sat in her car, heat blasting through the air vents as she stared up at the porch. She wasn't sure what made her come here, or how she even ended up here, but she had been driving and suddenly found herself outside his place.

From the lights in the living room, she could tell he was home. She just didn't know if he was home alone. Despite what he'd said yesterday about not having any plans, that could've changed. She had no idea what she'd be walking into, and that doubt was making her want to drive away and pretend she never came here.

But she couldn't. Something was keeping her here, keeping her from driving back to Antonio's place, keeping her from pulling away from the curb. She needed something that only he could give her. She needed a distraction. She needed to forget.

Her Christmas Day had been draining, the talk with her parents more emotional than she expected. They wanted to know everything; what we went wrong between her and Bryan, what caused him to break up with her, if something had happened or if it had been a bunch of little things, they wanted to know what caused their daughter's relationship to come crashing to the ground. And the last thing she wanted to do was explain it.

But she did. She told them everything, well, _mostly_ everything. They knew more so than she told Antonio. It was like once she started, she couldn't stop, her mouth moving faster than her brain, the tears in her eyes turning into heavy cries as she explained to her parents the disaster her life had become, and how her relationship with Bryan ended. The last thing she expected was to end up crying in her father's arms on Christmas, but it had happened. And now all she wanted to do was forget it.

She didn't want to think about her parents, she didn't want to think about Bryan, she didn't want to think about anything.

And he could give her that, at least for a few hours.

Mustering up the courage she needed, she turned off her car, climbing out of the vehicle, being met by the frosty December air as she began walking up the path towards his front door. The closer she got, the more nervous she became, the unknowns of showing up unannounced settling like a rock in her stomach. But she kept moving, knowing the pros of finding him home alone outweighed the safety of her bailing and going home.

Climbing the few steps, Gabby found herself face to face with his front door, a door she vaguely remembers being pinned up against, the thought sending a shiver through her spine. Taking a steady breath, she brought her hand up to knock on the door, quickly shoving her hands back in her pockets, taking a step back.

She could hear the sounds of footsteps approaching the door, Gabby biting the inside of her cheek firmly as she heard him fiddle with the locks, his face soon becoming visible when he opened the door.

Casey was shocked, to say the least, to find her standing outside his apartment. In fact she was the last person he expected to see here. But he knew she must've come here for a reason.

"Uh, hey Gabby." He greeted, clearing his throat.

"Hi." She whispered, doubt creeping into her system as she glanced past him into the dimly lit apartment. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your evening. I probably shouldn't have even come here, I just…" She trailed off, unsure of what to say.

Seeing her uncertainty, Matt pushed aside his confusion, shaking his head as he stepped to the side, giving her room to enter if she chose. "You're not interrupting anything, I was just cleaning up from dinner. Do you wanna come in?"

He didn't know why she had come here, why she had sought him out, on Christmas of all days, but it felt wrong turning her away. And he was curious to find out why she had come to him, out of everyone she could've chosen to turn to, she picked him. She picked the man she seemingly hated with every fiber of her being, and he wanted to know why.

"You sure?" She asked hesitantly, Casey nodding as he stepped further to side, giving her plenty of room to come in.

"Yeah, I wasn't doing anything." He responded, seeing her eyes flicker from him towards the inside of his apartment, a few seconds passing before she finally agreed, stepping in through the doorway.

Closing the door behind her, Matt cleared his throat, watching as she looked around his apartment, taking in the surroundings she hadn't paid much attention to the first time. "Do you want anything?" He asked, gaining her attention. "A drink, or uh, I have some leftovers if you're hungry." He offered, but Gabby merely shook her head.

He watched as she clenched her hands together tightly, Matt finally able to get a better look at her, and he could tell she was upset. It wasn't much of a shift from how she'd been since he met her, but this was something different. Her eyes were red and slightly puffy, telling him she'd been crying recently, and by the looks of it, she'd been crying a lot. She still held that same tired look in her eyes, one that had been present since that night at the bar, but he could only imagine it didn't used to be there.

Matt waited for her to say something, give him any clue as to why she was here, but she stayed silent, her eyes moving to the ground. He knew he'd have to force it out of her, or they'd be standing here all night.

"What are you doing here, Gabby?" He asked softly, his words causing her head to lift up from the ground, her face wearing a look he couldn't read. He waited for her to say anything, her mouth opening the closing every few seconds, clearly trying to voice her thoughts but she was failing.

Without warning, Gabby closed the distance in between them, slamming her lips into his, balling his shirt in her fists as she pulled him towards her, Matt stunned by the action and by the force at which she held him to her, his brain needing a moment to understand what was happening before his body responded. He reciprocated her actions, feeling her deepen the kiss as she pressed herself into him.

Matt pulled back first, air becoming an issue as he panted, sucking in the air Gabby had taken from him, Matt finding her watching him a slight smirk resting on her lips, her chest heaving.

"We… we can't do this." He breathed out, feeling like his brain was only half-functioning since she'd kissed him.

"I know." She responded, his eyes flickering towards her swollen lips, Gabby sliding off her coat, letting it fall to the floor before pulling him back in for another kiss. She slid her hands under his t-shirt, her fingers roaming his torso as they fought against one another. With her hands under his shirt, she managed to lift it up over his body, throwing it down to the floor before grabbing ahold of his neck, pulling him back towards her.

Matt groaned into her mouth as her hands found the waistband of his pajama pants, the thin material doing nothing to hide the effect she had on him, her fingertips teasing the skin above the clothing.

"Gabby…" He breathed out, pulling back from her, their faces mere inches apart. "This is a really bad idea." Matt spoke between heavy breaths.

Gabby's hands moved from his torso towards her shirt, pulling the material off of herself and throwing it aimlessly as she had done to his, Matt's eyes flashing down towards her chest, the man swallowing thickly as her hands moved behind her back.

"Yeah, it is." She murmured, turning away from him just as she unclipped her bra, the material sliding down her arms as her back was to him, Gabby beginning the walk towards his bedroom, dropping the clothing as she went.

Still in the doorway, Matt watched her go until she disappeared around the corner, his heart thumping in his chest as he stood there. His mouth felt dry, unable to understand what had just happened. But he knew exactly what was about to happen. And while he knew this would only complicate things, and that this was a bad idea, he couldn't find it in himself to care as he followed her path to the bedroom, his steps slowing as he got to the doorway, unsure of exactly what would be waiting for him on the other side.

Matt wasn't disappointed when he turned the corner into his bedroom, his tongue running over his bottom lip seeing her waiting for him in the middle of his bed, left in nothing but her underwear as she rested on her elbows, a devilish grin on her face.

"Still think this is a bad idea?" She questioned softly, Matt slipping his thumbs under the waistband of his pants, sliding them down in one quick motion before stepping out of them and towards the bed.

"It definitely is a bad idea." He huffed, grabbing her by the hips and sliding her down the bed, Matt swallowing her yelp as he covered her mouth with his, their movements needy and desperate as he hovered over her. His palm covered her breast, groping her skin roughly as she moaned into his mouth, Matt feeling her hand come up to hold the back of his neck, keeping him in place against her.

Matt's hand began moving down her chest, teasing the skin over her stomach as he came to stop above her underwear, snapping the waistband of the material against her skin, her panting encouraging him to continue. Slowly, he slid his hand under the lace material, Gabby bucking her hips into his hand as he began working her, his kisses moving down her jaw and neck before latching his lips onto her breast, leaving a trail of marks in his wake.

He made sure to pay special attention to her body with both his mouth and his hand, Gabby releasing whimpers and moans as he continued his movements, her mind focused on nothing but him as he continued his way down her body.

Within seconds, he had her completely bare, his mouth joining where his fingers had just been, Matt settled in between her legs as he appreciated the most sensitive part of her body. She bit down roughly on her bottom lip as he spent time dedicating himself to her needs, Gabby lost in pleasure as her hands gripped his hair tightly, unable to stop the pants and moans that escaped through her lips.

Her release hit her like a train, her hips rising to meet his movements as he continued on through her finish, his attention to detail causing her head to spin.

Gabby sucked in deep breaths as Matt kissed his way up her body, before finally landing back on her lips, kissing her hungrily as her body trembled beneath him. He blindly reached into his bedside table, pulling out the only thing they needed as he felt Gabby's hand slide underneath his boxers, grabbing ahold of him with a firm grip. The force of his movements calmed momentarily as he relished in the feeling of her stroking him, Matt removing the last item of clothing between them and pulling her hand away from him, holding it against the pillow beside her head.

Gabby raised a curious eyebrow at him as he ripped open the foil package with his teeth, dropping the grip on her arm to slide the condom on.

"You're distracting me." He grunted as he covered her body with his, not giving Gabby a chance to respond as he slid into her.

She released a sharp whimper at his movement, Matt starting off slow to give her a second to adjust. But within moments she was urging him on, wrapping her legs around his waist as he picked up the pace, Matt transitioning from slow, steady movements to slamming into her hard and fast, his reckless movements causing her to dig her nails into his back, no doubt leaving marks of her own on his skin as they moved together.

There was nothing romantic or intimate about their actions. It was rough, it was needy. It was exactly what she came here for.

* * *

Gabby glanced over to the clock beside his bed as she lay there under the sheets, the thin material covering her while she waited for Casey to come back. It was nearing midnight, and while she had no intentions of being here this long, part of her is glad she was. She got what she needed, she had been able to forget about everything for a few hours. But now that their rounds of fun were over, she had nothing else to distract her, and the thought scared her.

"Here you go." Casey spoke as he walked through the bedroom door, clad in only his boxers, Gabby seeing him holding a glass of water as well as what appeared to be her bra that she'd dropped in the hallway.

Grabbing both items, she gave him a sheepish grin, taking a sip of the water before placing it down on the nightstand. "Thank you." She replied quietly, dropping her grip on the sheets as they bunched at her waist, Gabby feeling his eyes on her as she put her bra back on.

Glancing back up, she found him still watching her, Gabby's eyes bouncing around the room as she looked for her things. "Can you, uh, hand me my clothes?" She questioned, suddenly feeling vulnerable under his stare, and she wasn't sure why.

Silently, Matt moved around the room, finding her pants and underwear rather quickly, but her shirt was a different story. "You heading home?" He asked as he dropped the clothing down in front of her, moving towards his dresser after his search for her shirt proved useless.

"Yeah, I gotta get going." She replied, standing up to put her clothes back on, glancing at Matt curiously as he placed one of his t-shirts down on the bed.

"I couldn't find your shirt." He answered her silent question, Gabby nodding as she slid the material over her body, the large clothing hanging off her body.

Clearing her throat, she looked up at him, finding him standing at the edge of his bed. "This… this can't happen again." She spoke, seeing a look of something she couldn't read flash in Matt's eyes before he ultimately nodded.

"I know."

"I shouldn't have even come here." She rambled, shaking her head as she walked past him, heading for the door.

"Then why did you?" He called, stopping her movements, his question causing her to turn back around.

"I needed the distraction, I don't know… why does it matter?"

"So you were using me." He stated, Gabby's eyes narrowing challengingly.

"Yeah, and…?" She questioned, crossing her arms over her chest. "It's not any different than all the women you use on a weekly basis. All the times you pick up women in bars, use them for the night. Honestly I was shocked there wasn't a line of women out the door when I got here." She spoke bitterly, Matt's glare matching hers as he took a step towards her.

"You know, if you're only gonna come here for a quick fuck, you could at least be a little nicer about it." The words left his mouth harshly, the man clearly frustrated with her behavior.

"Why? God, why does it even matter to you? Why do you care that I came here just to sleep with you, I didn't figure you for the type to get attached."

"I'm not attached to you, trust me, but I just don't get why you chose me to distract yourself. There's plenty of bars, plenty of men in this city that you don't work with, that don't work with your ex."

"I don't know, Casey, alright? Jesus, if I had known this was gonna turn into you getting your feelings hurt, I would've never come here. You didn't seem to have a problem with me being here ten minutes ago when we were in bed together. And I'm not even sure why you're suddenly all defensive about what I said, it's not like it's a lie." She bit out, Matt's glare focused in on her. "The night we met you said I didn't even know you, but I do know you. And you're the same exact guy I thought you were. You sleep around, without a care in the world for the women you hook up with. But then suddenly when someone does that to you, you can't handle it. Grow up, Casey. It's not like this is ever gonna happen again anyway, so just get the fuck over it." She spoke harshly, her words slicing straight through him.

He knew she was upset. That whatever brought her here had hurt her, and she was taking her problems out on him. But that was all she had done since they met, and he was tired of it. Too tired to stop himself from responding with words he probably shouldn't have said.

"You know, I know you're miserable and your life is a goddamn mess, but did you ever stop to think that maybe the reason everything in your life is such a shit show is because of how you treat people?" He spoke angrily, Matt missing the way her hard exterior cracked slightly, his words hitting her deeper than she'd ever tell him. "Just because your life is falling apart, that doesn't mean everyone else has to be just as unhappy as you are."

Gabby refused to drop his gaze as his harsh words pierced through her, her eyes narrowing at him as they stood feet apart.

"Go to hell, Casey." Her voice was rigid, Gabby turning to leave his room immediately after she spoke, tears welling in her eyes as she hurried out of the apartment.

Matt stood in his bedroom, his body flooded with guilt as the weight of his words hit him, wincing as he heard his front door slam shut against the frame. Rubbing his hand over his mouth, he shook his head angrily, knowing tonight had made everything between them so much worse.

* * *

**So… things aren't going too great right now. Gabby's really struggling with everything, and even though she tried to use Matt as a distraction that backfired. But you all also got a little more insight into Matt's past this chapter, but there's definitely a lot more to learn there. I'm super excited to continue to dive into their past, I love you guys getting to learn more and more about them as we go.**

**Thank you all so much for reading. If you can, please leave me a review so I know what you thought. I appreciate the support so much.**


	6. Chapter Six

**Here's the next chapter for you guys. I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

**S I X**

* * *

Casey walked through the chilly garage towards the white rig, his hands shoved in his pockets as he approached the open back doors. Shift had started about an hour ago, Matt having spent the majority of his time in the common room working up the nerve to come and speak to Gabby.

He'd already been here when she came in this morning, Dawson barely making it before shift change, her lateness not giving him the chance to approach her before work. And then, doing as she'd done since he'd gotten here, she never reappeared. After their meeting, she disappeared, Casey not seeing her until Shay dragged her out into the garage about ten minutes ago, the two having not come back since.

Matt slowed his steps as he got to the ambulance, Shay and Dawson coming into his line of sight as he saw them sitting in the back of the rig, Gabby on the stretcher while Shay was moving around the back.

"Hey there." Casey made his presence known, Shay looking towards the voice, a small smile resting on her face.

"Hey Casey." She greeted, Matt's eyes flashing to Gabby, the woman having ignored his presence entirely, keeping her focus on the clipboard in her lap. "How'd your job go?"

"Hmm?" He hummed curiously, his eyes flickering back towards the blonde who had squatted down beside Gabby, facing her body towards him.

"Kelly said you had a big job yesterday." She elaborated, earning an understanding nod from Casey.

"Oh, yeah. It went well. What about you, how was dinner at the Herrmanns?"

"Eventful. Very eventful." She replied with a chuckle, shaking her head lightly. "So, what can we help you with Casey?"

Clearing his throat, he brought his hand up to rub over the back of his neck, his gaze landing on Gabby. "I, uh, came to speak to Dawson, if you have a second." He responded.

Shay's eyes narrowed in confusion, turning to look at Gabby, who had yet to look up from the papers in her lap, the blonde glancing back towards Matt.

"Sure, yeah. I'll just go get some breakfast." Shay responded, her eyes flickering between the two as she hopped down from the rig. The paramedic was obviously curious as to what Casey wanted, but decided against asking questions at the moment as she walked towards the double doors, giving the two space.

Matt glanced back towards Shay's retreating form, waiting until she was out of earshot before turning back to Dawson, seeing the woman busying herself, refusing to look his way.

"Dawson, can we talk?" He asked softly, crossing his arms over his chest as he took a step towards the rig.

"About what, Lieutenant?" She questioned back coldly, her eyes glued to the supplies in her lap, her response earning a heavy sigh from Matt.

"Gabby…" He breathed out quietly, glancing around to ensure they were still alone before he stepped up into the back of the ambulance, sitting down on the bed beside her, keeping space between them. "I want to apologize."

She kept on with her task as if she hadn't heard him, or noticed his presence beside her, Dawson completely ignoring him as she worked.

"Gabby," He spoke again, reaching out and placing his hand over hers, forcing her to stop her movements. "I'm sorry." Matt told her, Gabby breathing deeply before finally glancing up at him, Matt able to see the exhaustion present in her eyes. "What I said to you the other night, that was wrong and I'm sorry."

Gabby's bottom lip fell between her teeth as she nodded, breaking their eye contact.

"No need to apologize on my account, Lieutenant." She responded, placing the clipboard down on the stretcher as she moved to get up, Matt sighing as she stepped down from the ambulance.

"Gabby-"

"No, it's fine. You feel bad for what you said, but there's no need to pretend you didn't mean it. I had it coming, I should've never been there to begin with."

"You didn't have it coming." He responded, confusion laced in his words as he followed her out of the ambulance, reaching for her arm to stop her from walking away, Gabby huffing out a breath as she turned back to face him. "You were obviously upset when you came over," His voice dropped as he spoke, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek as she averted her eyes. "And what happened between us, it shouldn't have happened at all… but I know you were there because you were upset and needed to forget whatever it was."

"Casey…" She spoke warningly, forcing down the emotions welling within her, hating that he was able to read her so transparently.

"I know you said things to me, and about me, but I also have a feeling that I'm not really the person you're mad at." He murmured, Gabby blinking tightly as he continued. "I should've tried to help you, and instead I lashed out and that wasn't fair."

"You don't know me, Matt." She responded, her voice sharp but quiet. "Quit acting like you do. I went there to have sex with you, that's it. There was nothing more to it." Matt blew out a breath, shaking his head as he saw her putting back up those walls around herself.

"I'm just trying-"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I know what you're trying to do, and I'm telling you I don't want it. You're trying to fix me. You think you can swoop in and pick up the pieces and make everything in my life perfect, right? That's what you're trying to do. Be some hero or knight in shining armor, some bullshit like that." He could see her getting more and more angry as she spoke, but the tears shining in her eyes told him more than her words ever could. She was protecting herself, lashing out at him instead of dealing with what she was going through.

Shaking his head, Matt took a step forward, Gabby watching his movements carefully. He knew was she was doing, she was trying to start a fight. But unlike the other night, he wasn't going to take the bait. He wasn't going to hurt her again, because he knew his words had. No matter how infuriating he found her, he knew she was going through a lot, and he didn't want to make it worse.

"I'm not trying to do any of that. Trust me, I've only known you for two weeks, and I'm well aware you can handle yourself." He spoke honestly, seeing her guard drop slightly. "But, I don't know, I guess I just want you to know that if you do need someone to talk to… I'm here."

"I don't need your help, Casey." She responded quietly. "I don't know what game you're trying to play, that if you really are trying to fix me, or if you're just being nice to get into my pants… whatever this is you're doing." She huffed out, waving her hand in the air as Matt's eyebrows furrowed in frustration.

"Is that really what you think?" He questioned, Gabby catching the flicker of hurt that flashed in his eyes. "That I'm only being nice to you to take advantage of you? Do you really have that low of an opinion of me?"

"Well, you seemed to have no problem doing that the other night." She replied sharply, Matt shaking his head, running his hand over his mouth as he released a heavy breath. "Like you said, you knew I was upset when I got there, yet you had no problem sleeping with me."

Taking a step away from her, Matt put his hands up, signaling defeat as he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "You know what, forget I said anything. You're clearly fine." He spoke roughly, Gabby clenching her jaw as he began walking away. "Just next time you need someone to distract you, don't show up at my door." He muttered as he stepped past her, heading back towards the firehouse.

Shay pushed open the doors as she came from the common room, flashing a smile towards Casey as she saw the man walking towards her, but that smile soon fell when she saw the furious look on his face, his features hard in anger. "Everything okay, Casey?" She questioned, but it was like he didn't even hear her as he walked past her, Shay turning to watch him go, confusion filling her body. "Casey?" She was met with silence again as the truck Lieutenant whipped open the door, stepping inside without a word.

Turning back towards the garage, Shay saw Gabby standing a few feet away from the ambulance, her hand rubbing over the side of her face, her head to the ground. Glancing back towards the door Casey just exited through, Shay's confusion only grew, the blonde paramedic walking towards Gabby.

"Hey," Shay called, her soft voice grabbing Gabby's attention as the PIC looked up at her. "What did Casey want?" She questioned cautiously. Clearly, Casey was angry about something. But Gabby, she only looked sad. And Shay couldn't help but wonder what happened.

"Oh, it was nothing. He just, um, had a first aid question." She covered lamely, Shay raising her eyebrows.

"Well, he must've not liked whatever he heard because he looked pissed." She responded, hoping to get her friend to explain more, but she wouldn't budge.

Shay didn't buy the excuse for one second, clearly some conversation deeper than basic first aid had taken place. If that was the only thing it was about, Casey wouldn't have needed to speak to Dawson alone, and he definitely wouldn't have left their talk so angry. But what Shay didn't know was what they could've possibly been talking about.

In the two weeks Casey had been here, him and Dawson barely interacted with one another. In fact, Shay would almost say the two avoided each other. She didn't know why, but she never really bought either of their stories that they didn't know each other. They acted too strangely around one another for there not to be a history there; Shay just didn't know what it was.

As far as she could tell, no one else had picked up on their weird interactions between 51's PIC and new truck Lieutenant. But with Gabby's odd behavior, that wasn't too surprising. Shay just wished her friend would tell her something, anything that could help Shay help her. Whether it was about Walker, or Casey, or anything, Shay just wanted to be able to help her struggling friend. But Gabby didn't seem to want it.

"You sure you two don't know each other?" Shay questioned, catching the look of panic that quickly flashed in Gabby's eyes before the brunette shook her head.

"I met him when you did." She responded, looking away from her partner, walking back towards the ambulance.

"Mhmm." Shay responded with narrowed brows.

Before the blonde could press any further, the bells rang throughout the house, signaling squad and ambo to a car accident a few blocks away. Gabby had never felt more thankful for a call as she quickly cleaned up the back of the ambulance, getting out and shutting the doors while Shay got into the driver's seat, squad hurrying out to their rig as members of 51 headed towards their call.

* * *

"Can I get you a beer, Casey?" Severide asked as soon as the man stepped foot into the apartment, Matt nodding as he hung his coat up on the rack.

"Sure, thanks." He responded, looking towards the living room, flashing Shay a wide grin. "Hello."

"Hey Casey, glad you could make it."

"Well, I'm not one to turn down hockey and pizza. Thanks for inviting me."

"Of course, come on, sit down." Shay encouraged from her seat on the couch, Matt coming over to sit down next to her just as Severide walked back in, beers in hand.

"Food should be here soon." He spoke, handing a beer to both Matt and Shay before settling in the chair, grabbing the remote to find the channel with the game.

"So, anything fun happen since we saw you this morning?" Shay asked curiously before taking a long sip of her drink, Matt shrugging.

"No, not really. I've just been working. What about you guys?"

"Shay was hanging out with Dawson this afternoon, I came home and took a nap. Nothing too exciting here."

Matt nodded slowly, thinking for a moment before taking a drink of his beer, missing Shay's watchful eyes on him. "Well, let's hope the game is a little more exciting than our day's have been." He replied with a grin.

The three friends fell into easy conversation as they watched the game and waited for their food, Severide interested in learning more about Matt's construction business, while Shay interjected every few minutes trying to get them to talk about something more interesting. But her efforts proved useless each time, Matt just shaking his head and continuing to talk to Kelly.

Shay's phone ringing pulled them all from their conversation, Matt glancing towards her as she picked it up, her eyebrows furrowing before quickly answering it.

"Hey girl."

Matt couldn't hear the exact words being said on the other end of the line, but the person was talking really fast, and they sounded upset.

"Whoa whoa, Gabby, slow down. What happened?"

Matt did his best to be at least a little subtle about listening in on Shay's conversation, but Severide didn't care so much about that, he had completely stopped talking to Matt and was focused on the blonde paramedic, who looked confused and a little concerned. Casey still couldn't make out the exact words Dawson was saying, but her pace had slowed down a bit.

"Honey, why don't you come over and we can talk about it? The boys are watching hockey, we've ordered pizza. We have booze… Yeah, Casey's here with Kelly." Shay responded, looking towards the two men who were staring at her. "Okay I'll see you in a little bit."

Shay said a few more goodbyes before hanging up the phone, blowing out a heavy sigh as she shook her head.

"What's wrong?" Kelly asked first.

"Something's going on with Gabby, I'm not sure what, she wasn't making a whole lot of sense. It had something to do with Bryan, cause doesn't it always." Shay spoke bitterly, tossing her phone down onto the coffee table, rubbing her hand over the side of her face in frustration. "But I told her she could come over, I hope that's okay."

"Of course, yeah. I hope she's alright." Severide spoke, the sound of the buzzer gaining their attention, Kelly getting up to get the door.

"Is that okay with you?" Shay asked, turning towards the truck Lieutenant. Matt's eyebrows furrowed, the man nodding slowly.

"Yeah, sure. Why wouldn't it be?"

"I don't know, there just seemed to be something going on with you two last shift and I know we invited you over, I didn't want to make you uncomfortable."

"No, it's okay. Dawson and I are fine, and if she's upset she probably shouldn't be alone, you know." He rambled out, Shay looking towards him with raised eyebrows. "What?"

"What is it with you and Gabby?"

"I'm sorry?"

"There's something weird there, but neither of you will say what it is. Did you all like used to date or something?" Casey choked on his beer, Shay leaning away from him slightly as he coughed.

"What'd you do to him?" Severide asked as he walked back in with two pizza boxes, placing them down on the coffee table.

"I'm trying to get him to tell me why he and Gabby act all weird around each other, but he won't."

"Did you two know each other before?" Kelly asked, sitting back down in his chair while Matt cleared his throat. "What, you two date or something?"

"That's what I said!" Shay responded loudly, Severide shooting her a grin before both of them looked back towards Matt, who looked horrified.

"No, we didn't date. I'd never met her until I came to 51." While his words were definitely bending the truth, it wasn't a complete lie. "There's nothing to know there, Shay."

"Alright…" She responded, clearly unconvinced. "But just know I don't believe you, and I will find out what it is."

"She will." Kelly supplemented, Matt glancing towards him. "I mean, if there's even anything to find out, she will." He finished with a laugh, Matt smirking as he shook his head.

"There's nothing to find out, Shay."

"Mhmm. Sure." She responded, her eyes narrowing playfully before breaking out into a grin.

They had just barely gotten started on their pizza when they heard the buzzer again, Shay putting her plate down knowing it was Gabby at the door. Letting her up, Shay opened the door, waiting for her friend to get there. It took her a minute, but the second Shay saw Gabby, she could tell she was upset.

"Come on in, honey." She spoke softly, wrapping her arm around Gabby's shoulder once they got through the door.

"Hey Dawson." Severide greeted, Gabby giving him a slight nod before her eyes landed on Matt. Neither of them really knew how to act around one another, but when he gave her a soft smile, she relaxed a bit, reciprocating his action as Shay led her to the couch.

Shay sat her down where she'd previously been sitting, the blonde sandwiched between Gabby and Matt, her back towards Casey as she focused on her friend.

"What happened, Gabby?" Shay asked quietly, hating seeing her friend so upset. Gabby's eyes were tired, and a bit puffy. She looked broken, that was the only way Shay knew how to describe it, and she'd looked that way for weeks.

"I, uh…" Her eyes flickered around the room uncomfortably, Shay quickly realizing the issue. Turning to face the boys, she saw they were trying their hardest to pretend to not be listening, but they clearly were.

"Hey Kelly, why don't you and Matt go get some more beers and paper towels." She suggested, but they all knew it wasn't up for debate.

Nodding knowingly, Kelly grabbed his slice of pizza off his plate before heading for the kitchen, Matt following suit, leaving the two alone.

"Okay, they're gone. What happened?"

"I got a text from Bryan earlier, saying that he'd found some more of my stuff and he wanted me to come and get it. I told him he could just give it to me on shift, that I thought it was better for the both of us if we don't see each other outside of work. But he was adamant, saying he didn't want to keep staring at it for the next two days, so I went." She explained, Shay rubbing softly over her shoulder, hoping to provide some source of comfort. "When I got there, some woman answered the door. I don't know who she was, I'm guessing it was the same one he took on the trip over Christmas that was supposed to be for us…"

"He did what?" Shay asked angrily, Gabby looking up towards her friend.

"We'd made plans to go away on Christmas, just spend some time together for the night. But then the break-up and everything, I guess he took some other woman with him, a girl he met at a bar a few days before. I heard him talking about it to Kelly and Casey at the firehouse, I'm assuming they went."

"Asshole." Shay muttered under her breath, Gabby breathing deeply before continuing.

"Anyway, I just… I wasn't expecting it. He made me come in to get my stuff, and the woman just- she looked so comfortable there, in less than a week she'd managed to be more comfortable there than I ever was, and I lived there for a year." She spoke sadly, shaking her head. "I know it's stupid, he can do whatever he wants but it… I just wasn't expecting it, and he almost looked proud of himself."

"It's not stupid." Shay responded quickly. "He's a dick, Gabby. But I'm glad you came to me, you know I'm always here for you, whatever it is. I've been so worried, but I didn't want to push you."

"I know I haven't been the easiest person to be around lately…"

"Hey, no none of that." Shay replied. "You have a lot going on, and Bryan isn't making it any easier. But there's no right or wrong way to deal with this, Gabs. And knowing that prick, I have a feeling he wanted you to come tonight just so he could show you he's moved on. He's an asshole, and he never deserved you. I know it hurts and I know you loved him, but I really think you're better off without him." She spoke honestly, Gabby nodding slowly.

"I know you're probably right, but I'm- I'm just sad." She nearly whispered. "I don't know how else to describe it. I never thought he'd end things, I had no idea he wanted to, that he didn't love me anymore. It came out of nowhere… or maybe I just ignored the signs, I don't know. But I never expected this to happen."

"I know." Shay replied gently, moving her hand in soothing circles over Gabby's back. She got the feeling that there was something else Gabby wanted to say, but she was having a hard time finding the nerve to say it. "What is it?" Shay coaxed, Gabby's teary eyes locking on her friend.

"He'd been cheating on me, Shay." Gabby's voice was barely audible, the blonde's face hardening in anger as she digested the information.

"Are you kidding me?"

Gabby shook her head, her tongue quickly poking out to run over her bottom lip. "He had been for a year."

For as angry as Shay had been a second ago when learning of his infidelity, it was nothing compared to the rage she was currently feeling. "With who?"

"With… everyone. Anyone. With whoever he could find." Gabby replied sadly. "I asked him how many times, he couldn't even give me an answer. He slept with so many different women he didn't even have a guess…" Gabby responded, sniffling as she wiped the water sitting under her eyes. "He started cheating long before he even thought about proposing to me."

"I'm gonna kill him." Shay bit out roughly. "I swear to God the next time I see him, I'm going to strangle him." Shay's harsh words were filled with anger, Gabby remaining silent next to her as Shay worked through her own feelings. "Does anyone else know?"

"My parents, and Antonio knows he'd been cheating on me but not the extent of it." Gabby explained, the rage in Shay's eyes softening as she listened to her friend. "When we were getting my stuff out of the apartment, I found some woman's lingerie under our bed, and Antonio saw it."

"He took women back to your home?" She asked in disbelief, Gabby nodding slightly. "I'm going to murder that bastard." She breathed out, disgust fueling her words as she shook her head angrily. "You deserve so much better than him, Gabby. He's terrible, and I know it hurts right now but him breaking up with you might've been the best thing he's ever done for you." Shay spoke honestly, Gabby biting down roughly on her bottom lip.

"Yeah, maybe." She responded quietly, a frown forming on Shay's face as she watched her friend.

"Come here." The blonde spoke, wrapping her arms around Gabby, pulling her into her embrace. Gabby relaxed into her, curling her arms around Shay's waist as they sat on the couch. "You're gonna be alright." She whispered, rubbing her hand up and down Gabby's arm. "And I can enlist Kelly to help me hide the body." She spoke lightly, earning a soft chuckle from Gabby as they pulled back.

"Thanks Shay." She responded, wiping the few remaining tears under her eyes as the boys came back in.

Shay wasn't sure what all they'd heard or not, but based on the confused look covering Severide's face, she figured he hadn't heard much.

"Kelly, can I talk to you for a minute?" Shay asked as she pushed herself up off the couch.

"Yeah, sure." He responded, handing Casey the extra plate they'd gotten for Gabby, the roommates disappearing into the kitchen.

Sitting back down on the couch, Matt cleared his throat, holding out the plate and beer that they'd brought for her. "Here you go."

"Thanks." She responded quietly, grabbing the things from him as they sat in an uncomfortable silence, neither knowing what to say.

Matt hadn't heard much while they were banished to the kitchen, though he knew Walker was the cause of whatever had brought her here. But he knew he couldn't say anything, not unless he wanted to get his head bitten off. Although her guard seemed to be down, he didn't want to push his luck. And he also didn't want to upset her. No matter how he felt about her right now, he didn't want to make things worse. Even though she wasn't one of his favorite people at the moment, she'd clearly been having a rough time. And though his intentions were usually coming from a good place, he knew he had a way of getting under her skin and making her defensive. Anything he said always got flipped around and taken the wrong way, so he figured it best to stay quiet. And with Shay and Kelly close by, he knew there wasn't much of a conversation to be had, so he left it alone, quietly eating his pizza as he focused on the hockey game.

In the confines of the kitchen, Shay glanced back out towards the living room before turning to Kelly, her face hardened in anger.

"So what happened?"

"Your best friend is a dick, that's what happened."

"Yeah, I've been seeing more and more of that lately." He responded sadly. "What did he do now?"

"It's what he's been doing, Kelly." She spoke under her breath, Severide's eyebrows furrowing. "He cheated on her, for an entire year. With multiple people." She bit out, Kelly's eyes falling closed, a heavy sigh leaving his lips.

"Jesus Christ…" He muttered, shaking his head in anger. "How is she?"

"She's not doing well, that's for sure. I just… I knew he was always kind of an asshole, but I didn't realize he was this bad. I thought he loved her, Kelly."

"We all did. Hell, I didn't notice anything until after they broke up. But if he'd been doing that for an entire year…"

"I can't even imagine what else he's put her through. I tried to tell her that it's probably for the best, that she deserves better than him. But she's so hurt right now, and I don't know how to help her." Shay responded softly.

"Just be there for her, Shay. That's all you can do." He told her, wrapping her up in a quick, supportive hug. "And I'm gonna have a talk with Bryan, see if I can figure out what the hell he was thinking."

"I'm sure there wasn't much thinking involved." Shay spoke bitterly, Kelly rubbing her shoulder.

"Let's just go and enjoy time with our friends, hopefully Dawson can manage to have a decent night." He replied, earning a nod from Shay as they headed back out towards the living room, seeing Gabby and Matt sitting in silence, watching the game.

As the night wore on, Shay did what she could to try and help Gabby forget about everything, but the woman was clearly caught up in her own head. Matt had gone quiet, too, only really speaking when addressed. It hadn't been the night any of them expected to have, but Shay was just thankful Gabby sought her out, that instead of shutting down she came to her. It was progress, and Shay knew she had to do everything in her power to make sure it stayed this way.

* * *

"Hey Walker, can we talk for a second?" Severide asked from the confines of his office as he saw Bryan walking past his open door, the man stopping in his path.

"Yeah sure, what's up?" He asked, coming to lean against the door frame, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I, uh, wanted to ask you about something… something Gabby told Shay the other night."

"Oh brother, what's she saying about me now?" He questioned, clearly annoyed at the topic.

"Dawson was really upset, and she told Shay that you'd been cheating on her. For like a year." Kelly responded hesitantly, but Walker didn't give much in the form of a reaction.

"Is there a question in there?" He asked shortly, Kelly's eyes narrowing towards Walker.

"Yeah, my question is what the fuck? Why would you do that to her?" Severide was frustrated and angry at the man's demeanor. He was beginning to understand more and more of why Shay always had a problem with Walker, he just never knew how he didn't see it before.

"Why does it matter?"

"Because you cheated on her for a year." Kelly responded roughly. "You breaking up with her doesn't change what you did. And then you proposed to her on top of it. Why would you do that?"

"I thought you were supposed to be my friend, Sev. Not Dawson's. Why do you care so much? Her and I aren't together, it doesn't matter anymore."

"Yeah, I am your friend which means I can call you out on your bullshit." He responded angrily. "It matters because you strung her along for a year, you made promises to her you had no intention of keeping. Don't you see how fucked up that is?"

"You're the last person who should be giving anyone relationship advice, Severide. And whatever Gabby's been saying about me, it's none of your business. What happened in our relationship doesn't concern you… The last thing I need is a lecture from you, so just leave it the fuck alone Kelly." Bryan spoke angrily, turning around and leaving the bunk room without another word.

Severide blew out a frustrated sigh, pushing himself up from his chair forcefully, the object colliding with the wall behind him.

"You okay?" Kelly glanced up to see Casey standing in his doorway.

"Yeah, yeah I'm good, I just…"

"I heard." Matt supplemented, Severide staring at him. "I heard what you guys were talking about."

Kelly sighed heavily, shaking his head. "I don't know who the hell that guy is," Severide spoke, "That's not the guy I've known for years. The Walker I knew wouldn't have ever done that, especially not to Dawson, but I guess I must've never really known him at all."

Matt gave him an understanding nod, unable to respond before they heard the bells ring throughout the house, signaling the entire house to a single vehicle car accident.

The conversation Casey heard got pushed to the back of his mind as he and Kelly headed for the garage, knowing he needed to focus on the task at hand.

"Why are they sending us so far out of the city?" Shay questioned as the paramedics climbed inside their rig.

"I don't know, but someone must really need help." Gabby breathed out, 61 the first ones out of the garage, 81 following close behind.

It took nearly fifteen minutes for them to get there, truck pulling up behind ambo as they all hopped out of their rigs, assessing the situation.

They were on a two-lane road, there barely a car in sight aside from the one that clearly needed assistance, one that had at least one victim trapped inside. From what Casey could tell, they'd swerved and went off the road, the car now nestled in between two trees, hanging face first down towards the ravine below. It was a dangerous scene, there was no way around it. And Casey knew they would need squad's help with this.

"Severide, what's your ETA?" Casey asked through the radio.

"_A few more minutes, at least. Got pinned in some traffic. What are we looking at?_"

"Single car accident," Matt spoke as he got closer to the car, stepping down off the side of the road into the slick grass. "I see one victim, but there could be more, the car's hanging off the side of the hill. As soon you get here, we're gonna need you guys to help stabilize it. We don't have enough equipment in the truck to hold it up safely."

"_Alright, we'll be there in a second._"

"Alright, truck lets get the chain out, try and keep her up until squad gets here." Casey spoke, not missing Dawson walking towards the car out of the corner of his eye.

"Got it, Lieutenant." Otis replied, his men getting to work.

"Ma'am, can you hear me?" Dawson asked as she stepped off the road, taking small careful steps towards the vehicle, earning nothing in response. "Ma'am, what happened?" Gabby asked again, taking a few steps closer.

"Dawson, get back." Matt spoke, stepping towards her.

"I've gotta help her, Casey." Gabby replied, inching further down the hill every few seconds.

"Wait, stop-" He reached out for her, pulling her back away from the car, meeting Gabby's fiery gaze. "It's not safe, we need to wait for squad to get here to make sure the car is secure."

"You're not my boss, Casey. I'm gonna help her, I'm not getting in the car. I can at least put a collar on her." Dawson replied forcefully, ripping herself out of his grip. Casey saw the car shifting slightly against the ground, resisting against the branches holding it up. He knew it wouldn't hold much longer, that there might be nothing they could do, but what he did know what that he couldn't allow Dawson to get near that car.

"Dawson, just wait a second." Matt tried, reaching for her again.

"Gabby, you're gonna get yourself killed!" Walker called from the road as Gabby tried to get back to the car, Matt shooting him a firm glare, holding his hand up signaling the man to be quiet.

"Dawson, listen to me." Matt tried again, grabbing ahold of her body, stopping her movements and getting her to face him. "If you go down there before that car is secure, you and I both know what could happen. Squad's on the way. You can't help her if the car falls, alright? You have to wait." He kept his voice steady and calm, hoping to get her to see reason. He didn't know why she was so set on endangering her own life, but he knew he wasn't getting through to her.

"It's right there, I'll be fine." She pushed herself away from him, walking back towards the car. Without another thought, Matt grabbed her, pulling her back, despite her fighting against him.

"Casey, let me go!" She shouted as he pulled her back to the road.

It was only seconds later that the car won out against the nature, the chain truck secured to the back snapping, Gabby watching on in horror as the vehicle fell down into the ravine, disappearing from sight as they heard a loud crash. Dawson fought against Casey, trying to get out of his grip to get down there, but he wouldn't let her go. He pulled her further away, as all eyes were on the two of them.

"I could've helped her!" She yelled as she turned around in his grasp, punching against his chest. "I could've helped her, but you just let her die!" Gabby continued fighting against him, Matt holding onto her arms, trying to calm her down.

Amidst the chaos, squad pulled up, unsure of what they walked in on, but they saw Gabby nearly punching Casey, clearly upset while Matt was trying to help.

"What happened?" Severide asked quickly.

"Dawson was trying to help the woman, but Casey wouldn't let her cause it was unstable. We got a chain on it but it was too much weight and it snapped, the car slid down the hill."

"Alright, squad let's get geared up. Tony, you're coming down with me."

Casey had managed to pull Dawson further away from the scene, but his attempts to calm her down were useless.

"Dawson, I know you wanted to help but we both know you could've gotten yourself killed had you gone down there. This is the job, we help who we can, but not at the expense of our own lives, if we can help it."

Gabby pushed against his chest forcefully, Matt releasing his grip on her, Gabby taking a few steps back. He saw the anger burning in her eyes, hiding the few tears that had appeared during the struggle.

"I could've tried." She bit out, her chest heaving.

"Gabby, you and I both know you would've gotten hurt, if not worse. I'm sorry, but I couldn't let you go down there."

Gabby bit down on her bottom lip, shaking her head forcefully, her dark eyes locked on him.

"You got that woman killed."

Without another word, she walked past him, heading for the ambulance. Blowing out a heavy breath, he turned around to see her shrug off Shay's attempt to comfort her, walking around to the back of the ambulance where she slammed the door shut in anger.

He knew he did the right thing, and that there was a lot more to her anger than just that victim. But it didn't make her words sting any less.

* * *

Casey sat at his desk, flipping his pencil between his fingers as he stared at the blank paper in front of him. He was trying to write up the report for the last call, but he was struggling to do so. Since they pulled the woman's body from the scene, he couldn't stop thinking about it. If he had made the right call by pulling Dawson back, if there was anything he could've done differently to stop this from happening. He always tried to never second guess himself, that was dangerous territory in this line of work. But it was hard not to. From what he could tell, the woman might've still been alive when they got there, and then after his decision, she wasn't.

It was a hard thing to digest, and it made writing up this report nearly impossible.

The sound of his slightly ajar door being pulled open brought him out of his thoughts, Matt turning to see a very nervous looking Dawson standing in the doorway. Part of him wanted to just turn back around, because he imagined whatever she was here for, he didn't want to hear it. But something kept him for ignoring her presence as he turned around completely, dropping his pencil on the desk as she stepped inside.

"I, uh… I wanted to apologize." She spoke softly, fiddling with her fingers. "Today at the call, what I said to you, that wasn't fair and I'm sorry. You were right, it wasn't safe and I had no business going down there. I'm sorry."

Matt watched her closely for a few seconds, not expecting her to have come to him at all, let alone come to him to apologize. He knew there was more going on with her than he could probably ever understand, especially after seeing her demeanor when she showed up to Shay and Severide's the other night, and then hearing Walker's conversation with Kelly earlier today. But up until an hour ago she'd never let her problems cloud her judgement on a call. She'd managed to keep a level head until now.

But he knew she didn't need a lecture from him. He wasn't her boss, and he had a pretty good feeling she knew what she did today was reckless. Whether Shay had gotten through to her, or she came to the realization on her own, something had changed to make her understand what she'd done at that call wasn't smart. She didn't need him to tell her that.

"It's okay." He responded, "It was a tough scene, I know you wanted to help her but I also knew if I let you, you'd probably be in the hospital right now."

Gabby nodded, pursing her lips together tightly as she thought over his words. "I just, uh- wanted you to know that I'm sorry. What happened to her wasn't your fault and I never should've blamed you. I wasn't thinking."

"It's okay Dawson, really."

She nodded, looking towards the open door before glancing back towards him. "And uh, for what it's worth, I guess that woman snapped her neck in the crash… she was already gone before we got there. We wouldn't have been able to do anything to save her." Gabby told him, Matt's eyes falling closed for a split second, nodding slowly. "Nothing you did changed the outcome for her, this wasn't your fault. In fact all you did do was stop me from doing something stupid… I, uh, hope you can forgive me for what I said. For _everything_ I've said. I've been taking things out on you when they're not your fault, and I'm sorry."

Matt's gaze softened as her eyes stayed plastered to the floor. He wasn't sure what brought on this realization, but even her admitting it seemed like a step in the right direction. He knew he wasn't blameless in all this, but she definitely hadn't pulled any punches.

"It's alright, Gabby." She looked up when he said her first name, Matt offering her a small, sympathetic smile. "You've had a lot going on, and I know my presence here hasn't exactly helped things for you. But, I uh…"

"What?"

"...I'm worried about you." He admitted, watching as she wrapped her arms across her chest protectively.

"I'm fine." She deflected. "I just wish we could've done something to help her."

"That's not what I'm talking about." He replied softly, leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "I know I don't know you, but I think I've seen more than most people around here how you've been dealing with things. I do know all this has been hard on you."

"I'm fine, Casey."

"I know Walker cheated on you, that he had been for awhile."

Her eyes widened slightly, Gabby taking a step away from him. "Did Shay tell you that?"

"No, she didn't. But she must've told Kelly, because Severide approached him earlier and I heard them fighting about it." Matt responded softly.

"Does anyone else know?" She questioned in a whisper, Matt shaking his head.

"Not that I know of. I was the only one here… but don't you think they should?" He asked her, Gabby's eyes narrowing in confusion.

"It's none of their business."

"I know that, but I've seen the way everyone here treats him. I know they love him and I also know that aside from Shay, they've mostly just been focused on him and how he's doing since I got here." He spoke, Gabby averting her eyes away from him. "You don't need to protect him, Gabby."

"I'm not protecting him, but you really think I want everyone knowing that I was an idiot for the past year?" She asked quietly, a frown forming on his face. "That, up until maybe a couple months ago, I didn't even have the slightest clue he was cheating on me? That I was so naive and stupid to believe him when he said he wanted to marry me? You really think I want everyone knowing that?"

"Gabby, you have nothing to be ashamed of. This is on him. You trusting him wasn't stupid." Gabby shook her head, blinking back the tears sitting in her eyes as Matt stood up from his seat. "Look, no one can tell you how to deal with this, but I know how awful it feels to be cheated on by someone you trusted…" Her eyebrows furrowed at his words, seeing him glance down towards the ground in between them. "You feel like maybe somehow it was your fault, that you could've done something to change it. But I'm telling you, it's not your fault… I'm really sorry he did that do you."

Gabby's mouth fell open then shut, unsure of how to respond. She didn't know what to say to him, and she couldn't figure out why he was being so nice to her after how she's treated him. She didn't understand why he still cared about sparing her feelings, why he even went so far as to try and make her feel better. She didn't understand it, and part of her wasn't sure if she could trust it.

But what she did know was that Casey was speaking from experience. Someone had done to him what Bryan did to her. And she didn't know what to make of that.

"Hey Lieutenant, can we talk for a second- oh." Walker's sentence stopped short as he saw Gabby standing in there with Casey, the two standing closer than Bryan would've liked. His eyebrows furrowed as Gabby looked away from him, Matt's spine straightening as he turned towards his firefighter. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"It's fine." Casey responded, glancing back towards Gabby who met his eyes once more.

"So, yeah… I just wanted to apologize for earlier." Gabby stuttered out, Matt nodding.

"It's okay, Dawson. Really. But I appreciate you coming to talk to me."

Without another word, Gabby nodded before leaving the office, sliding past Walker and heading for the locker room, Bryan watching her go with a curious stare.

"What did Dawson want?" He asked, turning back to face his Lieutenant, finding a blank look covering his face.

"I don't believe that concerns you." Casey replied firmly, sitting back down at his desk, turning his attention to his paperwork.

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant, I just… after how Dawson acted on that call today, well I know better than anyone how she can be. But you handled her pretty well out there."

"Did you need something, Walker?" Casey asked, ignoring his comments. He didn't like the way Bryan spoke of Dawson, like he barely acknowledged her as a person.

"Right, sorry. I just, uh, wanted to talk to you about something… I know you haven't been here very long, and I know you've gotten close with Shay, and Severide, and I'm sure you've heard a lot of things about me." Matt's eyebrows furrowed as he turned back around to face the firefighter. "I know my personal life was pretty much all over the firehouse the minute you got here, but I just wanted to know, or I hope I guess, that your personal feelings towards me aren't affecting how you see me as a firefighter."

"Walker, do you have a problem with me?"

Bryan's eyes widened, the man shaking his head firmly back and forth. "No, of course not, sir-"

"Have I done something out on call, treated you any differently than anyone else?"

"No-"

"So let me make sure I have this right. From what I can tell, you came here because you're worried about who I'm friends with. You're more worried about what people in this house might be saying about you, than you are with doing your job. The fact that you automatically assume the only thing anyone could be talking about is you tells me more about you than my two weeks here has."

"Lieutenant-"

"You need to check that ego, Walker." He responded firmly, pushing himself up from his chair. "Whether I actually have an opinion of you or not, that doesn't matter. All I care about is your ability to do you job, but if all you're focused on is whether I like you or not, we have a problem." Matt's voice was rigid, the man in front of him never faltering. "If all you're thinking about is yourself, that's how people get killed. I can't have men under my command who care more about their own self-interest than they do about the men they're working with. Now, up until about two minutes ago, I didn't think you and I had any problems. And I would rather us not have any issues going forward. Is that understood?"

Swallowing thickly, Walker nodded. "Yes, sir."

Matt could see the anger burning in the man's eyes, but Walker knew he couldn't do anything about it. Fighting back against his Lieutenant would only get him in trouble.

"I hope so. I can't work with firefighters who aren't focused. This job is dangerous enough already."

"I am focused, sir." He responded, clearly holding back what he wanted to say. "But I just get the feeling that you don't like me very much, and I don't know what all Shay, or even Dawson for that matter, might've told you about me. I just wanted to make sure I was getting a fair shot."

"Walker, this conversation has done more to impact my view of you than anything I could've heard from anyone else." He replied sharply. "You need to start understanding not everything revolves around you-"

"Lieutenant-"

"I wasn't done." Casey spoke roughly, the man falling silent. "Based on what I've seen out on call, I know you're one hell of a firefighter. You're talented, and with the right adjustments you could be an officer one day. But none of that is worth a damn if your men don't trust you. If they don't trust you with their lives. And, I don't know about you, but I find it hard to trust someone who cares more about themselves than they do their coworkers. The people who would be depending on you to get them home safely. I think you're a great firefighter, Walker. But without respect and trust, that means nothing."

Bryan pursed his lips together, nodding slowly as Casey finished talking.

"Understood, Lieutenant."

"Good. Now I've got paperwork to get back to." Casey responded, turning back to his desk without another word, hearing Walker stomp out of his office, the man clearly unhappy with the way the conversation had gone.

But Matt knew he needed to hear it. Despite his personal feelings, Casey knew Walker was too impressed with himself, both professionally and personally. He needed to be knocked down a few pegs, or it was only a matter of time before someone got hurt.

* * *

**So, seems like Matt and Gabby have managed to find some common ground. Things between them aren't perfect, and I definitely wouldn't call them friends, but things are seemingly moving in the right direction. And Casey had a nice little conversation with Walker, we'll definitely see how that dynamic plays out through this story.**

**I can't wait to hear what you guys thought of this chapter, thank you all for the constant love and support!**


	7. Chapter Seven

**Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for you guys. Things are about to get, well, interesting. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**SEVEN**

* * *

Bryan paced the confines of the locker room back and forth, anger rolling off his body in waves as he thought over Casey's words. He was fuming, Walker slamming his hand against the metal lockers as he huffed out a frustrated breath.

He wanted nothing more than to go back into Casey's office and give the Lieutenant a piece of his mind. He wanted to storm his way back in there and tell the man that everything he said wasn't true. That he had no idea what he was talking about, and he had no right to say those things to him.

But he couldn't. And he knew it.

Walker knew if he went back in there, he probably wouldn't be able to stop himself from telling the Lieutenant exactly how wrong he was. And that would do nothing but make it worse. There would be some serious repercussions if he got into it with Casey, and the last thing Walker needed or wanted was to be transferred because of that. He couldn't go back and talk to him.

But that didn't mean Bryan couldn't be angry about it. Not a word that had come out of Casey's mouth was true. He wasn't only concerned with himself, he didn't have an ego that could get someone hurt, it was all bullshit. Everything Casey said was a lie, and the Lieutenant had no right to judge him. The man didn't even know him, he'd only been here a few weeks, there was no way Casey would have such a distrust for him already if it hadn't been for whatever Shay and Severide had been telling him.

Despite what Casey said, Bryan knew it was a lie. Casey didn't like him because of whatever he'd been told by Shay, and it made Walker furious. The last thing he needed was to have issues with his boss, not with everything else he already had to deal with around here. But Casey's opinions of him wouldn't change, not unless Severide and Shay started to keep their mouths shut.

Slamming his hand against the locker once more, Bryan stomped out of the room, heading down the hallway to get to the garage, his anger only growing as he moved.

Turning the corner into the main hallway, Bryan's steps slowed as he saw Shay and Dawson walking towards him, his eyes narrowing as they got closer to him.

Gabby saw him first, his clear anger confusing her as she subconsciously slowed her pace, Shay not realizing she'd practically all but stopped walking until she was a few feet ahead of her.

"Dawson, you okay?"

"Shay!" Walker barked roughly, the blonde paramedic's eyebrows furrowing as she turned towards the voice, seeing him marching towards her.

"What?" She questioned back, her voice not hiding her annoyance.

"Next time you want to bitch and talk shit about me, can you at least not do it in front of my Lieutenant?" He spat forcefully, brushing by them as he continued down the hall, his shoulder bumping into Shay's as he passed.

Gabby's eyes narrowed in anger as she watched him head into the garage, Shay's confusion mixing with her irritation as the paramedics stood in the hallway, unsure of what just happened.

"What the fuc- what are you doing?" Shay asked as her PIC followed the path Walker had just taken, heading for the garage. "Dawson, just leave it." Shay called after her, but her words fell on deaf ears as Gabby pushed open the door forcefully.

"Hey!" She called, finding Bryan pacing back and forth beside squad's rig, Gabby quickly seeing they were the only two out there. "What the hell was that?" She questioned angrily, her eyes narrowing as Walker stopped his movements, Gabby getting a closer look at just how upset he was. She'd seen him like this a lot, unable to control his anger, but in the past it had been directed at her, and he had never let it show at the firehouse. "It's one thing for you to talk to me like that, but don't take whatever this is out on Shay, she hasn't done anything to you." Gabby spoke in frustration.

Usually she tried to avoid him, and she certainly did her best to stay away from him when he was angry, but after the day she'd had, she wasn't in the mood for his childish behavior. She was tired, and she wasn't gonna let him walk all over her. Especially not when this behavior was being directed to her best friend.

"Don't act like you don't know what this about, Dawson." He spoke roughly, her confusion only growing as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"What are you talking about?"

"You, and Shay, and Severide, all three of you are trying to make my life hell around here!" He shouted, Gabby standing firmly in her spot despite the nerves she felt creep up her spine. She wouldn't let him see that he still had control over her, that he could still affect her. That he still scared her. "You all keep talking bad about me to Casey, and he hates me because of it."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, I barely talk to Casey." She responded strongly. Even though that wasn't exactly the truth, Walker was rarely a topic of conversation between them when they did speak.

"Well, it's just them then. But, whatever they're saying, it's because of you. Because you can't keep your mouth shut and just get over it." He spat, his dark gaze fixated on her. "Casey is all buddy-buddy with Shay and Severide, which means he has to hear about whatever bullshit you've told Shay. Whatever you're telling them about me, it's getting back to him and now he doesn't trust me."

"You mean me telling Shay the truth?" Gabby challenged, seeing his face harden. "Is that what you're referring to?"

"Dawson…"

"Anything I've told Shay, which isn't much by the way, has been the truth. So if Casey doesn't like you, that's because of you. Don't blame me because your Lieutenant doesn't trust you. He has no reason to trust you, I know from experience." She fired back, Walker taking a step closer to her, anger flooding his body.

"I thought dumping you would end this bullshit, but I swear your goal in life is to make mine hell."

"I don't care enough to try and ruin your life, Bryan." She responded quickly, her voice low. As they stood there in a battle of wills, she couldn't help but hear Casey's words in her head.

_Why are you protecting him?_

Straightening her spine, she regained focus, her face hard despite the nerves she felt with him towering over her.

"You made your choices, don't blame me because people don't exactly have the highest opinion of you once they find out what you did. That's not on me. So, whatever Casey said to you, if you're gonna be mad about it, maybe instead of faulting me, or Shay, or Kelly, you should own up to the mistakes you've made. I've done you a favor by not going around here and telling everyone what exactly went on in our relationship. You really think any of these people would ever trust you again if they knew who you really were?" Her words were dripping with venom, Gabby remaining strong as he watched her.

"Are you threatening me?" He questioned, almost in disbelief.

"No, I'm not. But what I am saying is leave Shay the hell out of it. She didn't do anything to you. Casey is her friend, it doesn't matter whether you like it or not. I'm sorry your Lieutenant didn't fall for the guy you pretend to be around here, but that's not anyone's fault but your own."

"Watch it, Gabby." He spoke lowly, her eyes meeting his harsh glare.

"Or what? What are you gonna do to me? I'd love to hear what you're gonna do, in a firehouse full of people." She fired back, forcing down the slight panic she felt wash over her. When he stayed quiet, she pursed her lips together, nodding as she began walking past him. "That's what I thought."

She barely made it another step before he grabbed her arm, abruptly stopping her path, his grip tight. Gabby's eyes widened slightly, glancing down to the hold he had on her before she quickly composed herself, looking back up to find him staring at her.

"Do not touch me." She spoke, her voice cold and angry.

He held on for another second before dropping his hand, Gabby pulling away from him before continuing towards the double doors, not looking back as she went inside the firehouse. Her guard dropped as soon as she was out of his sight, Gabby releasing a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding, trying to shake the uneasy feeling settling in her stomach as she went in search of Shay.

* * *

Shay released a heavy sigh as Gabby stormed after Walker, the paramedic wishing her friend would've just left it alone. Considering how Gabby seemed to shut down whenever Bryan was around, she didn't want Dawson putting herself in that position just because of her. Part of her felt like she should go after them, but Shay knew Dawson could handle herself.

It took Shay a few minutes to gather her bearings, unable to figure out what Walker was talking about. Bryan was rarely a topic of conversation between her and anyone if she could help it, let alone when she was with Casey. Though it was clear Walker had been led to believe otherwise. She didn't know what he'd been told, but she did know there was someone who could explain what had Walker so angry, someone who would be a lot easier to talk to than Bryan.

Turning on her heels, Shay began walking towards the bunk room, soon finding Casey sitting in his office. His door was wide open, the man working on paperwork diligently as Shay approached him, tapping softly on the doorframe.

"Hey Casey." She greeted, Matt spinning around in his chair, a soft smile coming to his face as he saw her.

"Hey Shay, what's up?"

"You got a second to talk?"

Matt's eyebrows furrowed at the question, seeing her usual demeanor nowhere to be found as she stood in his doorway. "Yeah, of course." He waved her in, Shay taking the invitation as she moved towards his bunk, sitting down with one leg under herself, her body facing his. "Is something wrong?"

"No. Well, I don't think so, but I have a question. You don't have to answer if you don't want to, or can't or whatever, I know firefighters are weird about their code and chain of command and all that stuff." She rambled, Matt watching her curiously as he waited for her to get to the actual question. "But, uh, did you say something about me to Walker?"

Matt's face fell, the Lieutenant shaking his head as he blew out a heavy breath. From his reaction, Shay knew some conversation that involved her had taken place.

"What were you guys talking about?"

Matt's tongue poked out between his teeth, the man leaning forward in his chair, resting his elbows against his thighs.

"I had a discussion with Walker a little bit ago, he confronted me about me not liking him and that it was affecting how I saw him as a firefighter. I don't even know what he was talking about, or where it came from, but he mentioned how he wasn't sure what he'd heard about him from you and Severide. How he knew we were close, and he assumed you all had been talking about him to me. After that, I kind of laid into him a bit, made it known that anything I've heard from you hasn't affected my views of him as a firefighter, but I don't think he believed it. He wasn't letting it go, so I got a little… direct. But I tried to make it clear nothing I heard from you or anyone else has changed my views on his ability."

Shay nodded while he explained the story, the paramedic releasing a soft sigh as she thought over his words.

"Yeah, I'm not surprised it was something like that…"

"Did he say something to you?" Casey questioned, earning a slow nod from the woman.

"He just made a comment about me not shit talking him to you, he was pissed off though. I had no idea what he meant but I figured you would. Gabby went after him, I guess to figure out what he was talking about, but I decided to come to you. You're much more pleasant to talk to." She responded with a small smile, Matt letting out a chuckle.

"Well, thank you for that. But I'm sorry he approached you, he shouldn't have done that." Casey replied, shaking his head. "Stuff like that, that's exactly what I tried to talk to him about. Clearly nothing I said got through to him."

"It's not your fault, it's Walker's problem, not yours. I don't know what all was said, but he needed to be put in his place anyway." Shay spoke with a shrug, a thoughtful look coming to her face. "I guess in hindsight, conversations like this are what he's talking about."

"Like you said, that's his problem. You're my friend, Shay. He doesn't get a say in that. I meant what I told him, nothing you've said to me has affected how I see him as a firefighter. As far as I can remember, there's nothing I've done to give him a reason to think I'm treating him any differently."

The paramedic nodded, adjusting her positioning on the bed. "Yeah, knowing Walker, you didn't do anything." She mused, Matt watching her closely. "Listen, I uh, I know you said you don't mind me venting to you, but if me talking to you about Walker does make you uncomfortable, you can tell me. I get it, he's your firefighter and I don't want to make things weird for you. I know we don't even really talk about him that much, not unless he's done something to Dawson, but… yeah, I just want to make sure we're good."

"We're fine, Shay. You don't need to worry about what you say around me. Nothing you tell me will affect how I treat anyone in this house during a call. My personal feelings about him aside, that hasn't done anything to change how I treat him out on call. As his Lieutenant, I only judge him based on what I've seen on the job. The problem is he can't seem to believe that. But I am sorry he dragged you into this. I never said a word about you, all that came from him." Casey assured her.

"That's kind of what I figured." She responded with a grin, Matt matching her smile.

"Yeah… I could tell there was more he was wanting to say to me before he left, but he didn't. I would've rather he come back and talk to me, though, instead of creating more problems."

"Whatever you told him, it really pissed him off." She replied, Casey unable to stop the chuckle that left his lips.

"Well, apparently that's all it did, instead of him actually taking it to heart. But I'll keep an eye on him. I kind of had a feeling when he came to me that he was already a little angry about this, and then when he saw Dawson he got almost defensive… It was strange, but it kind of felt like he was looking for a fight."

"Dawson?" Shay questioned, Matt glancing towards her.

"Hmm?"

"You said he saw Gabby?"

"Oh, yeah, Dawson was in here, we were talking when he came in." He responded, Shay eyeing him curiously, clearing wanting more of an explanation but not wanting to ask. "She came to apologize for the call earlier, and we were talking about it." Shay merely nodded, her eyebrows raised slightly as they watched each other. "What?" He questioned when she hadn't said anything.

"Nothing." She replied with a grin before changing the subject. "But anyway, I just came to make sure we were good." Shay pushed herself up off the bed, walking towards him.

"We're good, Shay." Matt confirmed, raising his eyebrows in amusement as she held out her hand for a high-five. After he tapped his hand against hers, she moved for the door, quickly turning around after a few steps.

"You'll be at Molly's tomorrow, right?" She asked, Matt nodding.

"I'll be there."

"Good." She responded with a smile before continuing out the door.

"And Shay?" Casey called, the blonde turning around in the bunk room, looking back to him. "If Walker says anything else to you about our conversation, can you let me know?"

"Sure thing, Lieutenant." She responded, giving him a salute with her index and middle finger, Matt chuckling as he turned back to his desk, Shay beginning the walk through the bunk room.

But she only got a few steps when she saw Dawson enter, her friend clearly agitated. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Walker, he…" She trailed off in frustration, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What? He didn't do anything to you, did he?"

"No, he didn't, he just-." She cut herself off again, shaking her head as she looked towards the ground.

Shay tried to read her friend's demeanor, wanting to make sure she was alright. She appeared a little out of it, but she didn't look scared. Upset, maybe, but she seemed more angry and frustrated than anything.

"What happened out there? What did he do?" Shay questioned.

"It doesn't matter, but I told him that whatever his problem was, he needed to back off. That you didn't cause any of this. I don't know how receptive he'll be to it, but I did my best."

"You didn't have to go out there at all." Shay told her, Gabby shrugging.

"His problems are with me. I don't know what Casey said, but you didn't do anything, he can't go around talking to you like that."

"I spoke to Casey," Shay said, gaining her attention. "Walker was all upset because he thinks Casey doesn't like him because of something I said. It's all Walker's problem, Casey didn't say anything about us to him." The blonde explained, Gabby glancing towards Matt's office, seeing him watching them curiously, but he quickly looked away when his stares were caught.

Gabby simply nodded at the information, moving her focus back to Shay as she clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, a rush of different emotions flooding her system.

"What's wrong?" Shay asked, seeing the unsettled look covering Dawson's face.

"Nothing, it's nothing, I just- I'm so tired of him."

"Casey?" Shay asked for clarification, confusion filling her body.

"No. Bryan. I'm tired of Bryan." She responded, Shay nodding in understanding. "I'm tired of dealing with him. I'm tired of the person I am when I'm around him. I'm tired of feeling weak because of him. He doesn't get to control me, I'm tired of letting him." A sad smile fell onto Shay's face as she placed her hand over Gabby's arm. "I'm not gonna let him walk all over me anymore. He chose all this, I can't change that but I can change how I let his actions affect me. I'm done hiding because of him."

"Good for you, honey." Shay spoke proudly, bringing her in for a hug. "I know what you're dealing with isn't easy, but I'm proud of you." Shay rubbed her back before they separated. "So, what's next for Gabby Dawson?"

"I don't know. But I think going to Molly's would be a good start." She replied, Shay nodding with a smile. "I'm done avoiding places just because of him, especially when it's my own damn bar."

"There's my girl." Shay spoke excitedly, wrapping her arm around Gabby's shoulders as they began walking towards the hallway, Gabby hooking her arm around her friend's waist. "Tomorrow night's gonna be fun."

* * *

Casey shut the door to his truck, shoving his hands in his pockets to protect himself from the chilly winter night as he began walking down the sidewalk towards his destination. It was a little later than he planned on getting here, his construction job holding him up longer than anticipated, but it was still early enough for him to have a good night with his friends.

As he got closer to the entrance of Molly's, his steps slowed when he saw a familiar face approaching the door, her eyes finding his almost instantly.

"Hey Dawson." He greeted with a small smile, a similar one falling onto her face.

"Hey."

She had all but stopped walking as she got to the steps, Matt picking up his pace to get to the door. "I wasn't expecting to see you here tonight." He spoke, hopping up the first step, grabbing ahold of the handle to hold the door open for her, Gabby shooting him an appreciative grin as she walked past him.

"Yeah, I just decided to come out, thought it would be fun to hang out with everyone."

Matt merely nodded as he followed her into the bar. He wasn't sure of the reason, but Dawson seemed to be in quite the good mood this evening. It wasn't something he was used to seeing from her, it almost caught him off guard.

The crowd was alive as they stepped inside the building, bodies packed together as Gabby maneuvered her way towards the bar, Matt following her lead.

"There you are!" Matt heard Shay greet Gabby, the blonde smiling wide. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't show."

"I told you I'd be here."

Shay nodded, her eyes landing on Casey, a curious look covering her face as she glanced back and forth between the two. "Hey there, Casey."

"Hey Shay."

"Did you two come together?" She asked, Matt shaking his head as he glanced down towards Gabby, the woman keeping her eyes on her friend.

"No, just showed up at the same time." Dawson responded with a shrug, Shay nodding in response.

"Well, what can I get you two?"

"Beer's good." Casey replied, Gabby nodding in agreement.

"Hey Shay!" Gabby turned to the voice of the man yelling for Shay's attention, a lump forming in her throat as she saw Bryan further down the bar, his arm latched around the same woman Gabby saw at the apartment a few nights ago. "My girl here needs another drink." He called with a smug grin, Gabby turning away from the scene to find Shay glaring at him. She could feel Matt's eyes on her, but she refused to look his way.

"Hold on." Shay called back, plastering a fake smile on her face before turning back to Dawson. "I didn't know he'd be here tonight, I figured after everything last shift he might lay low for a bit."

"It's fine, he's allowed to come here." Gabby responded quickly, Shay eyeing her carefully.

"Yeah, but he knows what he's doing." She spoke, shooting daggers towards the new couple.

"Don't turn this into anything, just go and give his _girl_ another drink, then we can hang out when you get back."

"Fine. But I can't promise I won't throw it at her." She bit back, tossing the rag over her shoulder before walking down towards Bryan.

Gabby pulled the stool in front of her out, settling down onto it, making herself comfortable as she waited for Shay to come back. It hadn't been lost on her that Casey was still by her side, even though Gabby knew Severide was here somewhere. When she finally looked up to him, she found him watching her, his face unreadable.

"You got something to say, Casey?" She questioned, Matt expecting to hear the harsh tone he'd been met with from her recently. But, to his surprise, her voice was soft and almost welcoming. This was definitely a side to her he hadn't seen before.

"No, I'm just waiting for Shay to get back." He replied, earning a nod from her. She kept her gaze on him, Matt waiting for her to say something as her eyes traced over his face.

"I heard you had a talk with Bryan." She spoke, Matt sucking in air between his teeth as he nodded.

"Yeah, I did. But considering how he handled it, I think I'm gonna have to have another one."

"Shay kind of filled me in on everything… it's not because of me, is it?"

Casey's eyebrows furrowed at the question, Gabby sensing his confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Why you don't like him, it's not because of me, because of us- or what we did." She clarified, keeping her voice low.

"No, it's not. It has nothing to do with that. I have my own opinions about Bryan, and I'll be honest with you, I don't think very highly of him as a person. From what I've seen, and heard, I don't think we'd would ever be best friends… even though I'm pretty sure you think him and I are the same." Gabby's face fell at the comment, but Matt didn't give her time to correct him before he continued speaking. "But how I feel about him personally has no effect on how I treat him on the job, and it's definitely not because of us. I'm not completely sure what he was even referring to, but I guess he feels I've mistreated him somehow."

Gabby nodded, biting down on the inside of her cheek as she thought over her next words. She knew she'd not been the nicest to him, when he'd really done nothing to deserve that from her.

"I am sorry, Casey." She spoke up, Matt catching her gaze. "I know I've been kind of a bitch to you, and you're right, I don't really know you. I guess when I saw you at the bar, saw you hitting on all those women, and failing might I add-" She spoke with a small smile, earning a chuckle from him. "I guess I just associated that with Bryan, and that wasn't fair to you."

"Yeah, that wasn't my best night… wasn't all bad, though." He replied with a sheepish grin, Gabby feeling heat rise to her cheeks as he kept his eyes on her. "But I know you've been going through a lot, and most of what you said wasn't really about me. I got the feeling that you were taking things out of me, because you couldn't do it to the person who deserved it." He spoke softly, his eyes flashing down the bar towards Bryan. "I tried not to take it too personally."

"Well, I appreciate that. Even though not everything I said was untrue." She responded, Matt's eyebrows furrowing. "You really suck at picking up women." She teased, Casey's smile widening as he shook his head.

"Just when I thought we were kind of becoming friends…" He joked back, Gabby rolling her eyes. "But you caught me on a bad night."

"Mhmm, I'm sure." She replied with raised eyebrows. "And I'm not sure if friends is the right word, but maybe we'll get there." She spoke, their eyes locking.

Gabby tried to ignore the weird feeling in her stomach as Matt stared at her, how her heart rate sped up when his eyes flickered to her lips before meeting her gaze once more, a soft smile resting over his face.

"Yeah, maybe we will." He responded softly, Gabby's bottom lip falling in between her teeth, neither one of them looking away from the other. Not until Shay's voice snapped them both from their trance.

"God, I almost knocked the drink over in her lap. I was this close." Shay spoke exasperatedly, Gabby turning to look at her friend, clearing her throat. "Jessica, Jennifer, whatever her name is, she's like… the worst. No wonder she fell for someone like Bryan."

Casey choked on his breath at Shay's comment, Gabby's eyes narrowing while Shay's widened, not realizing what she'd said until after the words left her mouth.

"That's not what I meant and you know it. You're perfect, he never deserved you." Shay recovered, Gabby shaking her head, Matt chuckling softly at the exchange between the two.

Casey wasn't sure what to make of this 'new' Gabby he was seeing, but whatever had caused the shift in her demeanor, he was glad she seemed to be in better spirits. From spending so much time with Shay, and Severide, he'd heard a lot about Gabby, a lot of older stories about her, and the woman Shay talked about sounded like someone he'd like to know. He just didn't think that person existed anymore. But maybe she was finally starting to come back.

"Yeah, mhmm." Gabby replied sharply. "Just for that, my first round is on the house tonight."

"I mean, you're an owner so it technically comes out of your shares anyway." Shay replied with a grin, working on fixing their drinks. She soon placed beers in front of both Matt and Gabby, as well as a shot of tequila in front of Gabby. "That one's on me." Shay spoke with a wink, Gabby shaking her head before downing the shot, grimacing as the liquid burned her throat.

"I'm, uh, gonna go find Severide. Thanks for the drink, Shay." Casey responded, pushing himself away from the bar, his eyes finding Gabby's. "Good to see you here, Dawson." He spoke softly, Gabby nodding before he slid past her, heading for the back of the bar.

"So, you and the Lieutenant seem awful cozy." Shay teased, Gabby's eyes narrowing at her friend. "What? I saw you two staring at each other before I came over here. Looked like two people ready to jump each other's bones."

"Shay…" Gabby responded with a sigh, taking a drink of her beer.

"What? Casey's a great guy. And you deserve a great guy."

"You've only known him for a couple of weeks. And I'm not trying to date in-house anymore, we saw how that went last time." Gabby breathed out, Shay nodding understandingly.

"Alright, fine. Though I did hear you went and had a little chat with Casey yesterday…"

"What?... Oh, that. Well, yeah, I was awful to him, an apology was the least I could do." Gabby responded, her head turning to find Casey across the bar, staring at him for a split second before she returned her attention to Shay, seeing the blonde watching her a smug grin. "What?"

"Nothing. But if you're not gonna date him, then I advise you to stop looking at him like you want to throw him down on top of this bar and mount him." Gabby's eyes widened at her comment before she pushed herself up off the stool, leaning across the bar to smack Shay lightly on the side of the head. "Ow!"

"You've got to learn how to not say every thought you have out loud." Gabby replied, her ears burning as she quickly glanced back towards Matt, needing the reassurance he hadn't somehow crossed the bar in the last ten seconds and heard Shay's comment.

"Well, you're the one who was looking at him like you wanted to rip his clothes off and have him take you against the bar."

"Oh my God."

"Man, we thought Bryan was mad before. Imagine if his Lieutenant was fucking his ex-"

"Shay!"

"Alright, alright I'm done." She replied with an amused grin, holding her hands up in defense. "God, you're so easy to mess with, sometimes it's not even fun."

Gabby shook her head, willing the heat in her cheeks to go away as she took a long sip of her beer, finding Shay's eyes still on her.

"Although, speaking of that." Shay spoke, her eyes narrowing. "I'm still not completely convinced you and Casey didn't used to date or something."

"What?"

"I had mentioned it to him, but you two act so weird around one another. Weird as in you've definitely seen each other naked before. But neither of you will admit to it." She mused, Gabby rubbing her hand over her forehead.

"You've got to get a hobby." Gabby muttered, Shay scoffing.

"Well, I could get one if you'd just own up to it and tell me how you know each other." She replied with a challenging smirk, Gabby shaking her head.

"There's nothing to find out, you've got to let this go."

Shay's eyes roamed her friends face, an unconvinced look covering the blonde's features. "You're a really bad liar, did you know that?"

Their conversation was cut short when Herrmann called for Shay's assistance further down the bar, Gabby bringing her hand up to wave goodbye to her friend, Shay's eyes narrowing in annoyance.

"I will find out, Dawson."

"Uh huh, keep telling yourself that." She called after her, chuckling as Shay flipped her off before she went to Herrmann.

Across the bar, Casey had settled into a conversation with Severide, the two sitting at a table while they talked.

"So you've never been to a Hawks game?"

Casey shrugged, taking a sip of his beer before answering.

"I mean, my dad took me when I was younger, maybe once I think. But no, not since then."

"We definitely need to go. Maybe a few of us from the house could go together. Shay hates the sport but loves going to the games, not sure why but its Shay so I don't question it. But I know Dawson loves hockey though, maybe the four of us could go or something. That way Shay will at least have someone to distract her." Severide spoke lightheartedly, earning a nod from Casey.

"We should, that sounds fun."

"I'll talk to Shay, see if we can get that figured out." Kelly responded, taking a drink. "How's construction going?"

"It's good, I've actually been pretty busy for the winter. I'm surprised, but the money's nice. I have-"

"Sev!" Both men looked over as Walker approached them with the girl he came with, Kelly wincing slightly at the volume of the man's voice. "How you doing, Kelly?"

"I'm alright, Walker." Severide responded shortly, Bryan huffing out a breath.

"Oh, come on. Don't tell me you're still upset with me. That's old news, Kel. If anything I'm the one who should still be mad at you." He replied with a grin, Severide's face remaining blank. "But in much more important news, I'd like you to officially meet my girlfriend, Jennifer."

Casey's eyes widened slightly, Kelly nearly choking on his beer as Bryan introduced her.

"Girlfriend?" Severide asked, Bryan nodding triumphantly.

"Yup." Walker responded loudly, Severide and Casey shared a concerned glance, Bryan immediately seeing the looks on their faces.

"Baby, why don't you go get me another drink, yeah?" He asked, squeezing Jennifer's hip as she giggled, nodding at his request.

"Of course, handsome." She responded, placing a sloppy kiss against his cheek before heading for the bar, Severide watching on in near disgust.

"So you already have a girlfriend?" Severide questioned.

"I do, and she's great." He replied sharply, all but ignoring Casey's presence as he talked to Kelly. "She doesn't hound me, she listens when I tell her something. And she's an absolute animal in-"

"Alright." Kelly cut him off, shaking his head. "I'm just saying, don't you think it's a little fast? And to be bringing her here, to Gabby's bar. It's kind of a dick move, don't you think?" Kelly questioned coldly, Walker's eyes narrowing.

"I wasn't looking for permission, Kelly. I know you're suddenly best friends with Dawson now. Even though I'm not sure why, considering you don't even like her."

"That's not true."

"Well, you could've fooled me. But it doesn't even matter, I thought maybe once you cooled off, you'd be a little more reasonable, and I could introduce you to my girlfriend without hearing a lecture from you, but I guess not." He spoke roughly, stomping away from the table, going in search of his girlfriend.

"Well, that was… something." Casey spoke, Severide shaking his head sadly.

"I swear, I don't recognize that guy. I don't know what the hell happened to my friend." Kelly replied, blowing out a breath before they continued their earlier conversation, Severide wanting to enjoy his evening with Casey.

* * *

Gabby sat nursing her beer, waiting for Shay to finish helping Herrmann with whatever she'd been called for, the paramedic ignoring the loud sounds around her as she got lost in her own head. Shay's comments aside, she couldn't figure out what had happened with Matt. She didn't understand it, the look he was giving her, and the look she'd apparently been giving him. It didn't mean anything, whatever it was. Just because her and Matt weren't at each other's throats anymore, that didn't mean there was anything else going on there. But she felt strange, she couldn't understand her reaction to his eyes on her.

"Hey, Gabby." Gabby heard a hesitant voice by her side, turning towards the sound, her body tensing as she saw a woman beside her.

"Uh, hey Jennifer." She responded awkwardly, glancing behind her to see Bryan talking to Severide and Casey, Gabby swallowing the lump in her throat as she looked back to her.

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry if me being here makes you uncomfortable, or makes it weird for you. I know you and Bryan just ended things, and I'm sure you think we're moving too fast, but he's been an amazing boyfriend to me, you two were together for a long time so I'm sure you know how wonderful he can be."

"I'm sorry. Boyfriend? You two are actually dating?"

Jennifer looked confused at the question, a small smile coming to her face as she nodded. "Yeah, he asked me when we went on that trip over Christmas. I honestly didn't think he'd want to be in a relationship so soon, but he really opened up to me while we were there. Told me all about you guys, and how it was still hard for him to think about. How you two knew it was for the best, but it was still difficult."

Gabby felt sucker punched by the amount of information coming at her, but she wasn't surprised that Bryan had, once again, twisted the truth to yet another person.

"Oh, well, uh, I guess I didn't realize it was anything serious." She responded, unsure of what to say. She could see Shay coming towards them from behind the bar, as well as Walker heading for them, the situation making Gabby feel a little lightheaded. "But, I mean, I'm glad you guys are happy." Even though it was the farthest thing from the truth, Gabby didn't know what else to say, especially when Bryan came up behind Jennifer, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"What's going on here?" Bryan asked lightly, clearly uncomfortable.

Shay had come to a stop across from them, watching the scene in front of her unfold, her worried eyes focused on Gabby.

"I was just talking to Gabby, I wanted her to know we weren't trying to make her uncomfortable or anything. But we're all good." Jennifer replied softly, a wide smile on her face.

"Oh, well good." He spoke, his eyes landing on Gabby.

"Yeah, um," Gabby cleared her throat before continuing. "I didn't realize you two were together. But that's great, I'm happy for you." She lied through her teeth, her mind racing, unable to form any other coherent thought.

"Thanks." He said, glancing towards Shay, seeing her glaring at him intensely. "Well, we're gonna get back over there."

Without another word they were gone, Gabby staying silent as she tried to process what had just happened. The last thing she expected tonight was to find out Walker was actually dating this woman, let alone Gabby being forced to have a conversation with her.

"You okay, honey?" Shay asked quietly, Gabby swallowing thickly before nodding.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. I mean, he's free to do what he wants." She responded.

"I know, but he also doesn't have to parade her around here. And I can't believe she had the nerve to come talk to you, what a bitch." Shay murmured, Gabby shaking her head. "You all just ended your engagement, and clearly she knows that. I don't even understand how he has a new girlfriend already."

"It's fine, Shay." Gabby spoke softly, blinking tightly. "He's allowed to have as many girlfriends as he wants. He can do whatever he pleases." Her eyes flickered around the room, quickly looking away from Bryan and Jennifer seated at the bar, her gaze landing on Casey, Gabby watching as he laughed at something Severide said. "And so can I." She murmured, stealing one last glance to Matt before looking back to Shay, her friend clearly hesitant.

"Alright. Well, say the word and I'll find some excuse to kick them out. I don't care."

"I know you don't, but I'm okay. Really."

Shay nodded one last time before changing the subject, knowing the last thing Gabby wanted was to continue talking about this.

As the night wore on, the members of 51 had bounced around the bar, Gabby surprised by the amount of times she had ended up by Casey's side, the amount of times he had seemingly sought her out. She wasn't exactly sure if that's what he'd intended, but all she knew was that they ended up spending more time together than apart. And they'd been sitting together for the last half hour, Shay occasionally coming up to check on them, Kelly having joined them ten minutes ago as they all sat and talked.

"Alright, well I'm gonna get out of here, it's getting late. This was fun, you guys." Severide spoke, clasping Casey on the shoulder as he stood up. But he didn't get very far before he saw Walker and Jennifer walking past them, the pair slowing their steps as they got to the group.

"You heading out?" Walker asked, Kelly nodding.

"Yeah, in a minute. It was nice to meet you, Jennifer." Severide responded politely, a warm smile falling onto her face.

"It was nice meeting you all, too. And it was nice seeing you again, Gabby." She spoke softly, Gabby flashing her a weak, forced smile, feeling everyone's eyes on her.

"Well, I'll see you guys next shift."

"See ya." Severide replied as Bryan began leaving.

"Night." Matt spoke, taking a quick sip of his beer before speaking up again. "Oh, and Walker?" He called, Bryan turning back to look at him. "Next time you have a problem with something we've talked about, take it up with me. Don't go threatening our paramedics because you're too afraid to come speak with me." Casey replied bluntly, Bryan's gaze narrowing as his eyes flashed towards Shay. He was met with a challenging stare from the blonde, Bryan releasing a frustrated breath before nodding.

"Understood, Lieutenant."

Without a word, Matt turned back around to face the bar, Bryan shooting daggers to the back of his head before storming out, pulling a confused Jennifer out behind him.

"What was that about?" Kelly questioned, his eyebrows raised as he looked back and forth between Shay and Casey.

"I'm gonna have to let Shay explain that one, I'm heading out." Matt replied, standing up from his seat. "I've had a long day, but I'll see you guys later."

"Night Casey." Severide responded, before turning to Shay. "Okay, what happened? He threatened you?"

As Shay began rattling off the story, Gabby glanced back towards the door, catching the back of Matt just as he left, her fingers tapping against the bar as she kept her eyes on the now closed door.

She wasn't sure what was compelling her to go after him. Gabby knew it was a bad idea. If what happened last time was any indication, nothing good could come from them sleeping together again. But still, she found herself standing up, saying a quick goodbye to Shay, who was dealing with a now-angry Severide, the blonde barely registering her goodbye as Gabby headed for the door. Stepping out into the city, the cold air smacked her in the face as she glanced around the quiet street, quickly finding Matt as he headed for his truck.

Hurrying down the sidewalk, Gabby ignored every thought telling her to run the other way as she caught up to him, grabbing ahold of his arm harsher than she meant to, her adrenaline pumping as she caught him off guard.

"What the- oh, hey Gabby." His gaze moved behind her before focusing on her face, confusion settled in his eyes. She could tell he didn't know what she wanted, or why she'd run after him. But she didn't need him to ask questions, surely it wouldn't take him long to figure out what she'd come out here for.

His eyes traced over her face, silently trying to read her as she stared at him intently, her chest rising and falling as she tried to slow down her breathing.

"You okay?" He asked softly, watching as a small grin fell across her lips before she nodded, Gabby pushing some loose hair behind her ear. "Did you, uh, need a ride or something?" His confusion was still present, Gabby shaking her head as she took a step closer.

"No, I don't need a ride." She murmured, Matt swallowing thickly. "Do you wanna get out of here?"

Her voice was light as the words left her lips, Matt's eyes falling closed momentarily, bringing his hand up to rub over his mouth.

"I… I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why?"

"For a lot of reasons, Gabby. We can't keep doing this, us having sex when you need a distraction, or when you're upset. We work together, and everything with Walker… there's no way this can end well."

"Do you not want to do this?" She questioned with raised eyebrows, her voice strong.

Gabby watched as he took a deep breath, his obvious hesitation flooding her body with doubt. She wasn't sure if she had misunderstood his actions throughout the night; the times she found him staring at her with an almost longing look, how often he sought her out, how they actually managed to enjoy spending time together. All signs pointed to him not having any problem with taking her home for the night, but now she wasn't so sure.

"It's not that I don't want to…" He answered honestly, taking a slight step forward, Gabby's eyes locked on his. "I just… I don't understand you, Gabby." He breathed out, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "I can never tell how you actually feel about me, and now you're wanting to go home with me again and I just… I don't get it."

"What's there to get?"

"Why do you keep coming to me? Out of everyone you could go home with, why the guy you work with, especially when you don't like me very much." She could tell he was confused, and she couldn't blame him. She hadn't exactly made things easy on him since they met.

"I don't know, I just… We have had some fun, and I'd like to continue that. And I think you and I had a pretty good night, considering. Someone might even think we were friends." She responded playfully, not really having an answer to his question, earning a small smile from him. "Look, I'm not gonna sit here and beg you. I'm sorry for how I've treated you, you know I am. Especially the things I've said lately, I took my problems out on you when I shouldn't have and that wasn't fair. But if you really don't want to do this, just tell me." She waited a few seconds, watching as he thought over her words. She wasn't sure if he was trying to talk himself out of doing this, or talk himself into it, but she needed him to make up his mind soon. "Although, I'm pretty sure you want this just as much as I do, if you staring at me all night was any indication." She whispered, his eyes flickering to her lips before finding her eyes.

"Last time this didn't end so well, and there's much more to this than us just sleeping together for the night." He responded quietly, his eyes dark with want despite him trying to fight it.

"But there doesn't have to be." She responded softly, a questioning look covering his face. "I'm not asking for a boyfriend, or for you to take me out on dates. I'm asking you to help me make my night even better." He caught the excited gleam in her eye, Matt swallowing thickly as she continued. "I know we work together, and that's why I'm not suggesting us being a couple. That's the last thing I need. It's just for some fun." She spoke, a slight smirk falling to her face. "A night of harmless fun." She whispered, Matt feeling his throat go dry as she ran her eyes up and down his body.

"You're sure this isn't because of what happened in there? With Walker?"

Gabby shook her head, closing any distance left between them as she took another step forward.

"He's pretty much the last thing on my mind right now." She spoke softly, Matt taking a deep breath. "I actually had a damn good night tonight, and this is me trying to enjoy the rest of it. And I'd like to do that with you."

Her words resonated in his ears, Matt glancing over her face one last time, looking for any ounce of deception. When he found none, a small smile fell to his lips, a matching one appearing over her face.

"So is that a yes?"

Casey grabbed ahold of her arms, responding by placing his lips on hers, their movements instantly quick and heated. He felt her smile into the kiss, Gabby wrapping her arms around his neck, deepening their movements as his hands moved to her waist, holding her flush against him.

When air became a priority, they pulled back, Matt seeing an almost proud look in her eyes. "We probably shouldn't be doing this here." He breathed out, his chest heaving as he sucked in air. They both knew that anyone could walk out of the bar at any moment, and this was the last thing they needed to have to explain.

Nodding in agreement, Gabby slid her arms down his chest, smiling as she pulled away from him. "I'll meet you at your place." She responded quietly, leaning up to place another quick kiss to his lips, Matt surprised by the pace of this one. Her usually rough and needy movements were now gentle and soft, the tender moment taking him by surprise.

Without another word, she turned around, heading towards her car as she left him seemingly frozen in place, Matt's eyes following her body as she walked down the sidewalk.

His mind was screaming at him that they probably shouldn't do this. That the first two times had only made things harder for them, that they had to work together and this was a bad idea. There were plenty of other people in this town, he knew sleeping with her again would only complicate things.

But he couldn't find it in himself to care. He wanted this, he wanted her. And she wanted him just as much.

He didn't care about the consequences, he didn't care about the fallout. He'd deal with that if and when it comes. In this moment all he could think about was her, and that was enough for him right now.

* * *

**So, I'm sure you all can guess where this is headed, but let's just say there's gonna be a change in the dynamic between Matt and Gabby here shortly. The next chapter starts directly after this, so yeah. Get ready for that.**

**I know I got this one to you guys a day later than normal, I'm sorry about that. I had this chapter over halfway completed, and then decided to scrap the whole thing. I didn't like where it was going, so I ended up re-writing it and that took some extra time. Thanks for understanding.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed this one! I can't wait to hear what you think! Thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter Eight

**Back with another chapter for you guys. I hope you're ready for this one.**

**Real quick, I want to thank you all so much for 100+ reviews on this story. That's crazy to me, I'm so glad you all are enjoying this. Thank you so much for the constant love and support you guys have given me, I appreciate it so much. It really helps keep me motivated and I love getting these chapters out to you guys. Thank you all so much.**

**Also, fair warning, this chapter is Rated M. Like very much so. To those of you who were asking for more of that, this one's definitely for you. Enjoy.**

* * *

**EIGHT**

* * *

Gabby walked up the sidewalk towards Casey's front door, a slight smirk resting on her face as the door opened, Matt stepping out before she could even get to the steps.

"A bit eager, aren't we?" She teased, climbing the stairs and coming to a stop beside him, Matt raising his eyebrows challengingly.

"I just got home, saw you from the window." He explained, Gabby nodding before walking inside, Casey following after her quickly. Matt shut the door, turning around to find Gabby nowhere in sight, his eyebrows furrowing as he walked through the apartment, catching a glimpse of her turning the corner into his bedroom.

Releasing a soft chuckle, Matt walked the same path she had just taken, quickly getting to his destination as he found her standing in the middle of his room, her eyes on the doorway.

"Seems like someone else is a bit eager, too." He spoke quietly, Gabby scoffing lightly as Matt walked towards her, his eyes raking up and down her body while she discarded her jacket, tossing it onto the chair in the corner.

"You're sure about this?" He questioned softly after a few quiet seconds, Gabby's brown eyes piercing into his. With a slow nod, she stepped forward, placing her lips on his, their movements starting slow before they quickly picked up pace, Matt blindly pushing them back towards his bed. But before he could sit her down, she flipped their positions, her action taking him by surprise as she pushed him down onto the mattress. He looked up at her, seeing a proud grin covering her features as Matt pushed himself up towards the headboard, Gabby peeling her shirt from her body before climbing onto the bed. In seconds, she was on top of him, capturing his lips with hers again while her legs straddled his hips. Matt's hands flew to her waist, his grip tight as they fought against one another, his fingers digging into her skin.

Gabby trailed her kisses from his lips across his jaw, moving down to his neck, surely leaving her marks as she assaulted his skin. Matt released a low moan while his hands moved to the front of her jeans, fiddling with the button and zipper, soon getting them both undone, trying his best to push them down her hips while she continued kissing and biting his neck.

With her help, her pants were discarded, Gabby kicking them to the floor before resuming her position on top of him, her hands moving to his shirt, desperate to remove the material. Matt raised himself up, letting Gabby pull the shirt off his body, tossing it aside aimlessly as her hands roamed over his bare chest, Dawson attaching her lips to his again while his hands clung to any part of her body he could grab.

Her kisses soon moved down to his chest, Gabby grazing her teeth over him as she took the time to appreciate his exposed skin, enjoying the involuntarily groans she pulled from him as she worked. Slowly she continued leaving her marks down his body, feeling his breaths get deeper as she got closer to his waist, Gabby's quick hands undoing his jeans, Matt raising his hips so she could pull them off.

Resting her hands on his upper thighs, she gripped his legs tightly, leaning back down to resume kissing his skin, not wanting to waste the opportunity to appreciate all he had to offer. As her fingers gently squeezed his thighs, she focused her attention on the patch of skin on his hip just above his boxers, sucking on the area harshly.

Matt's hand came to grip the top of hers, silently willing her to continue as he felt her grin against his skin, darting her tongue out to soothe the area she'd just lightly bitten down on, her hands sliding up his thighs to the waistband of his boxers, teasing the elastic, enjoying the impatient and needy groans escaping through his lips.

"Gabby…" He breathed out as she looked back up at him for the first time, seeing his gaze focused on her, his eyes dark with want.

Knowing she'd teased him enough, she pulled the material down his legs before she threw the clothing to the side, leaving him completely bare as she made herself comfortable. She was eyeline with his waist, Matt unable to look away from her while he waited for her next move, Gabby's eyebrow raising as he took him in her hand, slowly stroking up and down as his head fell back against the pillows.

When he was good and ready, she spared one last glance at him, seeing his eyes closed and his head facing the ceiling, before taking him into her mouth. Her actions caused his eyes to fly open, Matt lifting his head to look down at her, desire flooding his body as he saw her looking up at him through her lashes, her motions starting out slow and deliberate.

He placed his hand on top of her head, helping her movements as she picked up her pace, Matt's head collapsing back against the pillow as he brushed the back of her throat. It took every ounce of willpower in him to not lift his hips off the bed, Matt focusing on the feel of her mouth taking hold of him.

Her free hand was scratching over his stomach while her other aided her movements, Matt's body feeling as if it were on fire as she continually took him in as far as she could. She changed up her speed every few moments, leaving him on edge, both of them knowing she had complete control over the situation.

Her movements began slowing down, Gabby closing her mouth around him as tight as she possibly could, a low moan leaving his lips as he gripped her hair. She spared a glance at him while she ran her tongue over him, his body involuntary trembling when she released him from her mouth, Gabby wearing a proud look on her face.

As much as he wanted to know exactly what it feels like for her to finish what she started, he appreciated her stopping when she did, not wanting things to end prematurely.

Gabby placed a soft kiss against his hard skin, sliding her way back up his body, grinding herself down onto him as their hips connected, Matt groaning before she kissed him again. His need for her was pressing against her thigh, his hands sliding over her back, desperately searching for the clasp to remove the article of clothing separating their skin.

Within seconds, he slid the bra down her arms, getting it out of his way before running his hands over the newly exposed flesh, Gabby moaning into his mouth as he cupped her chest, her hips pressing down harder against him.

Matt took her moment of weakness to flip them over, swallowing the sound of surprise that escaped her lips, his movements getting rougher as he slid a hand down her body, his fingers teasing her over the thin lace material covering her body.

Her moans got louder as he increased the pressure of his hand, Matt encouraged by her noises as he kissed down her neck. He left marks of his own across her skin, stopping to pay special attention to her breasts, Gabby's hips bucking as his teeth grazed over her nipple, his touch eliciting the reactions he was looking for.

Without warning, his hands were off of her, Matt releasing the grip his mouth had on her skin when he pulled back, Gabby breathing heavily as she opened her eyes, finding him positioning himself further down the bed, practically ripping the underwear off her body before settling between her thighs. He placed open mouthed kisses along her skin, Gabby's hands moving to grip his hair as he teased her.

Suddenly everything was happening at once, her grip on him tightening as his mouth went to work, attaching to her center, his actions being helped by his fingers as he focused on her body, the sensation overwhelming her as her mind went blank.

Matt adjusted his angle, feeling Gabby's hand grip his hair painfully tight, the loud moans filling the room telling him just how much she appreciated his effort, her body clenching around him.

After a few impressive moments, he was helping her through her finish, Matt never halting his movements while she trembled beneath him, slowly easing her back down from her high as he lazily nipped at her skin, eventually pulling back completely once her grip on him loosened. He watched her chest heave up and down as she rested her hands over her stomach, trying to catch her breath while Matt kissed his way back up her body, placing sloppy kisses over her skin, stopping to leave another mark on her chest before finding his way back to her lips. He kissed her heatedly, Gabby needing a second to recover before she began kissing him back, Matt covering her body with his, unable to wait any longer.

She felt him slowly enter her, her body tensing as he moved in and out. Her legs hooked around his thighs as he worked them towards a quicker pace, her nails digging into his back while he gradually picked up his speed.

As it had been the first two times, their movements soon became rough and needy, Matt's head falling to rest beside her as he thrust into her at a blinding pace, Gabby trying to keep some semblance of control as he moved.

They'd fallen into that familiar rhythm together, their pants and moans being heard through his apartment. This had become their normal together, every moment frantic and unrestrained, Matt not holding back as he gave her everything she wanted.

* * *

Gabby sat on the edge of his bed, her body euphorically achy as she clasped her bra in place. Glancing at the clock, she saw it nearing one in the morning, a sly grin falling on her face as she thought about their night. She hadn't intended to stay this long, but after they finished their first round, it didn't take long for them to start again, Gabby giving him quite the show as she took control. Then after a quick moment to rehydrate and find something to eat, they soon fell back into bed for a third time, the last being the roughest of them all.

"You know," Casey spoke up from behind her, clearing his throat. She turned to look at him, finding him in the same position from when she climbed off of him minutes before, Matt barely covered as he watched her. "You don't have to leave, if you don't want."

A small smile fell to her face, Gabby sliding on her underwear as she stood up, beginning the search for her other clothes.

"I'm alright, I need to get back before my brother calls out a search party." She replied, pulling her jeans up her legs.

"Okay." He responded, his eyes bouncing around the room as he tapped his fingers against his stomach, Gabby watching him closely, his expression unreadable. But she could tell something was bothering him.

"What?" She questioned, Matt locking his eyes on her half naked body, a soft sigh escaping his lips.

"It's nothing, I just… I don't know, I feel kind of weird about this. I don't want you feeling used, or taken advantage of or something, since you always leave right after." He breathed out, her eyebrows furrowing.

"Well, I mean, technically we are kind of using each other." She joked, Matt clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth before nodding, Gabby sensing that wasn't all he was worried about. "What is it, Casey?" She asked, sliding her shirt over her head.

He watched closely for a moment, trying to figure out how to best voice what was going on in his head, but he couldn't form the right words. So instead, he blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. "What are we doing, Gabby?" He asked quickly, confusion settling across her face.

"We're having fun."

"I know, but we can't keep doing… this." His finger pointed back and forth between them as he spoke, emphasizing his point as Gabby took a step closer to the bed. "These random hookups, whatever they are, it's not going to end well. We shouldn't be doing this."

"Who says we can't?" She questioned, Matt's eyes narrowing in confusion as her words registered, lifting his body up to rest on his elbows.

"What?"

"Who says we can't keep doing this." She spoke again, her words not clearing up anything.

"I thought you said you don't want to date?"

A light chuckle escaped her lips, Gabby sitting back down on the edge of the bed, facing him as she responded. "I don't."

"I don't think I understand." He responded honestly.

"I'm saying, why don't we keep having fun. Nothing serious, nothing complicated. Just fun."

"So, we'd use each other for sex." He clarified, Gabby shrugging as she scrunched her nose.

"I guess, yeah. But instead of us having to go through trying to find different hook-ups all the time, we could just help each other out. Make it easier." She spoke nonchalantly, Matt not entirely sure he was comprehending what she was saying. "There'd be no relationship, nothing complicated, it's just fun. No feelings, nothing messy. Only sex."

"You're serious?"

"Mhmm."

"And you'd really be okay with that?"

"Why not? We have a good time, and turns out you're not half bad." She joked, trying to ease some of the tension from his body. But she could still sense his hesitation. "Look, if you don't want to, okay. I know our situation can be a little… hard to navigate. But it's on the table, if you want."

Matt nodded, reaching for his glass of water on the nightstand, taking a few big gulps before he could respond, his mouth feeling incredibly dry.

"So… it's just sex. That's it."

She nodded, pushing herself up from the bed. "Just sex." She agreed, grabbing her jacket off the chair, sliding in onto her body. "Is that okay with you?"

Unable to form a coherent thought, he merely nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat as she smiled softly at him.

"Well then, it's settled." She replied, moving towards the door. "I'll see you on shift, Casey. Thanks for tonight."

And just like that, she was gone.

He watched her leave the room, his body collapsing back onto the bed as he listened to her go through the front door. As he lay there alone, he couldn't shake the weird feeling in the pit of his stomach, unable to work through how he felt about Gabby's offer. His apartment was dangerously quiet, leaving Matt alone with his thoughts as he tried to figure out what just happened, and what the hell he just agreed to.

* * *

Casey walked up the slick driveway of 51, his bag thrown over his shoulder as he hurried to escape the brutal cold. He was a little late this morning, the Lieutenant having slept through his alarm, having to get ready quickly to make it here even close to on-time. He knew a lecture of some sort would be waiting for him, that Boden wouldn't appreciate him being over ten minutes late without some warning, but as he approached the garage and saw Chief's vehicle nowhere in sight, he knew he was in the clear.

Taking a deep breath, he continued on through the garage, nodding to the squad guys brave enough to be sitting out in the garage in the well-below freezing temperatures before he slid in through the first set of double doors.

"Hey Casey." Shay greeted, Matt looking up to see her and Dawson coming from the bunk room.

"Hey Shay. Dawson." He greeted, not missing the smirk resting on Gabby's face.

"Morning Lieutenant." She spoke softly, her eyes moving down his body before coming back towards his face, Gabby flashing him a devilish grin as her and Shay turned the corner, heading for the common room.

He felt he throat go dry, Matt shaking his head as he stopped to watch them, Gabby discreetly turning back to look at him while her and Shay kept walking. Dawson bit down on her bottom lip, winking at him before she turned back around, Casey unable to stop his eyes from trailing over her retreating form.

Matt had no idea what to expect from Gabby, or how they were supposed to act around one another now, and that interaction did nothing to clear things up.

He knew they needed to talk, and soon. If they were really going to do this, be friends with benefits, or whatever terminology Gabby wanted to use, there needed to be no gray area. They had to be on the same page, and Casey wasn't sure they were.

Since she left his apartment the other night, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about what they agreed to, how they were essentially becoming each other's go-to fuck buddy. And he had questions. Lots of them. So many it was kind of overwhelming and he didn't even know where to start.

_Are we keeping this a secret? How do we act around one another? Are we telling Shay? Is this a permanent thing? Are we allowed to sleep with other people?_

Those questions and many more like it had been floating around in his head for the better part of the past day and a half, and he knew they needed to sit down and actually work out the details. This wasn't as simple as using each other for sex. There were so many other factors to this, that he was still convinced it wasn't a good idea. But he didn't know if that mattered enough for him to put a stop to it.

All he did know was that they had to be on the same page. They couldn't afford to not be, he definitely couldn't afford it.

Despite his reservations about engaging in this type of relationship with her, he wanted to do it. God, did he want to see what else she had to offer. If their first few times together were any indication, she was a lot more wild than he would've ever thought. This could be beneficial for both of them, but they had to come to an understanding about exactly what they were.

Because deep down, he knew this wasn't the greatest arrangement, he knew it could get messy, that it could get complicated. Aside from some great sex, there probably weren't many more pros that could come from this. But there were definitely some cons.

Them working together, for one. Yes, he knew it made for some convenient and quick fun, but what would happen if this ended terribly? No matter what she said, there's never no feelings involved when it comes to sex. Especially not when sleeping with the same person over and over again. It's not like he thinks she's gonna fall in love with him, but there's plenty of other ways this could end badly. One, or both of them, could get hurt. They had to be mindful of that.

And another thing altogether was the firehouse. What would happen if they found out? If _Walker_ found out? There would surely be some questions about when their… relationship began, and Matt didn't want Gabby to have to go through that. Unlike Walker, there was no cheating involved. They hadn't done anything wrong, except maybe to each other, but Casey was sure Bryan wouldn't see it that way. That all he'd see was his Lieutenant had been sleeping with his ex, and there were bound to be problems once people found out. All for some meaningless sex.

Their personal lives were nobodies business but their own, Matt knew that. But he didn't want it to feel like they were deceiving everyone, like they'd been hiding something from them. But he also knew this could throw a wrench in the dynamic of the firehouse, if anyone found out. The last thing he wanted was to cause more problems for Dawson, and the last thing he needed was to cause problems for himself.

He couldn't get transferred again, his career wouldn't survive it. Matt was sure the department probably wouldn't even be able to find a place to send him this time, it was made quite clear to him that he was nearing the end of his rope with headquarters, and while 51 might've not been his last shot, it was close. And even if they could find somewhere to send him, it wouldn't be like this place. The friends he'd made here, the family he'd found, he knew nothing else could compare to that. He didn't want to jeopardize his place here. Though his and Gabby's agreement wasn't grounds for him to be moved, he knew the fallout could be. If this caused his men not to trust him, or God forbid Walker not be able to handle it and something happens there, Casey wasn't so sure he wouldn't get transferred again.

He knew that was the worst-case scenario, that most likely no one, aside from Walker, would even care, that Shay would probably gloat about how she'd been right all along. And that if Walker actually was stupid enough to confront him, if anything did happen, Bryan would surely be moved before him. Firefighters are easier to place than Lieutenants, everyone knew that. But still, they had to be careful, they had to be completely on the same page. This would never work otherwise.

He needed to talk to her. They had to make sure this was something they both were completely sure about.

But he wasn't so sure he could do that here, not with the prying ears all around this place. They needed to talk somewhere they could be completely alone. The only issue is, he's not sure they'd get around to the talking before they started ripping each other's clothes off.

Shaking those thoughts from his head, Casey continued towards the locker room, knowing there was nothing he could do to answer any of his questions now.

Turning the corner into the locker room, Matt's steps slowed as he saw Bryan standing at his locker, Casey giving him a polite nod before heading towards his own.

"Lieutenant, can I, uh- can we talk for a second?" Walker asked, Casey hearing a hesitation he hadn't heard from the man before. Placing his bag in the confines of his locker, Matt turned around, nodding at him to continue. "I want to apologize, for how I've acted, both on-shift and off." Matt's arms crossed over his chest, Bryan taking a deep breath before continuing. "I made something out of nothing. You hadn't done anything to treat me any differently, and I let my personal life interfere with work and that's not okay. I let my worries cloud my judgement, and you gotta know I'm not usually that guy. It won't happen again."

"I hope that's true, Walker." Casey replied sternly, the firefighter nodding.

"I know I have to gain your trust. That's something you can't just give to anyone, especially in this line of work. I'm sorry for not taking you at your word, for going to Shay, and Dawson, when I shouldn't have. You're my boss, you're the one responsible for making sure we get home okay. I know what you say goes, I'm sorry for making this into a problem when it didn't need to be." He spoke, Casey's face unreadable. "Even though I do wish you had a higher opinion of me, I know I haven't exactly given you a reason to. I know all I can do to change that is show you, through my actions and how I handle myself. I should've never confronted you, and I'm sorry."

Casey's tongue clicked against the roof of his mouth as he thought over Bryan's speech. He seemed sincere, but from everything he knew about this man, Matt wasn't sure if his words were something he could trust. He needed to be careful. No matter how much Casey wanted to believe him, if anything because it would make his life easier, he knew he had to be weary. Someone like Walker, they don't lose their ego overnight.

"Well, you're right. I will need to see it before I believe what you're telling me. But I appreciate you coming to me. You and I don't need to have any problems, Walker. You're a good firefighter, that much I do know. Just keep your head down, do the work. Show me that I have no reason to worry, that I can count on you."

"I will, Lieutenant." He replied firmly, a small smile resting on his lips. He held his hand out, Matt glancing down before shaking it. "You won't have to worry about me."

Casey nodded, dropping his hand, Walker turning to close his locker before heading for the exit.

"But Walker." Casey's voice stopped him, the man looking up at his Lieutenant. "I'm not the only person who deserves to hear an apology from you."

Realization settled over Bryan's face, Casey catching his features hardening before he quickly covered his reaction, Walker taking a deep breath before reluctantly nodding.

"Understood, Lieutenant." Walker gave him one last nod before walking away, Matt turning back towards his locker.

He quickly put away his things, placing his beanie on the top shelf, pocketing his phone as he closed the door, securing his belongings before heading out of the locker room. With his late start to the morning, he hadn't had the chance to go through his usual routine, Casey heading for the common room in search of some food.

When he got there, he found it surprisingly empty, aside from Mouch and Herrmann taking up their usual position on the couch, and a few guys from engine strewn around the room. Walking into the kitchen, he quickly settled on a granola bar and banana, not in the mood to prepare much more than that as he headed back out of the room, stopping to get a cup of coffee before making his way towards the bunkroom.

He knew there was a stack of paperwork waiting for him that needed to be completed, even though that was the last thing he felt like doing at the moment. When he stepped inside the large room, he noticed it was empty, Matt thankful there wouldn't be any distractions while he worked. But as his eyes moved around the room, he caught sight of something puzzling, his steps slowing as he looked to his office, seeing all the blinds drawn, even the one covering the door. He knew he hadn't left it like that last shift, and his confusion only grew as he walked closer, juggling the food in his hands as he saw the door slightly ajar, resting against the frame.

Unsure of what he'd find, he slowly pushed it open with his foot, his eyebrows raising when he saw Dawson sitting on his bed, leaning back resting her palms against the mattress, a small smile resting on her face. Glancing back out into the bunk room, he quickly stepped inside, kicking the door shut, placing his beverage and food down on his desk.

Gabby pushed herself up from the bed when he turned back around to face her, his eyes widened in curiosity as she stepped closer to him, a wicked smirk forming on her face.

"Good morning." She spoke softly, her voice smooth as Matt's tongue darted out over his lips.

"Hey." He responded just as quietly, clearing his throat.

"You were late this morning." She mused, Gabby stopping inches in front of him, her eyes darting to his lips before meeting his gaze.

"Yeah, I, uh," His words faltered as he saw her reach out towards the door, turning the lock, completely shutting them off from the outside world. "I overslept."

She nodded in response, her hands moving towards his waist, grazing over his belt. Matt swallowed the lump in his throat as their eyes locked, seeing the same desire and need pooling in her gaze that he'd seen the night before last. She was about to take whatever she wanted from him, and he would let her.

He knew this was risky, them doing this here. But it was also exhilarating, and he couldn't wait to see what she had in store for him.

Without saying a word, she undid his belt, using it to pull him towards the bed, Casey letting her take control as she stopped him in front of the bunk. Her hands undid his button and zipper, her movements quick as she slid his pants and boxers down past his knees, Matt hissing at the unexpected rush of cold air as she pushed him down onto the bed.

His hands went out steady himself as he sat there, Gabby quickly removing his grey polo, tossing it aside, leaving him exposed to her. Her eyes ran over his chest, admiring the marks and bruising she'd left on his skin, a proud smirk resting over her lips. Matt watched her closely, quickly glancing down to see what she was admiring, a knowing look covering his face. She'd definitely left her fair share of marks on him, almost as if she'd been claiming him. And he was sure if not for the time constraint, she would've already been working on leaving more.

Taking a step towards him she undid her own clothing, Matt's mouth going dry as she pulled down her pants and underwear in one quick movement, the material bunching at her ankles before she climbed on top of him, her thighs straddling him. A soft groan escaped his lips as her skin came into contact with his, his want only growing as he rested her weight on him. One of his hands moved to her hip, pushing her shirt up slightly so he could grip bare skin, Matt adjusting their position so he had more control and balance, preparing himself for a wild ride.

Slowly, she ducked her head, capturing his lips with hers, her movements starting out agonizingly slow. But to no surprise, she soon deepened the kiss, opening her mouth as they began battling against one another, Gabby's hand moving down in between them, lifting her hips slightly to give her room to grab him. With him firmly in her grasp, Matt moaned into her mouth, Gabby giving him a few tight, quick strokes, readying him before she lined herself up, sinking down onto him.

A soft gasp escaped her lips, Casey filling her completely as their hips connected, Matt bringing his free hand up from the bed, sliding it up under her shirt to run over her skin. Within seconds, Gabby began moving, her body bouncing in his lap as they swallowed each others moans, knowing they had to keep quiet.

His hand slid up to her breast, grabbing the skin firmly as they moved at a frantic pace, Matt adjusting the angle of his hips to help their cause, thrusting into her as she matched his stride, her legs trembling.

Their movements were harsh, Matt's hand releasing his hold on her chest, sliding down to her waist, using his grip on her hips to help speed up her movements. He brought them to an unrelenting pace she couldn't reach on her own, their lips disconnecting as Gabby's head fell to his shoulder, heavy pants leaving her lips while she heard Matt's grunts in her ear.

She was closing in on her release, both of them aware of it as she sank her teeth into his shoulder, struggling to silence herself while her body clenched tightly around him, the feeling encouraging his movements. His grip on her hips tightened, sure to leave a few bruises as he bounced her in his lap, impressively hitting all the right spots as her entire body tightened. His hand moved to her center, guiding her through her finish, continuing his torrid pace. It was only seconds later he felt that same high, Casey thrusting through completion as Gabby's body went slack against him. His chest was heaving as he gradually slowed their pace, her body shaking in his arms as he eased them down from their high, Gabby's head resting on his shoulder while they caught their breath.

It took a few moments for both of them to recover, Gabby's body feeling slightly numb as they sat connected on his bunk, his arms moving from her hips to wrap around her waist, keeping her balanced.

"That was…" He breathed out, his voice shaky as he felt her chuckle against him, Gabby pulling back to look at him. He could see a thin layer of sweat covering her skin, her ponytail loose as she caught his gaze.

"Fun." She spoke. "That was very fun." A smile formed over his lips as she put her hands on his shoulders, steadying herself as she climbed up off of him. They both slowly began making themselves presentable, Matt catching her eyes on him a few times as they got dressed.

She handed him his shirt that had ended up on the floor near his desk, an almost shy smile covering her face.

"Thanks for that." She murmured, Matt nodding before sliding his shirt over his head, tucking it back into his pants. He looked back up to her as she adjusted her shirt, Gabby trying to cover the fact he'd had his hands under it moments prior.

"So you're still okay with this? Our… arrangement?"

An almost amused looked covered her face, Gabby scoffing light as she fixed her belt. "Did the sex not clear that up for you?" She questioned with a teasing grin, Matt chuckling in response. "I'm good with this, Casey." She replied, her tone more serious, wanting him to know she was fine. "Are you?"

"I am." He responded, Gabby grabbing the jacket she'd taken off when she first came in here to wait for him, sliding it over her arms. "Are we, uh… are we telling anyone about this?"

Her eyes widened in slight panic, Matt internally cursing himself as he shook his head, knowing he probably should've worded the question better. "Sorry, I just meant that we're both on the same page about not telling people. I didn't mean that as we should. I figured you wouldn't want people knowing, cause off..." Matt trailed off.

Gabby's features softened, releasing a deep breath as she nodded. "Yeah, we're not telling anyone. It's no one's business but ours."

"I just didn't know if you were telling Shay or not…"

Gabby shook her head, zipping up her jacket. "Nope. This is just between us."

He nodded, taking a few steps closer to her. "You realize that means we'll have to be careful, right?" His words were almost challenging, a small grin appearing on her face. "I'm not sure if sex in my office is something that should become a common occurrence."

"I didn't hear any complaints." She responded back with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, you wouldn't. But still, as fun as that was, we've gotta be careful."

"I know." She agreed. "And we will. But as long as that means sex at the firehouse isn't _always_ off limits." Her voice was dangerously low, Matt's neck clenching as she leaned forward, placing a heated kiss to his lips, her hand running over his chest before she pulled back. "Have a good shift, Casey."

And just like that she was gone, Matt sucking in a deep breath as he stood there in his office, unable to hide the small grin coming to his face.

He knew they still needed to talk, that there were things they had to figure out. His concerns for their situation needed to be addressed, they were creating a risky situation for themselves and he knew it. But the payoff was far too great for them to stop. He didn't want to stop, and if her body's reaction to him was an indicator, Gabby didn't want to either.

There were parts of this that needed to be discussed, things they had to be on the same page about. But once that was cleared up, there was no reason they couldn't continue their fun.

And he was eager to find out just how much fun there was to be had.

* * *

"Hey Shay, can we talk?" Shay looked up from the clipboard in her hands to see Walker moving towards her, his hands shoved in his pockets as he hesitantly came to a stop a few feet from her. She merely raised her eyebrows his response, glancing into the back of the ambulance.

"What do you want, Walker?" Severide's voice echoed through the rig, Kelly stepping down from the back, Bryan taking a step away from them.

"I didn't know you were here…"

"I was helping Shay. What do you want?" Kelly asked again, his arms crossed over his chest. "You come to yell at her again?"

"No, I was coming to apologize." He breathed out, Severide's eyes narrowing in confusion and slight distrust. "I shouldn't have brought you into this. I'm sorry for taking this out on you."

"Mhmm." She hummed, clearly not buying a word he was saying.

"I'm trying Shay. I know I messed up."

"And have you apologized to Dawson yet?" She asked with narrowed eyes, Bryan's defenses rising.

"What?"

"I don't know what you said to her, but I know you said something. And not to mention all the bullshit you've put her through the last year. If anything, she's the one you need to be apologizing to." Shay responded angrily. "Although I have a feeling you're only here because of Casey."

"What are you talking about?" He replied, trying to hide his annoyance.

"You're apologizing because Casey doesn't trust you. I'm assuming you already talked to him, but I know you're only here to try and get on his good side."

Before Bryan could respond, the bells rang throughout the house, calling 61 to a car accident across town. Severide shut the back doors of the ambo, Shay moving towards the driver's seat, glancing back towards Walker as she pulled the door open.

"I don't want your fake apology Walker. Just leave me out this. And leave Dawson alone too, while you're at it." Shay bit out, hopping into the driver's seat. Gabby came running through the double doors, glancing towards Severide and Walker, shooting Kelly a soft smile before heading for the passenger seat, quickly getting in.

"You guys having a nice chat?" Gabby asked, earning a groan from Shay as the blonde drove away, glancing towards Gabby, seeing the woman fixing her ponytail.

"He was trying to apologize, I told him to shove it." She responded, her eyes narrowing as she kept glancing to Gabby.

"What?" Dawson asked, seeing her friend's constant glances.

"Nothing, you just look… weird."

"Thank you?" Gabby questioned with a chuckle.

"Not bad, just different. Something's off, I don't know. You look happy, I guess. It's just different." Shay rambled with a shrug, pulling out into the street.

"Well, I've had a good couple days." She mused quietly, staring out the window while Shay drove.

Severide and Walker both watched as ambo pulled away, Kelly turning back towards him, an unimpressed look covering the Lieutenant's face, Walker sighing heavily.

"I know you're pissed at me, Sev."

"Well, you haven't exactly been the easiest person to deal with lately." Kelly huffed out.

"I know. And you have every reason to be mad at me, hell everyone in this house does. But right now, they don't. And I know it's because they don't know what I did. If they did, they'd hate me just as much as you do. I have no right to ask this of you, I know I don't, but if you could not say anything I'd really appreciate it, Kel." Severide blew out a heavy breath, watching Bryan carefully. "I know I fucked up, and I have a lot of apologizing to do. Gabby and I, we have our own issues to work out. But I don't want to lose my best friend over this, man." Walker spoke, shaking his head. "I've been as ass, I know I have. But I'm trying to be better, I'm trying to change. This last year, I was a wreck… And it doesn't excuse what I did, nothing does, but I wasn't myself."

"Why didn't you come to someone, instead of just sleeping around behind Dawson's back? Whatever was going on, we could've helped you instead of you doing _that_." Severide questioned, unable to understand his reasoning.

Bryan sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know. I shouldn't have ever cheated on her. When it first happened, I felt sick. I felt awful for doing that to her. It was an accident. But then it kept happening and I didn't know how to stop it. I was ignoring my problems, mine and Gabby's problems, and it just… happened. There's no excuse for my actions, I know it's my fault. I should've broken up with her, or come clean the first time it happened and tried to fix things. But Gabby and I, we didn't work. We never did, we weren't going to. I should've ended things long before I did, but I didn't and I can't take that back." He paused to take a breath, Bryan's hand coming up to rub over the side of his face. "I never meant to hurt Dawson. And I know that sounds like a lie, because of everything, but it's not. I swear. I don't wanna be the guy I've been anymore. I'm trying to be a better person."

"Have you told her all this?" Severide questioned, Bryan's eyes darting away from him, his actions answering Kelly's question. "Maybe you should start with that. Whatever was going on, it's not enough to excuse what you put her through. You need to apologize to her. Even though it can't change anything, at least let her know you're sorry."

"I know I need to talk to her. And I will. But I want you and I to be okay. You're my best friend, Kelly."

Severide blew out a heavy breath, his eyes falling closed as he thought over Bryan's words. He wanted to believe what he was saying, that he never set out to hurt Gabby. But he was having a hard time accepting Walker's apology. He didn't want to lose his friend, but Kelly couldn't shake the feeling that he never really knew Bryan in the first place.

"Just… if you could think about it. I'd appreciate it." Walker spoke, shooting him a small smile before turning around, heading back into the firehouse leaving Kelly out there alone to think through everything.

* * *

Gabby sat on the couch in Antonio's apartment, her hands resting in her lap as she tried to force herself from checking her phone. She knew she had no messages, from the three times she'd checked to make sure her sound was on, she knew she'd hear any attempt to contact her. She hadn't missed anything, and she knew it. But she couldn't help but feel like she should check to make sure.

Taking a deep breath, her will lost out as she picked up her phone, groaning when it was confirmed she had no messages. She wasn't even sure why she found herself so antsy, she could easily text him first, but she was hoping he'd be the one to reach out. She knew they hadn't made any plans to meet up tonight, in fact she wasn't even able to see him before the end of shift today, ambo having been out on a call all morning, everyone from second shift long gone by the time they returned. All she did know was he had a construction job today, something she learned from overhearing his and Kelly's conversation last night.

After their morning in his office yesterday, they had barely seen each other, let alone had a moment to themselves. She had no reason to expect to hear from him, but still she sat here hoping she would.

Sucking up her pride, she opened her messages, blowing out a sigh as she sent him the short message.

'_You free?_'

She knew she didn't have to pretend to hide her reasons for seeking him out. They weren't together, there was none of her having to act like she just wanted to hang out. She wanted sex, and he could give it to her. She had no reason to be ashamed of that.

Gabby saw him read the message soon after she sent it, her bottom lip falling in between her teeth as she waited for his response.

'_Yup. Just got out of the shower, too bad you didn't text me earlier, I would've waited for you_.'

Gabby rolled her eyes as she pushed herself up from the couch, heading towards her room to get ready to go. As she was sliding on her boots, she heard her phone ding, Gabby picking it up to see another text from Matt.

'_Should I be expecting you_?'

She stood up from the bed, slinging her purse over her shoulder as she began typing back her response.

'_If you're lucky_.'

As she started heading towards the door, she heard the keys in the lock, her steps slowing as she came face to face with Antonio, her brother jumping slightly when he saw her near the door.

"Jeez Gabs, you scared me."

"Sorry." She responded with a grin.

"You heading out?"

"Yeah, uh, just gonna run over to Shay's for a bit. I'll be back later."

"Alright. I hope you two have fun." He replied, bringing her in for a quick hug. With their hectic schedules, she hadn't seen much of her brother lately, the two mostly passing ships in the morning before work. "I'm glad you're spending time with her, I know how much she means to you. And it's seemed to definitely help."

"What do you mean?" She asked with furrowed eyebrows, the two pulling back from one another.

"You just look like you're doing better. You've seemed a little happier the last few days. I've been worried about you, but you seem to be getting past what happened." He replied, Gabby nodding slowly. "It's just good to see you happy, again."

"Thanks Antonio." She spoke softly, Antonio patting her arm before stepping past her.

"Tell Shay I said hi. I'll probably be asleep by the time you get back, but I hope you have fun."

Gabby nodded, heading towards the door. "I will. I love you, big brother." She responded, Antonio's smile widening.

"Love you too, sis."

After one last goodbye, she exited the apartment, beginning the walk to the lobby. She felt a little bad for lying to her brother, but she couldn't exactly tell him who she was going to see, or why she was going to see them. It was better this way, no one knowing their arrangement. And she'd be lying if she said it didn't make it all the more fun.

Within fifteen minutes she'd gotten to his apartment, the late time of night making it easier on her commute, Gabby climbing out of her car and locking the doors before heading for the sidewalk, seeing a few lights on in his home. Climbing the steps, she brought her hand up to knock on his door, hearing shuffling behind the wood instantly, a light chuckle leaving her lips as she heard him unlocking the door.

She was quickly met by Casey, seeing a smug grin covering his face as he opened the door.

"Back already?"

"Shut up." She replied lightly, pushing against his chest to make him move to the side, Matt complying as he stepped back, giving her room to enter.

"So, I guess I got lucky, huh?" He questioned quietly, repeating the words from her last text. Gabby's eyebrows raised as she took a step towards him, a challenging smirk covering her face.

"Well, you're about to."

She closed the distance between them, her lips on his before he could even get the door shut, both of them eager to enjoy their evening together.

* * *

**Well, how are you guys feeling? Gabby and Matt seem to be, uh, making the most out of their new arrangement, and it seems like Bryan is trying to make amends with people. Well, some people. Probably not the right people. But I'm interested to see what your opinions are on that. Do you all believe him? Or are you more where Shay's at with this whole thing.**

**I can't wait to hear what you guys thought about this chapter, and what you think might be coming. Thank you so much for reading!**


	9. Chapter Nine

**Here's the next chapter for you guys! I hope you all enjoy!**

**And there is a section of this that is Rated M. Happy reading.**

* * *

**N I N E**

* * *

Casey sat at his desk in his office, tapping his pen against the papers in front of him, trying his hardest to focus on the work he needed to complete. He'd locked himself in here most of the afternoon, Matt being much farther behind on his paperwork than he would've liked, considering Boden was waiting for his reports. But still, he found it hard to focus. Because anywhere he looked in this small room, all he could think about was Gabby.

It had been about two weeks since they started their arrangement, and in that time, there wasn't a part of this office that they hadn't christened. They knew they had to be careful, and they had been, but that didn't mean they couldn't have their fun. And, as far as Matt was concerned, they'd been having a lot of it.

They hadn't ventured outside the confines of his office during their activities in the firehouse yet, it was a risk they weren't sure they should take, although Casey had a few very vivid thoughts about meeting up with Gabby in the back of the ambulance. But they'd managed to have their fair share of excitement, between the few times they've enjoyed their time together in his bunk, the time he had pinned her against the wall between his door and his window, and the most recent time from last shift. The one that had him the most distracted, Matt unable to focus as his thoughts kept going back to how he lifted her onto his desk, Casey remembering the feeling of her teeth sinking into his shoulder as he gripped her hips tightly, their bodies moving together as she sat on the furniture.

They had thoroughly enjoyed their situation the last two weeks, and, as far as Matt knew, the firehouse was completely oblivious. He'd been most worried about Shay finding out, considering she couldn't seem to let go of the thought that he and Gabby had some sort of past. But they'd been careful, and he'd be lying if he said the deception didn't make it much hotter.

It was easy when she'd show up at his apartment late at night. There was nothing to hide from there. But it was when they were at work, or at Molly's, that they had to be cautious. It was easier than he expected at the firehouse, Matt usually leaving it up to Gabby whenever they'd have their fun here. The circumstances had to be right for Gabby to be able to sneak into his office and then sneak back out, but they'd quickly found their rhythm. When at Molly's, they usually kept away from each other, Casey spending his time with Severide while Gabby stayed with Shay, the two only interacting when initiated by their friends. They acted the same, giving away nothing whenever they were around each other.

They had managed to quickly find out how to navigate their new type of relationship, and Casey had never enjoyed anything more. It was exactly as she promised. It was simple, it was uncomplicated. And the sex was fantastic.

Blowing out a breath, Matt shook his head, forcing the thoughts from his head. It was like he couldn't get enough of her, despite the near ridiculous amount of sex they were having. He was always ready for more, as was she.

"Yeah, I'm alright Shay, I'm just gonna shower." Matt's head lifted from his desk, turning to find Shay and Dawson entering the bunkroom, his eyebrows furrowing as he saw what appeared to be blood sprayed over her shirt and on part of her neck.

"Alright, well that was a crazy scene so if you need to talk, I'm here."

"I know, but I promise I'm good." Gabby continued walking through the room, leaving Shay rooted by the door, Matt catching Dawson's gaze as she moved for the locker room, Gabby flashing him a small smile when she passed his office.

Pushing himself up from his desk, he moved to stand in his doorway, his movement gaining Shay's attention. "Hey Casey." She greeted, walking towards him.

"Hey Shay, you guys alright?"

"Oh, yeah we're fine. Just had a rough call, a guy got shot and it was pretty nasty. Gabby was trying to save him, but he'd lost too much blood. It got kinda messy too."

"I'm sorry, Shay." He replied with a frown, glancing towards the exit Gabby had just gone through.

"It's alright, we're fine." The paramedic responded with a small grin. "What about you, what are you up to?"

"Paperwork." He breathed out, Shay's face scrunching in disgust.

"Well I'll leave you to it, Lieutenant." She chuckled, patting him on the shoulder before turning around, heading for the door. Matt stayed still in his spot, watching as she left the bunkroom, Casey guessing she was headed for the common room based on the direction she took.

His gaze flashed back towards the direction Gabby went, taking a deep breath before he began walking in that direction, his legs moving before his mind really understood what he was doing. He knew no one would come in with Dawson showering, and he couldn't fight the urge he felt to check up on her. He knew she was fine. He's come to learn how to read her body language quite well since coming to 51, and ever more so since they started sleeping together, and from the short interaction he had with her minutes ago, he knew she was alright. But still, he wanted the confirmation.

And any other opportunities that presented themselves with him joining her shower were just a bonus.

It was risky, he knew it was. But he couldn't find it in him to stop himself as he continued his path.

Slipping into the bathroom, Matt glanced around, seeing the room empty just as suspected. He slowly walked around the corner, checking to make sure they were alone one last time before moving towards the one closed shower curtain, the sound of the water running acting as cover while Casey began undressing. He was soon bare, his hand reaching out to grip the plastic.

Without warning, he ripped the curtain back, Gabby yelping in surprise as her arms instinctively covered herself, her reaction earning a chuckle from Matt as the man brought his finger up to his lips, signaling her to be quiet.

"Jesus Casey." She breathed out, her hand moving to rest against her chest as she took deep breaths, Matt stepping inside the shower with her, pulling the curtain closed behind him. "You scared the hell out of me."

"I'm sorry." He responded, a small smirk playing on his lips. "I thought you might want some company." His voice was low, Matt's eyes moving down her bare, wet body, his smile growing.

"Feeling a little more dangerous today, aren't we?" She questioned with a raised eyebrow, Matt's hands moving to her hips as he gently moved her back until her body was flush against the wall, Gabby shivering involuntarily as her skin made contact with the cold tile.

"A little." He whispered, pressing his body into hers, the action causing a content sigh to escape through her lips, her hands moving to the back of his neck, pulling his lips towards hers. They connected in a heated kiss, Gabby feeling his growing want against her as she ground her hips into his, Matt deepening the kiss

He pulled back first, placing kisses along her jaw before moving his head back completely, his hands moving further down her hips, tightening his grip as he heard her gasp in his ear.

"You okay?" He spoke softly, trailing kisses back towards her lips, placing a quick, forceful kiss against her before pulling back.

"Well," She spoke, her chest heaving. "I wasn't expecting you to join me but I'm not complaining." She responded with a smirk.

"No, I meant... Shay told me about the call." Gabby's face softened at his words, Matt's thumbs moving across her hip bone. "It sounded pretty rough." Gabby nodded, shrugging her shoulders before finding his gaze again.

"Oh, that. Yeah, I'm okay." She replied, Matt's eyes tracing over her face.

"Are you sure?"

Gabby watched him curiously for a few seconds before nodding. "I'm sure."

"Good." He replied, covering her mouth with his in a feverish kiss, Matt sliding a hand up to cup her breast as he pressed himself against her, swallowing her moans.

Knowing they were most likely on borrowed time, Matt began speeding up the process, Gabby standing on her toes as Matt readied himself before sinking into her, a low whine leaving her lips as he came to rest inside of her. It took them a few seconds to find their rhythm, the new setting providing a challenge until Matt lifted her hips up, Gabby instinctually wrapping her legs around his waist, pulling him deeper into her as he kept her balanced against the wall.

Their pace soon became frantic, Matt's feet planted firmly on the ground as he slammed into her, their wet bodies speeding up their movements as Gabby held onto him. Her body rubbed against the tile from the force of his hips, Matt's thrusts becoming harsher and rougher, the feeling of Gabby's nails digging into his back urging him on to an unrelenting pace.

The feeling of her legs shaking around him, combined with the way her body was clenching him told him she was close, Matt keeping up his steady, furious pace through her finish, Gabby biting down on his lip roughly as she came. Her entire body trembled while Matt kept his stride, his release coming a few moments later.

Matt's body pressed against hers while they caught their breath, Gabby releasing her grip on his back, his hands holding the bottom of her thighs firmly as her head fell to his shoulder.

The sound of the water running and their heavy breaths were all that could be heard in the bathroom, Gabby slowly dropping her legs from around his waist, Matt placing her back on the ground as their bodies disconnected.

Gabby stood there watching him while he stood under the water, a shy smile covering her face as he began quickly washing himself off.

"So not only do you come interrupt my shower, you're now stealing my shower too?" She asked, Matt grinning as he lazily ran soap over his body.

"Figured it was needed after that workout." He responded, Gabby shaking her head as she pushed him out of the way, taking up residence under the stream of water, hearing him chuckle as she went back to what she had started before he interrupted her.

They managed to quickly get cleaned up, Matt leaving the shower before her, the two not wanting to risk getting caught coming out of the showers together. It was risky enough regardless, but the reward had definitely been worth it.

"I'm heading back out there." He spoke through her curtain, Gabby poking her head out to see him fully clothed as she gave him a nod.

"Thanks for stopping by." She responded with a shameless grin, Matt chuckling.

"Any time." He replied, flashing her a soft smile before he headed for the exit, Gabby watching him until he was out of sight.

* * *

Matt put his helmet on his head before jumping down from 81, blowing out a heavy sigh as he quickly took in the scene in front of him. It was a bad one, that he could definitely tell from first glance. It was the type of call that could quickly turn life-threatening if they weren't careful.

Truck, squad, and ambo had all been called out to a house fire, and by the time they got there, it was already going up.

"Alright, 81 we'll take the top floor, squad you take the bottom floor. Let's make this quick, we don't have much time." Casey shouted, earning nods from the men around him as they masked up, quickly heading inside.

Shay and Dawson got prepared for any potential victims, waiting by the ambo with their stretcher and bag, their eyes peeled to the door. They both knew from the looks of it that it was a rough scene. But all they could do was wait and hope everyone made it out okay.

Inside the house, 81 had made it upstairs, having to keep low as the fire blazed the ceiling above them, the halls filled with smoke as they searched the area.

"_No one's down here, Casey._" Severide's voice flowed through the radio.

"Alright, go ahead and clear out, we'll be out soon."

"_Copy that_."

Casey moved through the hallway with Otis and Mouch by his side, the two checking the rooms as quickly and efficiently as possible.

"I don't think anyone's in here, Lieutenant." Mouch shouted loudly over the flames as they were checking the last room.

"Yeah, I think you're right."

"_Casey?_" Kelly called through the radio, grabbing the Lieutenant's attention.

"Yeah Severide?"

"_Smoke's turning black, you all need to get out now._"

"On it." He replied back, pointing towards the door, signaling Mouch and Otis to head out. "Herrmann? Where are you and Walker?" He spoke through the radio, following behind his men to the door.

It took a few seconds for them to respond, Casey ducking as they walked through the hallway. It was getting unbearably hot in the house, Matt knowing the place was likely to flash over soon. "_We're in the last room, Lieutenant. We'll be out in a second._"

"Alright, you heard Severide. Make it quick." Casey spoke roughly through the radio, stopping at the top of the stairs as he looked towards the direction of Herrmann and Walker. He saw them appearing through the thick smoke, Herrmann giving Casey a thumbs up, Matt nodding before beginning to move down the stairs.

Matt quickly found his way to the front door, walking out as quickly as he could, pulling his mask off. Looking around, he saw Dawson and Shay standing nearby, looks of concern covering their faces as Severide walked up to him.

"Where's Herrmann and Walker?" Kelly asked, Matt's eyebrows furrowing as he turned around, seeing nothing but the fiery home behind him.

"They were right behind me." He spoke, reaching for his radio. "Herrmann? Walker? Where are you two?"

Matt's jaw tightened as he waited for either of them to respond, Matt glancing around the scene, accounting for all the other firefighters. "Herrmann?" Matt nearly shouted into the radio.

"_We're coming, Lieutenant._" Herrmann eventually responded, Matt releasing a heavy breath, seeing the worry in Severide's eyes softening. "_Walker thought he heard something, but it was nothing. We're coming_."

"You can explain when you get out, just move." Casey called back, his gaze moving towards the front door, anxiously waiting for his men to exit.

It was only seconds later when fire started shooting out through the windows, Casey stumbling back from the force of the explosion, Kelly's hands coming out to balance him.

Firehouse 51 watched on in horror as the building flashed over, knowing that two of their own were still inside.

"Herrmann! Walker! Report!" Casey yelled frantically into the radio, earning nothing but static in return. "Herrmann!"

"_Herrmann's down, Lieutenant._" Walker's words filled everyone's ears, Matt hurriedly securing his mask back on, Severide following suit. "_Part of the ceiling fell, we're on the landing of the second floor. He's pinned by two beams and I can't lift it on my own._" Bryan coughed out, Casey rushing inside as soon as he was able.

"You all stay out here." Severide shouted at his firefighters, seeing them ready to go in and help. "We don't know what we're dealing with, you are not permitted to go inside." Kelly ordered before running in, disappearing into the smoke.

* * *

Herrmann led Walker out of the far bedroom, the pair having to keep low as fire rolled over their heads. The older firefighter could make out his Lieutenant standing at the top of the stairs, clearly waiting for them. Knowing things inside were quickly going south, Herrmann gave Casey a thumbs up, signaling it was okay for him to head out. He didn't want the man staying in here any longer than he had to.

Herrmann was nearing the stairs, Walker a few steps back, when he heard the floor creaking, Herrmann turning back to find Bryan heading for another room.

"Walker, what are you doing?" Herrmann called, the man ignoring him as he stepped inside the doorway. "The Lieutenant said to get out." He tried again, moving towards his fellow firefighter.

"I heard something, I know I did." Walker replied, searching around the smoke filled room, the walls raging with fire.

"_Herrmann? Walker? Where are you two?_" Casey's voice flooded in through the radio, Herrmann reaching out to grab Walker's arm, but Bryan shrugged him off.

"Walker, we have to go. There's no one in here." He tried again, Bryan looking under the bed.

"_Herrmann_?"

"We're coming, Lieutenant." Herrmann responded, watching Walker move towards the closet. "Walker thought he heard something, but it was nothing. We're coming."

"_You can explain when you get out, just move._"

"Walker, that's enough. We gotta go, it's getting worse." Herrmann tried again, the younger firefighter shaking his head in defeat before giving in.

"Fine." Bryan responded, following Herrmann out of the room.

They barely got to the landing before a loud explosion filled their ears, fire shooting around them as they ducked for cover. Within a second, the ceiling in front of Bryan fell in, toppling Herrmann as the man got trapped underneath it, the firefighter's scream of pain mixing with the sounds of the fire.

"Oh shit." Walker breathed out, rushing to his friend's side, trying to quickly assess the situation. He'd been trapped under two beams, both of them laying across Herrmann's back, the man groaning in agony. "I got you, man. We're gonna get you out of here." Walker replied firmly, smacking against Herrmann's coat, trying to put out the fire the ceiling had brought down on him.

"_Herrmann! Walker! Report!_" Casey's voice filled Walker's ears, Bryan ignoring it as he tried to lift the first beam off of Herrmann, grunting loudly as he failed to move it. "_Herrmann!_"

"Herrmann's down, Lieutenant." Walker responded as he grabbed a hold of his radio. "Part of the ceiling fell, we're on the landing of the second floor. He's pinned by two beams and I can't lift it on my own." Bryan dropped his hand from the radio, using all his strength to try and move the ceiling off of Herrmann.

"We're gonna get you out of here, I promise." Walker said again, his body filling with worry as he took in the state of his friend. "I'm sorry, Herrmann."

"Walker!" Bryan turned to see Casey rushing up the steps, the man quickly assessing the situation.

"Lieutenant, we gotta get him out of here. His mask broke in the fall, he's breathing in all this smoke." Walker blurted out in a hurry, Casey getting on the opposite side of the trapped firefighter, Walker glancing up as Severide came to their side.

"Alright, let's get this first one. On my count. 1… 2… 3, lift." All three men lifted the beam with ease, moving it aside before doing the same with the other one, Casey brushing the debris off of Herrmann's back.

"Herrmann, can you hear me?" Casey called as he and Severide each grabbed an arm, earning a low groan from the man. "We got you, buddy. We're gonna get you to the hospital."

The firefighters began maneuvering down the steps, Walker following closely behind as Kelly and Matt carried his dead weight. Using his free hand, Casey reached for his radio.

"Dawson, Shay, we need you as soon as we're out. Herrmann's hurt."

"_Got it, Casey._" Shay answered, Matt focusing his attention on Herrmann as they navigated through the burning house, eventually finding their way to the exit.

As soon as they saw daylight, they were met by many firefighters, Cruz assisting them as they practically carried Herrmann towards the stretcher, placing his body on it as carefully as possible.

Casey ripped his mask off, watching as Dawson and Shay diligently got to work, Gabby easily prying the broken mask from Herrmann's face.

"The beams landed on his back, I'm not sure what kind of damage was done but they were pretty heavy." Casey breathed out, his eyes fixated on Herrmann's barely conscious form.

"We got him, Casey." Shay responded.

"Are you taking him to med?"

"Yeah, in a minute."

"Alright, we'll be over there once we finish up here. Take good care of him." He knew the words didn't need to be said, but Shay flashed him a smile, nodding nonetheless as she went back to work.

Tearing his eyes from Herrmann, Casey's gaze bounced around the scene, landing on the one man who could answer all the questions he had. The man who was standing back a ways from what was going on.

"Walker!" Casey shouted angrily, Bryan's head snapping towards him. "What the hell happened in there?" Matt came stomping towards him, Bryan meeting him halfway as they came to stop a few yards from the group.

"I thought I heard something, I-"

"I told you to get out. Multiple times."

"I know, but I just needed to be sure."

"And look what happened." He bit out.

"I was checking the room you were in with Mouch and Otis, it sounded like someone was in there, I couldn't leave-"

"Enough!" Casey's voice boomed through the street, his harsh glare focused on Walker. "I don't care what you thought you heard, when I tell you to get out, you get out."

"But Lieutenant-"

"No! If we missed something, that's on me. I cleared the room, it's my responsibility. But what's also my responsibility is the lives of my firefighters. And you jeopardized not only yourself, but someone else. You disobeyed a direct order, you could've got Herrmann killed." He shouted, ignoring the looks from their fellow firefighters, Matt's anger breaking enough to register Severide helping load Herrmann into the back of the ambulance.

Walker was fuming, Casey could tell, but Matt was equally as angry, if not more so.

"Lieutenant, if I could just-"

"I don't want to hear any of your excuses, Walker. The beginning and end of it is your actions are sending Herrmann to the hospital." He spoke sternly, pointing towards the retreating ambulance as he spoke. "I know you had good intentions, that's not the point. The point is you disregarded what I told you to do, because I knew it wasn't safe. You thought you knew better than I did, and this is what can't happen. You calling the shots when a superior tells you otherwise. You stood in front of me and told me I had no reason to doubt you, that I could trust you. Well, I don't. Not after this." Casey's voice was rigid, Bryan standing there silently, clenching his throat to keep himself from saying something he shouldn't. "Trust has to be earned, Walker. You said so yourself. I put my trust in you and look what happened. Now I know for next time."

"You can trust me." Walker interjected, his words sharp. "I made a mistake, I know I did, but I was trying to help. I was trying to do my job. If this was anyone else, you wouldn't be laying into them like this."

Casey's eyes narrowed at Walker's words, the Lieutenant talking a step closer to his firefighter. Walker took a slight step back, the look on Casey's face taking him by surprise. He'd never seen him this angry before, and, even to Bryan, it was a little unsettling.

"Once we finish here, we're gonna go to the hospital to make sure Herrmann's alright. When we get back to the house, I want you scrubbing the showers." Walker opened his mouth to protest, but Casey put his hand up, halting his words. "I want them spotless, do you understand?"

"Lieutenant, I-"

"It's not up for discussion." He spoke sternly. "If you're gonna make the mistakes of a candidate, I'm going to treat you like one."

Without another word, Casey stomped away, heading towards Severide to help navigate their work, knowing they needed to get this fire put out quickly. Walker stayed rooted in his spot, anger coursing through his veins, Bryan throwing his helmet forcefully to the ground before he stormed towards the rig, needing a moment to cool off.

* * *

Casey sat at the head of the table in the common room, newspaper in hand as he haphazardly read through the articles. He wasn't paying much attention to it, but it was a good distraction as he waited for 61 to get back.

It was well into the evening now, the events of the last call changing up their plans for the night. Once 51 finished at the scene, truck and squad packed up to head for med. When they got there, they were informed by Dawson and Shay that Herrmann was fine, he was getting tests done, but they didn't think it was anything more than some bruised ribs, smoke inhalation, and a few contusions on his back. Luckily his gear had done its job and protected him from the fire, everyone knowing his injuries could've been much more severe.

After spending a few hours at the hospital, they decided to call it a night, knowing they wouldn't be allowed to see him until morning anyway. Halfway back to the house, 61 had gotten called out to a car accident, parting ways with truck 81 and squad 3. And since truck had returned to the house, Casey had been stuck in this spot, waiting to see if Dawson or Shay had any other update on Herrmann, knowing they'd certainly ask when they got back to med.

Casey only had to wait a few more minutes before the paramedics entered the room, small, tired smiles resting on their faces as they greeted him. Aside from a few other firefighters, Casey was alone in the room, most of his coworkers already in their bunks, needing rest after the long day.

"Any update on Herrmann?" Casey asked, glancing back and forth between the two women.

"He's the same." Gabby replied. "They got him in a room, Shay bribed a nurse to let us see him, but he was basically passed out. We talked to Cindy, she said he was doing fine. They're gonna keep him overnight, and probably most of the day tomorrow, but he'll be fine. Should make a full recovery."

"Good, I'm glad." Casey responded, blowing out a heavy sigh, shaking his head softly.

Gabby's eyebrows furrowed as she saw his reaction, glancing up to Shay seeing her equally as confused.

"Casey, you know this wasn't your fault right?" Shay asked, Matt looking up at her as she stood by his side. "You told them to get out, more than once. And Severide told them, too. There wasn't anything you could've done."

"I should've stayed in there until I knew they were coming." He breathed out. "I just assumed they were right behind me, I won't make that mistake again."

"If anything, this was Walker's doing. Whatever had him staying inside that house, that's not your fault." Shay tried again, Matt shrugging as he flashed them a forced smile.

"Thanks Shay." He responded, sliding back his chair and pushing himself up. "And thanks for checking in on Herrmann."

"Yeah, of course." Dawson responded softly.

Without many more words, Casey slipped by them, muttering how he needed to take care of something before he left, Matt walking down the hallway towards the bathrooms. It was late, but he knew Walker would still be working on his task, or he should be at least. Pushing open the door, Matt stepped inside, hearing the sounds of scrubbing against tile, Casey walking around the corner to the showers, seeing Walker half inside the last stall.

Matt stepped closer to him, crossing his arms over his chest as he stood there silently, his presence soon being noticed.

"I'm almost done, Lieutenant." Walker replied, huffing out a breath as he got back to work. Casey merely nodded, Bryan feeling his Lieutenant's eyes on him, Walker finding himself getting annoyed by him standing there but not saying anything. "Did you need something?" He eventually asked, Casey's eyebrows raising.

"I came here to speak with you, firefighter to firefighter, because I need you to understand something." Matt started, Bryan taking a deep breath as he placed the scrub brush on the ground, standing up to face Casey. "The way you handled that call today, that's how people get killed." He spoke, his voice strong. "I know why you did it, I do. And if we're being honest, at one point in time I probably would've done the same thing."

"Then why did I get my ass handed to me back at the call?" Walker asked, unable to stop himself.

"Because anyone would have. You were reckless, and careless, not only with your own life, but Herrmann's as well. Your actions put Herrmann in the hospital."

"But he's going to be okay, Lieutenant." Bryan interjected, Matt sighing heavily.

"And what if he wasn't? Yeah, he's going to be fine, thank God, but what if his injuries had been worse? What if the beam had hit him in the head? Or broken his back? What if you both had gotten trapped under the ceiling when it fell? There are a hundred different ways today could've gone so much worse, yet all you're focused on is being pissed off that I reprimanded you."

"Lieutenant-"

Casey shook his head, telling him to be quiet. "Your first response to me trying to get through to you was you making an excuse. You don't care that you disobeyed orders, you care because it got you in trouble." He spoke, his voice low. "When I told you that I thought your ego could get someone killed, I was right. What you did on that call today, it was dangerous and it was stupid. Yeah, it could've been worse. Herrmann could've gotten killed, or you could've, or the both of you. But you didn't. You got lucky that Herrmann walked away. But you're still only focused on yourself. My problem with your actions isn't even completely what you did, it's how you've acted since. You don't seem to understand the problem with what happened today… I don't trust you, Walker. I can't trust you, because I trust you and then things like today happen."

"So what, you're benching me?"

"No, I'm not. But think of this as a warning. Because if you pull anything like this again, it's done. I can't be more worried about making sure you don't do something stupid than I am about saving people, that's dangerous for all of us."

Walker took a deep breath, his face hard as he slowly nodded. He knew he couldn't say anything without it coming back to bite him in the ass, so he stayed quiet.

"Despite what you may think, I really do not want us having problems Walker. I meant what I said, you're one hell of a firefighter. But your attitude towards this job needs adjusting, or next time you might not get so lucky." Casey spoke, turning around and leaving the bathroom without another word. Walker waited until he heard the door shut before releasing his anger, kicking the bucket of supplies roughly, slamming his hand against the wall while rage flooded through him, Casey's words ringing in his head.

* * *

"Kinda light crowd in here tonight." Gabby spoke as she stepped towards the bar, her voice capturing Shay's attention, the blonde giving her a smile small.

"Yeah, well, they heard you were coming and ran the other way." Shay teased, Gabby scoffing lightly as she sat down at the bar.

"You the only one here?" Gabby asked while Shay placed a drink down in front of her, nodding in thanks as she took a sip.

"Otis should be here soon, he was at the hospital with Herrmann." Shay answered, wiping down the bar top with her rag. "And there's a few squad guys over there." The blonde spoke, nodding towards the back table. "Casey's here somewhere, he ran off to the bathroom like twenty minutes ago, I'm not sure- oh, well never mind, there he is." She spoke with a teasing tone to her voice, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing as she followed Shay's eyes, finding Matt across the bar, talking to a woman. "Looks like he's found some better company." Shay joked, Gabby unable to look away from him.

Unable to look away from him and that woman.

She didn't care that he was talking to another woman, they weren't dating, it didn't matter. He could do whatever, or whoever, he wanted. But that didn't stop the weird, sinking feeling in her gut as she watched him talk with this girl. How this woman was so obviously flirting with him, enjoying his attention. How she kept touching him, her hands lingering too long for comfort. How each time she kept placing her hand against his chest, she was touching places that still held Gabby's marks.

Gabby didn't care that he was flirting with someone else. She didn't.

But she didn't particularly want to keep watching it, either.

"Well, good for him." Shay laughed out as Gabby looked back towards her friend.

"No Severide tonight?" Dawson changed the subject, down a large sip of her drink, Shay eyeing her friend's actions curiously before responding.

"Uh, no. He's at home. I think after last shift, he just wanted to decompress a little bit."

"Yeah, it was a rough one." Gabby mused, finishing off her drink before placing the empty glass down on the bar.

"Had Walker not tried to be the big hero, it would've been a lot easier." Shay breathed out, Gabby glancing towards her. "Casey really let him have it, though."

"Yeah, he did."

"Maybe it'll stop Walker from doing stupid shit like that again, since he actually got someone injured this time."

"I don't know… I think he thought he was doing the right thing." Gabby murmured, Shay's narrowed, confused gaze landing on her.

"What?" She questioned. "You agree with what he did?" Her tone wasn't hostile, just confused, Gabby shaking her head.

"I'm not defending it. What he did was definitely stupid and he deserved to get called out for it. It could've been a lot worse. But I think he actually was just trying to do the right thing… Who knows, I'm probably wrong. Wouldn't be the first time." She muttered, Shay's gaze shifting from confusion to concern, her worried eyes watching her closely.

"Are you okay, Dawson?"

Gabby flashed her a weak smile, nodding slowly. "Yeah, I'm good. Just tired. Been a long few days." Shay nodded in understanding, not having the chance to respond as her name was being called further down the bar, a few patrons waiting on refills.

"I'll be right back." She spoke, Gabby giving her a nod before the blonde walked away.

Blowing out a soft breath, Gabby's eyes moved around the bar, her gaze soon landing back on Casey and that woman. They were still talking, and Gabby didn't even know what they could've been talking about for this long. But while she couldn't see Matt's face from here, she could see the woman's. And she recognized the gleam in her eye. She definitely had plans for Casey that went past hanging out at a bar.

Before she could even think through her actions, she pulled out her phone, sending a quick text to Matt, her hands moving quicker than her head.

'_Wanna meet at your place in half an hour?_'

Gabby saw the moment he registered he had a message, Matt seemingly apologizing to the girl before pulling his phone from his pocket, staring at it for a few seconds before responding.

'_Wasn't sure I was gonna hear from you this evening…_'

Gabby rolled her eyes, typing back a quick message, her words sounding more bitter than she meant them.

'_I know you're busy with the blonde, but I was just asking_.'

She could see his confusion from here as he read her message, his eyes darting around the room before finally landing on her. Something flashed in his gaze, a look Gabby couldn't quite read, but it looked like something along the lines of guilt. The look soon turned into one of near amusement, Gabby raising her eyebrows challengingly before he typed out another message, Gabby receiving it instantly, a proud smirk covering her face.

'_I'll see you in 30 minutes_.'

Gabby watched as he turned his attention back to the woman. She wasn't sure what was said, but whatever it was, the girl didn't seem to like it, Matt moving away from her towards the table where the guys from 51 were sitting.

"Alright, I'm back." Shay spoke, grabbing Gabby's attention away from Matt.

"I actually gotta get going." Gabby spoke, Shay's tongue running over her bottom lip.

"If this was what I said about Walker-"

"No, no it's not about him. I don't care about that." Gabby was quick to assure her, Shay nodding slowly. "I'm just more tired than I realized. I'm gonna head home."

"Okay, well I'm glad you stopped by." Shay responded softly, Gabby giving her a smile.

"Yeah, me too. Maybe tomorrow night you and I can do something, go out to eat, or maybe just order pizza and drink."

A wide, agreeing grin fell onto Shay's face, the blonde nodding. "I think the way you think, Dawson."

Chuckling softly, Gabby pushed herself up off the stool, sliding it back against the bar. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Night Gabby." Shay responded as Dawson moved towards the door, her eyes finding Casey's across the bar, Matt flashing her a smug grin before she looked away, heading out into the cold street.

* * *

"You could've waited in your car." Gabby looked up from her seat on the steps, seeing Matt approaching her, his hands shoved in his pockets.

"Well, I didn't realize you'd take this long." She replied, Casey holding out his hand to help her up, Gabby hesitating for a moment before taking it.

"Sorry, I was trying to wait to make sure Shay didn't suspect anything. I didn't want to leave right after you." He explained, Gabby nodding as they moved towards his front door, stepping inside the warm apartment, Gabby's body instantly reacting to the change in temperature.

The two began shedding their coats and their boots, Gabby walking towards the living room as Matt followed.

"So, uh," She cleared her throat, turning around to face him as they stood near the couch, Matt's eyes running over her flushed skin. "Sorry if I ruined your night with what's her name."

Matt's eyebrows raised as he stared at her, a low chuckle escaping through his lips. "She could've been the next great love of my life, now we'll never know." He teased, Gabby rolling her eyes.

"You could've said no, brought her back here instead of me." She muttered, avoiding his eye contact as her hands moved towards the buttons on his shirt, beginning to steadily unbutton them.

Matt's gaze never left her face, realization washing over him as she concentrated on his shirt. "You were jealous." He murmured, her eyes widening slightly as she looked back up at him, her look of confusion soon morphing into one of amusement.

"Oh, you wish." She responded, parting his shirt open, her cold hands sliding under the material, Matt hissing as she made contact with his warm chest. Within seconds, his shirt was on the floor, Gabby pushing him back towards the couch, Matt landing in the middle of the cushions.

"It's okay, you know." He spoke quietly, Gabby straddling his waist, his hands instinctively moving to her hips. "That you were jealous."

"You talk too much." She responded, her lips covering his before he could get another word in, his grip on her hips tightening as she deepened the kiss.

They soon fell into their usual rhythm with one another, Matt ripping the clothes off of her frantically, Gabby ridding him of the rest of his as well, every movement fast and filled with desire. Before they even realized it, they were moving as one, Gabby taking control as she ground down onto him, their loud moans and grunts filling the otherwise silent apartment.

* * *

Gabby slid on her pants as she stood in the living room, buttoning the clothing before moving to find her shirt.

"You heading home?" Casey asked as he appeared from the hallway, having coming back from his bedroom now wearing a pair of sweatpants. Gabby nodded, sliding her shirt over her head as he walked towards her, sitting down on the couch they'd just spent the last hour on.

"Yeah." She responded softly.

A somewhat thick silence filled the air around them for a few moments, Gabby unsure of what had caused the shift in the room. But she wasn't so sure she wanted to stick around to find out.

"I meant what I said, you know." He finally spoke, Gabby eyeing him curiously. "It's okay that you were jealous." All traces of teasing were gone from his voice, his sincere words filling her ears.

"I wasn't jealous." She responded again, her voice a bit more forceful than before. "You can do whatever you want, we're not together."

"I know that. But I also know it had to be weird, seeing another woman flirting with me."

"What are you doing, Casey?" She asked with a heavy sigh, Matt nodding at her to sit down. Closing her eyes momentarily, she placed herself down on the coffee table in front of him, her elbows resting against her knees.

"All I'm saying is I understand the feeling. Though we've had fun, we haven't exactly talked a lot about all this, we kind of just jumped into it."

"Talked about what?" She questioned, running her hand through her hair. "Talking makes things complicated, and neither of us want complicated. Why can't we just keep going like we have been?"

"Because of what happened tonight." He responded, Gabby taking a deep breath. "How would you have actually felt if I said no to you and went home with her instead?"

Gabby remained silent, her bottom lip falling between her teeth as she thought over his words, unable to ignore the heavy feeling in her gut.

"See?" He responded when she said nothing. "We gotta make sure we're on the same page, here. Or someone's gonna end up getting hurt."

"Fine." She responded quietly, clenching her hands together. "What do you wanna talk about?"

"I know this is just sex, that neither of us are looking for a relationship, but are we still sleeping with other people?" He questioned, her eyes moving to the ground.

"I can't stop you, you're not my boyfriend."

"Yeah, but- I'd feel weird about doing it, if it would upset you. If this is an exclusive friends with benefits situation, that's fine. I just don't know."

"This is getting dangerously close to relationship territory, Casey." She breathed out, forcing herself to look back up at him.

"There's a difference between being in a relationship, and me just not being an asshole." He responded bluntly, earning a slight smile from Gabby.

"... I haven't been sleeping with anyone else. I'm not gonna sit here and tell you you can't, but I haven't been. I don't know, I'm not even sure I would anyway. I mean, you and I seem to be doing just fine." A small smirk came to his lips as she spoke, Matt nodding.

He knew he wouldn't be able to get her to come out and say she didn't want him sleeping with other people, whether it was because she felt like she couldn't, or because she truly just didn't care, Matt knew she wouldn't say it. But he had the feeling the idea bothered her more than she let on.

"Well how about this. Nothing will change between us, but for now, we won't see other people. Until something changes, unless one of us meets someone or something, we'll just continue our arrangement as planned." He spoke, watching her closely. "That sound okay?"

Gabby merely nodded, unsure of how to respond. She couldn't understand why the thought of him going home with someone that wasn't her bothered her so much. All she could figure was that she'd never done something like this before, so her gut reaction was to feel weird about the man she's sleeping with going out and sleeping with someone else. But they're not a couple, they're not together and she doesn't want to be; she just couldn't explain the feeling that had settled in her stomach since seeing him at Molly's. And she certainly couldn't explain why that feeling lifted as soon as they came to an understanding. She didn't understand any of it.

"Alright, good." He responded, knowing he wasn't gonna get anything else out of her.

"I'm gonna, uh, head out. I'll see you at work, Casey." Gabby pushed herself up from the coffee table, Matt giving her a nod as she moved towards the door. He followed her path, holding open the door for her while she put on her jacket.

"See you then."

Without another word, Gabby left, Matt watching her go from the doorway, waiting until she got into her car before closing the door, the two going their separate ways.

* * *

Walker sat at the bar, swirling his glass around as he tuned out the noise around him. He was well into his fourth or fifth drink of the night, Bryan hoping the alcohol would dampen the anger that had yet to leave his system.

After the shift he had, he'd needed a drink. Definitely more than one. But he knew Molly's wasn't a place he wanted to be tonight, so he found himself back at a bar he'd frequent quite often the last year. It was across town, somewhere where no one had known him the first time he walked in, a place he'd used to pick up women from time to time.

But now he was here just for the alcohol.

He was pissed off, and despite being here for the last few hours drowning himself in his drinks, he found himself more angry than when he arrived. He didn't understand what Casey's issue with him was. No matter what the Lieutenant said, he wouldn't have punished any other firefighter like he laid into him yesterday, Walker was sure of it.

Bryan did what he thought was best, he shouldn't have been punished for that. He was doing his job. Of course he wished nothing had happened to Herrmann, he'd never want anyone to get hurt, especially not because of him. But he was just trying to do his job, he didn't know why Casey couldn't understand that.

"Damn, Bryan Walker is that you?"

Bryan looked up, seeing a familiar face walking towards him with a bright smile.

"Hey Johnny, it's been awhile." Walker responded, bringing in his friend for a quick hug.

"How you been doing, man? How's work? Still at 51?"

"Yup, sure am. Everything's going pretty well, got a new Lieutenant… it's been an adjustment but I'm doing alright. What about you? How's Firehouse 10 treating you?"

"Oh, I'm at 114 now, but it's been going well. A much better fit for me." Johnny responded, Bryan nodding. Walker had met Johnny Lewis fresh out of the academy. The house where Walker did his candidacy, Firehouse 10, Lewis had been the candidate before him. The two became fast friends, Johnny helping him navigate life as a firefighter. When Walker had moved to 51 once his candidacy finished, they lost touch for awhile. But when Walker first started coming to this bar over a year ago, they ran into each other again and rekindled their friendship. "You said you have a new Lieutenant?"

"Oh, yeah. He hasn't been there long, a little over a month."

"Who is it? Maybe I know him?"

"Matt Casey."

Bryan watched as Johnny's eyes widened, his friend scoffing as he shook his head.

"Wow…"

"What? You know him?" Walker asked curiously.

"I know of him, sounds like a real piece of work." Johnny breathed out.

"What have you heard?"

"He has quite the reputation around the department. I'm surprised headquarters keeps giving him a job. I guess they must really like him over there." Johnny continued, Walker placing his drink down on the bar. "He beat the shit out of one of his men at his last house."

Confusion and shock filled Bryan's body, the man unsure he was hearing his friend correctly. "What?"

"Yeah, I'm surprised you all don't know about this. I guess one night Casey and his wife were out at a bar, he had too much to drink and started getting a little rough with her. One of his men stepped in to stop it and Casey beat the shit out of him. Put him in the hospital."

Walker sat there stunned, shock flooding his body as he thought over what he'd just learned about his new Lieutenant.

"Wow, that's… insane. I didn't even know he was married."

"Well, I guess he's not anymore. Word is he left his wife, even though she's pregnant."

"Jesus Christ." Walker breathed out, shaking his head.

"Yeah, I've never met him but I'm not sure I want to." Johnny replied, taking a sip of his drink. "Just be careful around him, man. Who knows what he's capable of."

"Yeah, I will." Walker responded, Johnny patting him on the back.

"Well, it was good to see you man. Have a good night."

"You too." Walker spoke, his mind elsewhere as his friend walked away, leaving him alone at the bar.

Bryan had no idea what to make of what he'd been told. Despite how he felt about his Lieutenant, he never saw him as being an abuser. But Walker also was aware he didn't know the man very well, in fact he didn't know him at all.

And neither did anyone else at the house.

They all thought Casey was this perfect guy, that he could do no wrong. He'd come into the house all high and mighty, and everyone had just gone along with it. They had no idea the type of man they were working with.

But they were about to.

* * *

**So, how are we feeling? Looks like Walker has discovered something in Casey's past. I'm sure you all have questions about what Bryan was told, and are probably very confused, but keep in mind, there's always two sides to every story.**

**I got a review talking about how they weren't sure them being friends with benefits was a good idea, and that Matt's behavior was kind of surprising to them, and I wanted to address that. There is a reason why Matt acts the way he does, he's still Matt, but he's definitely more of the player-type than he is on the show, but there's a reason for that. We just haven't gotten to it yet. Obviously, the situation they're in is tricky, and it could end up badly, but you all will have to wait to see how it all plays out. But Matt has his reasons for why he is the way he is. We've seen some of what Gabby's gone through, but we haven't really dived into Matt's past yet. It's coming (and with the end of the chapter, I'm sure you all have a lot of questions), and I think it will help explain a lot.**

**Thank you all so much for reading this chapter! I can't wait to hear your thoughts!**


	10. Chapter Ten

**Hello hello! Here's another chapter for you guys!**

**It's crazy that we're already on chapter ten of this story. It's been just a little over a month since I first published this, and all the support and love I've gotten has been incredible. I'm so glad you all are enjoying it!**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**T E N**

* * *

Gabby blew out a content sigh, rolling off of Matt as she fell down onto his mattress, her chest heaving as she held the sheets to her bare body. Glancing to him, she saw a proud smirk on his face, his arm moving to rest behind his head as he looked to her.

"You seemed to really enjoy that one." He spoke between deep breaths, Gabby rolling her eyes playfully, releasing a light scoff.

"Says the man who lasted all of five minutes." She joked back, his free hand resting against his chest.

"I was doing fine until you started doing that last thing." Matt spoke with a sheepish grin, Gabby feeling heat rise to her cheeks. "You left me no choice." He admitted, chuckling softly.

"Well, I was feeling inspired… I'm glad you liked it." She replied lightly, pushing her hair out of her face, Gabby finally regaining control of her extremities.

"Hopefully I can inspire you like that more often." He responded, tossing the sheets off his waist as he pushed himself up, sitting on the edge of the bed. Gabby watched as he reached down to the floor for his boxers, Matt standing up to slide them on, her eyes being drawn to the rough patch of skin on his lower back, wrapping around his side.

She'd noticed it their first night together, but she never asked him what had happened. Before she knew he was a firefighter, she had no idea what would've caused such scarring on him, Gabby assuming it had something to do with his construction job. But once she learned of his main profession, she assumed it happened on a call. Practically every firefighter she knew had scars, some worse than others, but this looked pretty bad.

There was a slight discolored patch of skin on his lower back, it was only a few inches wide, but Gabby knew that to be the remains of a skin graft. But partially covering that area, as well as moving to cover part of his side were rough scars. She wasn't sure if it was something he wanted to talk about it, and that maybe she should just leave it alone, but she was curious.

"If, uh, you don't mind my asking," She spoke hesitantly, Matt glancing back towards her, "how'd you get that?" Gabby caught his confused gaze, clearing her throat before elaborating. "The scar on your side." Realization settled in over his face as she spoke, Matt turning his body to face hers. "It looks pretty bad."

"Oh, that." He responded softly, his eyes moving away from her as he focused his attention on his sheets, mindlessly picking at the edge of the material.

Sensing the shift in his demeanor, she rested herself up on her elbows, watching him closely. "You don't have to tell me, I just always noticed it and was curious. But I shouldn't have asked."

"No, no it's fine." He responded, flashing her a small smile. "...It happened when I was a candidate."

"Wow, all those years ago, huh?" She teased gently, hoping to ease some of the anxiety from his body. Her grin widened when she saw him chuckle softly, shaking his head.

"Yeah, all those years ago." He responded, the smile her words brought to his lips falling. "But I got trapped in a house. The roof caved in, sent part of the top floor crumbling and I ended up trapped under the debris down on the first floor. I'm lucky to only have these scars, but it wasn't pretty." He admitted, Gabby grimacing as he spoke. "I don't really even remember most of it, my memories from that day are hazy, at best. I had a pretty nasty concussion, I had some issues from that for awhile."

"I'm sorry, Matt." She murmured, Casey waving his hand, Gabby sitting up completely in his bed, holding the sheets to her body.

"It's okay. I only really remember what people tell me, but I was impaled by something that fell through the floor. I still don't really know what it was, but it went straight through my coat and lodged in my back." Gabby winced, shaking her head in disbelief. "That's how my side was exposed while I was laying there, and I got burned. I guess I got lucky in the sense that since I don't remember anything, I don't remember the pain, but I was stuck there for about half an hour."

"That's awful."

"It wasn't great. The recovery was the worst part, especially with my head. I had problems with my memory for a bit, I had to take a lot of time off. For awhile I thought it was gonna derail my entire career, but I got back. It took about five months, but I eventually got back on the job."

"I had no idea." She spoke softly, wearing a sympathetic smile. "I didn't think it was anything that serious, but I'm glad you're okay."

Matt smiled appreciatively, resting his hands in his lap. "Yeah, me too… But I think that's part of why I laid into Walker the way I did." Gabby's spine straightened at his words, resting her forearms over her knees. "Because when I saw Herrmann, all I could think about was what happened to me, and it just…" He trailed off, Gabby staying silent as he searched for the right words. She could tell he needed to get this off his chest, and she didn't mind being the person he did that with. "I know, from experience, how much worse it could've been. And then the way he was acting so casually about it, it just kind of got to me." He breathed out, rubbing his hand over his mouth. "Sorry, I know you don't want to hear this. And I shouldn't have mentioned him, I wasn't thinking I'm-"

"It's fine, Matt." She interjected, catching his gaze. "Really, I don't mind. You talking about Walker isn't going to hurt my feelings." She promised, Matt's eyes flickering over her face before nodding.

"Okay, I just don't want to make you uncomfortable."

"I'm good. Trust me."

Matt nodded, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I think seeing that happen just triggered everything, and I probably was harsher on him than I should've been. But seeing Herrmann trapped just brought back the few memories I do remember, and it kind of made me lose my cool for a second."

"That's understandable, though." She responded. "I mean, I only heard bits of what you said to him but from what I did hear, you weren't wrong. From my experience with him, a lot of times he'll do something in the moment thinking he's right, and not realize until later that he was wrong. But despite his intentions, he still messed up. You weren't wrong for what you did. And especially since this has happened to you before, you were trying to make sure he didn't make that mistake again because you know how bad those situations can get."

"Yeah, I guess." He breathed out, shaking his head lightly.

Gabby was a little caught off guard by this different side to him. In the time they'd known each other, she'd never seen him second guess himself, especially not when it came to work. He was always self-assured in his decisions, but she could tell this was different. He was having a hard time, and admittedly, she didn't enjoy seeing him down on himself.

"Casey, you did the right thing." She spoke again, their eyes locking. "Don't second guess yourself. It's better to be a little harsher than you need to if it'll keep the same mistakes from happening later. Walker will get over it, you're his Lieutenant, you're the one responsible for keeping your men safe. And, not to inflate your ego, but from what I've seen you're pretty damn good at your job." She said with a grin, Matt chuckling. "Whatever was said between you and Walker, it'll be fine. You're his boss and he knows that."

Matt nodded, Gabby's eyes raking over his face before settling back on his eyes, the man wearing a look she couldn't read.

"What?" She questioned with raised eyebrows, a slight smirk playing on her lips as she saw the gleam in his eye.

"Nothing, just thinking maybe you should take my job." He responded with a soft laugh. "You're pretty good at it.

"Yeah, let me go talk to Boden about that. I'm sure he'll be fine with it, knowing I have your blessing." She joked back, shaking her head in amusement, Matt pushing himself up from the bed with a grin.

"But, seriously, thank you for that." There was not a trace of any teasing or joking in his voice now, Matt's words sincere and soft. "I appreciate it."

Gabby simply nodded, Matt flashing her a small smile before moving towards the bedroom door.

"I'm gonna get something to drink, you need anything?"

"I'm good."

With another nod, Matt disappeared through the door, Gabby taking a deep breath before collapsing back onto the bed, her mind running through the conversation they'd just had, Gabby unable to stop the heavy feeling in her gut as she thought about what Matt had gone through.

* * *

Bryan sat alone on the bench in the locker room, his eyes glued to the scribbled out 'Casey' marking his Lieutenant's locker. It had barely been a day and a half since Walker had learned about Casey's past, and in that time he hadn't been able to come to a decision about how to handle the information. He knew he needed to be smart, that he had a sure way to get Casey off of his back once the man knew he was aware of his less than moral history.

But what Walker couldn't decide was if he wanted to share this news with the house. He felt like they deserved to know what kind of man they were working with, but Bryan was aware that if he just up and told everyone, he wouldn't really have any cards left to play. He wouldn't have the upper hand over his Lieutenant, not unless the house hearing the news ended with Casey getting transferred.

He wasn't sure what he should do, but he knew he was going to do something. Casey couldn't keep walking around here like he owned the place, Walker wouldn't let him. Not when he knew who the guy really was.

He was an abusive asshole. And Walker knew he could use that to his advantage.

He just had to find the right way to go about it. And maybe have some fun at Casey's expense in the process.

* * *

Casey stepped into the conference room, seeing a few firefighters gathered in the room already, Matt flashing them small smiles as he headed for Severide, his friend resting against the back wall.

"Hey Kelly."

"Hey man. You doing alright?"

Matt nodded, his arms crossing over his chest as he leaned against the brick, mimicking Severide's stance.

"I'm good. Went and visited Herrmann this morning in the hospital."

"How is he?"

"He's doing good, he was about to be discharged when I was there. He looked more than ready to get out of there, but he said he's feeling good."

"Good, that's good." Kelly mused, Matt's eyes finding Walker as the man entered the room, Bryan's gaze locking with Casey's almost instantly, a smug smirk resting on his lips. Matt's eyebrows furrowed at the man's action, Walker moving towards an empty seat, sitting down next to Mouch. "Did he know anything about how long he was gonna be out?"

Matt looked away from Walker, not able to dwell on the strange interaction right now. "Uh, he wasn't really sure, but a few shifts at least."

Casey turned towards the sound of the door beside Severide opening, looking as Dawson and Shay entered, the blonde stopping by her best friend, Gabby coming around beside her.

"Severide, Casey, hello." She greeted, squeezing Kelly's shoulder.

"Hey Shay." Matt responded, nodding towards her and Dawson.

"Did you have a good couple of days off?" Shay asked, earning a nod from Casey.

"Yeah, I did." He had to stop himself from glancing towards Gabby, knowing his look would surely be caught by Shay, and that was not something he wanted to explain right now.

Their conversation was halted as Boden stepped into the room, Shay and Dawson taking the seats at the table in front of Matt, everyone's attention moving towards their Chief.

"Now, before we get started, I want to address what all of you are obviously worried about. I've spoken with Herrmann this morning, and I know Casey went to visit him, but he's doing well. He's home from the hospital, he'll have to take it easy for a bit, he'll be out for at least the next three shifts, maybe more. It'll just depend on his recovery. But the important thing is he'll be okay."

It was like a weight had been lifted from around the room, everyone thankful their coworker and friend was going to be alright.

"But there was a mixup at headquarters, we were supposed to be assigned a floater to start covering him, but the paperwork got messed up, so 81 will be a man short this shift. I'm sorry for the late notice, I didn't know until about ten minutes ago."

"It's fine, Chief." Casey replied from the back of the room. "We've got it covered, nothing to worry about."

Boden nodded, placing his hands on his hips before speaking.

"I know last shift was a lot, but we've been in similar situations before. Just go out and do your jobs, focus on the work, and listen to your Lieutenants." Boden spoke, Casey's eyes flickering towards Walker, seeing the man already staring at him, almost with a challenging look on his face. Casey met his look with a narrowed gaze, Bryan smirking before turning away, refocusing his attention on Boden. Matt had no idea what Bryan's demeanor was about, but there was no reason for him to be walking around as smugly as he was. It was something Casey knew he'd have to keep an eye on, especially being a man down.

Their meeting went on as usual, going through the normal, every-shift conversations before Boden dismissed them, the firefighters beginning to disperse. Shay turned around in her seat, Gabby pushing herself up, turning around to face Casey and Severide, leaning against the table.

"So, Casey, I meant to ask you before you snuck out of Molly's the other night, what happened between you and that blonde? She was hot." Shay questioned with raised eyebrows, Matt chuckling softly, shaking his head as his eyes bounced around the group.

"Blonde?" Kelly questioned with a grin, Matt glancing towards Gabby, who looked as equally amused.

"Yeah, uh," Matt cleared his throat, looking back towards Shay. "I wasn't feeling it. She seemed nice, but you know, I got a better offer."

Casey caught the sly smirk that instinctually appeared on Gabby's face before she quickly composed herself, Shay's eyes narrowing towards her new friend.

"Casey, is there something you would like to share with the class?" Shay questioned, Matt eyeing her curiously. "Would you happen to have a girlfriend you haven't told us about?"

Matt shook his head, feeling heat rise to his cheeks as all three sets of eyes were on him. "No, no girlfriend. I never said what my better offer was, Shay." He challenged, Shay huffing out a breath.

"You are so goddamn mysterious sometimes." She complained, Severide and Dawson wearing amused looks on their faces. "But next time you decide some girl who was clearly throwing herself at you isn't your type, or whatever, send her my way. Help your best friend out."

"Best friend?" Severide questioned, Shay smirking proudly.

"Oh absolutely, we all know I'm Casey's favorite." She responded, Matt chuckling, shaking his head.

"Is that true, Lieutenant?" Gabby asked, Matt's eyes locking with hers, Dawson raising her eyebrow.

Dropping her gaze after holding it for probably too long, Casey cleared his throat, a small grin appearing on his face.

"Shay, I thought I told you not to tell anyone. You know how sensitive Kelly can be." Casey joked back, earning laughs from around their small group, Matt patting Severide's shoulder.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything." All four pairs of eyes moved towards the voice, seeing Walker moving towards them, coming to stop by Gabby. Dawson slightly inched away from him until her waist was up against Shay's arm, her movements not lost on her partner or Casey. "I just wanted to apologize, again, to my Lieutenant here." He spoke, catching Matt's gaze. "Despite my good intentions, I know what I did was wrong, and it got Herrmann injured. I'm sorry for what happened, and then how I behaved afterward. It's not easy for a man to admit he was wrong, but I was." Bryan spoke, but Casey wasn't able to focus on his words. The entire time he was talking, Walker had that same smug look on his face, his eyes locked on Matt, like there was some secret meaning behind his statement that Casey was supposed to understand.

"I appreciate you coming to me, Walker." Matt responded after a few moments, feeling the eyes of his friends on him.

"Yeah, I just wanted to tell you that… I mean, the last thing I'd want is to be on your bad side, I know that won't end well for me." Casey's eyebrows furrowed, Walker flashing him a forced smile before turning his attention to Dawson. "Can, uh, we talk for a second?"

"What do you want, Walker?" Shay snapped before Gabby even had the chance to respond, Bryan stifling an eyeroll.

"I just need to talk to Gabby, it doesn't concern you Shay." He responded, frustration evident in his voice.

"Shay, it's fine." Gabby responded softly. Despite not wanting to spend any time with Walker if she could help it, she also didn't want to cause a scene, and she knew if she didn't agree to his request, that's where this was headed. Turning back to Walker, she nodded towards the hallway. "Let's talk."

Walker nodded, giving one last unreadable glance towards Casey before leaving the room, Gabby beginning to walk after him.

"Gabby, whatever he wants, you don't have to go talk to him." Shay spoke up, but Gabby shook her head, moving towards the door.

"I'm good, Shay." She assured her friend before slipping into the hallway.

"If he says something to hurt her again, I swear to God…" Shay muttered, Severide placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"She's right there, Shay. And Walker's been under enough heat lately, I don't think he's stupid enough to say anything to her here." Kelly responded, taking his eyes off her, glancing towards Casey. "What was that about, anyway? What Walker said to you?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Casey blew out a heavy sigh. "I have no idea."

Out in the hallway, Dawson stopped a few feet short of Bryan, leaving enough space between them to keep herself comfortable, Gabby crossing her arms over her chest. "What did you want to talk about?" She questioned after a few quiet seconds.

"I wanted to ask you if we could go and talk, maybe sometime after shift? I feel like there's a lot we need to discuss."

Gabby's eyebrows furrowed as she watched him carefully, trying to get a read on him, but she couldn't. "Why?"

Sighing heavily, he took a step closer to her, stopping when Gabby stepped back, keeping the same distance between them. "I owe you some explanations about what happened, about why I did what I did. And we can't exactly do that here."

"Why now?"

"I've had a lot of time to think about things, and Jennifer's helped me work through some things…" Her gaze flickered towards the ground at the mention of his new girlfriend, Gabby taking a deep breath. "I'm trying to be a better man, for her. And she thinks us talking and clearing the air would help things."

"So you're doing this for her?" She questioned, her bottom lip falling between her teeth.

"I'm doing this because there's a lot I need to get off my chest, about what happened. I can't keep carrying around all this guilt. The both of us need to move on from this, and I don't think we can until you know everything. I need to come clean to you about the things I did."

Gabby stood there silently, thinking over what he was saying, what he was asking her to do. The guy she was talking to right now didn't really sound like Bryan, or at least the Bryan she knew. But it almost reminded her of the guy she used to know, the guy she fell in love with, and that realization caused her heart to sink into her stomach.

"After this, I'll leave you alone. I promise."

Dawson bit down roughly on the inside of her cheek, drawing in a deep breath before ultimately nodding. She knew he wouldn't give in until he got what he wanted, and part of her wanted the answers. She wanted to know if he had any good excuse for what he did.

"Alright, fine." She agreed quietly. "We can talk. But I want to do it somewhere public."

Walker raised his eyebrows, an almost amused grin falling onto his face. "What? You don't trust me to be alone with you?" He joked.

But Gabby didn't find his comment funny, her face remaining blank, Walker's smile falling, sighing heavily before nodding.

"Okay. How about we go to that diner we used to go to?" Gabby nodded in response. "Tomorrow evening work for you?"

"Yeah." She responded quietly, Walker nodding before beginning to take a few steps backwards.

"Alright, thank you. I'll see you then."

Gabby gave him a slight nod, quickly turning around and walking in the other direction. She didn't get very far before the bells rang throughout the house, signaling 61 and 81 to a car accident. Gabby hurried for the garage, meeting up with Shay halfway towards the rig.

"What did the manwhore want?" She questioned bitterly, Gabby shaking her head lightly at Shay's description.

"He just wants to talk." Gabby told her, the two separating as they went to their sides of the rig, climbing into their seats.

"About what?" The blonde asked as she pulled out into the cold city, heading towards the scene.

"He said he wants to talk about what happened between us. That he wants to explain himself, I guess. We're going out tomorrow night."

A look of hesitation covered Shay's face, the paramedic thinking for a moment before speaking up. "You're not… you're not thinking about getting back together with him, are you?"

The near disbelief that covered Dawson's face gave her the answer to her question, Gabby shaking her head. "God no. He said he wants to do this because he's trying to be a better man, he's doing it for his girlfriend. He just wants to explain why he did what he did."

Shay nodded, her eyebrows furrowed as she drove through the streets of Chicago. "And you believe him? That he's trying to be better?"

Blowing out a heavy breath, Gabby shrugged, her gaze moving out the window.

"I don't know."

* * *

Gabby sat in a booth by the window, her nerves rising as she waited for Walker. He was nearing ten minutes late, and while she couldn't say she was surprised, Gabby wasn't sure how much longer she'd be willing to wait for him.

"You need anything, sweetheart?" A waitress asked, Gabby flashing her a soft smile as she shook her head.

"No, I'm fine, thank you. I'm just waiting for someone."

The woman nodded understandingly, Gabby's attention being pulled towards the door as she heard it open, seeing Bryan walk in, bundled up under thick layers to protect himself from the cold winter night. His eyes moved around the diner before he caught sight of her, giving him a slow nod before walking towards her.

"Oh, looks like he's here." The waitress responded, glancing back towards Gabby with a smirk. "He's a handsome one, honey. Great choice." Gabby's face fell at her comment as Bryan approached them, the older woman turning her attention to him. "You want some coffee or something, sugar?"

"I'm alright, thank you though." Bryan flashed her his bright smile, the woman practically swooning before leaving them alone. Gabby couldn't blame her, it was the same smile she'd so stupidly fallen for. The same one that got her to waste the last three years of her life. "So, uh, thanks for meeting me here. Sorry I'm a little late."

"It's fine." She whispered, clasping her hands together in her lap.

"I actually was gonna be here early, but on my way over I remembered I'd forgotten to restock the blades in the rig. Turns out Diaz from third shift already did it, but I needed to check. I don't need Casey on my ass about something else." He breathed out, Gabby clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth.

"Yeah, you two don't seem to get along very well." She mused, Bryan shooting her a look.

"Well, he's a dick. Although I don't think he'll be my problem much longer."

Gabby was confused by his comment, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Are you sure Casey's the problem here…"

Walker's glare focused on her, shaking his head as he scoffed. "Guess I'm not surprised you're as enamored by that guy as Shay and everyone else." Gabby swallowed thickly at his comment, Walker not knowing the double meaning behind his own words. "But you all don't know him nearly as well as you think you do."

Sighing heavily, Gabby dropped his eye contact. She had no idea what he was talking about, but the last thing she wanted to talk about with Walker was Casey. "So, you wanted to come here and talk…" She prompted, effectively shifting the conversation.

"Yeah, I did. So, uh, I don't really know where to start. I know I put you through a lot, with the cheating and with…" He trailed off, Gabby taking a grounding breath. "I"ll tell you whatever you want to know, but unless you have any questions, I'll just start from the first time it happened."

Gabby nodded, looking back towards him. "Okay."

"So, uh," Bryan cleared his throat, preparing himself for his story. "The first time I cheated on you, it was a complete accident. I'm not sure if you remember, but the night it happened was when we had that huge fight. You had accused me of flirting with that woman on the call-"

"I remember." She interjected, Bryan nodding.

"And it all spiraled from there, we both said some pretty rude things. You said how you it felt like I was just using you, and how I'd been distant."

"Well, I wasn't crazy for thinking that." She murmured, Bryan taking a deep breath.

"No, I guess you weren't. But then I walked out, and ended up at a bar across town. I don't remember a lot from that night, but I got really drunk. Like absolutely wasted, and the next thing I knew I woke up in bed with some woman. I felt terrible, and so guilty. I got out of there as quickly as I could. On the way home, I had planned on telling you. I was going to tell you what I'd done, but then I got there and saw you asleep on the couch… I could tell you'd been crying, and I just couldn't do it. I couldn't hurt you like that."

"So instead of telling me right after it happened, you chose to keep doing it behind my back. To what? Spare me?" She questioned bitterly, Walker shaking his head.

"I know it doesn't make much sense to you, or to me really. But at the time, I never meant for it to happen again. I didn't think telling you would help anything. I wanted to try and fix things, so when I saw you I decided to not tell you. You had just moved in, I wanted to try and make it work. That's why I told you I just spent the night at Severide's."

"Yeah, I remember that… because I had been so worried about where you were. I was convinced you had gone out and slept with someone, and when you told me- lied to me, and said you were with Kelly, I'd never felt more relieved. I believed you, but I shouldn't have."

"I never intended for it to turn into what it did." He replied softly, shrugging his shoulders. "I never meant for it to happen again, or for it to keep happening."

"Then why did it?" She questioned sharply, watching as he thought over his words before answering her.

"Because things between you and I kept getting worse. We were fighting all the time, it was affecting us at home and at work, and I was frustrated. I could tell you didn't trust me."

"With good reason." She muttered, Bryan sighing forcefully before continuing.

"But things between us, they weren't good. And it kept feeling like too much. Then one night I found myself back at that bar. No one knew me there, they didn't know I was in a relationship, they didn't know anything about me. And it felt good." Gabby kept her eyes on him as he spoke, no matter how much she wanted to look away. "It was easy. Things with us were the opposite of that, and being able to get away for a few hours, to be able to drop all that baggage for a while, it helped me escape from everything. And the cheating just sort of… happened."

"You didn't have to go and sleep with random women to help you forget about our problems." She spoke harshly, keeping her voice low. "The wanting to forget about everything for a bit, I understand that. But you didn't need to cheat on me to accomplish it."

"At first, drinking was enough. It was enough to forget." He answered honestly. "But then it wasn't, and I needed something more. I needed someone else to distract me from our problems, because they weren't getting any better. And then, I don't know, the more I did it, the better it felt… Cheating seemed easier than telling you, or trying to fix things. It was easier than dealing with us, so I kept doing it."

Gabby drew in a shaky breath, her eyes moving down to the table. "How many times did you bring other women back to our home?"

Walker's eyes fell closed, bringing his hand up to rub over his mouth as he released a heavy breath. "Do you really want to know?" Gabby merely nodded, biting down roughly on the inside of her cheek, preparing herself for the worst. "Six times."

His words felt like a knife through her chest, Gabby's neck clenching as she willed herself to not lose control of her emotions. "Was it the same girl?"

Bryan shook his head slowly, Gabby blinking back the tears sitting in her eyes. "No, it wasn't."

Gabby forced herself to look back up at him, her eyes shining with hurt and anger. "I really wish you would've just told me when it first happened… it would've stopped all of this. I don't know why you did any of this, why you proposed to me, why you stayed with me when you were so unhappy."

"I just told you why, because it was easier. I mean, come on Gabby," He sighed exasperatedly. "Did you really believe that you and I would actually work out? That we were meant to be together forever? You can't possibly sit there and pretend you thought things between us were good."

"I thought things between us were hard. And for a while there I did think we might break up… but then you gave me that damn ring and, stupid me, believed you when you said you wanted to marry me. But things being hard doesn't excuse what you did." She snapped, Walker rolling his eyes. "And in what world does proposing equal breaking up? You should've just ended things when you first wanted to, instead of stringing me along for over a year. I thought we'd be okay, but apparently you had no intentions of ever trying to fix things."

"You're not that naive, Gabby. I wasn't happy with you, and you knew it. We barely saw each other, we barely had a relationship. Hell, we were barely sleeping together towards the end."

"Yeah, well it's not like you weren't getting it somewhere else." She bit out, shaking her head. "I knew things were difficult, that both of us were going through stuff, but I thought we were doing it together. You giving me that ring made me think we'd figure it out, it told me that you still loved me even though things had been hard... But you never meant any of it, and I really wish you would've just broken up with me."

"It's not like I can go back and change what happened, I came here to apologize to you and move past it. I know I fucked up, that I shouldn't have done what I did, but I can't change any of it. All I can do is move on."

"Yeah, with your new girlfriend."

"So that's what you're so pissed about? That I'm dating someone else?"

"I'm angry because I spent three years of my life fully committed to you, loving you, when you were off sleeping with God knows how many women. And then barely a week after you break up with me and end our engagement, you've got a new girlfriend. One you're suddenly so eager to change for. You picked her up at a bar, now suddenly she's the love of your life and you've had this epiphany that you should be a better man… She means enough for you to do all this, to bring me here as some sort of way to make yourself feel better about what you did." She responded bitterly, Bryan clenching his neck. "But me, I was your fiancée and you couldn't be bothered to even be honest with me. I loved you for years, and you didn't have the decency to tell me you wanted out. I didn't mean anything to you, I was just someone to keep you warm at night when you got home from sleeping with other people."

"Gabby, I am sorry for what I did. I should've broken up with you a lot sooner than I did, but we weren't going to work out, there's no way you thought we would've. We were happy, for a while. But even early on, things between us were always up and down. We practically ruined each other… our relationship wasn't good for either of us."

"Which is all the more reason you should've said something." She responded quickly. "Because I didn't see us the way you apparently did. I was stupid, I guess, thinking you actually meant everything you said to me."

"Dawson…"

"Even after everything you put me through, what you did-" She cut herself off, shaking her head. "I still thought you loved me. I thought we'd be okay."

"Gabby-"

"I wish I had never met you." She shot, seeing his eyes turn dark. "I wish I never dated you, that I never moved in with you. That I never said yes to your proposal. I wish I could take all of that back." Her voice was unsettlingly quiet, Walker's gaze narrowing at her.

"You don't mean that."

"Yes, I do." She replied sharply, seeing his face harden in anger. "I'm not sure why it even matters to you, I never meant anything to you anyway. All you ever did was hurt me, and I let you. Maybe you were right, we ruined each other. But I let you ruin me over and over again, because I was dumb enough to believe you loved me." She continued on, her voice getting louder, filled with more and more hatred for the man sitting across from her. "You spent over a year making it seem like everything wrong with us was my fault. That I was causing every single one of our problems, when it was you. I was trying to fix us, while you were out screwing other women."

Bryan caught the glances of a few of the other customers, knowing their conversation wasn't exactly private anymore. "Gabby, calm down." He bit out in frustration. But his words only set her off.

"No! You don't get to do that. You don't get to try and control me anymore. I put up with that for years." She responded angrily. "God knows our problems didn't start when you cheated on me, but you made them so much worse. You proposed to me after you had been cheating on me for months, who the hell does that?!"

"Gabby!" He snapped, rage flooding his body. "Be quiet." He hissed, knowing they had the attention of the entire diner at this point.

Gabby shook her head, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the table. "You're the worst thing that ever happened to me." She spoke, her voice firm and honest, seeing a look of absolute fury shining in his eyes. "You ruined my life, and now you're just gonna do the same thing to Jennifer. You only care about yourself. You're a terrible person, all you do is bring down everyone around you. I don't know if it's because you were so unhappy with me, or if it's because you actually just hate yourself and you have to make everyone else around you feel inferior, but I'm done dealing with your bullshit." She responded harshly. "Whatever other explanations you have, I don't care. Nothing can excuse everything you did to me… I don't believe you when you say you're trying to change, because it's bullshit. You can't change… I just hope you don't put your new girlfriend through what you did to me, because no one deserves that."

Without another word, Gabby stood up, grabbing her purse as she began walking for the exit. But she didn't get more than a step before Bryan stood up, grabbing her arm tightly.

"You better watch your mouth, Gabby." He spoke quietly, his body tense with anger.

Despite his tight grip, she narrowed her eyes at him, refusing to show him any fear.

"You can't hide it for long, can you?" She questioned. "Your anger, you can never control it. You came in here acting like everything was fine, that you just wanted to talk about what happened to us, but the second I say something you can't handle, there's that anger again."

She felt his hold on her tighten, his grip almost painful. "Let go of me." She spoke firmly. But he didn't. He continued staring at her with a rage she hadn't seen from him in a long time, Gabby feeling heat radiating from where he was squeezing her arm. "Bryan, you're hurting me, let go." She said again, trying to pull from his grasp.

"Let go of her, man." Gabby heard an unfamiliar voice say, looking over as a man came to stand beside her. She had no idea who he was, but she watched as he roughly pushed against Bryan's chest, Walker letting go of her arm. The second she was free, she took a few steps away from him, reaching up to grab her arm with her free hand, holding over the painful spot.

"Why don't you mind your own damn business?" Bryan fired back, stepping out from the booth. The unnamed man stayed in front of Gabby, blocking Bryan from her.

"I'm pretty sure everyone in here heard all about your business. Sounds like you've done enough to her already, why don't you just get out of here?" The guy spoke roughly, Gabby seeing Bryan scoff, shaking his head as he took a few steps towards the door before he stopped.

"Yeah, I'm starting to agree with what you said, Gabby." He spat, glaring towards her. "Being with you was the worst mistake of my life."

Before anything else could be said, Bryan stormed out of the diner, pushing the door open forcefully as he left. Gabby brought her hand up to run over the side of her face, the unnamed man turning around to look at her. She felt tears pricking the edges of her eyes but she refused to let them fall here, she'd already given the diner enough of a show.

"Are you okay?" He asked her, Gabby forcing a smile onto her face, nodding slowly.

"Yeah, yeah I'm good. Thank you…"

"Maurice." He introduced with a small smile.

"Thank you Maurice." She responded, beginning to slide past him, needing to get out of here.

"Do you, uh, need me to walk you to your car or anything?" He asked, Gabby shaking her head.

"No, I'm alright. Thank you though. Have a good night."

Gabby turned and left the diner without another word, feeling the stares on her as she went. She forced herself to stay composed, Gabby walking quickly towards her car. The second she got in, she locked the doors, leaning her head against the steering wheel and taking a few deep breaths.

She wasn't sure what to do right now. She didn't know whether to go home, or go to Shay's, or just sit here. She had no idea what to make of what had just happened, or how to deal with it. But soon she found herself dialing a different number, wiping the tears under her eyes as she listened to the ringing.

"_Hello_?"

"Hey, uh, are you busy?" She questioned, trying to mask the emotion in her voice.

"_No. I was at a job all day, finished up a little while ago. But now I'm just sitting at home…_" Matt responded, leaving a beat of silence before continuing. "_Why? Are you alright?_"

"I'm fine, can I come over?" She asked quickly.

"_Yeah, sure._" He answered with zero hesitation, Gabby inhaling deeply.

"Alright, great, I'll see you in a bit."

She hung up the phone, putting her car into gear as she began the drive to Matt's place, trying to stop the tears desperate to fall as she drove through the city. She didn't want to let Bryan affect her anymore, or have any control over her, but what happened tonight, it cleared nothing up. And it left her feeling more lost than she had been. Everything felt like too much, and she needed to not have to think about it for a bit, or else she'd break. If she went to Shay and her brother, she'd have to talk. She'd have to explain what happened. But not with Matt. There was no expectation there, and that's what she needed.

Within twenty minutes she had pulled up outside Matt's apartment, locking her car as she walked up the path towards his front door, quickly climbing the steps, knocking on his door.

It took a few moments before she heard him unlocking the door, Matt pulling it open slowly, wearing a small, slightly uncertain look on his face.

"Hey Gabby." He greeted, the woman nodding as she pushed herself through his doorway, grabbing his face with her hands, the two meeting in a heated kiss. The force of her movements nearly sent him staggering back, Casey finding his footing as he stepped them out of the doorway, giving him space to close his front door, their lips never separating.

Her harsh movements only stopped when air became a necessity, Matt panting as she pulled away, his eyes searching over her face as they stood inches apart. There was something strange about her demeanor, something he couldn't quite put his finger on, but she almost looked upset.

Before he could question it, she grabbed his hand, leading him through his apartment towards the bedroom, Matt not resisting as she pulled him behind her. As soon as they stepped foot into the room, Gabby's shirt was off, the clothing falling to the floor as she turned to face him, his hesitation only growing.

Something was off with her, he could see it in her eyes. He just didn't know what it was.

Her hands were on him in an instant, making quick work of his shirt, tossing it down with hers before she moved towards his waist. He reached out to grab ahold of her hands, Gabby glancing up at him curiously.

"Are you okay?" His voice was soft, Matt frowning as he saw tears clouding in her eyes. "What happened?"

"Nothing, it's nothing." She assured him, plastering a smile onto her face as she went back to her task, sliding his pants down his legs. He stepped out of them, watching as she discarded her own jeans, crawling onto his bed, removing her bra as she went. He climbed up on the bed as well, leaving space in between them as she sat half naked in front of him.

"Gabby, are you sure it's nothing?" His eyes stayed locked on hers, seeing a flash of hurt in her gaze before she quickly recovered. "Did something happen?" His eyes moved over her, his frowning deepening when he saw a deep red mark on the top of her arm. "What's that?" He questioned, his voice filled with concern. Gabby glanced down to her arm, blinking back her tears before looking back up at him.

"It's nothing, I'm fine." She breathed out, Matt sensing her frustration. "Nothing's wrong with me, Jesus, can we just do this already?" She reached out for him, pulling him down on top of her, silencing him with a kiss before he could ask anymore questions.

Despite his concern for what brought her here, his mind went blank when her hand slid under his boxers, grabbing ahold of him and stroking him firmly, Matt groaning into her mouth as they kissed.

It took no time at all for them to be rid of the rest of their clothes, their bodies moving together at an unyielding pace, Matt's body covering hers as he did all the work, marking her skin with his lips as he moved.

Their activities were over too quickly for Gabby's liking, Matt stalling before rolling off of her, resting on his side as he glanced to her. Her mind was racing, Matt not proving to be enough of a distraction as she was unable to stop her thoughts from going back to earlier in the evening, Bryan's words ringing in her head. She couldn't stop thinking about the feeling of his grip on her arm, like his harsh grasp was permanently etched into her skin. She couldn't shake how she felt when she spoke to him, how his explanations did nothing but make her feel even more worthless, like somehow despite it being his choice to cheat on her, she did something to cause it. Everything was too much, and she couldn't handle it.

All the concern Matt felt when she first came here tonight returned the instant he saw more tears in her eyes, Gabby's gaze focused on the ceiling.

"Are you okay? Did I hurt you?" He questioned quickly, worry shining in his eyes as she looked towards him.

"No, you didn't." She replied softly, shaking her head. "I'm fine." Her voice was unsteady when she spoke, Matt reaching out to rest his hand over her stomach.

"What happened?" He asked quietly, compassion filling his voice. Matt could see her fighting against herself, like she was trying to forget about whatever was upsetting her. But it was a battle she was losing.

More tears welled in her eyes, Matt seeing her bottom lip begin to quiver slightly, her eyes darting away from him. He had no idea what was wrong, but he was sure he'd never seen her this hurt before.

"You can talk to me." He murmured, his thumb moving comfortingly over the sheet covering her stomach. "Whatever it is."

Their eyes locked again as a lone tear slid down her face, the dam breaking open when a soft sob escaped her lips, continuous tears beginning to fall from her eyes as her hand came up to cover her face.

Concern flooded his entire body, Matt shifting to pull her into his side, feeling her tense against him before she eventually gave in, her body relaxing into his as her cries continued, her face buried in his neck.

"It's okay." Matt whispered, his palm cradling the back of her head, feeling her clutching onto him tightly. He knew she was upset when she first came here, he saw it the moment he opened the door. But he never expected it to be this bad, the sounds of her heavy cries causing his stomach to sink. Her body was shaking in his grasp, Matt feeling her arm move around his waist to secure herself to him.

Matt wanted to know what happened, he wanted to know what, or who, had hurt her so badly to have her react this way, but it didn't matter right now. He didn't need to know. But he could only hope this would ultimately help her feel better, Matt keeping his grip around her tight, assuring her that he wasn't going anywhere.

Matt continued whispering comforting things as he held her, unsure if she could even register what he was saying, but he didn't know what else to do. She sounded so hurt and broken, he didn't know how to help her. All he knew to do was let her cry, so he did.

It was maybe ten more minutes before her cries subsided, Matt feeling her shaky breathing even out, her body curled into his. He sat completely still for a few moments, soon getting confirmation that she had fallen asleep. That she cried herself to sleep.

Taking a deep breath, Matt slowly reached over, turning off the lamp at his bedside, leaving them in complete darkness as he listened to her breathing.

They had never done this before, they never stayed the night. But even if she had tried, he wouldn't have let her leave when she was this upset. And he certainly wasn't going to wake her up to let her go home. Whatever had happened, whatever caused this, she came to him. She sought him out for a reason.

He just hoped that when tomorrow morning came, he'd be able to help her with whatever this was, that she'd let him help.

* * *

**Well, it looks like Gabby is having a hard time. And Bryan isn't really making life easy for either Dawson or Casey right now. He's just great, isn't he?**

**I can't wait to hear what you all think of this one. We've definitely got a lot of interesting things coming up. Thanks for reading!**


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all.**

**I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**ELEVEN**

* * *

Gabby released a heavy breath as she slowly got pulled into consciousness, a small smile coming to her face as she dug herself into the comforting warmth underneath her.

She wasn't sure what was different, or why she felt much more comfortable than usual, but all she knew was that she hadn't slept that well in months. This was the first morning in a long time where she hadn't woken up still feeling tired. She was completely well-rested, her entire body felt relaxed, like she was wrapped in a blanket of warmth. She just couldn't understand why.

That was until she registered the rise and fall of the hard chest underneath her.

Gabby's eyes snapped open in an instant, confusion covering her face as she glanced around, blinking furiously to adjust to the light streaming in through the partially closed blinds. Regaining her vision, it took only seconds for her to recognize her surroundings, Gabby's heart beginning to thump loudly in her chest as she realized where she was.

Lifting her head up off his chest, she found Matt sound asleep under her, his head facing her, resting peacefully against his pillow. His arm was wrapped tightly around her waist, holding her bare body against his with his hand resting on her hip. Glancing back towards his chest, that's when she noticed their conjoined hands resting against his skin. Her hand was placed over his chest under his collarbone, and Matt's was on top of hers, holding onto it.

Gabby didn't move for a few moments, her mind in a haze as she tried to put the pieces together. She couldn't remember why she fell asleep here, or why her eyes felt sore, or why Matt was holding her so close to him. She couldn't remember why she chose to stay.

Until the memories of last night came flooding back.

How she went to meet Bryan. Everything he had told her. Everything she felt after seeing him. How she came here. How she broke down. How Matt held onto her and let her cry.

How she apparently fell asleep wrapped up in his arms.

Gabby felt her stomach turn as embarrassment filled her body. She needed to get out of here now, before Matt woke up and she had to face what happened.

She should've never come here last night, she should've never let him comfort her. And she certainly never should've stayed the night.

As Gabby carefully detached herself from Matt's body, she couldn't help but feel as if she'd ruined this. Their agreement of simple, harmless fun was now tainted. She'd brought feelings into it, she let her guard down and now she'd ruined it. She knew Matt only comforted her because he didn't know what else to do, there's no way he actually wanted to spend his night listening to her cry. She should've run out the door the second they finished, but instead she stayed. And now everything was messed up.

Gabby slowly got herself out of bed, standing still as Matt subconsciously moved around in his sheets, waiting until he'd settled before she began picking up her clothes from around the room. She was as quiet as possible as she slid her clothes on, dreading the possibility of Matt waking up and them having to talk.

He would feel inclined to try and help. He would feel like he was supposed to care, like he should ask what's wrong, even though Gabby knew he couldn't care less. They weren't in this for feelings and dealing with each other's baggage, avoiding their issues is exactly why they started this, he didn't want to deal with her problems. And she didn't want his forced pity. She didn't want the pity at all, she just wanted to get home.

Sliding her shirt over her head, she spared one last glance to his peaceful face before quietly leaving the room, all but running from his apartment.

She knew she couldn't avoid him forever, that tomorrow they'd be back on shift and she would have to talk to him.

But for now, she could ignore it. She could ignore him.

All she hoped is that Matt wouldn't make a bigger deal out of it than it was. She was upset and wasn't thinking straight. There wasn't any more to it.

* * *

Matt stretched his arms above his head, releasing a long yawn as he came into consciousness, rubbing his hands over his eyes before opening them.

His first move was to look beside him, confusion filling his body as he saw his bed empty. Glancing to his clock, he saw it was a little before ten, Matt throwing the covers off of himself, sitting up on the edge of the bed.

Looking around the room, he saw his clothes still on the floor as they were last night, but his were the only ones.

"Gabby?" He called out through the quiet apartment, getting nothing but silence in return.

Breathing deeply, he stood up, going to his dresser for a clean pair of boxers, sliding them on before heading out of his bedroom.

"Gabby?" He asked again, walking through his apartment.

It didn't take him long to realize he was alone, Matt releasing a heavy sigh before walking back towards his bedroom. Stepping inside, he fell back down on his bed, picking up his phone from the nightstand.

Unsurprisingly, he had no message from Gabby explaining why she left, which is what he feared.

He knew she'd be hesitant to let him in, to confide in him. But he never imagined she would've left before he woke up. He knew he shouldn't be too shocked, in fact Gabby actually being here when he woke up would've been more surprising than her leaving, but her still being here would've been progress.

Matt quickly dialed her number, putting the phone up to his ear as he listened to it ring. He soon reached her voicemail, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he waited to leave her a message.

"Hey Gabby, I uh, guess you had to get going this morning but I- I just want you to know that you can talk to me… if you want to. Whatever's going on, I'm here if you need me." He spoke to the machine, blowing out a breath. "Just call me back, whenever you get this. Or when you want to talk. I hope you're okay.. Bye Gabby."

Matt hung up the phone, tossing it down in frustration on the bed beside him.

He wasn't sure why this bothered him so much, why her sneaking out while he was still asleep had left this heavy feeling in his gut. But it did, and he couldn't help but be worried about her. He knew she was still upset, there was no way she'd suddenly be fine after how she was last night. But, whatever this was, it was clear she didn't want his help.

Matt knew there was nothing he could do if she didn't want him to help her. He couldn't exactly force her to talk, and he'd never try to. He just didn't want her thinking she had to go through this alone. They were friends, despite the unusual circumstances surrounding their friendship, he still liked to believe they were friends. He wanted her to know he was here if she needed him.

But he couldn't do that if she wouldn't talk to him.

* * *

Casey stomped off the snow on his boots as he got inside the firehouse, wiping some of the snow off his jacket before stepping further into the garage. He kept his eyes peeled as he walked towards the double doors, Matt on the lookout for one of his coworkers in particular.

After leaving Gabby that voicemail yesterday morning, he never heard a word back from her. Despite calling her another time, and texting her, he never got any response. And he was worried. The more time he'd had to think about it, the worse he felt. He knew that whatever it was that upset her probably wasn't good. And his concern was only growing the longer he went without hearing anything back from her. He just wanted to know if she was alright.

Pulling open the doors, Matt stepped inside, being met with a few familiar faces in the common room. Mouch was in his usual position in front of the TV, Otis and Cruz were hanging out by the counter with Walker, as well as a firefighter Casey didn't recognize, but Gabby was nowhere in sight. That wasn't too unusual, considering shift hadn't even started yet, and Shay wasn't around either.

Sighing heavily, he flashed the men in the room a small smile before turning the corner, beginning his walk towards the locker room.

"Lieutenant!" Matt stopped in his path, turning around to see Walker moving towards him, followed closely by the unfamiliar firefighter Casey saw seconds again. Straightening his spine, Matt stood rooted in his spot and waited for the two men to get to him.

"What can I do for you, Walker?" He asked, Bryan stepping aside, Matt's gaze moving to the timid looking man beside him.

"Lieutenant, this is the firefighter assigned to cover for Herrmann until he gets back. Adam Davis, this is our Lieutenant, Matt Casey."

"It's nice to meet you, sir." He spoke, Casey eyeing the man cautiously. He looked young, as in fresh out of the academy young. If Matt had to guess, he would've said this man was a candidate, not a firefighter.

"Lieutenant is fine. I'm looking forward to see what you can do, Davis." Casey spoke, nodding before turning on his heels, resuming his walk to the locker room.

"Don't worry about him, he's always like that. Everyone else here is great, though. You'll fit in fine." Walker spoke to the young firefighter, Matt's ears perking up as he turned around quickly, seeing the look of fear in Davis' eyes, and the indignant look in Walker's.

"Walker, go outside and check the salt in the rig."

"I did that last shift, Lieutenant." He replied with a smug grin, Casey's eyes narrowing.

"And you'll do it again. Now go." He ordered, Bryan smacking his lips together before nodding, turning back towards Davis with a smile.

"Come on Davis, let me show you around the rig."

"You'll do it alone, Walker." Casey spoke firmly, taking a step back towards the two men.

"Someone's got to show him around, Lieutenant." Walker said cooly with a gleam in his eye, Casey shaking his head.

"I can show him around once shift starts. Now go." Casey replied roughly, Walker smirking before giving in.

"Whatever you say, Lieutenant." His voice was light, Bryan patting Davis on the shoulder before heading for the garage with that satisfied smirk still plastered over his face.

Casey took a deep breath, glancing back towards Davis, seeing the firefighter still looking as nervous as when he first saw him.

"What should I do, sir- Lieutenant," He corrected himself, "until you're ready to show me around?" Casey shot him a small smile, trying to ease his nerves a bit.

"You can do whatever you please, Davis. I just need to drop my stuff off, and get a few things settled then I can show you around." He spoke, the rigid tone gone from his voice. "The firehouse isn't that big, I'll come find you once I'm done."

Matt's light tone helped with the man's nerves, Davis flashing him a smile as he nodded.

"Sounds good, Lieutenant." He responded before heading back towards the common room, Matt sucking in a deep breath as he continued on his original path.

Casey had no idea what Walker's problem was lately, but he knew he had to put a stop to it. Since last shift, Walker had been near indignant, the man pushing his limits every time he spoke to Casey. While he hadn't been overtly insubordinate, Walker had taken his fair share of subtle shots at Matt. He'd vaguely second guess decisions Casey made, he'd make comments similar to the one he just made to their floater. He was creating problems where there didn't need to be any, and Matt didn't know why.

He knew him and Walker had never really gotten along, but up until the incident on shift with Herrmann, things had slowly started to get better. He was listening, he was following orders, he wasn't causing problems. But that all changed last shift, and clearly it would be more of the same today.

And what irked Casey the most was that stupid, smug grin Walker walked around with. It was as if he was trying to tell Casey something every time he shot him that look, but Matt had no idea what it meant. All he knew was that he found it incredibly obnoxious. Walker was challenging him, and he knew it. But it was the last thing he needed, and he certainly did not have the time or patience for it.

Matt knew he needed to stop it. Walker had already gotten someone hurt, that would only continue if Casey didn't have another chat with him soon. Walker had an inflated sense of himself, and that had only gotten worse the last two shifts. If Matt didn't have another serious discussion with the man, and figure out what his issue was, he was sure Walker would end up getting someone killed next time.

Releasing a soft sigh, Matt walked into the locker room, rubbing his hand over his face as he moved towards the last row of lockers.

"Hey Casey." Shay spoke as soon as he came into view, Matt flashing her a smile, heading for his locker.

"Hi Shay." He responded, glancing back and forth between her and the second unfamiliar face he's seen today.

"McAuley, this is Matt Casey, our truck Lieutenant." Shay introduced, Matt offering a small smile to the older man, watching as he eyed him curiously before turning back to Shay.

"What happened to Stephens? I liked him." The man spoke, Matt raising his eyebrows, catching Shay's quick glance towards him.

"He works at headquarters now, Casey here replaced him."

The older man muttered some inaudible string of words under his breath before heading out of the room, Matt watching curiously as he left before returning his gaze to Shay, seeing the paramedic shaking her head.

"He seems fun." Matt commented, Shay scoffing lightly.

"He's my worst nightmare, but it was the best they could do as a cover last minute."

Casey's eyebrows furrowed at Shay's words, glancing back towards where the man had just left before finding Shay's eyes again. "Cover? Where's Dawson?"

"She's sick."

Matt took a deep breath, running his tongue over his bottom lip as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Sick? Is she alright?" Matt tried to sound as casual as possible, even though he knew she wasn't sick.

It wasn't some illness that was keeping her from work. It was him. She was avoiding him.

"She should be fine, I talked to her this morning, said it was just a cold but she didn't want to come get everyone else sick. I bet she'll be back next shift." Shay replied with a soft grin, Matt nodding before opening his locker, biting down on his bottom lip as he began discarding his things into his locker, not seeing Shay's eyes on him. "You alright there, Casey?"

"Huh?" He questioned, snapping his head from his locker.

"You seem to be really mad at that bag." She joked, Matt releasing a light chuckle as he shook his head.

"Oh, I'm fine. Just had a long few days."

"Is everything okay?" Shay asked, concern flooding her voice.

"I'm good." He responded, flashing her a small smile.

"Well, if it's anything you ever want to talk about, you know where to find me." She offered, patting his back before heading out of the room.

Once he knew he was alone, Matt blew out a heavy breath, reaching into his pocket for his phone, pulling up his unread messages to Gabby. Shaking his head in frustration, he tapped on her contact, pressing her number and bringing the phone to his ear.

To no surprise, it went to voicemail, Matt rubbing his hand over his mouth as he waited to leave her a message.

"Hey Gabby, I just heard from Shay that you're not gonna be in today, and… Look, if this is because of me, I need you to know you don't have to avoid me. I'm not gonna make you talk to me, or make things weird. I just want to know you're okay. You're really worrying me." Matt looked up as he heard movement, seeing Kelly walking into the locker room. "I gotta go, but just call me back later, alright?" Casey hung up the phone, Severide looking at him curiously.

"Everything alright?"

"Mhmm." Matt responded.

"Having some lady troubles?" Severide asked with a smirk, Matt shaking his head as he scoffed lightly, closing his locker.

"No, it's nothing like that." Matt answered, flashing his friend a smile before leaving the locker room, heading for his office.

* * *

Casey dropped himself into the chair beside Severide, Kelly looking up from his newspaper with an amused grin, Matt holding his hands together over his stomach as he leaned his head back.

"Rough call?" Kelly asked, chuckling softly as Matt looked towards him. The two Lieutenants were seated at the squad table, them being the only ones out in the garage on this cold winter day. 81 had just returned from their second call of the day, Casey hanging back by the rig until everyone had gone inside before he sought out Severide.

"You could say that." Matt responded, Kelly waiting for him to elaborate. "I just… I don't know what I'm gonna do with Walker." Casey admitted quietly, Severide putting his newspaper down onto the table, giving Matt his full attention.

"What's been going on?"

"Just more of the same. He's been so arrogant, and he keeps challenging me with almost everything. I know all firefighters have to be a little cocky, it's part of the job description, but this… this is something else. It's like he's trying to prove something to me, but it's affecting everyone else."

"He's still acting like that? I thought he left that shit back at our last shift." Kelly breathed out, Casey shaking his head.

"No, he didn't. I know he doesn't like me, and frankly I'm not a huge fan of him, but I have to find a way to talk to him where he'll listen because so far, nothing I've done has managed to stick."

"Listen man, I know you hear me say this all the time but Bryan… he's changed a lot since you got here. I guess it was everything that happened with Gabby, and I know he'd been an asshole to her, but something about them actually breaking up changed him. He didn't used to act like this." Severide spoke, huffing out a breath. "But I don't understand what he thinks he's going to gain by getting on your bad side. He's not stupid, he knows that won't end well for him." Kelly added quickly, Matt shrugging.

"I don't know, but I'm tired of dealing with his attitude. I don't want to make it Boden's problem, but if I can't get him to listen to me, I won't have a choice. He's gonna get someone killed." Severide could see Matt's frustration at the situation, and he couldn't exactly blame him.

"Did something happen on the call?"

"Just Walker going off on his own again, without a care in the world. The fire was contained, so it wasn't as big of a deal, but still, he keeps pulling this shit, and he made Davis go with him… I've never seen someone look as nervous as Davis did when I was laying into Walker before we left. But no matter what I do, Walker doesn't seem to listen. I know he has a lot going on in his personal life, so regardless of how I feel I'm trying to not make a bigger deal of this than it is, but he's testing every limit I have." Casey explained, Kelly pursing his lips together.

"I don't know man, maybe you should go to Boden." Severide responded, Matt glancing to him. "If Walker's not listening, it might be your only option. You can't have guys not listening to you out on call, because yeah it could end up being nothing, but, like you said, it could end up being dangerous for all of us."

"What's dangerous?"

"Jesus Christ Shay!" Severide shouted as he jumped in his seat, the blonde laughing as she came around from behind Kelly to stand on the other side of the table, Matt watching in amusement. "Where the hell did you come from?" Severide asked with his hand over his chest, trying to calm his breathing.

"Over there." She pointed nonchalantly, leaning her weight against the table. "So what are you two talking about?"

"Casey's still having problems with Walker." Kelly spoke, Shay rolling her eyes.

"There's a shock." She responded bitterly, crossing her arms over her chest. "What did he do now?"

"Just the same stuff, he's not listening to Casey. He went off on his own again at their call, the same thing he did that put Herrmann in the hospital." Severide spoke, Shay rolling her eyes.

"He's gonna get someone killed. I don't know what he thinks he's accomplishing by being an unreliable dick, but he needs to stop." She huffed out, Matt's eyebrows raising in amusement.

"Alright, I know none of us exactly like him right now but let's watch the language." Severide joked, Shay shaking her head with a grin.

"Oh, you've said far worse." She teased, taking a slow breath before continuing. "But speaking of Walker, I know he's the reason Gabby's not here today." Shay spoke, Matt's eyebrows raising in curiosity.

"What do you mean?" Severide asked, Shay glancing around to ensure they were still alone before answering.

"Remember last shift when Bryan asked to talk to Gabby?" Shay waited until she got nods from both of them before continuing. "Well, he asked her to meet up with him after shift so they could talk. Some bullshit about how he wanted to explain to her why he did what he did, he said that he was trying to be a better guy or something. I didn't buy any of it, but Gabby went to talk to him… It's not a coincidence that the shift after she talks to him, she doesn't show up."

"What night was this?" Matt asked for clarification, realization slowly washing over him.

"The night before last." Shay answered. "She seemed hesitant to go, I don't blame her, but she went. And seeing as how she's not here today, I'm gonna say it went terribly."

"But how do you know she's not just sick?" Severide questioned, Shay huffing out an annoyed breath.

"Because this is Dawson we're talking about, she doesn't miss shift for anything. He's the reason she's not here, I know it." She replied sternly, Kelly raising his eyebrows.

"Did you ask her about it?"

"The first time I'd talked to her was this morning when I called after finding out she wasn't coming in, I'm not about to ask her over the phone, use your brain Kelly." She snapped, Severide putting his hands up in defense.

"Jeez Shay, calm down." He responded lightly, earning a glare from his best friend.

Their bickering continued, but Casey tuned them out, his thoughts going back to Gabby's behavior the night she came to him. It was all starting to make sense. Why she was so upset, why she was inconsolable; Bryan had said or done something to get her to react that way. He'd done something that hurt her.

"She didn't sound sick on the phone, Kelly." Matt focused his attention back on them again, his eyes on Shay. "She sounded more sad than anything… I'm worried about her, and I know he did something to upset her. He always does.."

"Shay, even if that is true, there's nothing you can do about it right now. Just be there for her, you know how she is. She closes herself off, especially when it comes to him."

"Yeah, I know she does. But she's been doing so much better lately, I don't want him to ruin that."

Their conversation was cut short by the bells chiming throughout the house, sending all companies to an apartment fire. Standing up, Severide flashed Shay a sympathetic look, rubbing his hand over her shoulder.

"She's gonna be fine, Shay. It's Dawson, she always bounces back."

The paramedic gave him an unconvincing nod, Kelly bringing her in for a quick hug before they all separated, knowing he didn't have time to do much comforting right now. There were people who needed their help, their own problems would have to wait.

* * *

Casey sat in his truck outside the old building, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel, trying to work up the nerve to go inside.

He probably shouldn't be here, he knew that. In fact, Matt was sure going inside that building would only make Gabby more upset with him, but he didn't know what else to do. He needed to talk to her, and she wasn't answering him.

Since leaving her a message yesterday morning, he hadn't reached out to her again and she never called him back. He hadn't expected her to, but he was hoping she might at some point have felt okay to call him. But she hadn't. And he knew continuing to call her wouldn't get him anywhere, so he let it be.

But he hadn't been able to get her off his mind.

Matt felt like he needed to fix this, he needed to talk to Gabby and figure out exactly what was wrong. Not even so much him knowing what had her upset, but he needed to know they were okay. Because right now, he wasn't so sure. He knew he hadn't done anything to cause her radio silence, that her ignoring him was solely because of how she was handling whatever happened. But he wanted her to know he was there for her, that she had nothing to worry about, at least where he was concerned. He didn't want her having any misconceptions about where they stood, he didn't want her to feel bad or embarrassed about what happened. More than anything, he just needed to know she was okay.

And that's how he found himself sitting outside the 21st district.

It had been a long day already for the truck Lieutenant, Matt having spent the better part of his afternoon at a construction job after he got off shift. On top of that, he had barely gotten any sleep on shift the night before. Between him worrying about Gabby, and the frequent calls they got throughout the night, Matt barely got a minute of sleep. And he'd had no chance to rest since then. He knew it was probably in his best interest to just go home, that he should just go take a quick shower and fall into bed. But he knew he wouldn't be able to relax until he knew she was okay. Going home now would do nothing except stress him out.

Taking a deep breath, Matt got out of his truck, locking it up before jogging across the slick road, the street lights illuminating his path as he took the steps two at a time, trying to escape from the cold.

Once inside, Matt went up the second flight of stairs, his steps slowing as he walked inside the somewhat empty lobby. Glancing around, his eyes soon landed on a woman sitting at the front desk, her attention drawn to the computer in front of her. Figuring she was his best bet at getting the help he needed, Casey walked towards her, the woman glancing up to him as he got closer.

"Hi, I'm looking for Antonio Dawson." Matt spoke as she watched him with a blank stare.

"And you are?"

"Matt Casey, I'm a firefighter over at 51, I work with his sister, Gabby." He spoke, a small grin falling onto her face.

"Oh, so you're the new Lieutenant Randy keeps talking about."

Realization washed over Casey's face the second she mentioned the firefighter, Matt matching her smile with one of his own.

"Sergeant Platt, right? I'd forgotten you worked here, I've heard great things about you from Mouch and, well, everyone." He spoke, the woman's smile widening.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Casey." She responded, picking up her phone. "So you're here for Antonio?"

"Yes ma'am." He spoke, Trudy nodding.

"I'll call up, have him come down and meet you. Just have a seat over there."

Matt flashed her another smile before following her directions, walking towards the bench in the corner, placing himself down onto it.

It took all of five minutes before Antonio came down, Matt looking up as the older Dawson walked towards Platt's desk.

"You said I have a visitor?" He asked, the woman pointing behind him, smiling softly at Casey. Antonio's eyebrows furrowed at her grin before following her gesture, his confusion only growing when he saw the firefighter waiting for him. "Thanks Platt." He spoke before heading towards the firefighter. "Hey Casey." Antonio spoke unsurely, Matt standing up as he got to him. "I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"Yeah, I'm sorry for bothering you at work, I know you guys are busy." Matt responded, Antonio shaking his head.

"It's alright." Antonio spoke, glancing back to see Platt still watching Casey. "You seemed to have really charmed Sergeant Platt, she doesn't usually like people." The detective joked, earning a chuckle from Matt as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Must be the firefighter thing."

Shaking his head with a grin, Antonio returned his attention solely back to Casey, Matt seeing the look of confusion returning to his face. "So you're here to see me? Everything alright?"

"Everything's fine. I was actually just here about Gabby…" Matt responded, shifting uncomfortably as he moved his weight between his feet.

"Is she alright?" Antonio's spine straightened, his eyes narrowing in concern.

"Yeah she's fine. I mean, Shay said she was sick and she wasn't on shift."

Antonio's posture relaxed as he crossed his arms over his chest, Matt not meaning to worry the older brother as he responded. "Oh that, yeah, she said she thought she just picked up something from a patient, it's nothing serious or anything."

"No, I know. I just… I haven't been able to get in contact with her for a few days now. And I know this is kind of a strange thing for me to ask, but I know she's staying with you, and I was wondering if I could have your address?" Matt saw the look of surprise flash in Antonio's eyes, the man raising his eyebrows in question. "Just so I can stop by and check on her, make sure she's alright." Casey rambled, shifting his gaze away from him, his uncomfortable demeanor obvious to the detective across from him.

"Uh, yeah I guess. I mean, I don't care if you stop by… I just didn't realize you and my sister were close." He spoke with an unreadable look on his face, Matt swallowing thickly.

"We're friends, yeah." He answered lamely, Antonio eyeing him carefully before nodding. The detective pulled out his phone, pulling up a new message, typing out his address before handing it to Casey.

"Put your number in there."

Matt did as he was told, Antonio sending him the address before sliding his phone back into his pocket. "Thanks Antonio." He spoke, seeing the man's gaze still on him.

"Yeah, no problem. I'm glad you and my sister are friends..." Antonio replied slowly, his eyebrows raised like he was expecting Casey to explain, but Matt simply smiled uncomfortably, giving him a nod.

"Yeah, well, uh, thanks again." Matt spoke, clearing his throat before stepping around the detective and heading for the door, glancing back to see a very confused Antonio watching him as he left the district.

Casey blew out a heavy breath as he stepped out into the freezing night air, zipping up his jacket as snow fell down on him while he hurried to his truck, anxious to get to his destination.

With help from his GPS, Matt got to Antonio's apartment relatively quickly, Casey admiring the building as he headed into the lobby and towards the elevators, double checking the apartment number as he waited to get to the correct floor. Stepping out into the hallway, he glanced around his unfamiliar surroundings before moving in what he hoped was the right direction.

Glancing down to his phone one last time, he soon found himself outside the correct door, Matt shoving his phone in his pocket before hesitantly bringing his hand up to knock on the white wood.

He knew it was a little on the later side, and if there was any truth to her being sick, he might be waking her, but after a few moments he heard shuffling behind the door, Matt taking a deep breath, unsure of what type of reaction his presence would get from her.

When Gabby pulled open the door, her eyes widened in surprise, Matt taking the opportunity to take in her appearance. Clad in a small pair of sleep shorts and a tank top, he focused his attention back on her face, looking for any signs of distress. Aside from her shock, he could still see the hurt hiding in her eyes, that familiar look of sadness still shining dimly in her tired gaze.

"What are you doing here?" She spoke softly, her voice hesitant.

"I wanted to check in on you, you weren't answering my calls… Can I come in?" He asked, knowing the hallway was not the place for this conversation.

Sighing softly, Gabby nodded, stepping aside to let him in. "How did you know where I live?" She questioned, closing the door behind him as he shed his jacket and boots, Gabby eyeing him curiously.

"I, uh… I went to see your brother." Her eyes widened in disbelief this time, Gabby bringing her hand up to run over the side of her face, shaking her head. "All I said was that I wanted to check in on you because I knew you were sick and I hadn't heard from you. I made sure to be clear we were only friends, but I don't think he bought it."

"Well of course he didn't buy it." She responded frustratedly, turning around and heading for what Matt could only assume to be her bedroom. "I really wish you hadn't done that, Casey."

"I'm sorry, but I didn't know what else to do." He replied, his tone showing just as much frustration as hers, Matt following after her to the bedroom, walking in to see her pacing at the foot of the bed. "You weren't answering my texts, I hadn't heard from you at all since you left my place and I was worried. Plus I figured you would rather me go to your brother than ask Shay or Kelly." He told her, Gabby stopping her movements as Matt walked further into the room.

"I would have rather you just left it alone… I'm still not even sure why you're here to begin with." She responded, rubbing tiredly over her forehead.

"I told you, I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"It's not your job to check in on me, or to worry about me." She replied sharply, Matt blowing out a sigh. He was expecting her guard to be up, it always was, but just because he wasn't surprised by it, that didn't mean he wasn't frustrated. "We're not dating. I know you feel like you should care, like you have to care because we're sleeping together, but believe me, it's alright. You don't have to do all this for my sake. I'm fine."

"I'm not pretending to care, Gabby." He answered with furrowed eyebrows. "I _do_ care. Not because I feel like I have to, but because you're my friend." She raised her eyebrows at his words, Matt breathing deeply. "I'd like to think we're friends, and I think you feel the same. And that means I care about you." He continued, watching her closely. "I wanted to help you the other night, but I didn't really know what to say. I knew you were upset, and I thought my trying to talk to you then would've only made it worse. So I figured I'd wait and talk to you in the morning, but you were gone…" He trailed off, his tongue running over his bottom lip.

"Well, I never should've stayed in the first place." She responded, blinking tightly. "We don't do that… we just have sex, that's it. We don't stay the night. I should've left the minute we finished."

"But you don't have to always do that... Especially when you were that upset. Do you honestly think I would've let you leave even if you hadn't fallen asleep?" He questioned, watching as her eyes moved to the ground, her arms crossing over her chest protectively as he took a step closer towards her. "You came to me because you were upset, you needed someone. There's nothing wrong with that, you don't need to be embarrassed." As the words left his lips, Matt knew he'd hit the source of her insecurity, Gabby's face telling him more than her words could. "If that's why you ran, you had no reason to. I wanted to help you, I still do. You don't have to be embarrassed because you needed someone." He spoke softly, seeing tears form in her eyes.

"But that's not what we do, Matt." She nearly whispered, clearly fighting against not only him, but her own emotions.

"Who says we can't?" He replied instantly, taking another step towards her, Matt thankful when she didn't back away. "You and I make the rules here, remember? There's no right or wrong way to do this. It's just what works for us." He paused for a moment, giving her a chance to really think over his words before continuing. "You can let yourself trust me, Gabby. You don't have to worry about coming to me, I want to be able to help you, if you need it." He could see her guard coming down, Matt carefully reaching out to rest his hand on her bare arm, his eyes being drawn to the faint bruising over her skin, in the same place he saw the bright red mark the other night.

With furrowed eyebrows, Matt's gaze found hers again, his mind racing as he remembered what Shay had told him on shift, his heart feeling heavy as he rubbed his thumb against her arm. "And if you're not coming to me because it's about something Walker did, you don't have to worry about that either." He murmured, watching as an unsettling look covered her face. "You can talk to me, no matter what it's about. I'm your friend, Gabby."

"How did you know?" She questioned quietly, Matt taking a deep breath before responding.

"When you didn't show up for shift at first, I thought it was because of me… And maybe it still was a little, but then Shay was talking to Kelly about how you met up with Walker the same night you came to me. I'm guessing it was right before you called me." He spoke, the look in her eyes confirming his assumptions. "Then it started to make sense. I don't know what happened, I don't need to know, but I have a feeling he's the one who had you so upset." He said softly, Gabby blinking back the tears in her eyes. "And I also have a feeling he's the one who gave you that bruise." His voice was barely audible, Gabby's breath hitching as her eyes darted to the purple marks on her arm, watching as Matt's hand came up to gentle ghost his thumb over it. "Did he hurt you?"

Squeezing her eyes shut tightly, Gabby took a moment to reign in her emotions before looking back up to him, seeing the hurt and anger shining in his eyes. Slowly, she nodded, watching as his anger morphed into sadness, his eyes flickering back to the bruising.

"We went to talk at a diner, things got a little heated. I tried to leave and he grabbed me, wouldn't let go." She whispered, swallowing the lump in her throat, Matt bringing his other hand up to rest over her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" He asked quietly, Gabby nodding slightly. Before saying another word, Matt slowly pulled her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her back. She tensed momentarily, not expecting the action, but she soon relaxed into his embrace, hesitantly bringing her arms up to wrap around his waist. "You don't have to talk about it, or tell me what happened, that's not what I mean when I say you can trust me… I just want you to know I'm here for you, whether you want to talk or not." He spoke softly, feeling her tighten her grip on his waist.

"Okay." She murmured, Matt smiling softly as they stood in her bedroom. "But you still don't have to worry about me so much." She responded, Matt hearing the teasing tone now present in her voice. "I mean, the six phone calls were a little much."

Casey released a light scoff, pulling back slightly, catching the playful gleam in her eye, a small grin appearing across his face. "Well, next time pick up your phone." He spoke, shaking his head. Their arms fell from one another, Gabby brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "You sure you're okay?"

"I'm good, Matt. Promise. I'm not gonna break down again." She responded, Matt taking a deep breath, his eyes flickering over her face.

"I meant what I said, you know. You don't need to be embarrassed about that." He spoke, catching her gaze. Not knowing what to say, Gabby simply nodded, biting down on the inside of her cheek.

Matt glanced around the room, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he thought over how to approach his next topic. He knew tonight was progress, that he and Gabby were in a much better place than they had been an hour ago. But she was still guarded and sometimes wary of him, although every time he learned more and more about how she'd been treated by Walker, he couldn't blame her.

"What?" She questioned, seeing the pensive look on his face.

"...Do you want me to stay tonight?" He asked suddenly, a look of surprise covering her features.

"Matt, what are you doing?" She questioned, watching as a small smile graced his lips.

"I'm being your friend." He responded honestly, his grin widening when he saw a small one form over her lips. "It's the whole 'friend' part of 'friends with benefits'." He spoke, Gabby sighing softly.

"I wasn't lying when I said I was okay."

"I know, but I also know how upset you've been, and… If you want me to stay, I will."

Gabby remained silent for a moment, looking over his features as she thought over his proposal. It was a fine line, them starting to stay the night. Especially this, Matt staying the night when they hadn't had sex. They were walking the line of friends that hookup and something more, and it scared her. She didn't want to give him the wrong idea, she didn't want their situation getting complicated.

But something was keeping her from telling him to go... She didn't want him to leave.

"You can stay." She murmured, Matt nodding with a grin before she moved towards the bedroom door, shutting it slowly.

Wordlessly, Gabby came back to the bed as Matt began removing his clothes, placing them on the chair in her room as he stripped down to his boxers. He walked over to the bed, Gabby making herself comfortable while he slid under the covers behind her, wrapping his arm around her waist, pulling her towards him until her back was pressed into his chest.

They laid in a comfortable quiet, Gabby reaching to turn off the lamp, bathing the room in darkness as she let herself relax into his grip. She could feel his breath on her neck, Gabby moving her hand to rest on top of his, a small smile coming to her face as released a deep breath, feeling him give her waist another squeeze, the two enjoying their silence.

"It wasn't because of you." She murmured after nearly ten minutes of quiet, Matt tapping his fingers against her stomach, telling her that he was awake and waiting for her to continue. "I didn't skip shift because of you. It was because of Bryan, I wasn't ready to face him, so I called in sick." She admitted, feeling safe in the cover of darkness.

"You don't have to tell me what happened, it's none of my business." He responded, holding her tighter to him. "But if you ever want to, I'm here to listen." Gabby nodded, feeling as Matt ran his leg over hers under the covers.

"I know… And I'm sorry for up and leaving you the other morning. And not responding to your messages. I didn't mean to make you worry, but I was just- you were right, I was embarrassed by what happened." Matt frowned as he listened to her speak, waiting to let her talk at her own pace. "I guess if I had really thought about it, I would've known you wouldn't have like, held it against me or something, but I didn't really know what to do. I was still upset and I didn't want to talk, so I left."

"You don't have to explain yourself to me. As long as you know now that you can come to me if you need to. I'd never use something like that against you, or tell anyone what we talk about. I don't want you to feel like you can't come to me." He spoke softly, Matt feeling her begin to shift in his arms, releasing his grip on her as she turned to face him, Matt barely able to make out her face in the dark. Before she spoke, she placed her head on his chest, Matt smiling softly as he wrapped his arm around her back, holding her to him.

"Thank you for coming here, Casey." She eventually whispered, snuggling herself into him. He rubbed over her back lightly, feeling her breath hitting his skin.

"Goodnight Gabby." He responded, draping his arm across his chest, resting his hand on her arm.

"Night Matt."

* * *

**Well, it took them a minute but it seems like Matt and Gabby are making some progress. They're heading in the right direction. Gabby's still incredibly guarded, as is Matt in his own ways, but they seem to be dropping some of those defenses a little bit.**

**Things are gonna be getting pretty crazy here soon, I'm super excited for the next few chapters and I hope you guys are too!**

**If you can, it would mean a lot if you could leave me a review and let me know what you thought. It seriously helps me so much. Thank you so much for reading!**


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all! This was definitely one of my favorites to write so far.**

**Also, just a warning, there are a few little M-rated scenes in this one. I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

**TWELVE**

* * *

Gabby released a soft groan as she began to slowly wake up, annoyed at the fact she was being pulled from her delightful slumber. A long yawn escaped through her lips, Gabby blinking furiously to adjust to the light in the room as her vision came into focus, lifting her head off the chest underneath her. Glancing up towards the person sharing her bed, she found Matt watching her, a soft smile on his face.

"Good morning." He spoke quietly, Gabby groaning again as she fell back against his chest, feeling him chuckle beneath her as she closed her eyes. Matt ran his fingertips over her bare arm, Gabby involuntarily shivering as she dug herself deeper into him. "Looks like you slept well." His kept his voice soft, not wanting to disturb the peace they'd found for themselves.

"You're pretty comfortable." She murmured, Matt's smile widening as he continued moving his hand over her skin, focusing on the feeling of her breath hitting his chest.

Gabby wasn't sure what time it was, or how long Matt had been awake, but she didn't care. All she wanted in this moment was to go back to sleep, Gabby feeling more relaxed in his presence than she'd care to admit.

"You've got a nice room." He spoke again, Gabby keeping her eyes closed as his hand moved to play with her hair. "Shame you live with your brother, we could have some fun here." He said playfully, Gabby scoffing lightly, a grin forming on her face as she heard him laugh.

"Well, it's temporary. I'm still looking for a new place." She responded softly, a content sigh leaving her lips as he ran his hand over her head, massaging her head lightly. "And I'm pretty sure we have more than enough places to have fun." She added, practically able to picture the grin her words brought to his face.

"Yeah, we do." He answered, Gabby feeling exhaustion sweep through again, her body relaxing into his as he rubbed her head.

They fell back into a comfortable quiet, Gabby finally having a moment to realize just how close they were. Matt's arm was still wrapped around her as it had been last night, apparently keeping her locked in place throughout the night. At some point Gabby's hand had moved from his chest down to his waist, resting on the skin just above his boxers, her other arm curled in between them. She noticed their legs were tangled together, hers resting in between his.

They had slept like this for most of the night, and it might've been one of the best nights sleep she'd ever gotten.

"How are you feeling?" He broke their calm silence, Gabby opening her eyes.

"I'm feeling… surprisingly alright." She spoke honestly, lifting her head to look up at him. She watched as his eyes traced her face, clearly looking for any signs of deception, hesitation playing over his features. "You worry too much, you know that?" She asked, Matt shrugging lightly.

"I worry for people I care about." He responded instantly, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing at his words. It wasn't even so much what he said, he'd said the same thing last night, but it was the way he said it. He was so nonchalant, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Like there was no way he wouldn't be worried about her.

And it filled her with a feeling she couldn't explain, and didn't really understand.

But she didn't have time to question it as a sly grin appeared on his face, Matt's thoughts shifting as he quickly adjusted their positions, pinning Gabby to the bed as he leaned over her, capturing her lips with his. The action caught her by surprise, it taking a moment for her to react, but she quickly found her footing, deepening the kiss as her hand came up to cup his neck, her other holding his face as he covered her body with his.

Their pace stayed the same for a few minutes, both of them enjoying the feel of one another as his hands roamed her sides, his legs straddling her waist. But Matt soon sped things up, sliding his hand under her tank top, cupping her breast in his palm as he moved his kisses from her lips down her jaw. He heard her sharp breathing in his ear, Matt groping her skin as his lips landed on her neck, putting fresh marks on her.

Slowly, he removed his hand from her breast, sliding it down her stomach, feeling her muscles tighten as he moved further south. His lips found the skin on her upper chest, kissing every exposed inch of her he could, knowing his efforts would leave behind a couple bruises.

After a few moments of teasing, Matt slid his hand under the waistband of her shorts, groaning as he felt she had nothing on underneath them, his hand beginning to work her skin. He smirked against her chest as he heard her pants, Gabby doing all she could to control her breathing as Matt focused his attention on her.

"Matt…" She nearly whispered. "We shouldn't be doing this here." Her voice turned into a whimper as he picked up his pace, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip roughly, her eyes falling closed as her muscles tightened.

"Do you want me to stop?" He whispered, keeping his movements steady before slowly sliding a finger into her, Gabby's hand coming up to cover her mouth as low whimpers left her lips. "I said do you want me to stop?" He asked again, his hand moving faster between them, Gabby's legs beginning to tremor as she felt her body reacting to him.

Shaking her head back and forth, Matt continued on, using his free hand to slide her tank top down, exposing her breasts as he latched his mouth onto her, Gabby's breath hitching.

Matt continued his movements rhythmically, feeling her body clench around him, moving his mouth to her other breast, wanting to give it equal attention before this was over.

Based on her reactions, he could tell she was close, Matt kissing his way back up to her lips, Gabby moving her hand out of the way before he captured her lips in his again. Matt swallowed her moans when her release hit her, her hips rising to meet his movements as her legs shook against the mattress.

A proud smirk came to his face as he slowly removed his hand from her shorts, Gabby's labored breathing the only sound filling the room as Matt rolled off of her. She adjusted her shirt, sucking in deep breaths while Matt laid beside her.

"I should probably get going…" He spoke after a few minutes, Gabby glancing towards him.

"What, you don't want me to return the favor?" She questioned, Matt chuckling as he leaned over, placing a quick, heated kiss to her lips before getting out of bed.

"Oh, I would absolutely love that. But I don't think we should push our luck." He spoke quietly, walking towards the chair that held his clothes. "I'm not sure if your brother's even home, but we probably shouldn't chance it."

Gabby nodded, sitting up in bed, brushing her hair from her face as she got up, slowly walking to her dresser. She pulled out a new pair of shorts, quickly changing into those before heading to her closet, grabbing a sweatshirt and throwing it on over her thin shirt. Gabby pulled her hair up into a messy bun as he finished getting dressed, glancing to herself in the mirror, trying to hide any evidence of what had just happened in this room.

"You ready?" She asked, Matt nodding as she walked towards the door. She pulled it open as quietly as possible, Matt watching as she snuck her head out, glancing around before stepping out into the apartment. Shaking his head in amusement, he followed behind her, finding the living room empty. He found it quite comical how Gabby was sneaking him out, even though they both knew Antonio probably wouldn't have been shocked to see him coming out of her room this morning. But he played along, his steps silent as they got to the front door. Matt quickly slid on his boots, grabbing his jacket off the hook before walking into the hallway, Gabby following him. She kept one hand on the door handle, leaving the door slightly ajar as they stood face to face, a shy grin forming over her lips.

"Thank you again, for coming last night." She told him, Matt flashing her a smile.

"Anytime... Bye Gabby." He responded, giving her a nod before heading off down the hallway, Gabby waiting to go back inside before he was out of sight.

Closing the door behind her, Gabby took a deep breath, running her hand over the side of her face before walking further into the apartment, looking forward to her day of doing nothing.

"I was wondering when the Lieutenant was going to leave."

Gabby jumped at the unexpected voice, her hand coming up to rest over her chest as she turned to find Antonio standing outside his bedroom door.

"Jesus Antonio, you scared me." She breathed out, her brother chuckling as he walked into the living room, sitting down on the couch. "I didn't even know you were home. I never heard you come in last night."

"It was late, but I take it you were a bit preoccupied to really be worrying about me anyway." He spoke with a knowing look, Gabby's bottom lip falling between her teeth as she crossed her arms over her chest. "So, you're dating Casey."

"Antonio…"

"Are you sure that's the best idea?" He interjected, Gabby sighing deeply as she walked towards him, sitting down on the arm of the chair. "I mean, after everything that happened with Bryan, do you really think it's a good idea to get involved with someone you work with again?"

"We're not dating." She replied simply, Antonio's eyebrows furrowing.

"So… what then? You're just hooking up?" He questioned, Gabby's eyes narrowing.

"The last thing I'm gonna do is have this conversation with my you." She replied firmly, Antonio relaxing back into the couch, blowing out a heavy breath. "Him and I are friends, Antonio. That's it." Her brother shot her an unconvinced look, shaking his head side to side.

"Mhmm, if you say so. But please just be careful." He responded, Gabby watching him closely. "I know it's none of my business, but I worry about you. I like Casey, he seems like a really good guy, but I don't want to see you hurt again... Please just take care of yourself."

"I'm good, Tonio." She assured him, waiting until she got a nod of acceptance from him before continuing. "But, anyway, I've been meaning to tell you, I've been looking at apartments."

"You leaving me already, sis?" He questioned, Gabby scoffing lightly.

"I think I've pretty much overstayed my welcome already."

"You could never, you know that." He replied quickly, shaking his head. "If that's why you're hurrying out of here, because of me, I don't want you leaving because of that. I know you like having your own space and everything, so you can have sleepovers with your _friends_," He spoke pointedly, Gabby shooting him a glare, not even bothering to respond to his comment, "But I like having you here, you don't need to rush out of here just because of me. You're my sister, you can stay as long as you want."

"Thank you." She replied with a small smile. "It's not because of you, I just feel like I need to be on my own again, to really start over, if that makes sense. I haven't really found anything I'd actually considering renting yet… But I'd love for you to come look at places with me when I do."

"Of course, sis. Whatever you need." He responded, Gabby's smile widening before she pushed herself up from the chair.

"Alright, well this was a fun talk, but I'm gonna go lay back down." She told him as she began walking back towards her bedroom.

"What? You didn't get enough sleep with Casey?" He teased, Gabby flipping him off before disappearing into her room.

* * *

"Hello Lieutenant." Casey looked up at the greeting, slowing his steps towards the garage as he saw Gabby walking towards him, a soft smile resting on her face.

"Hey Dawson." He responded, coming to a complete stop, waiting for to reach him. "You feeling better?" He asked with a knowing grin, Gabby smirking as she came to stand next to him, light snow falling down on them as they began walking into the firehouse.

"I am, thank you for asking." She played along, Matt holding the door open for her as the pair walked into the firehouse. "Do anything exciting since I last saw you?" She questioned with a raised eyebrow, Matt responding with a smirk of his own as they walked through the garage.

"No, nothing much. Just been working. What about you?"

"I've been looking at apartments." She responded, Matt's eyebrows raising curiously.

"Oh, really?" He asked, holding open the door for her to head into the warmth of the firehouse.

"Yup. I might be in my own place very soon."

"That's very exciting." He spoke softly, Gabby grinning, unable to say anything more when a body collided into hers, Gabby grunting as Shay wrapped her arms tightly around her friend.

"Dawson's back!" She nearly shouted, Gabby wincing at the loud noise in her ear as Shay rocked them side to side.

"God Shay, you're gonna deafen me." Gabby responded, hugging the blonde before pulling back. "I was only gone one shift, it couldn't have been that bad." She spoke with a chuckle, Shay grimacing as Casey watched the two, clearly amused.

"It was awful, not only did you leave me with McAuley, you stuck me with Casey and Severide all damn shift." She spoke, smirking at the Lieutenant. "It was torture."

"Ouch, Shay… Right through the heart." Casey joked, patting his chest, Shay rolling her eyes as Gabby laughed.

"You'll be fine, tough guy." Shay spoke, tapping his cheek before looking back towards Gabby. "So, are you feeling better? You're not still sick are you?"

"Nope, I'm feeling better." She replied, the three beginning to walk down the hallway, Gabby in between Casey and Shay.

"Uh huh… you and I need to talk, Dawson." The blonde warned, Gabby eyebrows furrowing.

"About what?"

"About why you actually weren't on shift." She replied knowingly, Gabby taking a deep breath, suddenly very aware of Casey's presence by her side.

"Shay…"

"What? Casey already knows you went to talk to Walker." She replied, Matt swallowing thickly.

"I'm gonna head to my office, I hope you two have a good shift." Matt responded, flashing them both a smile before changing his direction.

"You need to stop dragging Casey into all of this." Gabby spoke once he was out of sight, the two paramedics walking into the locker room. "Bryan's his firefighter, you putting him in the middle of this isn't fair to him." She spoke, stopping at her locker.

"Please, that's the last thing you need to worry about. Casey has about had it with Walker, he's even thinking of going to Boden." Shay responded, dropping her voice. Gabby turned to look at her with a curious look on her face, watching as her friend opened her locker.

"Why? What's been going on?"

"Man, you really can't miss shift, you miss all the good stuff." Shay responded, turning towards her partner. "I guess it's like what happened on the call with Herrmann, but now Walker's doing it on purpose. He's purposely going against Casey's orders, and I don't know much, I really only caught the end of his and Severide's conversation, but Casey is really having a hard time dealing with him."

Gabby blew out a heavy breath, shaking her head as she went back to putting her things away. "Well, that's even more of a reason to not bother him with my issues. It seems like he's got enough going on." She replied softly, grabbing her beanie from the top shelf before closing her locker.

"Well, if you wouldn't skip shift because of him, I could've talked to you instead of Kelly and Casey." She spoke with raised eyebrows as the bells chimed throughout the house, sending 61 out to a car accident.

"Looks like we've got work to do." Dawson said, heading out of the locker room with Shay hot on her trail.

"We're not done talking about this." The blonde replied, shaking her head as they hurried to the garage.

Hearing 61 get called out, Matt grabbed his bag from the floor, leaving his office and heading for the locker room. He knew he made things awkward by leaving the paramedics a few moments ago, and he hoped his actions hadn't made Gabby question what he told her. He meant what he said, she could always come to him with anything, but he walked away because he didn't want to make her uncomfortable.

He didn't want her to feel like she couldn't confide in Shay just because he was there. Despite him knowing something happened between her and Walker, he didn't know the details. And he didn't want her to feel pressured into talking with him there, and he definitely didn't want her holding back from Shay because of his presence.

Matt knew he was probably overthinking this, that Gabby probably didn't care about him leaving, but after the last week, he never knew what to expect from her.

Blowing out a breath, Matt entered the locker room, his steps stopping almost immediately as Walker turned the corner, coming in from the bathroom.

"Hello Lieutenant." He spoke with a wide grin, continuing towards his locker.

The second he saw the firefighter, Matt felt anger begin to stir within him, his mind flashing to the bruise on Gabby's arm.

Matt knew it wasn't his place to get involved, that he didn't have any details as to what had been said between him and Dawson that night. But nothing she said would warrant him putting his hands on her, especially not tight enough to leave bruising.

He wanted to confront him, to tell him to stay the hell away from Dawson and to never touch her again. But he couldn't. Because he knew Gabby would kill him for getting involved. She would be furious at him, for him approaching Walker about something she told him in confidence. He wouldn't break her trust, no matter how much he wanted to give Walker a piece of his mind.

And he would also have to explain how he knew. Walker would have questions about how he found out about what happened, and even though Matt wouldn't have to give him any explanation, Walker would have his suspicions. And that would only make things harder for Dawson. He didn't want that, so he decided to stay quiet.

"You alright, Casey?" Walker asked with a smirk, Matt simply nodding before continuing to his locker, remaining silent as he put his things away.

He wouldn't talk to Walker about Dawson, he knew he couldn't. But there were plenty of other issues he could confront the man about, Matt just wasn't sure he would listen.

"Are we gonna have any issues today, Walker?" Casey asked as he shut his locker, Bryan turning towards him with a smug grin.

"Of course not, Lieutenant." He assured him, giving him a nod before sliding past him. "I'm just here to work." Bryan patted him on the shoulder before leaving the room.

Casey sucked in a deep breath, clenching his neck as he exited the locker room. He knew Walker would only continue to be a problem, and even though he didn't want to have to bring Boden into this, he might be left with no choice.

* * *

"So are you gonna talk to me now?" Shay asked as she closed her door, Gabby huffing out a breath, glancing to her friend. The paramedics had finished up at med half an hour ago, Shay opting to stop at a donut shop a few blocks from the house for breakfast, Dawson waiting for her in the rig.

Shay handed Gabby her coffee, her eyebrows raised in question.

"Shay…"

"I got you an extra donut." She bribed, handing her friend the bag, Gabby shaking her head in amusement as she took the food.

"I don't really know what you want me to say." She responded, taking a sip of her drink, the blonde taking a deep breath.

"Is Walker why you skipped shift?" She questioned, Gabby eyeing her closely. "Come on, I know you weren't sick. If you really don't want to talk about it, I'll respect that… reluctantly." She spoke, Gabby rolling her eyes. "But I'm worried about you. You've been doing a lot better recently, and I don't want him ruining that."

Sighing deeply, Gabby put her drink down, running her hand over the side of her face. "He was why I didn't come." She finally answered, Shay turning towards her friend, giving her full attention to Dawson. "Going to talk with him didn't go well, and it just… it messed with me. He was giving me these half-assed apologies that he clearly didn't mean, and he was only there to prove some point to Jennifer." Shay's eyes narrowed as Gabby spoke, a light scoff escaping her lips. "It felt like he was blaming me, for what he did. He justified it by saying he knew we weren't gonna work out, and how could I ever think we'd actually stay together…"

"What an asshole." Shay replied in disgust, shaking her head.

"He said he should've broken up with me a long time ago, but he didn't because he didn't want to hurt me, or some bullshit like that and I just… I lost it." She admitted, Shay watching her sadly. "I got so mad, and I told him how I wished I'd never met him, that we never got together. How he ruined my life, and he was pissed. I tried to leave and he grabbed my arm, and wouldn't let me go."

"He what?" Shay asked, her eyes widened in disbelief.

"He grabbed me, and it hurt. It… he was scaring me. Some guy stepped in and got him to leave, but everything just- it messed with me and I needed time." She admitted, Shay reaching out to gently hold her arm. "I wasn't ready to deal with him, so I called in sick."

"Are you okay?"

Gabby nodded, flashing her a small smile. "I'm fine… now. The bruise is fading, I'm-"

"He left a bruise?!" She nearly yelled, anger flooding her body. "I'm gonna kill him. I swear to God, I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch."

"You're not gonna do anything." Gabby was quick to interject, Shay shaking her head.

"Gabby, he can't just do that and get away with it. He hurt you, he left a _bruise_ on you he grabbed you so tight, he needs to get his ass kicked." She responded, Gabby taking a deep breath.

"Shay, please, as my friend I am asking you to just leave it alone. You can hate him, I don't care, but please don't make a big deal out of this-"

"But it is a big deal." She fired back.

"Please." Gabby tried again, Shay's defenses dropping when she saw the pleading look in Dawson's eye. "Please don't say anything. I'm done with Walker, if he wants anything else from me, that's too bad. But I just want to leave it all in the past, going and talking to him will only make it worse... Please just leave it alone, Shay."

The blonde watched her for a moment, releasing a heavy sigh before giving in. "Fine." She agreed, Gabby giving her a thankful nod. "I'll leave it alone, for you... but only because I know he's already put you through hell and I don't want to make it worse."

"Thank you Shay." Gabby responded softly, placing her hand over Shay's on her arm.

"But that doesn't mean I won't continue to hate him. And glare at him."

"That's fine." Dawson responded with a laugh.

"And maybe kick him."

"Shay."

"I'm kidding.. Kind of." She told her, leaning over across the seat to give Dawson a hug. The angle was awkward, but neither of them cared, Gabby returning the gesture as she wrapped her arms around her friend. "You're sure you're okay?" Shay asked as they pulled back, Gabby nodding.

"I'm fine, I promise."

"Okay." The blonde replied, watching her cautiously for a moment before putting the rig in drive, beginning the short trip back towards the house. "But, I mean it, if he does something else to you, I won't hesitate to kick his ass." She warned, Gabby shaking her head with an amused grin before digging into breakfast.

* * *

"Lieutenant, do you have a second?" Matt looked up from his spot at his desk, turning to find Dawson standing in his doorway. Hearing the tone in her voice, he assumed she was here for professional reasons, Matt nodding as he turned his chair towards her.

"What's up Dawson?" He asked, his eyebrows raising as a small smirk fell to her lips.

"I believe I owe you something." She responded, Matt swallowing the lump forming in his throat as she stepped inside, glancing around to ensure they were still alone before closing the door behind her. Wordlessly, she began pulling the blinds on the windows down, Matt watching her every movement as she flipped the lock on his door, completely cutting them off from everyone else.

"What did you have in mind?" He asked quietly, Gabby cocking her head to the side, running her tongue over her bottom lip, Matt clenching his neck at the movement.

"Something I think you're gonna enjoy." She murmured, reaching out for his hands, pulling him up to stand in front of her. She adjusted their stance, turning him so he was in front of his desk, Gabby leaning forward to place a soft kiss against his lips. Matt let her take the lead, excited to see what she had in store for him, his hands roaming her waist before sliding around to her back. A soft groan escaped his lips as her hands moved to his belt, quickly undoing it before going to work on his zipper. She unbuttoned his pants, slowing sliding them a few inches down his legs, only enough to get them out of the way before she slid her hand into his boxers, grabbing ahold of him without warning. His breath hitched, Gabby smirking against his lips as she trailed kisses along his jaw, running her teeth over his skin as she began stroking him. "Having fun yet?" She whispered in his ear, feeling his grip on her back tighten, Matt releasing a low moan as she kept up her steady pace.

Casey nodded, Gabby chuckling softly as his eyes fell closed, placing one last kiss against his neck before she dropped to her knees. In an instant, she had his boxers pulled down, a light hiss escaping his lips as she regained her grip on him, picking up from her previous pace as he glanced down to look at her. He was met with her gaze, a devilish grin appearing on her lips before she slowly leaned forward, taking part of him into her mouth.

An involuntary shiver ran through his body, Matt moaning quietly as his hand instinctively flew to her head, his other resting on the desk behind him, keeping him steady.

"Jesus Christ." He murmured as she took her time, teasing him as her mouth and hand moved simultaneously. She slowly worked him up, changing her pace as she took more and more of him into her mouth, Matt encouraging her movements.

When he hit the back of her throat, his knees nearly buckled, Gabby pressing against his hips to make him rest on the desk, holding his weight up as she continued her stride. No longer needing the extra support, Matt's other hand came to hold her head, Gabby picking up her pace.

But this time she never slowed back down, Matt mumbling profanities as she took him in fully, jolts of electricity shooting through his lower body as he felt himself near his release. He wasn't sure if she could feel it too, but the way she dedicated herself to pleasing him brought him closer and closer to the edge, Matt rubbing his thumb against her cheek.

"I'm gonna…" He breathed out, his muscles clenching as she only sped up her movements, her mouth holding onto him with a near death grip. "Gabby-" He tried to warn her again, but she continued on. With her free hand holding his hips to the desk, she worked him through his finish, groans and gasps escaping through his lips as he emptied himself into her mouth, his hips trembling as she took everything he was giving her. She kept her mouth on him for a few more moments before pulling back, a proud grin resting on her face as she looked up, seeing him completely spent. His cheeks were flushed, his chest heaving as he rested against his desk, his muscles twitching as he recovered from the onslaught of pleasure she'd just given him.

"I think that makes up for yesterday morning." She spoke with a chuckle, pushing herself up from the ground as Matt tried to get his breathing under control, the man adjusting himself, beginning to fix his clothes.

"I think I owe you a little something more after that." He breathed out, Gabby's grin widening.

"I'm looking forward to that." She responded, tapping her hand against his cheek. "How about tomorrow night?"

"Sounds like a plan." He agreed, Gabby flashing him a smile, Matt unable to stop the grin that fell onto his face as the two stood together in the small room.

* * *

Gabby bit down onto his shoulder as she ground down onto him one last time, Matt gasping while his hands held onto her hips to aid her movements, her legs shaking as she sat in his lap. When they came down from their high, Matt collapsed back onto the bed, Gabby falling with him as she landed on top of him, their chests pressed together as her hands came out to balance herself, resting on either side of his head.

"Hi." He spoke with a grin, his breathing labored.

"Hi." She repeated, leaning down to capture his lips with hers, moaning as his hands began roaming her skin underneath the sheets.

"I think… I think I might need a minute." He breathed out as she pulled back, raising her eyebrow challengingly.

"That's what you said half an hour ago, and you seemed to do just fine." She teased as he brought his hand up to brush some stray hair out of her face, smiling softly at her.

"Only fine?" He questioned, Gabby rolling her eyes as she leaned down to kiss him again, Matt responding instantly.

Their moment was broken as Gabby's phone buzzed for the umpteenth time that evening, Matt groaning as she pulled away, reaching over to grab the device from his nightstand.

"Who is it?" He asked as Gabby rolled off of him, Matt instantly missing the warmth her body gave him. "New boyfriend?" He questioned jokingly, earning a scoff from Gabby.

"It's just Shay. She keeps asking me to come to Molly's tonight." Gabby spoke as she laid on her stomach, biting down on her bottom lip as she thought over her response to her friend.

"You can go if you want." Matt spoke, turning on his side to face her, running his hand up and down her bare back. "I didn't realize you were trying to go out tonight, you didn't have to come here."

"No, I'm glad I did. I definitely had fun." She spoke with a gleam in her eye as Matt rested his head in his palm.

"Do you want to go? We could head over there, it's still early." He offered, Gabby thinking over his words for a moment.

"You don't mind?"

"No, of course not. I could hang out with the guys some, and we can always come back here for some more fun afterwards." He replied, leaning forward to place a quick kiss on her lips before getting out of bed.

"Alright, I'll tell her I'm coming. But I definitely need to shower, I smell like sex." She spoke, typing out a quick message to Shay before putting her phone down.

"That can be easily fixed." He responded with a grin, ripping the covers off of her before pulling her out of bed, dragging her to the bathroom.

* * *

"Finally, you made it!" Shay yelled over the crowd as Gabby approached the bar, flashing her friend a smile.

"Hey, yeah sorry I'm late." She apologized, sitting down at a free stool.

While the shower at Matt's place was needed, doing it with him proved to slow them down, Matt feeling eager and ready for another round as soon as they got in. And while she definitely enjoyed it, it had caused them to be a little later than they planned.

"It's all good, I'm just glad you're here. Pretty much everyone else from 51 is here. Well, except for Casey. I asked Severide to text him, but I'm not sure he did."

"Maybe he'll show up." Gabby responded with a shrug.

"Yeah maybe. I'm not sure if he had some construction today or not, but maybe he'll stop by." Shay replied, tossing her rag over her shoulder. "So what can I get ya?"

"Just a beer is fine." Gabby responded with a smile, Shay nodding as she began preparing her drink. "So, why were you so adamant about me coming out tonight?" Dawson questioned, earning an amused look from her friend.

"What do you mean?"

"You sent me like twenty texts about coming here, I figured you had a reason."

"Why, am I keeping you from something? Or maybe someone?" Shay questioned with raised eyebrows, confusion settling across Dawson's face.

"What?"

"Hey Shay, Dawson." Gabby turned her head to find Matt suddenly by her side, Casey coming to stand beside her at the bar.

"Well hello there, Casey. We were just talking about you." Shay spoke, Gabby's body tensing slightly. "We weren't sure if we'd see you here tonight."

"I figured I'd come out, wasn't doing anything else." He responded with a shrug, Shay nodding. "And I see Herrmann's here, I'm glad he's doing better."

"Yeah, me too. He said he's gonna be back next shift."

"I figured he wouldn't stay out for too much longer." Matt responded, nodding a thanks to Shay as she handed him a beer.

"He's too stubborn to stay away." Shay spoke, earning a chuckle from Casey before she zeroed in on Dawson. "Now, don't think I forgot about you."

"What are you going on about, Shay?" Gabby questioned, Matt bringing his drink up to his lips.

"Your new boyfriend… You're getting laid and you haven't told me about it."

The second the words left Shay's lips, Casey choked on his beer, the liquid going down the wrong way as the blonde paramedic looked at him curiously. It wasn't until she saw the worried look on his face, and the similar flash of panic in Gabby's eyes that realization washed over her, Shay's eyes widening.

"Oh my God." She spoke, her mouth parting in shock.

"Shay-"

"Oh my God." She responded, crossing her arms over her chest. "Oh my God, you two are actually-" She cut herself off, unable to believe her own words.

"Shay, I don't know what you think is going on, but-"

"You two are sleeping together." Her voice dropped to a whisper, the blonde remembering where they were and who all was around. "You two are fucking, I knew it."

Matt's worried gaze landed on Gabby, who's face was hard, clearly trying to conceal any answers Shay would be looking for. Glancing towards Casey, Gabby nodded at him, silently telling him to leave. Forcing himself to look back to the blonde, he found Shay's gaze waiting for him, a knowing smile on her face.

"I'm just gonna…" He trailed off, Gabby rolling her eyes as Matt began walking away.

"I'm not done with you, Casey. You and I are gonna be talking later." She warned him, Matt shaking his head as he walked towards the firefighters across the bar. When the two were alone, Shay's attention focused back on Gabby, seeing an unreadable expression covering her face. "You have a lot to explain, ma'am."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Bullshit." She responded exasperatedly. "You and the Lieutenant are _fucking_, and I want to know how the hell that happened." She spoke quietly, her voice as forceful as possible.

Blowing out a heavy breath, Gabby stood up, nodding at Shay to follow her. After quickly yelling to Herrmann that she'd be back, she followed Dawson out of the bar, Shay rubbing over her arms as they moved down to the sidewalk.

"Jeez, we couldn't have had this conversation in there? It's like ten degrees out here." She complained, earning a harsh glare from Dawson.

"Well, you couldn't shut your big mouth and you've seemed to forget who all is in there." Gabby fired back, Shay sighing.

"I'm sorry, but hearing that you're sleeping with Casey kind of took me by surprise." Shay responded, Gabby running her hand over her head. "How the hell did this happen? I mean, I know I always gave you two a hard time and joked about there being something going on, but I didn't actually think you two were together…"

"We're not- It's complicated, Shay." Gabby spoke quietly, releasing a heavy sigh.

"But you two are sleeping together." She stated, Gabby pursing her lips together as she looked to the ground, Shay releasing a deep breath. "This is just… oh my God I don't even know what to say. I mean, aside from the stuff with Walker, I thought you seemed a bit more relaxed lately, but I had no idea it's cause you were hooking up the Lieutenant."

"Shay…"

"I have so many questions, but it's too damn cold. You and I will be having an in-depth conversation later, and I definitely have questions for Casey, but just- how did this even happen? I mean everything with Walker? I know I said I thought you two would be good for each other but I didn't think you'd actually fuck him, I-"

"Shay." Gabby snapped, cutting off her rambling.

"Right sorry, not the time for questions. But I'm guessing since I didn't know that no one else does?" Gabby shook her head, Shay nodding in understanding. "Alright, just one more thing and we can leave it, for now."

"What?" Gabby asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"How good is he in bed?" She asked, raising her eyebrows with a grin. Scoffing lightly, a smirk fell onto Gabby's face, Dawson shaking her head.

"Come on, Shay." She spoke, Shay chuckling.

"That good, huh?" She questioned, earning a slight nod from Gabby as they headed back for the door. "Such a slut." Shay joked, slapping Gabby's behind as she climbed the stairs.

"Watch it." Gabby replied, Shay holding her hands up in defense.

"Sorry, guess that's reserved just for the Lieutenant now." She responded with a gleam in her eye, Gabby rolling her eyes as they headed back into the building.

The second Dawson came back into the bar, it was as if Casey sensed it, his eyes finding hers immediately across the busy room. He was watching her with a wary look on his face, clearly unsure of what had just happened. But when Gabby shot him a soft smile, she could see his body relax, Matt's lips curling up into a grin, giving her a nod.

"You two are disgusting." Shay commented, Gabby turning to look at her, rolling her eyes before they moved back towards the bar. "How is it that you can find two boyfriends just at the firehouse, but I can't even find a girlfriend in all of Chicago?" She asked exasperatedly, Gabby's eyebrows raised in amusement.

"He's not my boyfriend."

"Uh huh, sure." Shay spoke sarcastically, Gabby taking a sip of her drink. "That's why you've looked all loved up lately. At first I just thought I was seeing things, but no. It's cause you've been going to town on the Lieutenant."

"Always so charming, aren't you Shay." She commented, the blonde smirking as she ignored her friend's words.

"I should've pestered you two more, I knew there had to be something going on but I can't believe you actually hid this from me."

"What happened to us not talking about this here?" Gabby questioned with a sigh, glancing a little further down the bar, seeing a group of firefighters standing there talking.

"Oh please, I'd have to yell 'Dawson and Casey are fucking' to get their attention. They're oblivious, and clearly so was I considering I'm sure you two didn't keep to yourselves at the firehouse." Shay responded with a knowing look, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip. "You really are a slut, aren't you?" She teased, swatting her friend with the towel. "The times I'd walk through the bunk room and Casey's blinds would be closed, I should've known he wasn't just napping, Jesus Christ, you two have been going at it like bunnies."

"Are you done?"

"Teasing you about this? Never. Because now I know I'm not crazy. I stand by what I said, you two acted too weird around each other for people who hadn't seen the other naked… I just didn't realize getting naked was a common occurrence."

Gabby shrugged, taking a sip of her beer. "Not always." She responded with a sly smirk, Shay's lips parting in shock before a chuckle escaped her lips.

"I don't know whether to be disgusted or proud… Who am I kidding, I'm proud of you. I feel like a proud mom." Shay spoke, placing her hand over her chest.

"Alright, I'm leaving now." Gabby responded, standing up from her seat.

"Wait, just one more question." Shay said, Gabby sighing as she stopped her path, glancing towards Shay with raised eyebrows. "Who's better in bed, Casey or Walker?" She asked with a devilish grin, Gabby scoffing as she shook her head.

"Bye Shay."

"It's Casey isn't it?"

A smile fell to Gabby's face, Shay smirking in response. "Go serve your customers."

"Uh huh." She responded teasingly.

Without another word, Gabby began walking towards the group of firefighters, casually sliding herself in between Casey and Severide as they all stood around the bar. The group consisted of the two men she was standing beside, with Cruz, Otis, Bryan, and Jennifer all standing around them, Herrmann behind the bar.

"There's Dawson! I was wondering when you were gonna come say hi to us." Herrmann spoke with a wide grin, Gabby flashing him one as well.

"Well, you know Shay, she loves to talk a lot." Gabby joked, earning knowing nods from the group.

The night wore on, Shay finding it amusing how Gabby and Casey were acting around one another. To anyone else, it probably seemed like nothing, but Shay noticed how close they were. They were practically attached at the hip. In fact, she was sure she'd only seen them separated once or twice, when Casey left to go to the bathroom. And Shay was partially surprised that Gabby didn't go after him.

But watching them together only raised more questions in Shay's mind. She was sure they hadn't always been acting like this around one another, there was a sort of tension between them that surely she would've noticed before tonight. But she was curious to know exactly how long they had been together. The paramedic knew it couldn't have been all that long, but she had questions. She wanted to know how they ended up together. Did they actually know each other before and they were rekindling some old romance? Was it a drunk night that ended up being something more? Or did they really just like each other and their relationship meant more than Gabby led on?

She had no idea, but she was determined to find out. Shay just knew she couldn't do it here. There were too many prying ears who would definitely find it odd if she went and dragged her partner and the Lieutenant away.

But even though she couldn't question them tonight, she could at least be entertained by how obvious they were being. She wasn't sure how no one was else was picking up on it, but considering she was surrounded by oblivious firefighters, she guessed it wasn't too much of a surprise.

Walking over to the small group of Severide, Dawson, Casey, and Herrmann, Shay brought fresh drinks to her friends, Casey declining his as she held it out to him.

"Oh, no thanks I'm good. I'm actually gonna be heading out soon." He told her, a knowing grin falling on Shay's face, her eyes flashing towards Gabby, who met her with a challenging glare.

"What the hell is wrong with your face, Shay? Why are you smiling at Casey like that?" Severide asked, Matt chuckling as Shay merely shrugged her shoulders.

"You wouldn't understand, it's something only me and my best friend Casey know about."

"What is this, grade school? You two sharing secrets now?"

"Don't be jealous, Kelly." Shay responded, the two bickering back and forth.

"Alright, while you two are doing that I'm gonna go to the bathroom." Gabby spoke up, placing her drink down at the bar before heading to the back.

She was gone for all of five minutes, Gabby trying to think of excuses that could get her out of here as she washed her hands. She was having a great time with her friends, but she was looking forward to getting back to Matt's place, knowing she had another late night of fun waiting for her.

Drying her hands, she threw the paper towel in the trashcan before moving back to the door, pushing it open.

"I was wondering when you'd be done." Gabby's gaze moved up, a frown forming over her face as she saw Bryan leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest.

"What do you want, Walker?"

"Oh, we're back to last names now, alright." He responded, pushing himself off the wall, walking towards her.

He was drunk, she could tell by his demeanor, and she could definitely smell it on him.

"I have nothing to say to you." She responded, pushing past him, but he grabbed her arm to stop her, Gabby's body freezing.

"You sure? You had plenty to say the other night." He growled, tightening his grip on her arm, Gabby pulling against him.

"Let me go, you drunk asshole."

"Still got that mouth on you, I see. The least you could do is put it to good use." He slurred, Gabby's eyes narrowed as she pushed forcefully against his chest.

"I'm not gonna tell you again, get your fucking hands off of me."

"Or what?" He spat, towering over her.

"Walker." Casey barked, the two looking over to see him standing in the entrance to the hallway. "Let go of Dawson."

"Oh here comes our Lieutenant to save the day." Walker muttered, Matt stepping closer to him, rage shining in his eyes.

"She told you twice, and I'm telling you again. Get your hands off of her. Now." Matt's voice was dripping in anger.

Reluctantly, Walker released her arm, Gabby stepping behind Matt as Casey's glare was zeroed in on the drunk firefighter. Glancing behind her, she saw Shay and Herrmann standing there, and Gabby was sure Matt's voice had drawn more attention from around the bar.

"I know this isn't the first time you've put your hands on her, but it will be the last." His voice was low and threatening, watching as a flash of panic flickered in Bryan's eyes before he recovered.

"What, Dawson been crying about me again? There's a shock."

"Walker-"

"I remember when Gabby used to love having my hands on her." He spoke with a proud smirk, Gabby grimacing as she saw Matt's back tighten, clearly trying to keep his cool.

"I don't know what you think you're gaining by running your mouth and walking around here like you own the place, but drop the bullshit. I don't care about the past details of yours and Dawson's relationship, if she tells you to let her go, you let her go." He spoke firmly. "I'm not sure why you feel so inclined to keep grabbing women who clearly don't want you touching them, but next time I hear about you holding onto someone so tight you leave a bruise, you and I are going to be having a much different conversation. Are we clear?"

Walker remained silent, his face hardened as he stood toe to toe with Casey, anger radiating off both of them.

"You need to check your ego, Walker. And keep your hands off our paramedics." Casey responded when Bryan remained quiet, turning around without another word. He found Gabby's worried gaze waiting for him, Matt giving her a nod, assuring her he was alright as the two walked past Herrmann and Shay, heading back out into the main part of the bar.

It was clear their conversation had been heard by the other patrons, Matt finding Severide's concerned gaze as he moved through the room, Gabby stopping with Shay beside the bar.

"That's really funny coming from you." Walker shouted, Matt stopping in his tracks halfway through the bar, turning back around to see the man standing in the entrance to the back.

"Excuse me?" Casey spoke angrily, Bryan taking a step forward.

"Let's not pretend Lieutenant, I know all about the firefighter of yours you put in the hospital." He spoke proudly.

Matt's neck clenched, a look of shock flashing in his eyes, feeling the confused and stunned stares of everyone in the room on him.

"Walker, I don't know what you're talking about-"

"Oh, sure you do. Don't tell me you've forgotten about beating the guy so hard he had a head injury… How could you forget, wasn't it the same exact thing you'd been doing to your wife?"

Casey's mouth went dry, his eyes finding Gabby's in the crowd, seeing a mix of confusion, hurt, and concern in her gaze, Matt quickly looking back towards Bryan.

"You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't I?" He questioned, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're one to talk about walking around here with an ego, lecturing me about messing around with Dawson when you're the guy who liked to get drunk and rough up his own wife. And when your firefighter tried to put a stop to it, you bashed his head in. I think it's pretty clear what happened."

"Walker-"

"The only person with an ego here is you, _Lieutenant_. You have no right to tell people how to act, when you're nothing but an abusive drunk… Tell me, you still check in on your ex-wife? She's having your kid soon, isn't she?"

Matt closed his eyes tightly, shaking his head as Walker's words washed over him.

"Poor kid, not only do you abandon your wife, you abandon him too. Although I'm sure he's better off. If you had no problem beating your wife, who says you'd draw the line at kids?"

Casey's fist clenched at his side, forcing himself to take a deep breath. He could feel everyone staring at him, waiting for him to say something. But he didn't know what to say, he didn't know how to fix what Walker had done.

But that was the problem. He knew he couldn't fix it.

So he left.

Without a word, Casey turned, stomping out of the bar, his boots hitting the ground the only sound filling the speechless room.

"See? It's about time you all know what kind of man you're working with." He heard Walker say as he pushed his way out into the street, Matt's chest tightening as he all but ran to his truck, needing to get out of here.

* * *

**Well… that's not good. Now everyone knows about Casey's past. **

**I'm excited to hear what you all think of this one, and how you think this is gonna go over with everyone at the house. It would mean a lot to me if you could leave me a review and let me know your thoughts. I haven't been getting many reviews the last few chapters, and it's fine, I'm not trying to sound like I'm complaining or anything, I greatly appreciate anyone who takes the time to leave me a little note. Every review means so much to me. But I just want to know if people are still interested in this story? Because I love writing it, and I hope you all enjoy reading it, but I don't know. It would mean a lot to me to hear your thoughts. **

**Thank you for reading!**


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Well, here we go. Time to see what happens after Matt's secret got out.**

**But real quick, I just want to say thank you for all the love on the last chapter. You guys are seriously amazing and make it so fun for me to continue writing. Thank you thank you thank you.**

**I hope you enjoy this one. Happy reading!**

* * *

**THIRTEEN**

* * *

"Casey, open up man."

Matt rested on the couch, ignoring the incessant knocking on his door from Severide. He had been outside for almost ten minutes, and Casey wasn't sure how much longer he'd stick around, but he hoped it wouldn't be long.

Downing another sip of beer, Matt stared blankly ahead in his living room, tuning out the sounds of Kelly outside his door.

He had no idea what time it was, but if he were to guess he'd maybe say around noon, but he wasn't sure, and he didn't really care.

From the moment he stormed out of the bar last night, he hadn't been able to focus on anything. The fresh start he'd made for himself had been ruined, his life at 51 would never be the same after last night. No one would trust him, no one would believe him. He'd dealt with this before, he'd tried to overcome his past coming back to bite him in the ass before, and it never worked. No one ever looked at him the same after hearing the rumors about him, and there was no reason 51 would be any different.

"Matt, I know you're in there." Kelly's voice broke through his thoughts, Matt shaking his head as he finished off his beer, placing it next to the multiple other empty bottles littering his coffee table. "Look, I don't know what happened, but I'd like to hear it from you. Whatever went down, Walker shouldn't have done that."

Casey swallowed thickly, turning his head towards the front door in his beer-induced haze, leaning himself forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

He wasn't sure why Kelly was giving him the benefit of the doubt, why he hadn't just taken what Walker said and ran with it. But he knew it wouldn't last. Kelly's opinion of him would be forever changed, and he couldn't blame him. If he heard about some other guy what people said about him, he wouldn't give them a chance either. Because, in most situations, why would anyone lie about that? Why would anyone accuse someone of beating their own wife and leaving their own child if there wasn't some truth to it?

But this wasn't most situations.

The truth had been twisted, and everything said about him was in no way what actually happened. But no one ever believed him. So he stopped hoping they would. He stopped hoping that things could remain the same after people found out. Because they never did.

"Casey, if you're not gonna come and talk, then at least listen to me. Everyone is confused, hell I'm confused, but we all know you. I have a hard time believing you could hurt anyone, let alone your own wife. We want to know what happened, not what Bryan drunkenly slurred out when he was pissed at you. Just.. please don't shut us out. I know you're ignoring me, and you've ignored Shay's calls. But you can talk to us, Matt. We're your friends, and we're much more interested in hearing the whole story from you." Severide preached, Matt placing his pounding head in his hands, pressing firmly against his skull, willing his headache to go away.

He wanted to believe Severide. He wanted to believe that at least Kelly and Shay would listen to his side, and trust what he said… He wanted to believe that _Gabby _would trust he could never do that. But he knew it wasn't fair to ask that of her.

She hadn't reached out to him, and he can't blame her. He wasn't expecting to hear from her. He could only imagine how she was feeling right now; most likely hurt, probably confused, and definitely betrayed.

He knew they weren't together, they weren't a couple, and, from her own insistence, they were keeping feelings out of it. But to hear all of that about the guy she trusted enough to sleep with, he knew she wouldn't want anything to do with him after this.

He knew none of them would. It was always the same, and the sooner he broke himself off from everyone, the better.

He wouldn't be at 51 much longer, he knew that. The second Walker opened his mouth, Matt knew his time left at that firehouse was on a ticking clock. His men won't trust him now, and it'll become a problem. It'll become dangerous, and Casey will end up getting kicked. Because that's what always happens.

It's just better for everyone involved if he took a step back and waited for the inevitable. Most of 51 was at Molly's when Walker ran his mouth, and it was only a matter of time before it got back to Boden.

Matt was on borrowed time, and the quicker he accepted that, the better off everyone would be.

* * *

Gabby sat on the couch in Antonio's living room, tapping his finger against her coffee mug, her mind racing as she sat alone in the apartment. Her brother had left for work early this morning, Gabby not waking up until long after he'd gone. Which was for the best.

If he saw her, he'd know something was bothering her. And the last thing she wanted to do was explain it all to him right now. Especially considering she wasn't even sure what to think about what she'd learned last night.

She didn't want to believe Casey could be capable of hurting someone. She didn't see him as someone who'd hurt his own wife. In all the time they'd spent together, none of those red flags ever went up in her head. He never gave her any reason to suspect he could hurt someone, but she knew from experience that people could very easily mask the worst parts of themselves. And the more she thought about it, the more she realized there was still a lot she didn't know about Matt Casey.

He had no obligation to share his past with her, lord knows there were secrets she'd hidden away that she never wanted him, or anyone, to know about. But learning he'd been married, and he has a kid on the way, she couldn't wrap her mind around it.

She couldn't wrap her mind around any of it.

Her first instinct was that it wasn't true, that Walker had been wrong about what he said. But then she saw the look in Matt's eyes when Bryan confronted him.

There was some truth to it. She didn't know to what extent, but some of what Walker had said was true. She knew it the moment her and Matt locked eyes last night. She saw the remorse, and regret, and the pain.

To some degree, Bryan was telling the truth. And Gabby didn't know what to do with that.

She wanted to believe it was a misunderstanding, that Casey wouldn't hurt anyone. But after everything she went through with Bryan, everything he put her through, she couldn't do that again. She wanted to believe Casey was different, that he wasn't Bryan, but the nagging feeling in the back of her mind kept reminding her that she had no idea what Bryan was capable of when she first met him, and there was a chance Matt was the same way. And that scared her. She couldn't put herself in that position again, especially when it was only for some sex. She couldn't be constantly tiptoeing around another man, just waiting for the moment he'd snap. She'd done that for too long, she refused to do it again.

"Open up, Dawson."

Gabby groaned as she heard Shay's loud voice echo through the door, putting her mug down on the coffee table before pushing herself up from the couch.

"We need to talk, and unless you want all your brother's neighbors to hear about your sexual escapades, open the damn door." Shay called again, Gabby rolling her eyes as she turned the lock, whipping the door open.

"Can you be quiet? Jesus Christ Shay." Gabby muttered, the blonde pushing her way in past Dawson, Gabby closing the door behind her. "Yes, come on in." She muttered, rubbing her hand over her face, turning to meet her best friend's gaze.

"You and I need to talk, Gabby." Shay spoke, Gabby nodding, beginning to walk back towards the couch, feeling Shay trailing behind her. She knew Shay would be here sooner or later, in fact she was a little surprised it had taken her this long to get here after Gabby all but ran from Molly's last night.

"What do you want to talk about?" She questioned, earning an unimpressed look from Shay.

"You're joking, right?"

Huffing out a breath, Gabby reached for her coffee, taking a sip before holding the mug in her lap. "... Have you spoken to him?" Gabby questioned, glancing up towards her friend.

"I've called him, once last night and a few more times today. He hasn't answered. What about you, he answer you?" She asked, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek.

"I haven't called him." She murmured, Shay's eyes narrowing in confusion.

"What? Why not?"

"I don't know what to say to him.. after everything Bryan said I just- I have no idea how to talk to him."

Shay cocked her head to the side, her confusion still present. "Well, I mean, we all know nothing Walker said was true. There's no way Casey would ever hurt anyone, let alone his wife. He's not that kind of guy." She spoke, Gabby remaining quiet, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "Did you know he was married?"

"I had no idea." Gabby breathed out, curling her legs under herself.

Shay watched her closely, seeing her clear apprehension and uncertainty. And Shay didn't know what to make of it. Blowing out a breath, Shay adjusted her positioning on the couch, facing Gabby before speaking up. "You gotta tell me what the deal is with you two. How long has… this been going on?" She asked, waving her hand to emphasize her words.

"Well, technically we first slept together before he started working at 51." She spoke, Shay's eyebrows furrowing.

"But weren't you and Walker still together?" She asked, Gabby glancing towards her. "Look, whatever happened, I'm not gonna judge you. Bryan had been cheating on you for a year, it's not like he didn't deserve it."

"I didn't cheat on him." Gabby responded, pushing her hair behind her ear. "The night Walker dumped me, I went out to a bar, and that's where I met Casey. We were kind of biting back and forth all night, but we ended up going home together. And then the next day he showed up at 51."

"So that's why you were acting so weird around him…" She mused, Gabby nodding.

"I had no idea he was a firefighter, let alone a Lieutenant, and I especially didn't know he'd be joining 51. But he did, and we both decided to just forget about it."

"Well, clearly, that didn't last." Shay spoke with a small smile, Gabby taking a deep breath.

"Yeah, it did not. During Christmas, we slept together again." She admitted, Shay's eyebrows raising in curiosity. "I had just found out the extent of how long Bryan had been cheating, and then I had to go visit my parents and I broke down there and everything was just.. too much. I knew Matt was alone, so I went to his place as a distraction."

"Is that when you two made sleeping together a regular thing?" The blonde asked.

"No, we didn't start that until a few days later."

"So, basically it's been like three weeks since you all started your… arrangement."

"A little more than that, but yeah." Gabby replied, Shay nodding.

"And it's just sex?" The blonde asked, earning a nod in response.

"Neither of us want a relationship, we just wanted some fun." She answered, Shay thinking over her words carefully as she went quiet. Gabby could tell she was holding something back, that there was something she wanted to say but she just wouldn't say it. "Spit it out, Shay." Gabby eventually spoke, the blonde glancing back towards her.

"It's just… did you all talk about what would happen if this ended badly?" She questioned, seeing the blank look on Gabby's face. "Don't get me wrong, I'm all for having fun and doing whatever, or whoever, you want, but are you sure it's just a casual thing?"

"It is, Shay. Trust me. We're both on the same page with that, neither of us want anything serious, it was just supposed to be simple and fun."

Shay nodded, tapping her fingers against her leg before asking her next question. "So you don't have any feelings for him at all?"

"No."

"There's not a little part of you that likes him, and wants a relationship with him?"

"No, there's not." Gabby responded again, Shay nodding slowly.

"Alright… If you say so. I mean, I'm not sure how. Obviously, you're a perfect specimen and Casey's not too bad either. I know I'm gay, but that doesn't make me blind." She joked, Gabby shaking her head with a small grin. "If I was attracted to men at all, I'd probably be doing the same thing you are. Casey's hot." She continued, Gabby rolling her eyes before the conversation turned serious. "But you're my best friend, and I love Casey. I don't want either of you getting hurt because of this."

"We're not gonna get hurt, Shay. Him and I are on the same page… And now after all this, I'm not sure him and I will be continuing our arrangement anyway." She spoke, Shay's eyebrows raising slowly.

"... Why do I get the feeling you believe what Walker said." Shay replied, Gabby leaning forward to place her drink on the table, resting her hands in her lap.

"I don't.. I don't know what to think. Or what to say to him. Do I think what Bryan said was the whole story? No, I don't. But come on, Shay, clearly something happened."

"But do you really think Casey is capable of hurting someone like that? Especially someone he loves? I mean, you saw how he acted when Walker gave you that bruise and when Bryan wouldn't let you go, and according to you, you two are just friends. There's no way he'd ever intentionally hurt someone."

"I don't think he would either… but those rumors about him, they exist for some reason. Something had to have happened, people don't just accuse someone of being abusive if nothing happened." Gabby spoke, releasing a heavy sigh. "I don't want to believe he could hurt someone, but I also don't know him very well. I mean, I know he doesn't owe me anything, we're just sleeping together, but I didn't even know he was married."

"Why does it matter that he used to be married?" She questioned, Gabby raising her eyes to meet hers.

"I don't know, I guess it doesn't, but it just feels…" Gabby trailed off, unable to make sense out of how she was feeling.

The two friends sat in silence for a few uncomfortable moments, Gabby not able to express her thoughts, Shay waiting to see if she was going to elaborate anymore. But when she didn't, the blonde spoke up.

"You wanna know what I think?" Shay asked, Gabby raising her eyebrows.

"I have a feeling you're gonna tell me anyway." Gabby responded, Shay rolling her eyes before continuing.

"I think you like him." Shay ignored the look of surprise that covered Gabby's face as she kept speaking. "And that's why you haven't called him."

"Shay-"

"If this was strictly a 'friends with benefits' situation, you wouldn't care about him being married. You wouldn't be hung up on it. What happened last night, it wouldn't have you second guessing everything, because you would've just gone to Casey and figured out what happened. You would've just talked to him… But you haven't. You're avoiding it, because you like him and hearing what Walker said freaked you out." She spoke firmly, Gabby shaking her head.

"I don't have feelings for him, Shay." Gabby tried, but the blonde didn't look convinced.

"Then why haven't you called him?" She questioned immediately, Gabby's mouth opening slightly before she closed it, clearly searching for an answer she didn't have. "Because, for me, as his _friend_, I'm worried about him. I want to talk to him, hear from him what happened. But he's not answering anyone's calls, he's not talking to me, or to Kelly. Severide even went to his apartment earlier, but Casey wouldn't come to the door. Kelly and I want to talk to him and be there for him. But you, you're avoiding him. And you wouldn't be if you only saw him as a friend."

"Shay…"

"Do you really believe that Casey is capable of something like this?" Shay questioned, Gabby's bottom lip falling in between her teeth. "Because the second I heard what Walker said, I knew it was bullshit. And so did Kelly. We both knew there had to be more to it, that Casey wasn't abusive. But you? You're scared. And I don't blame you for that, hearing that the guy you're sleeping with might've hurt his wife, that can't be easy. But I know you, Gabby. If he was just your friend, you would've called him by now." Shay spoke, Gabby taking a deep breath.

"Shay, I don't… I don't know what you want me to say. I've told you I don't have feelings for him, and you don't believe me. I'm not saying I believe Bryan, but when it comes down to it, there's a lot I don't know about Matt. Based on what I do know, no, I don't think he could do something like this. But I've been wrong about people before…"

"So this is because of Bryan." Shay interjected, Gabby narrowing her eyes. "You're scared of Casey because you thought you knew Bryan, and it turned out he was nothing but an asshole."

"I'm not scared of Matt." She cut in. "All I'm saying is that I've seen up close how good people can be at hiding parts of themselves."

"So you think he was abusive." She commented, Gabby blowing out a frustrated breath, running her hands over her head.

"No, I don't... I don't think he would do that, but I'm just saying that maybe I don't know him very well. I don't know what happened, maybe none of it's true, maybe it was an accident that got blown out of proportion, or maybe it did happen. I don't know. But even if he didn't hurt anyone, if his ex-wife is pregnant and he left her… I don't know what to do with that, Shay."

"I think you need to talk to him." Shay replied strongly, Gabby wrapping her arms over her chest. "Because you can deny it all you want, but from the way you're acting… You have feelings for him, Gabby. I don't think what you two are is just a casual thing. And I think if anyone's gonna get through to him right now, it's you." Gabby's gaze moved forward, looking away from her friend as she took a deep breath. "For both you and for him, you need to talk to him. I know you say you're not scared, but he probably is." She continued, Gabby's gaze snapping back towards the blonde. "Whatever happened, his past is coming back and getting thrown in his face, and as far as I know he's dealing with it alone. He's probably scared, scared of everyone knowing, scared of what you'll think…" She spoke, Gabby's eyes falling closed. "I don't believe a damn word that came from Walker's mouth, but you're right, clearly something happened. Something he didn't want people knowing about, and now he's dealing with it by himself."

Gabby sat in silence for a moment, letting Shay's words wash over her, feeling her friend put her hand over her arm comfortingly.

"If Matt did do this, then we'll deal with that. But I think you and I both know what we were told isn't the whole story. Like you said, you don't owe him anything, but if he is your friend, you'd let him explain. You'd listen to what he has to say before shutting him out. It's the same thing you'd do for me, or for Kelly. You'd give us the benefit of the doubt… You'd be there for us. He's having to confront his past, and I'm guessing he doesn't know if anyone will have his back, if anyone's on his side… He doesn't know if you are." She murmured, Gabby blinking tightly, rubbing her hand over her forehead. "Look, if you really are afraid of Casey, then don't go. I'd never ask you to put yourself in that position... But I think we owe it to him to hear his side of things, whatever it is."

Gabby's head fell against the back of the couch, taking slow, steady breaths as she thought over Shay's words.

Neither of them said anything else, they didn't need to. Shay had said everything she came here to say, now the rest was up to Dawson.

* * *

Severide stepped inside Molly's, looking around the somewhat busy room, his eyes landing on Shay before walking towards her, the blonde looking up as she saw him approaching.

"Hey Kel." She greeted with a soft smile. "Any luck?"

"No, I tried to go to his place again, he wouldn't answer. I'm worried about him, Shay."

"Well, I went to talk to Dawson this afternoon, I tried to get her to go talk to him." She breathed out, Kelly's eyebrows furrowing.

"What would Dawson be able to do?" He asked, Shay's eyes widening slightly, before she quickly masked her reaction, shrugging softly.

"Just thought it was another person to show him we're here, that we want to know his side of things." She covered, Kelly nodding.

"Oh, yeah. That's good." He mused, pulling out the bar stool and sitting down. "I just.. I don't know what to think. Clearly, there's more to the story. Regardless of what Walker said, he was drunk off his ass and already pissed off, I'm not inclined to believe much of what he says these days anyway. But the way Casey's acting is making me think it's true…"

"Kelly, come on." Shay sighed, shaking her head.

"Well clearly something happened, Shay. I just wish he'd trust us and talk to us, give us an explanation of what Bryan was talking about instead of leaving us here to wonder if Walker was right."

"I'm gonna tell you the same thing I told Gabby; I think we owe it to Casey, as his friends, to give him the benefit of the doubt. I don't care what Walker said, there's no way Matt would ever hurt anyone."

"I don't think he would either… I just want to know what happened."

"Good evening."

Shay and Kelly glanced over to see Walker moving towards them, Jennifer tucked into his side as they got to the bar.

Severide simply nodded, Shay choosing to be less subtle as she glared at Bryan, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What do you want?"

"What's with all the hostility this evening, I'm just here for a drink." He spoke with a grin, Shay rolling her eyes.

"Well, there are plenty of other bars in Chicago. Go there." She snapped, Walker raising his eyebrows.

"Seems like someone is a little upset. What's got you mad tonight, Shay?" He asked smugly, the blonde tossing her towel over her shoulder.

"You, mostly."

"Me? What did- Oh, this is about your new best friend Casey, isn't it." He replied with a gleam in his eye, Kelly's gaze narrowing. "Well, if anything you should be thanking me. I did you a favor… now you know what kind of asshole Casey is."

"The only asshole I see here is you." Shay growled, Bryan chuckling.

"Still defending him even though his beat up his wife and left his kid? I'm surprised, Shay. I expected better from you."

"Why in the world would I believe a damn word that comes from your mouth? You've had it out for Casey since he chewed your ass out for hurting Herrmann, why should anyone believe anything you say?"

"Maybe because it's the truth?" He questioned back. "You should ask around the department about him, people have better stories than I do. He's not a good person, the sooner you realize that, the better." Walker responded, clenching his neck before turning to look at Jennifer. "Let's get out of here." He spoke harshly, dragging her away from the bar without another word.

Once he was gone, Shay turned back to Kelly, shaking her head.

"What did he mean by that?"

"I have no idea, Shay… But we've gotta get Casey to talk to us." Kelly breathed out, Shay nodding.

"Yeah, I just don't know if he will." She murmured sadly, blowing out a deep sigh before her attention was pulled further down the bar, patrons vying for her attention.

* * *

Gabby stared at the front door from her position on the sidewalk, her arms wrapped protectively around herself as she looked at his dark apartment.

It was late, pushing ten o'clock, Gabby having needed the entire day to work up the nerve to come here. She had to get her head on straight before she could face him, she needed to work through her own feelings before talking to him, although she wasn't so sure Matt would want her here. Or if it was even smart for her to come here at all. But one thing she did know was that Shay had a point; Matt deserved the chance to tell his side of the story.

It had been a long day of Gabby trying to figure this out, of trying to wrap her mind around what all had been said last night. But she knew without talking to Matt, that would be nearly impossible. And, despite the nerves that had settled in the pit of her stomach, there was one thing she kept coming back to. One thing that wouldn't leave her mind as she tried to work through all this. It was something that had taken her a few hours to come to terms with, but something in her gut was telling her it was true.

She knew he wasn't Bryan.

Her conversation with Shay this afternoon had really stuck with her, and, the blonde's comments about her true feelings aside, there was something Gabby knew she was right about. And that was that Matt was a good person. She had done a lot of thinking, over what had been said about him and her own experiences with him, and she always ended up back at the same place. That there was no way he could've done this. She had been scared, when she first heard what Walker said, it scared her. But once that passed, once she had talked with Shay and really thought everything through, she didn't think this was something Matt would've done. Gabby couldn't explain the feeling in her gut, and all rational thought reminded her that she had no idea what type of guy Bryan was when they got together. That he had proven to be someone she, at times, feared, someone she could not trust. And there was no reason to think Matt would be any different.

Except she did.

She didn't know why, she couldn't understand why she thought he was different, why she couldn't leave it alone and wait for Matt to explain himself to her, if he chose to. She didn't know why it was so important for her to come here tonight and talk to him. But all she did know was now that she was here, she wanted answers. She wanted to know what happened, and why those things were said about him in the first place. Even though it had taken her all day to work up the courage to get here, what she kept coming back to was that same feeling in her gut, telling her that there had to be more to the story. That, despite her worries about what she heard, there was some rational explanation as to what happened that would make this all make sense. Even though her past with Walker should've sent her running in the other direction, she couldn't help but want to hear Matt's side of things. She wanted to give Casey a chance to explain himself, because the Matt she had come to know wasn't someone who was capable of this.

And that's how she ended up here.

Gabby, probably more than anyone, had seen just how gentle and caring Casey could be. Even in their most heated and rough moments, there was never a time he hadn't checked in afterwards to make sure she was okay, that she was comfortable with what had just happened. There was a tenderness to him that is impossible to fake. Even in times she didn't really deserve it, he was there for her. He had never done anything to make her uneasy, he tried to help her even when she pushed him away. There was nothing he'd done that would make Walker's story make sense. There was no single moment that Gabby could think back to that would explain that type of behavior. There had to be an explanation for why those things were said about him.

And he was the only one who could give it to her.

Taking one last calming breath, Gabby climbed the stairs to his front door, slowly bringing her hand up to the wood, knocking loudly.

She could see a dim light on in his living room, Gabby knowing he was awake. But she heard nothing. Sighing deeply, she knocked again.

And again.

And again.

But he never came to the door.

"Matt?" She called softly, shoving her cold hands into her pockets. "It's Gabby."

She heard some movement coming from inside the apartment, what sounded like a glass shattering on the floor, and some muffled curse words.

"Matt? Please open the door." She tried again, worry filling her voice as she listened to him moving around.

She was about to speak again when she heard the lock turn, Gabby taking a small step back, trying to prepare herself for whatever version of Matt was waiting for her on the other side of the door.

But nothing could prepare her for what she saw when he came into view.

He looked absolutely devastated. With his disheveled hair, his red and tired eyes, and the streaks marking down his skin, it was clear he'd been crying. A lot. And she had never seen him look so broken, she wasn't sure if she'd ever seen _anyone_ look so broken. But his appearance told her more than his words ever could, and in an instant she knew for sure.

She knew he didn't do this.

Slowly, she took a step forward, Matt watching her closely as she reached up to place her hand over his cheek.

"It's okay." She whispered, Matt blinking back his fresh tears, his eyes frantically moving over her face, almost as if he couldn't believe she was here. "It's okay, Matt." She assured him again, closing the distance between them as she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him to her.

His initial reaction was to tense up, Matt not only unable to believe she was here, but that she was hugging him. That even after everything she heard, she was willingly comforting him without so much as an explanation for what happened. He didn't know how she could trust him, how she wasn't _afraid_ of him.

But the shock soon worn off, Matt listening to the comforting words leaving her lips as he secured his arms around her, digging his head into her neck as tears began escaping down his cheeks.

Gabby tightened her grip as she felt him tremble in her grasp, his silent cries filling her chest with a heaviness she couldn't explain.

"I didn't do it." He whispered unsteadily, her heart breaking as she heard the pain in his voice. "What he said- it didn't happen, I never hurt her."

"I know." She responded, placing a comforting kiss against his neck, rubbing his back. "It's okay." She spoke again, feeling him slowly pull away from her, the two still standing in his doorway. Gabby wiped away the tears sliding down his skin, watching as he leaned into her hand, bringing his own up to grasp her wrist.

"I didn't.. I wasn't expecting you to come here." He murmured, Gabby nodding.

"Let's go inside and we can talk, alright?" She prompted, Matt nodding as he turned around, keeping his hold on her hand as they came inside, Gabby shutting and locking the door behind her. Walking into the living room, Gabby soon found the source of the shattering glass sound, seeing a broken beer bottle on the ground, several other empty bottles spread throughout the room, some on the table and some on the floor.

"I'm sorry, I just-"

"It's okay." She assured him. Even though it was clear he'd done his fair share of drinking, if she had to guess she'd say that drinking was done late last night and early this morning, because he definitely seemed sobered up now. "Sit down, I'll clean this up."

"You don't have to do that…"

"It's fine, I don't mind." Gabby led him to the couch, carefully moving around the glass before grabbing all the empty bottles and taking them to the kitchen. Once discarded, she grabbed the broom and dustpan from his laundry room, walking back to find him waiting for her. She flashed him a supportive smile before she began cleaning up the broken glass.

Discarding the shards only took a few moments, Gabby walking back into the living room to find him hunched over on the couch, his elbows resting on his knees and he held his head in his hands. Slowly, she walked towards him, sitting down on the couch beside him, placing her hand on his back.

He jumped slightly at the contact, clearly not having noticed her presence until now, Matt lifting his head to look at her. A frown formed over her face as she saw new tears sliding down his cheeks, Gabby taking a deep breath.

"I don't know what happened, or where Bryan heard those things… but what I do know is that you're a good person, Casey." She murmured, grabbing ahold of his hand. "I'm sorry for not coming to talk to you sooner, I just…"

"You don't owe me any apologies, I'm the only one who should be apologizing." He interjected, clearing the emotion from his voice. "I wasn't expecting you to come here at all, if I'm being honest. I wouldn't have blamed you if you never wanted to talk to me again. If I heard what you did, the way you did… I'm not entirely sure how you're okay with being here. Being around me."

Gabby bit down on her bottom lip, trying to find the right words to say, giving his hand a squeeze. "I won't lie to you, when I first heard what Walker said, it freaked me out. I didn't want to believe you could do something like that, but I didn't know what to do. I was a little shocked to hear all of that, but I should've come to you first… Instead I kind of got stuck in my own head and kept talking myself out of it. Truthfully, I think I let my past experiences affect how I handled this, and I'm sorry for that-"

"You gotta stop apologizing." He spoke, cutting her off. "You don't need to explain anything, I'm just glad you're here.. It means everything that you came here." He whispered, Gabby smiling sadly at him.

"I kept going back and forth about whether I should come, about whether you'd want me here.." She told him, Matt eyeing her curiously. "I was talking to Shay this morning, I was telling her about everything, and she kept trying to tell me that I might be the only person you'd talk to. That her and Kelly had tried, and maybe I'd have better luck getting you to open up… but I was hesitant." She spoke honestly, Matt nodding silently. "After everything I went through with Bryan, I was initially a little scared to come here." She admitted, Matt's eyes softening, hating that he made her nervous, that she was scared of him. "And, aside from that, I kept telling her that you and I, we really don't know each other. That you probably wouldn't talk to me either.. It's what I told her over and over, but I've had all day to think about it, and I'm starting to think I was wrong…"

"What do you mean?" He asked quietly, his voice hoarse.

"I was wrong about us not knowing each other. Because once I really started thinking about it, I realized that I know you pretty well, or I'd like to think I do. Maybe better than Shay or Severide do... But I think I know you well enough to know you're not capable of something like this, you're not capable of hurting someone." She spoke, watching as a few new tears welled in his eyes. "I've seen that type of anger before, I've seen someone try to hide that kind of anger, and I don't think that's you."

Matt nodded, blinking back the tears in his eyes, releasing a breath of relief as his head turned to the ground. She gave him a second to just breathe, Gabby remaining a strong, comforting presence by his side as she spoke up again.

"Do you- do you know why Walker was saying those things?" She asked, Matt rubbing his hand over his mouth.

"I'm not sure who he heard it from, but it's the same thing that's said about me all around the department… It's the same rumors that have made it impossible for me to keep a job, it's why I kept getting kicked around houses. It's ruined my life, and none of it's even true." His voice became unsteady near the end of his sentence, sadness shining in her eyes.

"Can you, uh… are you okay talking about what happened?" She questioned softly, Matt sucking in a deep breath as he leaned his body back against the couch.

He knew she deserved answers, out of everyone at the firehouse, Gabby deserved to know what happened. But it was hard to relive, it was hard to go back to that place. But he knew he had to. For him to be able to salvage any hope of keeping the life he'd found at 51, he needed to tell her.

"It's… well, I was- I don't even know where to start." He rambled, Gabby frowning as she watched him get worked up.

"Hey, look at me." She prompted, Matt slowly turning his head towards her. "It's okay. Just work through this however you need to. I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere." She promised, sliding herself closer to him, keeping her firm grip on his hand.

He found himself calming down as they locked eyes, Matt nodding slowly as he placed his other hand over their conjoined ones.

It took him a few minutes, Gabby waiting patiently for him to feel comfortable talking to her.

"I was married." He eventually murmured, moving his gaze to his lap. "I was married for almost three years, her name was Hallie. She's a doctor over at Lakeshore."

"Dr. Thomas?" She questioned, her eyes widened in surprise. Matt nodded, clearing his throat before responding.

"That's her... you know her?"

"I've met her in passing a few times, but I've never really spoken to her." She answered, Matt nodding.

"We'd been together since I got out of college, we were engaged for a long time then finally got married. I thought everything had been good between us, we were talking about maybe trying to start a family.. although she was hesitant, but we were trying to find the right time. I thought we were good…" He breathed out, shaking his head. "But I guess she didn't think so, because I found out she'd been sleeping with one of my firefighters for about four months."

Gabby's eyes fell closed, her grip on his hand tightening. "Matt, I'm so sorry." She murmured, feeling him squeeze her hand back.

"His name's Blake Jacobs, he was serving under me on my truck, had been for years… I didn't know until one night her and I had gotten into a fight and she left. I went out looking for her, and I found her at a bar… with him." He breathed out, Gabby shifting an inch closer to him. "I felt like such an idiot, I didn't know what to do, so I left. She ran out after me, and we got into a fight. She said she did it because I was never around, because she felt like I didn't care about our relationship and that I wasn't committed anymore, and that's when she told me how long it had been going on… But I _never_ put my hands on her. Never." He promised, their eyes locking. "Then Jacobs came out and just started swinging. He was drunk, and I don't know if he thought I was gonna do something, or if he was just trying to prove himself to her, but he immediately started punching. I was just defending myself, I wasn't trying to fight him. Hallie got in the middle and she fell, but she only had a few bruises. The guy, he tripped and hit his head. That's how he ended up in the hospital, it wasn't me. But somehow that all got twisted into me abusing Hallie, and then Jacobs came and tried to break it up and I put him in the hospital. I don't know who started it, but it only just kept getting worse…"

"What happened with Hallie?" Gabby questioned, Matt sighing as he looked to the ground.

"She said she wanted us to try and work. That she wanted to make things work. So we stayed together, and it was the dumbest mistake of my life." He breathed out, Gabby moving her hand up to his neck, stroking his skin in a comforting motion. "Jacobs was only in the hospital for a night, he had a concussion. I know what's said about me, they make it sound like he was in a coma or something, but he had a few cuts and a concussion, that's it. But I guess he and Hallie, they never stopped their affair. But I didn't know until I came home and found them in our bed."

"Matt…" She spoke sadly, taking a deep breath.

"For two months I stayed with her, not knowing they kept sleeping together behind my back the entire time. And then that's when I found out she was pregnant."

"The baby's not yours, is it?" Gabby questioned softly after a beat of silence, Matt shaking his head.

"No… When I first found them I left to let them finish, but when I got back, I told Hallie I was done. That I wanted a divorce, and then a few days later she told me she was pregnant. I told her it didn't change anything, that I still wanted a divorce, but I wanted her to do a paternity test. I told her we would figure the parenting thing out if the child was mine, I would never leave my child, but I was done with her… So she did the test, but even before then I had a feeling the baby wasn't mine… and it wasn't. So we got a divorce, and I haven't spoken to her since."

"I'm so sorry." She whispered, not sure what else to say. She had been hoping that Bryan's words weren't true, that it was some misunderstanding, but she had no idea just how wrong Walker had been. And the fact that Matt had been carrying this all alone, she felt terrible for ever thinking there was even the slightest possibility it could've been true. She hated that she let her fear cloud her judgement. "How long ago was it?"

"I found out about the baby six months ago, and our divorce was finalized a month later." He answered, Gabby nodding understandingly. "...But that's what happened. I'm not sure who started all the rumors, but I have a feeling it was Jacobs…" He said, watching her closely, trying to gauge her reaction. "And I know you have no reason to believe me, but I swear to you, I never hurt Hallie. I don't want you to be scared of me, I'd never hurt you like that, or anyone, I'm not-"

"I believe you." She spoke up, effectively silencing his rambling. His eyes lifted to meet hers, Gabby seeing the look of surprise flash in his gaze. "I believe you." She repeated, Matt taking a deep breath. "And I'm not scared of you… I know I said I was nervous to come here, but I'm not scared of you. I have no reason to be." She murmured, Matt's eyes falling closed in relief.

Before any more words were said, Matt dropped her hand, wrapping his arms around her body, holding her to him tightly.

"Thank you." He whispered against her her hair, Gabby wrapping her arms around his waist.

"You don't have to thank me for anything, you did nothing wrong." She spoke softly, feeling him dig his head into her neck.

"No, I do need to thank you." His voice was so soft, Gabby barely heard him, Matt slowly pulling back from her. "Whenever people find out about my past, they never believe me when I say it's not true… I mean, I don't usually tell the details, you're the only one who knows everything," he admitted, Gabby reaching for his hand, "but no matter what I tell them, they never believe me. Or they try, but they see me differently. No one ever trusts me again." He spoke, Gabby taking a deep breath.

"I'm sorry this has happened, that you and your career have suffered because of something you didn't do, but I need you to know that no one in the house is going to treat you differently. Walker had no right to tell everyone what he was told, but I can assure you once everyone knows the truth, they'll believe you. Everyone loves you, Casey." She told him, but she could tell he was unconvinced. "I'm sorry this got brought into the house, I know you never wanted people to find out, but what I can tell you is that every single person at 51 will have your back. Well, almost everyone. But you gotta believe me, Matt. I don't want you to worry about your place there, not because of this."

"I… I can't have everyone knowing. I'm not ready for that." He spoke quickly, Gabby seeing his nerves rising. "I can't.. I don't-"

"You don't have to tell them anything you don't want to." She responded, catching his gaze. "If all you tell them is that it's not true, they'll believe you. I can't imagine how hard this is, but once they hear from you that it's not what happened, everything will be fine. And I'll be right there." She promised, Matt nodding slowly, his body collapsing back against the couch, Gabby watching as his hands came up to cover his face. Gabby remained quiet, letting him gather his thoughts, wanting to give him time before she said anything.

But it wasn't until she saw his hands shaking that concern flooded her body, Gabby gently reaching out towards him.

"Matt?" She questioned, carefully prying his hands away from his face, seeing tears streaming down his face.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry I just-" He cut himself off, swallowing back a sob as he tried to cover his face again, his emotions getting the better of him. Blinking back her own tears, Gabby reached out for him, pulling him towards her. She felt his arms wrap around her waist as his head fell against her chest, Gabby holding onto him as he silently cried.

She couldn't imagine how he felt right now, being forced to confront his past, having to face something that was clearly so painful for him. And based on how he was acting, she was sure there were things he hadn't dealt with. But now he had no choice, he couldn't avoid it anymore.

"It's okay." She murmured, running her hand over his head as she held him, feeling his grip around her waist tighten. "It's alright, Matt."

She continuously whispered comforting words to him as they sat on the couch, Gabby not daring to move as he cried, her heart breaking for him as she held back the tears in her eyes.

Gabby knew this hurt him, that this had kept coming up and tearing his life apart. But she refused to let it happen again. She meant what she said, this wouldn't ruin his life at 51, she wouldn't let it. She didn't care what she had to do, she wouldn't let this affect his job and the relationships he'd built.

She believed him. She couldn't explain why she felt so sure, but she just knew he was telling her the truth. And she would make sure everyone else believed him too.

* * *

**Well, now Gabby (and you all) know what happened between Matt and his wife. I went back and forth on whether or not to make Matt's wife Hallie or an entirely new character, but, obviously, I decided to go with Hallie. Really, it was just easier to choose a character that you all, as the readers, already know. But I know a lot of you were hoping Gabby would be there for him instead of pulling away, and I hope you weren't disappointed.**

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I'm so excited to hear your thoughts, and see how you think things are gonna go when they're back on shift. I'm a little unsure about this chapter, to be honest, so I'd love to heard what you think. ****Thank you for reading!**


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Hello hello hello. Here's the next chapter for you all.**

**I know some of you mentioned how you wanted to see what happened where we left off, so I hope you all enjoy this one. Happy reading!**

* * *

**FOURTEEN**

* * *

Gabby blinked furiously as she was slowly brought into consciousness, confusion filling her body as she glanced around the pitch black room. It was early, that much she did know, but she wasn't sure how early it was, and she wasn't even sure exactly where she was.

It wasn't until she registered the heavy weight on her that realization washed over her, Gabby's eyes adjusting to the darkness as she glanced down, seeing Matt's head resting on her chest, his body partially covering hers. It wasn't the most comfortable position, Gabby lying flat on her back while Matt was resting on his side between her and the back of the couch, with his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. At some point during the night, one of them had draped the throw blanket over them, the two curled together under the warmth of the material.

Feeling the stiffness in her back, part of her wished she'd made more of an effort to get them to his bed last night instead of falling asleep here, even though Gabby couldn't really even recall how or when they fell asleep. She remembered holding onto him as he broke down, but most of the night after that was a blur.

Reaching out towards the coffee table, she blindly felt around for her phone, remembering she'd placed it there last night. Her eyes squinted as soon as the screen lit up, Gabby needing a moment to adjust to the sudden light before she could focus on the time.

_6:18_

Taking a deep breath, Gabby put her phone back down, turning her attention back to the sleeping man on top of her. Bringing her hand up from his back, she lightly began running her hand through his hair, watching as he stirred for a moment before digging himself deeper into her hold, falling back into his state of unconsciousness.

As she watched him sleep peacefully, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him. She still wasn't sure she had grasped the full magnitude of what he had gone through, but she felt terrible. No one deserved to be treated like that, and from personal experience, she knew how it felt to be betrayed by the person you love. But even though they'd gone through similar things, she couldn't imagine what it had been like for him. Even though Bryan cheated on her, they hadn't actually gotten married yet. And, as far as Gabby knew, Hallie's affair only started after they had been married. Hallie broke the biggest vow she could've promised him, and it made her chest hurt.

Cheating was cheating, it was terrible no matter the circumstances. But something about what Matt went through made it seem so much worse. It made her heart ache for him, and it made her feel terrible for how she treated him in the past.

From the moment she met him, she thought he was just some player, someone who worked his way through women without a care in the world. But she was wrong. She had been so wrong about him.

He was broken. Hallie had hurt him in a way that he still hadn't really recovered from, and Gabby could only think that the man she met that night at the bar was just an act, that he was only trying to protect himself.

In all the time she'd spent with him since the night they met, she saw more and more of how great a guy he was. Even when she hadn't wanted to acknowledge it, she knew he was much more kind than she gave him credit for. And she could only imagine what he'd been like before Hallie broke his heart. From what she saw, he was not just a good man, but a good person. And she felt terrible for how she'd misjudged him. How she projected her issues with Bryan onto him. He didn't deserve that, especially not on top of everything else he was dealing with.

Gabby wasn't sure why, despite all he was going through, he still kept trying to help her. Why he continued to be nice to her even when she didn't deserve his kindness at times. He'd been going through so much hurt and pain, yet he still looked out for other people.

Matt Casey was nothing like the man she originally thought he was, and she wished she had treated him better when they first met. But she couldn't change the past, all she could do now was be there for him like he'd done for her. The last thing she wanted was him thinking he was in this alone, because he wasn't. No matter what happened with everyone else, he had her. She was determined to help him through this, to be the friend he needed. Because if last night told her anything, it was that he'd need help getting past this. He would need a friend, and she wouldn't let him down.

Gabby felt him breathe deeply against her side, the movement pulling her from her thoughts as she focused back on him, seeing him open his eyes. She kept her hand moving through his hair, hearing him release a content sigh, Matt lifting his head from her body.

"Morning." She spoke quietly, Matt's chin resting against her chest as his eyes fell closed again.

"Good morning." He responded, his voice hoarse, but she couldn't tell if it was from the sleep or the crying.

"How'd you sleep?" She questioned, Matt drawing in a deep breath, Gabby feeling his thumb moving against her side.

"Pretty decent, for sleeping on the couch." He answered, Gabby flashing him a small grin. "What time is it?"

"About six thirty I think. We'll need to get going for shift, soon." She murmured.

"Do you need to go home?"

"I've got extra clothes at the station, I can get ready there." She spoke, Matt nodding as his eyes diverted away from her, Gabby frowning as she saw a flicker of hesitation flash in his gaze. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah… I'm just a little nervous, I guess. To go to shift." He spoke honestly, Gabby taking a deep breath.

"Everything will be fine. I really don't think you have anything to be nervous about, not with the house." She told him firmly. "I know you've had problems in the past once people have found out, but what's said about you isn't true. Once they know the truth, you have nothing to worry about. I truly believe that." She kept her voice as steady as she could, Matt searching her eyes for any signs of deception. When he found none, he nodded before placing his head back onto her chest, Gabby feeling him relax against her.

They fell into a comfortable quiet, Gabby focusing on the sound of his breathing. She knew they needed to get up soon, that they couldn't waste too much more time without risking being late, but she didn't have the heart to tell him to get up just yet. It had been a long night, and a few extra moments of rest wouldn't hurt.

"I kind of thought I dreamt the whole thing…" He spoke up after a few minutes, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing as she glanced down to him, being met with the top of his head.

"What?"

"I thought last night didn't happen, that I was gonna wake up and you wouldn't be here." The vulnerability in his voice broke her heart, Gabby's eyes falling closed as she ran her hand up and down his back.

"Nope, not a dream. I'm right here." She assured him. "And I'll continue to be here. You don't have to go through this alone, Matt." Gabby spoke truthfully, feeling his smile against her chest.

"Thank you, Gabby." He murmured, lifting himself up. "Really, you have no idea how much it means to me, you being here."

She simply nodded, feeling a bunch of conflicting emotions rise in her chest as they locked eyes, Gabby swallowing the lump in her throat that formed when she saw his shining gaze. The air around them became thick, Gabby seeing his eyes flicker to her lips before landing back on her, the two unable to break the intense eye contact.

"What are friends for." She practically whispered after a few long seconds, Matt's eyes staying locked on her for a second longer than they probably should've, before he snapped out of it, giving her a slow nod.

"Yeah." He breathed out, clearing his throat as he slowly sat himself up on the couch, Gabby following his lead as she ignored the flutters in her stomach. "So uh, do you need to shower?" He asked, Gabby pulling her legs up to her chest, giving them both room to sit comfortably.

"Yeah, I do." She responded quietly, Matt nodding. There was an obvious shift in the air, something they both were trying to ignore as he flashed her a small smile.

"You wanna shower first? I can make us some breakfast." He questioned, Gabby giving him a nod. "You, uh, know where everything is, right?"

"Mhmm." She responded, pushing herself up from the couch.

"Alright, I'll get started on breakfast." He spoke, Gabby nodding before heading down the hallway towards his bedroom.

She knew she had to shower quickly, but the few minutes of quiet gave her time to think over what had just happened. She didn't understand the look he was giving her, or why things had suddenly felt different between them. Something had changed with the two of them, and she didn't know why, or what it was, or why there was suddenly this strange feeling in her gut.

But she didn't want to focus on it. Right now, her main concern was making sure Matt got through today. Despite her assurances, she knew he was worried. And she couldn't blame him. Although she didn't know the details, she knew he'd been burned in the past. That from his own experiences, he had no reason to believe everything would be okay. All she could hope was that she'd been right, that everyone at 51 would believe him. Because if not, if she was wrong about this, all she'd done was make things worse.

She only spent maybe fifteen minutes in the shower, knowing they didn't have much time before needing to leave. She quickly got dressed in the clothes she came in, Gabby walking back out into the apartment, heading into the kitchen and finding Matt at the small table with two plates sitting in front of him.

"Sorry, I already started.. I was hungry." He spoke sheepishly, Gabby smiling softly, shaking her head.

"It's fine, thanks for making it." She replied, sitting down beside him and digging into the eggs and toast he'd made her. Despite the uncomfortable air around them earlier, that had passed and they fell into easy conversation, Gabby keeping the topics away from work. She could still sense his nerves, so unless he brought it up, she steered the conversation elsewhere.

They were able to enjoy breakfast together for about ten minutes before Matt glanced at the clock, pushing his chair back. "I need to get into the shower, you heading out or staying?" He questioned as he moved to place his dirty dishes in the sink.

"I can stay for a bit." She answered, taking a sip of her coffee. Her words brought a soft smile to his face, Matt nodding.

"Good." He responded. "I'll be back." He told her, Gabby flashing him a smile before he disappeared down the hallway.

While Matt was gone, Gabby finished up her breakfast, trying to kill time as she listened to the sound of his shower running. When she was done, she took to cleaning up their dishes, needing something to keep her occupied while she waited for him. After putting the last plate on the rack, she poured herself another cup of coffee before beginning the walk back to the living room.

"Shit." She muttered as she felt the hot coffee spill onto her shirt when she tried to take a drink, Gabby placing the mug down on the counter before pulling the shirt away from her skin. Huffing out a deep breath, Gabby glanced down to the dark stain on her clothing, shaking her head as she began walking towards his bedroom.

Pushing open the ajar door, she didn't hear the water running anymore, Gabby poking her head into the room, not seeing him anywhere.

"Matt?" She called, stepping further into the room.

"Yeah?" He responded from the bathroom, Gabby unable to see him even though the door was open.

"Is it alright if I borrow a shirt? I got coffee on mine." She spoke, walking towards the dresser as he came into the room, his towel wrapped around his waist.

"Yeah, of course. Just pick whichever one you want." He replied, Gabby's eyes trailing down his half-naked form before finding his face, her cheeks heating up as he caught her stares.

"Thanks." She murmured, Matt giving her a nod as they both moved towards the dresser. He pulled out a pair of boxers before opening the second drawer, Gabby seeing stacks of t-shirts piled in front of her. Without another word he walked towards his closet, Gabby glancing towards him as he moved away from her. But she quickly averted her eyes as he began changing, Gabby swallowing thickly as she focused her attention on the clothes in front of her.

She wasn't sure why she suddenly felt so weird around him, considering the majority of their time together was spent when they were in less than nothing. There was no reason that made sense to her, why her cheeks got hot and she became flustered at him changing a few feet away from him. She didn't understand it, but she knew there was something different between them than there had been before this morning. Before their moment in the living room. She wasn't sure what he was thinking, but for her at least, she felt a shift in their dynamic. And she didn't know what to make of it.

Snapping out of her confusing thoughts, Gabby reached for a plain navy t-shirt, quickly discarding her stained one and pulling his over her head. It was big on her, but nothing she couldn't work with long enough to get to the station.

Turning back around, she found Casey watching her, now clad in his shift clothes, his pants hanging off his hips as he tucked his shirt in.

"If you just wanna leave it here, I can wash it after shift." He offered as he buttoned up his pants, securing his belt.

"That'd be great, thanks." She responded softly, tucking Matt's shirt on her body up under itself, trying to make it look a little less obvious that it wasn't hers. "I think I'm gonna head to the firehouse, since I've gotta get ready there."

"Alright." He murmured, walking towards the bed with his boots in hand.

"You still feeling okay?" She questioned, taking a step towards him, watching him sigh deeply before shrugging, clearly unsure of his answer.

"I don't know… I know you've said it's gonna be okay, but I've dealt with this before. Even if they do believe me, no one ever looks at me the same way and I just- I don't know, I know I can't do anything about it now. Whatever happens, I've just gotta deal with it." He breathed out, Gabby biting on her bottom lip, moving to to sit down beside him.

"Well, you can't control what they do. But I really do think it'll all be fine, and pretty soon it'll just be a distant memory." She replied, Matt flashing her a small smile. "And, like I said, you've got me on your side."

"Thanks Gabby." He responded softly, Gabby nodding before pushing herself up from the bed.

"Of course.. I'll see you at the firehouse." She told him, Matt giving her a small smile before she disappeared from his sight, listening as she left the apartment.

* * *

Gabby kept her head down as she moved through the firehouse, seeing a few random members of first shift during her walk to the locker room. Shift change was still about twenty minutes away, Gabby knowing she had plenty of time to get ready and prepare herself for today.

She knew it would probably start out a little rough, that until everyone knew Matt was innocent, there would be an unsettling feeling around the house. All she could hope was that Matt had the courage to talk to them sooner rather than later, or else it would only make things worse.

"So you are alive."

Gabby nearly jumped out of her skin as she came around the corner, seeing her friend sitting on the bench alone in the locker room, her hands resting on her legs.

"Jesus Christ Shay." She breathed out, resting her hand across her chest. "You scared the hell out of me."

"Sorry, I didn't think you'd be so jumpy." She responded with raised eyebrows, glancing to the object in Gabby's hand as Dawson moved to her locker. "I'm assuming that thing still works?"

"What?"

"Your phone. I'm assuming it still works, even though you've ignored all my texts." She spoke, Gabby blowing out a breath.

"Well, I've been a little busy. What are you doing here so early, anyway?"

"Don't change the subject." Shay responded as Gabby shed her coat, hanging it up, "So considering that is most definitely not your shirt, I'm guessing you went to see Casey."

Gabby's eyes widened as she glanced around the room, before narrowing her gaze towards her friend. "Can you keep your voice down?" She bit out, grabbing her extra shift clothes from the top shelf.

"Sorry. But I'm right, aren't I?"

Drawing in a deep breath, Gabby took a step closer to the blonde. "I went to see Casey last night, I didn't have enough time to get back to my place this morning, so I borrowed his shirt." She explained quietly, Shay giving her a nod, patting the bench in front of her, prompting Gabby to sit down.

"So since you stayed the night, I'm guessing you all talked." Shay replied, Gabby nodding as she clenched her hands together.

"He didn't do it, Shay." Gabby spoke, the blonde blowing out a heavy sigh of relief.

"Oh, thank God." She muttered, rubbing her hand over the side of her face, meeting Gabby's narrowed gaze.

"I thought you were sure he didn't do it?" She questioned, Shay nodding.

"I was, but still.. It's nice to know for sure." She explained, earning an understanding nod from her partner.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Gabby responded quietly, shaking her head.

"Is he okay?" Shay asked, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before answering.

"No, not really. He's a little better this morning than he was last night…"

"Well, a night of some Dawson-lovin' can do that." She joked, trying to lighten the heavy mood in the room, Gabby scoffing lightly as she shook her head.

"Yeah, there was none of that. We fell asleep on the couch… fully clothed." Gabby added when she saw Shay open her mouth, the blonde giving up and nodding. "But he just.. He looked so broken, Shay." She spoke sadly, a frown forming on the blonde's face. "He's having a really hard time, and he's scared to come here."

"Is he working today?"

"Yeah, he is. But he's worried about what everyone will think. I told him once they knew it wasn't true, he had nothing to worry about. But I know he didn't really believe me…"

"Everyone here will have his back, he doesn't need to worry about that." She replied, Gabby nodding.

"I know, that's what I told him. But I guess, in the past at other houses, the rumors about him are what kept getting him transferred. He's scared it'll happen again.. I'm just hoping once he sees everyone here isn't gonna treat him any differently, he'll be okay. That is as long as no one here does treat him differently."

"Yeah… God, as if I needed another reason to hate Walker." Shay breathed out frustratedly, Gabby eyeing her closely. "Him running his mouth when he has no idea what he's talking about, only because Casey called him out on his bullshit." Gabby merely nodded, Shay tilting her head to the side as a sudden realization washed over her. "You know, I wonder if it's because of you."

"What?"

"I wonder if Walker knows the Lieutenant is your boyfriend."

"Shay."

"Fine. I wonder if Walker knows the Lieutenant is your 'fuck-buddy'." She said with a smirk, Gabby rolling her eyes.

"I don't think he knows." Gabby responded, ignoring her friend's terminology.

"I don't know, I mean the way Casey stepped in at Molly's before Walker opened his big mouth, that was a total boyfriend move. I didn't really see what happened, but I heard Casey confront him about grabbing you… Maybe Walker knows about you two."

"Trust me, if he even thought something was going on with me and Casey, he would've come to me about it.. He wouldn't be able to help himself. I'm sure he doesn't know."

"Alright, if you say so. Knowing Walker, he's psycho enough to hold a grudge against Casey just for doing his job."

Gabby nodded, pushing herself up from the bench, moving back towards her locker.

"I just wish he never said anything. What actually happened… it's awful, and Casey didn't do anything wrong. The whole thing is just a nightmare, and I hate that it's all getting brought up again." Dawson spoke, Shay nodding quietly, her tongue poking out between her lips. Glancing back to her friend, Gabby raised her eyebrows, perching her hand on her hip. "And I gotta say, I'm impressed."

"By what?" Shay asked, confusion evident in her voice.

"We've been talking for over ten minutes and you haven't even gotten close to trying to get me to tell you what happened.. That's impressive for you." Gabby responded, Shay narrowing her eyes at her partner as she cocked her head to the side.

"It's taken me great restraint." Shay replied, blowing out a deep breath. "But I figured you would've said what happened by now if it was something you could talk about."

"He's not ready for everyone to know yet." She explained, Shay nodding understandingly. "I guess until he told me, he'd never even told anyone else the whole story. From what I can tell, he hasn't really dealt with everything, and he doesn't want to talk about it."

"I get it. Just as long as he knows we're here for him."

"I told him that. I said that even if all he could say was that it wasn't true, that was enough for everyone here. No one needs to know the whole story to believe him." Gabby answered, Shay nodding.

"Good morning, ladies." Shay rolled her eyes as she heard the voice, both Gabby and Shay turning to see Walker step into the room. "Have a good few days off?" He questioned with a gleam in his eye, Gabby pursing her lips together as she shut her locker.

"I'm gonna go get changed." She spoke towards Shay, the blonde nodding as she watched her friend head towards the bathroom.

Clenching her neck, Shay turned back towards Walker, seeing him watching her with a smug grin. "What do you want?" She snapped, her tone earning a chuckle from him.

"Glad to see you're still in a good mood." He responded as he stood at his locker. "Tell me, you hear from your best buddy Casey?" Shay's eyes narrowed as she stood up from the bench. "Although it wouldn't surprise me if he doesn't show his face here today. I mean, I wouldn't."

"You're such an asshole, Walker." She bit out, Bryan's smirk widening.

"Language, Shay."

"Quit being such a dick." She spoke angrily. "You have no idea what happened with Casey, and also you're one to talk about lecturing someone for being abusive." Something flashed in his eyes as the words left his lips, his face hardening. "Even though Casey's not abusive, he didn't do anything. I don't know what you heard, or who you heard it from, but it's bullshit." She continued, but Walker wasn't listening, too fixated on something else she'd said.

"What did Dawson tell you?" He spoke roughly, Shay's eyes narrowing.

"What?"

"Dawson ran her mouth about me again, didn't she?" He asked, slamming his locker, Shay jumping slightly. "I don't know what she told you, but she's a fucking liar."

"Walker, calm down." Shay spoke, the man taking a step towards her.

"No, Gabby's been bitching and running her mouth, clearly telling you things that aren't true. Tell me, what has she been saying this time? Cause I can assure you, I didn't do anything to her." He growled harshly, Shay seeing an anger in him she'd never seen before.

"So you didn't grab her so hard you left a bruise on her? She just gave that to herself?" She questioned roughly, Walker's eyes narrowing as he took a step closer to her. Shay's arms crossed over her chest, straightening her spine as she stared him down.

"Watch your mouth, Shay." He warned.

"Or what?"

They both turned at the sound of the voice, finding an angry Severide standing a few feet from them, his body tense.

"Severide-"

"I heard enough of your conversation, get the fuck away from her." Kelly snapped, Walker taking a step back. "I don't know what kind of shit you did to Dawson, but then you pulled that stunt with Casey, and now you're threatening Shay?"

"I'm not threatening anyone, I'm trying to find out what she's accusing me of-"

"I'm not accusing you of anything, asshole." Shay spoke harshly. "You grabbed Gabby, that's not an accusation, it's what happened."

"Shay…" Walker bit out through clenched teeth, the blonde narrowing her eyes.

"What? You're over here actually accusing Casey of being abusive, when he did nothing, while you're the one who's hurting people."

"Anything I did to that bitch, she had it coming." He spat before he could stop himself, his frustration taking over as Shay's eyes widened in shock before her gaze narrowed on him, anger coursing through her.

"What did you just say?" She questioned, her voice dangerously quiet.

Realizing what he'd done, Walker took a deep breath, shaking his head. "Nothing, I didn't mean it like-"

"What else did you do to her?" Shay asked roughly, Kelly watching on in shock.

"I didn't do anything." He spoke firmly, turning around quickly before he stormed out of the room, Shay frozen in her spot. She caught Kelly's gaze, seeing his confused eyes on her.

"What the hell did he mean by that?" Shay asked, Severide shaking his head.

"I don't know." He responded, Shay drawing in a deep breath. "What were you talking about? With him hurting Dawson?"

"That night she went to go talk to him, he gave her a bruise on her arm cause he held onto her so tight." She explained, Kelly releasing a heavy sigh as he shook his head. "Do you.. do you think he's hurt her before?"

"I don't know, Shay. That's a serious thing to accuse someone of."

"Yeah, and he had no problem accusing Casey of it." Shay bit out, Kelly clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

"Fair enough." He responded. "Look, I don't think Walker is capable of hurting someone he loves, especially not Gabby… But I also never thought he'd be capable of cheating on her. I guess you just need to talk to her." Severide spoke, earning a slow nod from his best friend.

"I just.. Imagining her going through something like that-" She cut herself off, shaking her head. "I swear, Kelly, if I find out he ever hurt her, I'm gonna kill him." Her voice was rigid, and full of hatred.

"Maybe talk to her before you start planning a murder, alright?" He spoke, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"I'm not making any promises." She responded, her spine straightening as Gabby came around the corner, clad in her shift clothes.

"Hey Severide." She greeted the firefighter. "...You okay, Shay?"

"What? Oh, yeah, I'm good." She covered, forcing a smile onto her face.

"You sure? You look upset."

"Nah, I'm good." She replied, pulling herself from Severide's embrace, putting her thoughts of Walker aside, knowing this wasn't the place for that conversation. "I was just about to tell Kelly what you told me about Casey."

"What about Casey?" Kelly asked, his ears perking up.

"He didn't do what Walker said." Shay spoke.

"How do you know?"

"Cause Matt said he didn't do it." She replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"You talked to him?" Kelly asked, surprise filling his voice.

"Not me. Dawson." She spoke, Kelly turning towards the PIC.

"He spoke to you?" He questioned, Gabby swallowing thickly before nodding.

"He did. He told me what happened, and what Bryan said- it's not true. None of it."

"Thank God." Severide breathed out, Shay patting his shoulder. "How did you get him to answer you?"

"I, uh, went to his place and he let me in." She spoke, ignoring the smirk on Shay's lips.

"Really?" He asked, Gabby nodding. "Well, I'm a little surprised. I tried like twice to get him to let me in, but it doesn't matter- I'm just glad he talked to someone. So what happened there? What was Walker talking about?"

Gabby blew out a heavy sigh, glancing to Shay for some guidance, unsure of how to explain why Matt had told everything to her, but didn't want anyone else knowing. But before she had to answer, the bells rang out, calling 61 to their first call of the day.

"Sorry Kel, duty calls." Shay spoke, Gabby releasing a thankful breath. "Casey's here, somewhere, see if he'll talk to you now. He's worried people won't have his back, so maybe try and assure him that we will alright?" She told him before grabbing Gabby's hand, pulling her from the locker room.

* * *

Matt sat in his desk chair, facing the wall with a blank look on his face. From the moment he got to the firehouse a few minutes ago, his nerves had settled in his stomach like a rock, nearly making him sick. Despite the multiple reassurances from Gabby, he couldn't help but think things wouldn't go how she thought. He didn't know what to say to anyone, or how to face them, so the second he got into the garage, he snuck in through the side door, practically running to his office. He saw a few familiar faces from afar, but he didn't acknowledge anyone, Matt moving as fast as he could through the house. As soon as he got in his office, he shut the blinds and closed the door, Matt not feeling any relief until he knew he was safe inside.

He knew it wasn't practical, that he'd have to go out there sooner rather than later, but he couldn't work up the nerve to do it. The only thing running through his mind was his past experiences with this. He couldn't find it in himself to believe this house would be any different, and it was stressing him out. He could only imagine what was being said about him out there right now, what everyone was thinking and how they probably wouldn't know how to act around him. Despite knowing that the best thing he could do right now was to go out there and tell them it's not true, he couldn't work up the nerve to do it. He was worried. Worried that they wouldn't believe him, worried their opinions of him had already been forever changed. And he couldn't get past those nerves.

Matt knew sitting here psyching himself out would only make it worse, that he needed to calm himself down, but it was nearly impossible. He tried to focus on Gabby's reassuring words from last night and this morning, Matt letting them fill his mind to try and block out everything else. But it wasn't working. He needed something more, he needed to hear her words now.

He needed her.

Reaching into his jacket pocket, he dug out his phone before holding it in his line of sight, tapping on the screen until he found her contact. Just as he was about to call her, he heard the bells ring out, his body tensing at the thought of having to go out there.

When he heard it was only ambo, he felt a little bit of relief. Relief that he had more time to gather himself before having to approach everyone. But despite feeling his body relax knowing he wouldn't have to leave his office, he also knew that meant he wouldn't be able to speak to Gabby right now. He'd have to try and calm himself down on his own.

Gripping the armrests on his chair, he turned his attention to the stack of paperwork in front of him, Casey deciding if anything he could keep himself busy for the time being. It would be something to take his mind off of everything outside of this office for a little while.

He had only gotten started on one report when he heard tapping on his door, Matt freezing temporarily, his eyes moving towards the sound.

"Casey, it's me. Can we talk?" He heard Kelly's voice, Matt swallowing thickly before pushing himself up, repeating Gabby's words over in his head as he opened the door.

Kelly looked a little surprised, to say the least, when Casey opened the door, Severide taking in his friend's appearance. Wordlessly, Matt stepped aside, Kelly nodding before he stepped inside, Matt closing the door behind them. While Kelly stayed put against the wall, Matt moved back towards his desk, resting his weight against it as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"How are you holding up?" Severide asked, Matt sighing deeply before shrugging.

"I'm alright." He answered, although Kelly didn't buy it, but he knew better than to push it.

"So, everything Walker said…"

"It didn't happen. None of it's true." Matt spoke quickly, Kelly nodding assuringly.

"I know, man. I know you didn't do it." Severide could physically see tension leave Casey's body as he spoke, Kelly understanding exactly what Shay had been talking about when she said to make sure Matt knew they had his back. "Gabby told me you talked to her, and she said it didn't happen like that. I knew the minute Walker said it, it was bullshit, but the way you were acting, I just… I didn't know what to make of it."

"I know.. I'm sorry for not answering you I just- that whole mess, it isn't easy for me to talk about, or think about, and the last thing I was expecting was for Walker to bring it all up." Casey spoke, clearing his throat. "But everything that's said about me, it's not true. What actually happened is nowhere near what people say about me.."

"I believe you, Casey. I know you're not that kind of guy." Kelly responded, Matt nodding slowly. "But, uh… you were married?"

"I was, yeah." He breathed out, pursing his lips together. "That's the only part of what Walker said that's actually true. I was married, but I was never abusive. I never laid a hand on her, and I definitely didn't abandon my child… I don't have a child. And I didn't put anyone in the hospital. It's all lies." Matt spoke, his gaze falling to the ground. "The thing with that firefighter, he came at me. I was defending myself, and he fell. I'm not the one who sent him to the hospital. None of what he said was true."

"I believe you, Casey. If you say you didn't do it, you didn't do it." Kelly told him, Matt releasing a grateful breath. "But I'm sorry all this got brought up, man. Walker was an asshole for doing that." Even though he did want to know more of what happened, it was clear Casey wasn't going to offer up much more than what he had already. And he didn't want to push him.

Nodding slowly, Matt shrugged, his tongue running over his bottom lip. "What's everyone saying?" Casey asked softly, meeting Kelly's eyes.

"They're… confused. No one really knows what to think, but they just want to know what's going on. They have questions, but everyone just wants to hear your side of things." He answered, Matt nodding as he sucked in a deep breath. "But I'll deal with it. Until you're ready to talk, I'll set the story straight. Don't worry about them. Everyone here will have your back, Casey. No one really believes you could do something like this, they're just confused."

"I know I need to talk to them, I'm just… I've dealt with this before. No one ever trusts me again, and having to go out there and talk about it- I don't know, I guess I was hoping I'd never have to deal with this here."

"I don't know what you're dealing with, I can't imagine how hard this is, but when you're ready to talk, everyone's here. We all love you, Casey. You don't have to worry about that." Severide assured him, Matt flashing him an appreciative smile. "I'm gonna get out of your way, but if you need anything, at all, I'm here."

"Thanks Kelly."

After one more nod, Severide left the room, shutting the door behind him as he let out a heavy breath before heading out of the bunk room. With shift having just started, it wasn't a surprise to find most of the house in the common room. The second he walked in, Kelly noticed an uncomfortable feeling in the air, the same feeling that had been present when he first got in this morning, the same feeling that had filled Molly's after Walker's outburst.

"Welcome back, Herrmann." Severide spoke as he passed the couch, patting the older firefighter on the shoulder. "You feeling good?"

"Mhmm. I'm ready to go." He replied, Kelly giving him a nod before heading into the kitchen.

"So, is he here?" Kelly heard Otis' voice, Severide glancing over to see him talking to Cruz at the table.

"I saw him come in this morning, but he didn't say anything. I think he went straight to his office." Joe replied.

"This is crazy, I can't believe what Walker said-"

"You guys don't actually believe that bullshit, do you?" Severide cut in, gaining the attention of the entire room, catching Bryan's gaze from the table.

"You talking about Casey?" Herrmann spoke up from the couch, turning around to face them. Once getting a nod from Severide, Herrmann continued. "Do you know what happened, Severide? Cause I just don't see Casey being able to hurt someone, especially his wife.. Although I didn't even know he's married."

"He was, but he's not anymore. Casey didn't do anything, he never hurt his wife, he didn't put that guy in the hospital…" Severide replied, seeing some weary looks around the room. "Give him some credit, guys. We all know he's not capable of something like that."

"I never thought of him as someone like that, either, but Walker said-" Otis started, Severide rolling his eyes.

"Walker was drunk off his ass and pissed at Casey." Kelly shot back, catching Bryan's narrowed gaze. "He was running his mouth on things he knows nothing about."

"And how do you know Casey didn't do it? Just because he said it wasn't true?" Bryan fired back, standing up from his seat. "Why are you so quick to believe him? He doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt, he's an abusive asshole."

"You don't know what you're talking about, Walker." Severide responded angrily, shaking his head.

"Like Casey would actually own up to beating his own wife and leaving his kid."

"I don't know what you're fucking problem is, but you need to leave Casey alone... You can't handle him reigning you in, and instead of dealing with it like a grown man, you spread rumors about him to try and... what? What are you trying to accomplish here?"

"I was trying to help you all out, let you know what kind of man he actually is. But still, even after everything he did, you're still siding with him. It's unbelievable."

"Because he didn't do it, Walker!" Kelly replied exasperatedly, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "Like come on guys, when Walker said that shit, did any of you actually think Casey could do something like that?" He asked, glancing around the room.

"No, I don't. But I just don't know what the story is." Herrmann replied. "Casey's a good guy, but clearly there's things about him we don't know-"

"Yeah, and he's not obligated to share every aspect of his past with us." Kelly interjected, everyone's eyes on him. "Guys, this is killing him. He didn't want you all knowing because his past has followed him around to every damn house he's been in, and ruined it. I know Walker can't help himself, and he saw an opportunity to make things hard for Casey and he took it, but come on, Matt isn't abusive. I know you all are confused, but at least give him the chance to talk to you guys."

"Of course we want to hear his side of things." Mouch spoke up. "We just wanna know what happened."

"It's not easy for him to talk about, he's really shaken up by all this. But all he needs from us is our support. He didn't do this." Kelly spoke firmly, his glare focused on Walker. Huffing out a breath, Bryan rolled his eyes before walking out of the room, Kelly watching him until he was out of sight.

* * *

Gabby climbed into the passenger seat of the ambulance, blowing out a deep breath as Shay sat next to her, the two having just finished dropping off their patient. As she fixed her ponytail, Gabby could feel Shay's eyes on her, the paramedic not having yet turned the rig back on.

"Alright, what's going on with you?" Gabby asked as she looked straight ahead.

"Hmm?"

"You've been acting weird since this morning, and you keep looking at me like you're gonna cry. What's going on? Is this about Casey?" Gabby asked, shifting in her seat to look at the blonde.

"No, no it's nothing about him."

"Well then what is it?"

Taking a deep breath, Shay pushed some loose hair behind her ear, meeting Gabby's eyes. "Can I… Can I ask you something? About Walker?"

Gabby's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but she nodded nonetheless, unsure of what Shay was wanting to talk about.

"Did he- did Bryan ever… When Walker gave you that bruise, was that the first time something like that had happened?"

Gabby's face fell at the question, her demeanor turning rigid as Shay watched her.

"What?"

"Was he abusive?"

Gabby's arms crossed over her chest, the PIC angling her body away from Shay, shaking her head. "Why would you ask me that?" Gabby bit out sharply, Shay drawing in a deep breath.

"Something he said this morning, it made it seem like the thing at the diner wasn't the first time that happened."

"What are you talking about, you talked to Bryan?" Gabby asked, hundreds of different emotions flooding her system.

"This morning. He made some comment about how everything he did to you, you had it coming." Dawson's eyes fell closed, her hands clenching into fists as she kept her gaze away from her friend. "Has he hurt you before?" Shay eventually asked, her voice quiet.

"I thought I asked you to leave it alone." Gabby spoke up, ignoring the question.

"Gabby-"

"No, Shay. I asked you not to say anything about it, especially not to him."

"I'm sorry, but he was standing there, acting like such a dick. I know you asked me to leave it alone, and I'm sorry if I upset you but Gabby if he hurt you-"

"I'm fine, Shay." She cut in, the blonde's sad eyes flickering over Gabby's face. "Nothing happened. Please just drop it, alright?"

Buzzing in her pocket pulled Gabby's attention away from the conversation, Dawson pulling out her phone to see a text message from Matt.

'_Can you come to my office when you get back?'_

Releasing a heavy breath, Gabby sent him a quick reply before returning her focus back to Shay, seeing her friend's worried eyes on her.

"Shay, look," Gabby started, "I don't know what Walker told you, but I'm fine. He was probably just doing what he always does, getting upset in the heat of the moment. I appreciate your concern, but I'm fine." She covered, knowing this wasn't a conversation she could deal with right now. She wasn't sure if she could deal with it ever.

Shay wasn't convinced, but thankfully she dropped it, her partner nodding. "Alright. I'm sorry for bringing it up, and talking to Walker."

"It's okay." Gabby responded, shoving her phone into her pocket. "I know you're just looking out for me, and I appreciate it, I do. But I promise you, I'm okay." Shay eventually nodded, Gabby flashing her a small smile before the blonde put the rig in gear, heading back for the house.

* * *

Matt glanced back towards the door when he heard knocking, his muscles going rigid as the unknown visitor opened the door. But when Gabby poked her head in, he relaxed, a small smile coming to his face.

"Hey there." She spoke softly, the sound of her voice soothing his nerves as he nodded her in.

"Hey. How was your call?" He asked, Gabby opening the door wide enough for her to slip in before shutting it behind her.

"It was fine. Nothing serious." She responded, walking towards his bed, placing herself down on the edge. "You okay?" She questioned, seeing his leg anxiously bouncing up and down.

"Yeah, yeah I just- I'm trying to keep myself calm and it's not working." He admitted, Gabby flashing him a sympathetic look, nodding slowly.

"Have you talked to anyone yet?" She asked, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Just Kelly. He stopped by when you guys left." He answered, turning his chair to face her. "I know I need to go out there, the longer I put this off the harder it'll be.. but I guess I just need some more Gabby Dawson words of encouragement." He spoke with a small smile, Gabby grinning.

"Well, I'm happy to help. What's going on in there?" She asked, making herself comfortable as she put her hands in her lap.

"I'm just- I think I have to tell everyone the whole story, and it scares me." He spoke softly, Gabby hearing the same vulnerability in his voice that she heard last night, and this morning. "Telling you, that was one thing. But everyone? I don't know if I'm ready for that, but after what they heard, I feel like they deserve to know the truth."

"You tell them what you feel comfortable telling them." She replied, catching his gaze. "I'll be honest, I don't know how everyone's acting right now. I've only really seen Shay and Kelly, but what I do know is that no matter what happens when you talk to them, you've got me on your side. And Severide. And Shay. You've got people here who believe you." She told him. "This isn't gonna be like what happened at your old house, and the stations you've been at since. Trust me, I think Shay would threaten to quit if they tried to transfer you." Gabby spoke lightly, happy to see a smile fall onto his face. "But in all seriousness, I think once you talk to everyone, it'll make you feel better. If nothing else, you won't have to hide out in here anymore. You have nothing to be ashamed of, you didn't do anything wrong."

Matt nodded slowly, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck, blowing out a deep breath. "Yeah, I guess you're right… That's not bad advice."

"Well, I got it from you." She responded, Matt tilting his head to the side. "When you talked to me about Bryan cheating on me, you reminded me it wasn't my fault… So really you can thank yourself."

Matt released a soft chuckle, shaking his head before finding her gaze again, their eyes locking. The second his lips turned up into a soft smile, Gabby felt those same confusing flutters in her stomach like she had this morning. The same feeling she didn't understand as heat rose to her cheeks, the two unable to look away from one another.

Knocking on the door snapped them from their moment, Matt blinking furiously before turning towards the sound, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing as she glanced down, trying to get rid of this feeling in her gut.

"Casey?" Boden's voice filtered into the room, Matt sighing heavily, glancing back to Gabby just as she looked up at him, flashing him a supportive smile.

"Come in." Matt spoke, clearing his throat.

Chief opened the door, stepping inside. "Casey, I was wonder if we could- oh, hello Dawson." He spoke, confusion clear in his voice. "I didn't know you were in here." He continued, Matt standing up.

"Yeah, we were just talking. What do you need, Chief?" Casey asked, although he knew exactly what had brought Boden here.

With furrowed brows, Boden glanced back towards Dawson, placing his hands on his hips before speaking. "Dawson, can Casey and I have a moment?"

"Of course, yeah." She responded, pushing herself up from his bunk.

"Wait, Chief-" Matt started, stopping Gabby's movements towards the door. "If this is about the rumors about me… I'd rather Dawson stay." Matt saw the confusion in both Boden's and Gabby's eyes, but he ignored it, swallowing the lump in his throat. "She already knows everything, I'd rather her be here.. If that's what you're here for."

Glancing back and forth between Casey and Dawson, Boden soon nodded, closing the door behind him. "Alright, if you're fine with her being here." He spoke, Matt nodding, Gabby moving back to the bed. "I've gotta say, when I came in this morning and heard what was being said about you, I was shocked, to say the least." Boden started, Matt nodding as he crossed his arms over his chest. "But before we go any further, I'd like to hear from you what happened."

After one last supportive smile from Dawson, Matt began telling the Chief what happened. Gabby listened closely, Matt's thoughts much more coherent than they had been last night when he first told her. The information was all the same, but Matt was far less emotional than he had been before. She was a little surprised that he told Boden everything, after just having voiced his concerns, but she was glad he did.

Every so often, he would glance back to her, looking for some reassurance, which she gave him every time. She could see how upset he was, having to dive into his past all over again, but she was proud of him for doing it. She was proud of him for doing something she couldn't.

When it was all said and done, Gabby could tell Boden was at a loss for words. That he didn't really know what to say to man across from him.

"I… I had no idea any of that happened, I am very sorry Casey." Boden spoke eventually, Matt nodding slowly. "Does anyone else know?"

"Severide knows some of it, but other than you and Gabby, no. It's not something I really enjoy talking about."

"Are you gonna talk to the house?"

"I know I need to." Casey responded, blowing out a heavy breath. "I'm not sure how much I'm going to tell them, but they need to know something. I can't do my job here if they don't trust me."

"It's up to you what you want to tell them, and I don't want this to be something that messes with you here. But you're right, no matter what happened, if this becomes an issue with your ability to be a leader, there might not be anything I can do." Boden responded, shaking his head. "I am going to talk to Walker, though. I can't officially reprimand him because it happened off-shift, but I'm going to have a conversation with him."

"Thanks Chief." Matt responded, Boden giving him a nod.

"Do you think you're ready to talk to them now?"

Matt's eyes immediately went to Gabby, seeing her nod slowly, her gaze giving him a sense of comfort.

"Just give me a few minutes, then I can." He responded.

"Alright Casey. I'll get everyone in the common room, just come out when you're ready."

"Thanks Chief." He spoke again, Boden giving both him and Dawson a nod before leaving the office.

Releasing a heavy sigh, Matt turned his body towards Gabby just as she stood up from the bed, walking towards him.

"You sure you're ready?"

"I think I have to be. The longer this keeps hanging over my head, the worse it's gonna be." He breathed out, Gabby instinctively grabbing his hand for support.

"It's gonna be fine." She assured him, Matt nodding. Without saying another word, he leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her, holding his body to hers. She was surprised, at first, but soon reciprocated the action. She could feel the tension in his body slowly falling away, Gabby tightening her grip. She let him have the moment he so clearly needed, the two embracing in the peaceful quiet of his office.

She let him be the one to pull back first, seeing a small smile on his face as they separated.

"I know I keep saying it, but thank you for this. For all of it." He spoke softly, his hands resting over her arms. "I'm not sure if I would be getting through this if not for you."

A look of surprise covered her face, Matt's smile only growing as she swallowed thickly, their eyes locking once more. It took her a few moments to find her voice, Gabby shaking her head.

"You'd be fine. But I'm glad to help." She spoke, her voice barely above a whisper before she broke their eye contact, glancing down in between them to gather herself. "So, uh, are you ready?"

"I am." He answered, taking a deep breath. He ran his hands over her arms before dropping them, Gabby assuming he did that to calm himself down.

Without another word, they both moved towards the door, Gabby giving his hand one last squeeze before they moved out into the bunk room, Matt mentally preparing himself to face his friends.

* * *

**And there's another one. I hope you guys enjoyed it!**

**Looks like things are getting… interesting between Gabby and Matt. And Shay seems to be catching on to things that happened between Gabby and Bryan in the past. There's definitely a lot left to come from that.**

**I'm so excited to hear your thoughts on this chapter! Thank you all so much for reading, your support means everything. The fact that this story is almost at 200 reviews is insane to me. I'm so thankful to all of you who read this, and who take the time to leave me a review. Seriously, it means so so much to me. Thank you.**


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Hello hello hello! Here's the next chapter for you all. It's time to see how the house reacts to learning to truth about Matt. I hope you guys enjoy!**

**Also, there is an M-Rated scene in this one. **

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**FIFTEEN**

* * *

Gabby walked into the common room through the side door, seeing Shay leaning against the counter, everyone's attention focused to the entrance of the room.

"There you are." Shay spoke softly as Gabby came to her side. "Chief called us all in here, I'm guessing it's about Casey?" Her voice was quiet as Gabby nodded, Dawson crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned her weight into the counter.

"Yeah. He wants to talk to everyone." Gabby replied, her eyes moving around the room, landing on Walker. Bryan was leaning against the wall behind the long table, his arms crossed tightly across his chest, a look of pure annoyance covering his face.

"That's good, right? Let everyone hear his side of things."

"Yeah, it is… I'm just worried. I don't know if he can handle this." Gabby breathed out, Shay watching her closely. "What?"

"Nothing." She responded, leaning into Gabby's side. "It's just you sound an awful lot like a worried girlfriend." She teased, Gabby rolling her eyes. Although she didn't always love Shay's teasing, she was glad to see there was no awkwardness between them from earlier. She hadn't meant to snap at her the way she did when her partner asked about Walker, but Gabby hadn't been expecting it, and she panicked. But thankfully, the blonde seemed to have moved on.

"He's my friend, Shay. Of course I'm worried."

"Yup… Your _friend_." She spoke with a smirk. "I need to find me a friend like that."

Gabby ignored Shay's words, shaking her head as she focused her attention on Boden, movement in the corner of her eye catching her attention as Matt came into the room, following the same path she'd taken.

"Alright everyone." Boden spoke up, Matt walking through the room towards the Chief, feeling uncomfortable with everyone's eyes on him. "I know there's been a lot of gossip going around here today, a lot of misinformation that's been spread, but Casey wants to talk to you all, let you know the truth of what happened." He prefaced, earnings a few slow nods from around the room.

Gabby could feel the apprehension in the air, and she hated it because she knew Matt could feel it too. Watching him as he stood up there in front of everyone, she could see the nerves radiating off his body. He was trying to mask it, but she could tell he was scared.

Boden stepped aside, Matt clearing his throat as his eyes bounced around the room before landing on Dawson, Gabby giving him a warm, supportive smile. He felt some of the tension leave his body as their eyes met, Matt nodding softly before speaking up.

"So, uh, I know what you all have heard. Or, I guess I know what you heard at Molly's. I'm not sure if anything else has been said about me, but I know my reputation around the department… I know there's a lot of things said about me, things that aren't true. I'm sure you all have questions, and I'm sorry to those of you who reached out to me and I didn't respond, I just-" He cut himself off, rubbing his hand over his mouth. "This isn't an easy thing for me to talk about, and having it come up again like this… I wasn't expecting it, and I needed time to think. But I want you all to know what happened, because the last thing I want is for you guys to feel like you can't trust me, or that I'm lying to you guys. I haven't been here that long, I know that, and what's said about me isn't good, so I'll understand if you guys can't get past this... But you all deserve to know the truth, because I didn't do this." He spoke, trying to keep his voice as firm as possible.

His eyes met Gabby's again, needing a second to compose himself before continuing.

"Part of what Walker told you was the truth…" Matt started, glancing towards Bryan, seeing the man watching him with a hard stare. "I did get into a fight with one of my firefighters, but it didn't happen the way you guys were told. He did end up in the hospital, but not because of anything I did. He came at me, it was a personal issue between him and I, and he just started swinging… I did fight back, but I was just trying to defend myself. He fell and hit his head, that's how he ended up in the hospital. But I didn't send him there… The department cleared me, but that incident got me moved from my house." He explained, taking a deep breath. "And yeah, I was married. I'm not anymore, for a lot of reasons, but none of those reasons were me being abusive. Because I wasn't. I never laid a hand on her… We were married for almost three years and I never once hurt her like that." He spoke, shaking his head. "And I didn't abandon my child, there's no way I could have because I don't have a child."

Matt's voice was getting unsteady, Casey swallowing down the emotion caught in his throat as he locked eyes with Gabby once more. She gave him a nod, silently assuring him everything was okay, Matt tuning everyone else out in the room as he focused on her.

"My ex-wife… she was sleeping with the firefighter I got into a fight with." He admitted, a thick silence filling the room, Matt ignoring the pitiful and surprised looks he was receiving, continuing to focus on the reassuring one Dawson was giving him. "I didn't know about it. They had been having an affair for awhile before I knew, and that night he and I got into a fight was the night I found out… Some things happened after that, and a couple months later she told me she was pregnant, but the child's not mine."

Casey forced himself to look away from Gabby, his eyes moving around the room as he saw a range of emotions looking back at him. He could tell they were confused, and most of them were upset. He could see the pity in their eyes shining back at him. But he could also feel some of them were wary, and he couldn't blame them.

"I know you guys really don't have any reason to believe me, but that's the truth." He breathed out, blinking tightly. "I was hoping this wouldn't be an issue here, because I have absolutely loved this house, and everyone here. This is the best firehouse I've ever worked at, and I didn't want the lies said about me affecting that, but I know you all haven't known me for very long. I hope this doesn't affect how you see me as a leader, and, more importantly, as your friend. But if it does, I understand… I'm sorry you all found out the way you did." He spoke softly, releasing a deep breath.

Everyone in the room was stunned into silence, unsure of what to say. But before they had to, the bells rang throughout the house, calling 61 to a car accident. The noise snapped the room out of their daze, Shay and Dawson moving towards the front of the room.

Before leaving, Shay stopped at Matt, Casey watching her closely to see what she was going to do, the blonde smiling softly before pulling him into a tight hug. Matt relaxed into her, sighing heavily as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm so sorry, Casey." She told him, squeezing him tighter as he rubbed his hands over her back.

"It's alright, Shay." He responded, the two pulling back, knowing they didn't have time to do much else now. With one last smile, Shay kept walking, Gabby following behind her, stopping momentarily when she got beside Matt.

Silently, she placed her hand on his arm, squeezing it comfortingly, Matt giving her an understanding nod. He knew this wasn't the place for her to say everything she'd told him before, but her comforting gaze was enough, her look reassuring him before she headed out the door after her partner, the room returning to its previous quiet.

Matt kept his eyes up, keeping his breathing steady as he waited for someone to say something, unsure of how to read the silent reactions he was receiving.

"Casey, I'm just- I'm so sorry." Severide spoke first, shaking his head. "That's awful."

"It's okay." Matt replied, clearing his throat. "I just wanted you all to know what happened. I'm still not entirely sure how it all got twisted into what it did, how it turned into what Walker, and everyone else, hears about me. But I think it all started with the firefighter who worked with me. If I were to guess, I'd say he changed the story, and it just got out of control…" He told them, earning a few nods from around the room, the all too familiar quiet returning.

"Walker, a word." Boden spoke up, Matt turning to find Bryan's narrowed gaze focused on him, his expression unreadable.

"Alright, Chief." He responded, Boden starting the walk towards his office, Walker hanging back for a moment before following after him.

"Man, Casey…" Herrmann breathed out, pushing himself up from the couch. "I had no idea anything like that happened. When Walker said all that at Molly's, I didn't really think it was true. Or I figured there had to be more to the story, I didn't really know what to think I guess… but all of that? I'm so sorry, Casey."

"It's fine, really."

"No, it's not." Herrmann spoke, shaking his head. "What you went through is awful. I don't know your ex-wife, or your relationship with her, but I'm sorry for what happened, Casey. No one deserves that."

"Thanks Herrmann." He replied, the man bringing him in for a quick hug, Matt finding Severide's eyes as he pulled back, Kelly giving him a supportive smile.

"We're here for you, man." Kelly spoke, Matt smiling softly.

"Yeah, of course we are." Cruz chimed in, earning more nods from around the room.

"Thanks you guys." He replied, feeling like a thousand pound weight had been lifted off his chest.

* * *

"Have a seat, Walker." Boden spoke as the two walked into his office, Bryan closing the door behind them before moving towards the chair, Boden sitting down at his desk.

"What's this about, Chief?" Walker asked, earning an unimpressed look from his boss.

"I think you know the answer to that question." Boden responded, placing his clasped hands on his desk.

"Chief…" Walker spoke, releasing a heavy breath.

"They next time you have a problem with your Lieutenant, you speak to him. Or you come to me. You don't confront him at a bar."

"Chief-"

"That is not how we handle things here. Especially when the accusations you are spreading are damaging ones. What you accused Casey of, that's a serious thing. It's something that could ruin his life, it's something that has already tried to ruin his career. I don't care what personal issues you have with him, you don't behave that way."

"Why is everyone so quick to believe him?!" Walker nearly shouted, Boden's eyes widening at his sudden outburst. "Multiple people say he did these things, and yet you automatically believe him just because he said he didn't do it?! Why does he get a free pass?"

"Walker, calm down!" Boden barked, Bryan taking a deep breath as he settled back in his seat, seeing the Chief's narrowed gaze on him. "You really think my first call wasn't to headquarters the minute I heard what was being said about him? You think I wouldn't look into it? I talked to everyone I could get ahold of who knew about the situation, I even talked to Casey's old Chief, and everyone I spoke to said the same thing; he didn't do what he was accused of. Lies got spread around by firefighters within the department, most likely started by the man who was sleeping with Casey's wife, that's how you heard what you did. But do you really think I wouldn't have checked that out before going to him? That I'd be perfectly fine letting an abuser stay in this house?" Boden spoke harshly, Walker sighing as his body tensed slightly, pressing his fingers against his temple.

"I'm sorry, Chief." Walker spoke firmly. "I didn't know you spoke to other people, I just-"

"You were just angry. You have been angry, and I don't know why." Boden responded with a sigh, Walker meeting his eyes. "You need to get yourself under control, Walker. You've been on thin ice with Casey here lately anyway, and you've only dug yourself a deeper hole to climb out of..." Boden replied, shaking his head. "And I'm not the only one you owe an apology to, I think you know that."

"Chief…"

"I am going to assume, and hope, that your intentions were in the right place." Boden cut him off, his words sharp. "But this can't happen again. Next time you have concerns, you come to me."

"I understand."

"Good. I don't want this to be an issue, I don't want _you_ to become an issue." Boden spoke pointedly, Walker's neck clenching. "You need to go apologize to Casey, for how you acted."

Silently, Bryan nodded, his hands gripping the arms of the chair, forcing himself to remain as calm as he could.

"Alright, you're dismissed." Boden spoke, Walker pushing himself up from his seat as quickly as possible. "But I'm serious about that apology." He warned, Bryan giving a faint nod before heading for the door.

"And Walker," Boden's voice stopped him as he opened the door, the firefighter turning back around. "Just so we're both on the same page, had this happened on shift, you would be getting written up, and most likely suspended. The only smart decision you made from all this was doing it off-shift. But I'm completely serious when I tell you that you need to cool it. If you continue to bring problems into this house that don't need to be here, we'll be having a very different conversation."

"Understood." He bit out, turning to leave before he let his emotions get the best of him.

He couldn't believe everyone had bought Casey's story, that no one, besides Boden, even questioned it. He hated that Matt got off so easily, and somehow he ended up being the one in trouble. Walker didn't understand why Matt was so readily believed in this house, but it made him furious. And the last thing he wanted to do was even be near Casey right now.

But he knew he had to. For the sake of his job, he had to go plaster on a smile and rattle off some fake apology to the abusive Lieutenant.

He had to go and talk to him. But he couldn't right now. Because if he did, he'd say or do something that would get him in trouble. He was too angry, he needed time to cool off, knowing that he couldn't go talk to Matt when he was ready to put his fist through a wall.

* * *

"We really don't come to Lakeshore that often anymore." Shay commented as they unloaded the patient from the back of the rig.

"Well, we're usually closer to med." Gabby shrugged as they headed inside to hand off the man in their care.

Everything went smoothly enough, Shay restocking some supplies while Gabby filled out the paperwork, tuning out the world around her as she diligently worked on the task at hand.

When she finally looked up to hand the paperwork back to the nurse, her eyes widened as she came face to face with someone she was not expecting, the clearly pregnant woman sitting across from her, her attention focused on the computer. Gabby's eyes bounced around, looking for the nurse, or any nurse, that she could give the paperwork to.

"Dawson, right?"

Gabby swallowed thickly as she looked back towards the doctor, seeing a small smile on her face. Unable to find her voice, Gabby nodded.

"Did you need something?" She asked, Gabby running her tongue over her bottom lip, clearing her throat.

"Just looking for one of the nurses." She responded, tapping her finger against the paperwork in her hands.

"Oh, well I can take that for you." She spoke, her hand moving to cover her protruding stomach. "I'm not allowed to do much else around here anyway." There was a lightness to her voice, and Gabby couldn't help but feel irritated with this woman, but she tried to not let it show.

She didn't know her, all she knew was what she heard from Casey. And while she believed him, she didn't know the ins and outs of their relationship. She didn't know any of the events prior to her affair, and even though she couldn't help but not like this woman, she didn't want to cause any problems. Especially not when Casey would be the one to have to deal with it.

"Sure, yeah. Thank you, Dr. Thomas." Gabby spoke softly, handing over the papers.

"It's no problem." She replied, Gabby nodding slowly.

"Hey Dawson, you ready?" Shay's voice filled her ears, Gabby turning to find her partner walking towards her.

"Yeah, I'm good."

"Good, let's get out of here. Hey Dr. Thomas." Shay greeted, the two women smiling at one another.

"Hi. It's Shay, right?" She asked, the blonde nodding. "I'm sorry, we get so many paramedics through here, and plus that whole pregnancy brain is a very real thing." She joked, earning a grin from Shay.

"Oh you're fine." She responded, Gabby gripping Shay's arm.

"We should probably get back to the house. It was nice to see you again." Dawson spoke towards Hallie, the woman nodding.

"You too."

Gabby all but pushed Shay out the door, the blonde prying her friend's hand from her arm.

"Ow, God what is wrong with you?" She whined as they walked to the rig.

"Nothing, it was just time to go." Dawson replied, climbing into the passenger seat.

"You're acting all weird… Are you just worried about Casey? Because I don't blame you." Shay spoke as she got buckled, Gabby biting on the inside of her cheek. "I just can't believe it. I mean, who could do that to him? I have no idea who his wife was, but I don't know why she didn't just leave him…" She breathed out, glancing towards Gabby, seeing the apprehensive look on her face. Narrowing her eyes, Shay tilted her head to the side. "Your face looks all weird... You know, don't know?"

"What?"

"You know who the wife is, or was." Shay clarified, Gabby drawing in a deep breath as her partner waited expectantly.

"It's Hallie Thomas."

Shay's eyes widened, her gaze moving towards the direction of the hospital entrance before landing back on Gabby, her face rigid.

"Hallie as in Dr. Thomas? As in the woman we were just talking to?" She asked, Gabby nodding. Clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth, Shay shook her head, ripping the keys from the ignition and unbuckling her seatbelt. "What are fucking bitch." She muttered under her breath, getting out of the ambulance.

"Shay, what are you doing?" Gabby asked, getting out quickly, getting to the back of the ambulance just as Shay came around beside her, Gabby grabbing her arm. "Shay, stop."

"Why?" She asked exasperatedly, Gabby blocking her entrance.

"What exactly is your plan here?"

"I don't know, give her a piece of my mind? Ask her what the hell her problem is? Who knows, but I can wing it." She spoke, stepping around Dawson, but Gabby quickly pulled her back.

"You can't go back in there."

"Why not? Based on what's said about Casey, I imagine everyone in that hospital believes that bullshit. Don't you think they should know what kind of person she is?"

"If you go in there, you're doing to her what Bryan did to Casey-"

"Except the only difference is Casey didn't do anything! She, on the other hand, isn't so innocent." Shay interjected, Gabby taking a deep breath.

"I know that, but do you really think Matt would want this? I'm not saying I don't agree with you, the minute I saw her I wanted to smack her, but I know that would only cause issues for Matt. You going in there and causing a scene would only make things harder for him… So I'm asking you to just turn around and go back to the house." She pleaded, Shay sighing deeply.

"Dawson…"

"Please Shay."

"Fine." She gave in, shooting one last glare towards the entrance before heading back towards the rig.

"Thank you." Gabby responded as they moved to their seats, both climbing in. Shay started up the ambulance, putting it in gear before driving away from the hospital.

"You really wanted to smack her?" Shay asked as she pulled into the street, Gabby glancing to her. "I mean, I know I'm not above smacking a pregnant woman, but you?" She questioned, a teasing tone in her voice.

"I wouldn't have actually smacked her, Shay." Gabby responded, rolling her eyes.

"It's not like she doesn't deserve it." The blonde spoke, Gabby shaking her head. "Just maybe we should try and avoid Lakeshore when we can, cause I can't promise I won't say something next time I see her."

"Noted. Now pay attention." Gabby chastised, Shay huffing out a breath before returning her attention back to the road.

* * *

"Lieutenant." Matt stopped just outside his office as he looked towards the voice, seeing Walker moving towards him from the other direction. Taking a deep breath, Casey stood in place, crossing his arms over his chest as he waited for Walker to get to him. "I, uh, I want to apologize. For what I did." He spoke, Matt's face remaining blank. "I know you and I haven't really gotten along since you came here, and honestly I don't know why, but I do know I never should've done that." Bryan spoke.

"You mean you never should've ran your mouth about things you had no idea about?" He questioned harshly, Walker taking a deep breath.

"Lieutenant-"

"If you had concerns about me, I would've rather you came to me and asked me about it, instead of confronting me in a bar because you were pissed off." He spoke firmly. "You were angry because I told you to leave Dawson alone, you were drunk and ran your mouth when you shouldn't have. Is that what you're apologizing for?"

Walker clenched his neck, having to stop himself from saying something he shouldn't. "Lieutenant, I am sorry. I'm not gonna lie, I'm not the biggest fan of you. You haven't seemed to like me since you got here, and I've come to not really like you either. But my personal feelings don't matter, you're my boss and I have to respect that. I let my emotions get the better of me, and I messed up… But I won't be a problem for you anymore. I'm sorry for confronting you, I should've just come to you, or gone to Boden, but I didn't. And I'm sorry. I know you probably don't believe me, but I seem to be on your bad side no matter what I do, so I'm just gonna keep my head down. I'm hoping at some point you feel like you can trust me, but I'm not asking you to. I haven't given you a reason to… But I just wanted to apologize."

Matt kept his face blank, drawing in a deep breath as he thought over Walker's words, able to feel the man's tension radiating from his body.

"You've told me that before." Casey eventually spoke up, shaking his head. "You've assured me I wouldn't have to worry about you before, and look where we are."

"Lieutenant…"

"I never had any issues with you until you started taking me doing my job personally. There were no problems between us, until your ego got in the way and you thought I was treating you differently than everyone else. You, for whatever reason, have had a problem with me since I got here, and from that moment, you've given me no reason to ever trust you. I can't put my trust in you, Walker. You've shown me time and time again that I'm not able to trust you."

Bryan swallowed thickly, having to squash the rage rising within him. Every word Casey said was making him more and more angry, but he knew he couldn't lash out at him, no matter how much he deserved it. Boden had fallen for Casey's bullshit just like everyone else had, and Walker knew this was a battle he wouldn't win.

"Well, I hope you'll change your mind, Lieutenant." He spoke strongly, giving Matt a nod before turning around leaving with the room without another word.

Shay and Dawson turned the corner just as Walker stormed past them, Shay standing in front of Gabby as he shoved his way by.

"Jesus, watch where you're going." Shay growled, Walker flipping her off without saying another word, marching down the hallway.

"Wonder what his problem is…" Gabby spoke as they stepped into the bunk room, seeing Casey still standing outside his office.

"Bet he got his ass handed to him." Shay commented before turning her attention to Casey, Matt looking towards them.

"Hey guys." He greeted softly, Shay silently walking towards him, wrapping him up in a bone-crushing hug. Matt was stunned momentarily before he reciprocated, wrapping his arms around her. "You're all about the hugs today, aren't you?" He asked, Shay squeezing him tighter.

"Well, you deserve a lot of hugs." She replied, rocking them back and forth, Matt meeting Gabby's eyes as she stood behind the blonde, a soft smile on her face as Shay pulled back. "The next time I see Hallie, I'm gonna drop kick her. Well not actually kick her, she'd definitely press charges but you know what I mean." Matt's eyes widened slightly, glancing back towards Gabby again, seeing a near guilty look on her face.

"I'm sorry, she asked and I-"

"It's alright." He assured her, flashing Gabby a small smile.

"I'm so sorry about everything, Casey." Shay spoke again, her hand resting on his shoulder.

"It's fine, Shay. It's not your fault."

"I know, but everything that happened to you, I can't even imagine... No one deserves that, especially not you." She replied, Matt pursing his lips together. "But I've got your back, and so does Severide. And Dawson… Although she's got a lot more than just your back." She spoke with a devilish grin, Gabby rolling her eyes as Matt smirked.

"Jesus Shay." Dawson breathed out, earning laughs from both the paramedic and Casey.

"What? It's not like I'm wrong." She responded with a gleam in her eye, Gabby shaking her head. "But. really, everyone here loves you, and I know they were all a little shocked to hear all that, but you don't need to worry about them. We're all on your side, Casey."

"Thank you, Shay. Really, that means a lot." He replied, Shay moving back towards Dawson.

"Well, almost everyone is on your side… Walker's a lost cause."

"Yeah, I'm not expecting him to be on my side with anything anytime soon." Matt breathed out.

"Speaking of, what were you guys talking about anyway? He looked pissed." Shay asked, Matt leaning against the doorframe.

"He came to apologize, but it wasn't the most genuine thing I've ever heard… I'm pretty sure Boden made him do it." Matt explained, Gabby and Shay nodding. "But I'm not expecting him to be a problem for me, not after Boden's talk with him."

"Oh, I would've loved to be there for that conversation." Shay spoke with a soft grin. "He had no business saying any of those things, I'm glad Boden talked to him. I still don't know what he was trying to gain from all of this, but it seems like he only made things harder for himself… Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll end up transferred." Shay spoke with a smirk, Matt raising his eyebrows.

"Shay." Gabby spoke, a sheepish look covering the blonde's face.

"What? It's not like the three of us would miss him." She replied, glancing back and forth between Casey and Dawson, a knowing grin falling onto her face. "Well, anyway, I'm gonna head back out to the common room, I'll leave you two love birds alone." She teased, Gabby rolling her eyes while Matt bit back a chuckle, shaking his head.

"Get out of here, Shay." Gabby spoke, gently pushing against her shoulder as the paramedic moved for the door.

"Will do, I can take a hint… I won't come looking for either of you for awhile, have fun." She winked before slipping out of the door, Matt looking towards Gabby with raised brows once they were alone.

"Don't look at me, that's all her." She defended, Matt chuckling softly as Gabby took a step towards him. "You wanna?" She nodded towards his office, Matt nodding as he stepped inside, Gabby following after him.

She closed the door behind them, effectively shutting them off from the rest of the house, the blinds still pulled from earlier.

"Are you doing okay?" She asked as he leaned his weight into the desk, Gabby standing against the wall.

"I am… You were right." He responded, Gabby raising her brow in question. "As far as I can tell, everyone's seemed to believe me. I guess I didn't have anything to worry about."

"No, your worries were valid." She spoke, crossing her arms over her chest. "You've dealt with the fallout of this before, I know it had to have been scary for you to confront all this again, but I'm proud of you for doing it." She told him softly, watching as a gentle smile fell to his face. "But I can't say I'm surprised that I was right, I knew they'd believe you… I'm pretty sure Shay would've beat their asses had they not."

"Yeah, I've noticed she loves threatening to hurt people." Matt joked, earning a chuckle from her before the air soon shifted, Gabby seeing his smile fall. "But uh- Hallie?" He questioned, clearing his throat, Gabby nodding slowly.

"We took our patient to Lakeshore, she was there."

"You saw her?" His voice was quiet, almost timid, Gabby taking a step forward.

"We did." She replied, Matt nodding, rubbing his hand over his mouth.

"Did she... was she still-" Matt cut himself off, Gabby moving closer to him, resting her hand on his arm.

"She was still pregnant. I'm not sure when she's due, but if I were to guess I'd say she's not far from her due date." Gabby told him, Matt nodding slowly, his eyes moving down to the ground.

"How'd she seem?"

"Matt, we don't need to do this."

"I want to know." He responded, meeting her eyes, Gabby seeing that familiar look of hurt she'd seen from him far too often lately.

Gabby nodded, taking a deep breath before replying. "She looked okay. She seemed like she was alright."

Gabby refused to tell him more than that, that Hallie looked happy when she saw her. Telling him that would only make things worse for him, and she refused to do that. She wouldn't make this harder than it already was.

"You haven't seen her since you broke up?" She asked, Matt shaking his head.

"No, I haven't. I don't want to." He answered, swallowing thickly. Gabby's eyes traced over his face, blowing out a soft sigh before she closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around his neck. He moved his arms out from between them, her body pressing flush against his as he wrapped his arms around her back, relaxing into her hold.

He pressed his face into her shoulder, taking deep breaths as he felt himself slowly calming down, her warmth filling his body as he focused on her steady breathing.

"Thank you." He murmured, Gabby pulling back slightly, Matt sliding his hands from her back to rest on her hips.

"For what?"

"For being here." He replied simply, a small smile coming to her face as she shook her head.

"You've gotta stop thanking me, I haven't done anything Matt."

"No, you've done everything." He murmured, their eyes locking. "You've trusted me, believed in me, when you didn't have to. Especially after everything you went through with Walker, I wouldn't have blamed you if you ran the other way and never looked back. You keep saying that I don't need to thank you for this, but I need you to know how much it means to me, you being here."

Gabby swallowed thickly, their eye contact never faltering as he spoke, those familiar flutters in her stomach coming back with a vengeance.

"I told you Casey, you're my friend." She spoke, her mouth feeling dry all of the sudden when his gaze flickered to her lips before meeting her eyes once more. "Yeah, my past with Walker… it complicated things. It made me a little nervous about what's said about you." She admitted, Matt nodding understandingly. "But I chose to believe you're not capable of that, and it looks like I was right." Her voice faltered at the end of her sentence, his intense stares causing heat to rise to her cheeks, Gabby blinking furiously.

Without another word, Matt leaned forward, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss, the action catching her off guard. But her body responded before her head could catch up, Gabby deepening the kiss as his palms kept her pressed against him.

She pulled back first, the lack of oxygen proving difficult as she sucked in a deep breath, her eyes tracing over his face, looking for an explanation for his actions.

"What was that for?" She asked in between breaths, Matt's chest heaving as a small grin fell across his lips.

"For being my friend." He responded softly, Gabby's breath hitching slightly as they stared at one another.

The air around them became thick, Gabby not knowing what to say as he watched her with a soft grin. Before either one of them could break the silence, the bells rang through the house, signaling them all to a car accident, Gabby blinking quickly as she stepped away from him, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"We should…" She trailed off, nodding towards the door, Matt's tongue poking out between his lips as he nodded, Gabby clearing her throat as she moved towards the door, trying to shake the weird feeling in her stomach as they left his office.

* * *

Gabby moved through the apartment, heading back to the couch as she fixed her hair, tying it into a bun on the top of her head as she collapsed down onto the sofa. She had just gotten changed into her pajamas, settling for a t-shirt and shorts, Gabby prepared to spend the rest of her evening relaxing on the couch. Taking a sip of her wine, she began flipping through the channels, looking for something to watch when she heard her phone buzz. Leaning forward, she grabbed it from the coffee table, her head cocking to the side as she saw a message from Casey.

'_Is your brother home?_'

Relaxing back into the couch, she began typing out her response, quickly sending it.

'_No. But what makes you so sure I am?_'

She saw him read the message immediately, her eyes glued to the screen as she waited for his response, but it never came. Instead, seconds later, she heard knocking on the front door, Gabby scoffing as she put her phone down, carrying her wine glass to the door. Having a good guess as to who was on the other side, she didn't bother to check before opening it, coming face to face with Casey, the man holding a bag of takeout in his hand.

"Lucky guess." He responded to her question from her last text, Gabby taking a sip of her wine as she looked at him with narrowed eyes. "Dinner?" He questioned, holding up the bag of Chinese food, Gabby's tongue running over her bottom lip before she nodded, stepping aside to let him in.

"I'm interested to know, what was your plan if Antonio had been here?" She questioned as she followed him into the kitchen, Matt placing the food on the counter.

"I got extra." He replied with a shrug, Gabby rolling her eyes before she checked out the food he'd gotten. Satisfied with his choices, she shrugged, picking up the take out bag.

"I guess you can stay." She spoke, handing him the food. "We can eat on the couch. Wine?" She asked, Matt nodding, stepping past her. But he only got a few steps before he stopped, turning back to face her as she pulled out a wine glass.

"Is that my shirt?" He asked, tilting his head to the side as she turned to face him, a sheepish look covering her face, Gabby glancing down to the large t-shirt covering her body.

"Maybe." She replied, grabbing the wine bottle.

"Mhmm." He hummed, heading for the living room.

"What, it's comfortable." She called back, hearing him laugh as he disappeared out of her sight.

As she poured his wine, she couldn't help but feel glad to see him in better spirits. Their shift yesterday had proved to be a busy one, Gabby not really having much time to check in on him throughout the rest of their day. But every time she saw him, he seemed to be alright. He wasn't hiding out anymore, and everyone at the house seemed to not have any problems with him. Aside from a few questions, no one really spoke about the lies spread about him, or what he'd gone through. Everyone had known not to push it, but thankfully, as far as she could tell, everyone in the house believed him. She was so glad to see things were going well, and that he seemed to be okay.

It had been a hard few days for him, but he appeared to be doing alright now, and that's all she wanted.

Walking back out into the living room, she saw him seated on the couch, Gabby walking towards him, placing the glasses of wine down before sitting next to him, curling her legs underneath her.

"So, is Antonio gonna be back tonight?" He asked as he began pulling the food from the bag.

"No, I don't think so. He's on a stakeout, didn't sound like he was gonna be free anytime soon." She explained, Matt nodding before moving back, letting her pick which food she wanted before he grabbed one. "So, what made you want to stop by tonight?" She asked as they began eating, Matt swallowing his bite of food before responding.

"Figured it'd be nice for us to just have a fun night…" He replied with a shrug. "Considering we've both been a little all over the place lately, I thought it might be good."

"And what does this 'fun night' entail?" She asked with a grin, Matt smirking before taking a sip of his wine.

"Depends on how drunk you get me." He responded teasingly, Gabby chuckling, shaking her head.

Matt went back to eating his food, Gabby's gaze lingering on him as they sat on the couch, hundreds of different thoughts and emotions flooding her system.

"It's good to see you like this, Casey." She spoke up after a few minutes, Matt glancing back at her. "You look like you're doing okay, and after everything… it's just nice to see you having some fun." She told him, Matt grinning.

"Yeah, it was a rough few days there. But, I don't know, I guess after I told everyone what had happened, and realized things would be okay for me at the firehouse, it made it easier… I know I have people I can trust." He replied, their eyes locking. "I'm not completely over it or anything.. I'm not sure if I can be. I never really dealt with everything Hallie did, I kind of just tried to ignore it after we got divorced, and thinking about it… it still hurts. It probably always will." He breathed out, a small frown pulling on her lips. "And hearing that you saw her yesterday, it kind of threw me for a second. But, I don't know, this time dealing with all this is different, or at least it feels different, because I know I've got people who care about me, and I'm not going through it alone." He told her honestly, Gabby nodding slowly.

"We've all got your back, Matt." She assured him, Casey giving her a soft smile.

"I know. And everything yesterday, it made me realize that I don't want to dwell on it… I don't want to let it control me like it has been for months. She made her choices, I can't change them. But I can move past them, and that's what I'm trying to do." He said, pausing to take a sip of his wine. "And being with everyone on shift, it helped, more than I ever thought it could. Everything felt normal, after I got past explaining everything and the shock of that wore off, it was just like a normal day." Gabby listened closely as he spoke, their eyes focused on one another. "Everything I was scared for didn't happen, and it showed me that I can move past what Hallie did. Everyone at the firehouse found out, and it didn't really change things… I guess it just showed me that I can move on from it, and, eventually, they'll be a time where it doesn't affect me anymore." He told her, Gabby nodding. "Sorry, I know I'm rambling."

"No, no it's fine. I'm glad you're feeling better. I still wish this never happened, that Walker never opened his big mouth, but at least you don't have to carry this alone anymore." She spoke softly. "Because now you know that you've always got people who will have your back. You've got a family at 51, Matt. "

"I know I do." He replied, flashing her a small smile before they went back to their food.

The night wore on, the topics of conversation shifting to much lighter ones as the pair soon finished their food, taking to nursing the wine bottle as they sat on the couch, watching random television and happily drinking. They weren't drunk, at least not to the point where they were plastered, but it was enough for Matt to be able to let loose, and have a little fun. It was allowing him to unwind, and Gabby had to admit it was nice to see him like this. So carefree and happy. It wasn't a look she thought she'd see on him for awhile, it was a complete shift from the man she'd found in his apartment a few nights ago, but she was glad to see him feeling better.

"Alright, I'm gonna head to the bathroom real quick. You good?" She asked, pushing herself up from the couch, earning a nod from him.

"I'm good."

While she was gone, Matt began cleaning up their dinner, putting their leftovers in the fridge and throwing their trash away. He made himself busy in the kitchen, patiently waiting for her to come back. Within a couple minutes she appeared, Matt noticing her appearance had changed slightly, her previously pulled back hair now down, and her shirt tightened around her waist.

"So, uh, I think there's some ice cream if you want dessert or something… Or, I don't know if you need to get going." She asked, Matt walking towards her, the two meeting in the middle of the apartment.

"No, I don't need dessert or anything." He responded, a small smile resting on his face. "But I don't have to go just yet…" He spoke, Gabby raising her eyebrows in question.

"Oh, you don't?" She questioned, Matt reaching out and grabbing her hips, pulling her closer to him, a surprised gasp escaping her mouth.

"Nope." He replied, placing his lips on hers, the two connecting in a heated kiss, Gabby wrapping her arms around his neck, his kisses quickly trailing across her jaw to her neck, Matt smirking as he heard her gasp and groan as he left his marks on her skin.

"Are you sure?" She asked softly as his hands dug into her waist, Matt finding the willpower to pull back, looking at her with a curious stare.

"About this? Yeah... Aren't you?"

"It's not that, I just.. I want to make sure you're okay. That you're not just doing this to distract yourself. Trust me, I've been there. It only makes things worse." She told him, Matt shaking his head.

"That's not what this is." He assured her, his tongue running over his bottom lip. "I'm okay. I just would like to have a nice night with you, if you're interested." He offered, Gabby's grin widening.

"I'm very interested." She replied, stepping out of his hold, grabbing his hand and leading him to her bedroom, Matt pushing the door closed behind them.

They barely got a foot inside when Gabby pulled the shirt from his body, Matt smirking as her hands immediately went to his pants, quickly working them off him.

"A bit eager, aren't we?" He asked, pushing his pants down the rest of the way, stepping out of them as he earned an eye roll from her. "It's only been a few days, I must be really good." He joked, Gabby scoffing.

"Don't get all cocky on me, now." She replied, moving to pull off his shirt that she was wearing, but his hands soon stopped her, Gabby looking up at him to see him shaking his head.

"That's my job." He nearly growled.

"Well, then get to work." She encouraged, his eyes darkening as he reached for the ends of the material, quickly pulling the shirt off her body, exposing her bare chest to him. With his eyes focused on her skin, she reached out to him, grabbing the waistband of his boxers, using it to lead him to the bed.

She sat down first, pulling him to stand in front of her as her fingers teased the edge of his boxers, her hand moving down to ghost over him, Gabby biting her bottom lip as his eyes fell closed. In one swift movement, she pulled his last piece of clothing down, exposing him to her as a soft groan left his lips, Matt forcing his eyes open as he watched her, her hand moving up to grasp him in her grip. A low moan left his lips as she began working him, his muscles clenching as he kept his eyes locked on her, watching every precise move she made.

"Lay down." She told him after a few moments, dropping him from her hand, Matt swallowing the lump in his throat as he scrambled to remove his boxers. A chuckle escaped her lips as he made himself comfortable in the middle of her bed, Gabby giving herself a second to take him in, her mouth nearly watering at the sight of him ready and waiting for her.

He watched her closely as she hooked her thumbs under the waistband of her shorts, leaving her as bare as he was when she stepped out of them, Matt's eyes focused on her body as she climbed onto the bed. He gulped as she moved towards him, her legs straddling his waist as she sat on top of him, Matt's hands moving to her hips. She leaned down, resting her chest against his as she kissed him forcefully, Matt's hands roaming over her body as they battled one another, his hand coming up to grip her head, holding her to him.

While she had him distracted, she slid her hand in between them, grabbing ahold of him tightly, Matt groaning into her mouth when she began stroking him. She moved her kisses to his neck, Matt moaning as she began marking her way down his chest, her hand keeping up its pace. When she got down to his waist, she continued her movements, Matt's breath hitching as she focused her lips on the patch of skin beside his hip bone, Gabby smiling as his hips bucked up into her hand.

"Gabby…" He groaned lowly. "Stop teasing." He pleaded, Gabby releasing him, sliding her hand up and down the inside of his thigh. She smirked as she saw his muscles tense, Gabby trailing her kisses across his waist before making her way back up his chest, soon landing on his lips. His hands found her hips again, Gabby sitting herself back up, resting her hands against his chest.

Lifting herself slightly, she reached in between them, grabbing ahold of him and lining him up to her entrance before sinking down onto him, both of them releasing deep moans as he entered her.

"Jesus." He groaned, Gabby shifting her hips as she sat down on him, her hands braced against his chest, getting herself comfortable before she began moving up and down. Matt encouraged her movements, gripping her hips tightly as he helped her bounce up and down, her pace steadily increasing.

Their quick movements soon became frantic, as it usually was between them, but there was something different this time. The air around them became almost suffocating to Gabby as she looked down at him, seeing his deep gaze staring back at her, a look shining in his eyes that she couldn't quite read. But it was soft, and gentle, and definitely not a look she was used to seeing from him in this position.

But she didn't have time to dwell on it, her thoughts shifting as Matt hit that spot deep inside her, a loud moan escaping her lips as her head slacked forward, Matt smirking as he continued his movements, loving the sounds he was pulling from her.

He slid one hand up her body to her breast, palming her skin roughly as she moved, Gabby using his chest to keep herself steady as her legs began to tremble.

Matt knew he was losing control, the feeling of her body clenching around him nearly sending him over the edge as her muscles tightened, deep groans being pulled from his lips as they kept up their pace. Moving his hand down from her chest to her center, he began rubbing against her quickly, the combination of his deep thrusts and his hand soon sending her over the edge, Matt tumbling over with her as her hips met his. Their heavy breathing filled the room as Gabby collapsed down onto him, their chests heaving as they came down from their high together.

He placed a kiss against her shoulder before she rolled off of him, the two laying beside one another in silence, needing a moment to recover.

"Yeah, I think that was pretty fun." She breathed out, Matt chuckling as he nodded, his hand resting on his glistening chest. "But I need a shower." She spoke, slowly sitting up, Matt lifting himself up to rest on his elbows.

"Want some company?" He asked with a raised brow, Gabby grinning.

"Sure." She replied, standing up from the bed, Matt mimicking her movements. "Are you, uh… are you staying the night?" She asked, unable to meet his eyes. He could sense her hesitation, and he wasn't sure what to make of it. But her immediate shyness told him she seemed to be nervous about him opting to leave.

"I'll stay." He responded, Gabby looking back to him, a soft smile coming to her face.

"Good." She replied, Matt smiling back at her as Gabby swallowed the lump in her throat, breaking their eye contact as she headed for the bathroom, Matt following closely behind her.

* * *

**And there's another chapter. Matt telling the house about his past went pretty well, and things between Matt and Gabby seem to be going smoothly. And I'm sure you all enjoyed Walker getting talked to by Boden, as well as Casey. You all really seem to like any time Bryan gets put in his place, which I can't say I blame you.**

**I'm super excited to hear what you all thought of this one. Thank you so much for reading!**


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all. I hope you guys enjoy this one!**

* * *

**SIXTEEN**

* * *

Gabby watched on at the scene in front of her with a grin on her face, the paramedic sitting next to her partner in the common room while Casey and Severide bickered in the kitchen.

"I'm telling you man, she was not into you." Casey spoke, heading back for the table, flashing Gabby a smile as he came to sit in the chair next to her, Severide sitting on the other side of him.

"How would you know? You were too busy hanging out with Shay and Dawson to notice anything else." He huffed out, Gabby's eyebrows raising as she glanced to Matt, seeing a slight blush tint his cheeks.

"Well, excuse me for spending time with my friends instead of trying to find someone to take home." Casey responded, Gabby biting back a smirk, glancing to see a knowing grin across Shay's face.

Casey's words weren't entirely correct, although Severide didn't know that. While the group had spent the better part of their evening last night hanging out at Molly's, Kelly had left them to try his luck around the bar, which didn't end up working out in his favor. Casey, however, had gotten very lucky last night, he just hadn't had to go through the task of finding some random woman to leave with.

As soon as a defeated Severide had gone home, Gabby and Matt left minutes later, not having to make up any excuses considering Shay was the only one from 51 still there, except for Herrmann who had been in the back most of the night. Shay teased them mercilessly as they were leaving, making a comment about how she was surprised Casey hadn't just taken Gabby to the bathroom to relieve the tension that was growing between them, Dawson having flipped her off as they headed for the exit. When they had gotten back to Matt's place, it took no time for them to fall into their usual rhythm, their late night starting on the couch but ending in the bedroom, Gabby having fallen asleep curled up next to Matt before she could make the decision whether to go home or not.

"I need to start going to different bars." Kelly huffed out, breaking Gabby from her thoughts.

"Or you just need to get some game." Shay fired back, Kelly shooting her a glare.

"I'm not the problem here, I just need a change of scenery." Severide spoke, Shay chuckling in response as the squad Lieutenant looked towards the other firefighter. "What do you say, Casey. Can we be each other's wingmen? We could go somewhere new, see what other bars in Chicago have to offer." Severide spoke, Matt's eyes widening slightly, not expecting the offer.

"Well, uh," He cleared his throat, quickly glancing towards Gabby, seeing her averting her eyes away from him. "I don't mind helping you out, but I'm good." He replied, catching the approving smile from Shay before he looking back towards Kelly.

"Come on. It'll be fun." He spoke, Matt raising his eyebrows, Kelly's face soon falling as a sudden realization washed over him. "Oh, shit I'm sorry. I wasn't even thinking about everything with your ex, I'm not trying to push you into anything." He breathed out, Matt shaking his head.

It had been a little over a week since Matt had told the house of what happened between him and Hallie, and, surprisingly, the topic really hadn't come up since. Sure, he had been on the receiving end of a few pitiful stares, and he could tell people had more questions; not so much questions they actually needed answers to, more so things they were only curious about, but no one had approached him about it. It had been like it never happened, and Casey was grateful for that.

"No, no you're fine Kelly." Matt assured him, a small smile forming on his face. "It's not because of her, I'm just not really looking right now. But I'd be happy to help you out."

"Fantastic." Severide spoke, leaning back in his chair, Shay rolling her eyes.

"Try not to corrupt Casey too much, Kel." The blonde spoke, earning a few laughs from around the table.

"Nothing to worry about, Shay." Severide promised, the paramedic looking at her friend unimpressed.

"Ah, what's the good ole detective doing here?"

Herrmann voice gained the attention of the four, all of them turning towards the entrance to see Antonio walk in, confusion settling across Gabby's face.

"Hey Herrmann." He greeted, patting the man's shoulder before heading towards his sister. "Hey Gabs."

"Hi." She responded skeptically, her eyes narrowed as she tried to get a read on him, but she couldn't. She watched as he greeted the other three at the table, her brother's eyes lingering on Casey. "What are you doing here?"

"I actually was hoping to talk to Casey for a second." He spoke, more confusion settling across the room. Gabby's glare zeroed in on her brother while Matt's eyes widened slightly as he looked up towards the detective, Antonio watching him with a hard stare.

"Uh yeah, sure." Casey agreed, pushing himself up from his seat. "We can go out in the garage." He offered, Antonio nodding as he let the firefighter lead the way, glancing back to see a rigid look from his sister, Gabby's arms crossed over her chest, clearly not impressed with what was happening.

"Do you know what that's about?" Shay asked softly as Antonio and Casey stepped into the garage, Gabby shaking her head, her gaze flickering to Severide before looking back to her partner.

"I don't." She answered, her eyes moving back towards the double doors.

Out in the garage, Casey was glad to see it empty, the Lieutenant leading him towards the wall by the exit, knowing the space would give them privacy in case they did get company at some point.

"What's up?" Casey questioned, unsure of what to say to the man. The last time he'd seen him was when he went to the district a couple weeks ago, and considering they hadn't been working on any cases together, Matt could only assume it wasn't job-related.

"I want to hear it from you." He spoke sternly, Matt's eyebrows furrowing. "I want to hear from you what happened with your ex-wife." Casey's eyes fell closed, the firefighter bringing his hand up to run over his mouth, watching as Antonio crossed his arms over his chest.

"Antonio…" He breathed out, trying to figure out where to start. He could only imagine what the detective was thinking, but considering he hadn't come in here swinging, Matt was hopeful he'd believe his side of things. "It's not true. Whatever you heard, unless you heard it from Gabby, I can assure you it's all lies."

"Well, I would hope so. As I'm sure you can imagine, hearing from a few cops that the guy my sister is… whatever you two are doing, has a reputation of beating up his wife and abandoning his child, I wasn't exactly thrilled." Antonio spoke sharply, Matt shaking his head. "And I heard something about you and another firefighter… I know there are no charges against you, I checked." He spoke pointedly. "But clearly something happened, and if any part of it's true, you can understand I don't exactly feel comfortable having you around my sister."

"It's not true." Casey spoke quickly. "The only part that's true is that I was married, and I did get into a fight with one of my firefighters, but I'm not the one who put him in the hospital." He prefaced, Antonio's face remaining neutral, clearly waiting for more of an explanation. Knowing Antonio needed the whole story, Matt began explaining everything, making a point to not leave anything out, no matter how much he hated reliving the whole thing. He wanted Antonio to trust him; first and foremost, he and Gabby were friends, and he didn't want to have any issues with her brother.

As he told his side of things, he could see the detective's hard exterior begin to falter, Antonio wearing a look near pity by the time he was done. It was a look he'd gotten a lot over the last week, and although he hated it, Matt knew it was better than the alternative.

"I… shit man, I don't even know what to say." Antonio breathed out, shaking his head.

"You don't have to say anything, it's fine. I'm fine. But that's what happened." He replied, the older Dawson nodding.

"I am sorry that happened… I know it's not the same exact situation, but I guess you and my sister do have more in common than I realized." He spoke, Matt shrugging softly.

"Yeah, I guess." He responded, Antonio glancing up at him.

"I appreciate you telling me. I'm sorry for bringing this up here, but when I found out this morning it just took me by surprise… I didn't want to believe you were that type of guy, but this is my sister, and after everything she's gone through…"

"No, I get it." Matt replied. "In fact, if it were me in your situation, I don't think I would've been nearly as polite about it as you were. What's said about me is terrible, I don't blame you for being worried, considering you don't really know me that well. But I can promise you, no matter what's going on between us, I would never do that to her. Or anyone. I'd never hit her." Casey spoke, his voice strong. Antonio gave him a nod, getting lost in thought for a moment before speaking up again.

"Yeah, I don't know you that well, but from what I've seen, I'd like to think you're a decent guy. And, the mess with Walker aside, I think my sister has a pretty good judge of character… I'm just glad to know it's not true." He spoke, Matt giving him a soft smile. "And I'm not even sure the extent of your… relationship with my sister, but I have a pretty good idea what the situation is. I can't say I'm on board with it, but you two are adults, you can do what you want. I just don't want to see her hurt again."

"Her and I are friends, Antonio." Matt responded, seeing a less than convinced look cover the detective's face. "We didn't exactly get along at first, but we're friends. I have no intentions of doing anything to hurt her." He spoke, Antonio nodding slowly.

Their conversation was cut short when the bells rang out, signaling Casey's truck to a car fire. Glancing back towards his rig, Antonio gave the man a nod.

"We're good." Antonio spoke, Matt nodding with a grin.

"Good. Thank you.. for giving me the chance to explain things." He replied, beginning to walk towards his truck.

"Yeah, of course. Stay safe out there." He responded, Matt nodding before running to the rig. Firefighters piled out through the door, Antonio's gaze narrowing when he caught a glimpse Walker as he got into the garage.

The detective saw the look of surprise that flashed over Bryan's face, clearly not expecting to see him here, but the firefighter quickly looked away, picking up his pace towards the firetruck.

It was only seconds later when the door opened again, Antonio looking away from the retreating truck to see Gabby walking towards him, an unamused look covering her face, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

"Mind explaining what that was about?" She questioned, here eyebrows raised in curiosity.

"I was just asking him about what happened with his wife." He responded, Gabby's face hardening.

"She's his ex-wife." She spoke quickly. "And did you really have to do that here?"

"I think the better question is why I had to hear it from two beat cops instead of from my own sister. You really don't think that's something I should know?"

"Why? It's not like he did anything wrong. And him and I aren't even together, it's really none of your business."

"Right, you're not dating you're just fuc-"

"Watch it, Antonio." She bit out, cutting off his sentence. Blowing out a sigh, his face softened, Antonio taking a step towards his sister.

"I just came here to see what the story was. After everything you went through with Walker, I didn't want you getting involved with another asshole, especially if he's a dangerous one. But him and I are good."

"Yeah, you have no reason not to be… But I'm honestly surprised you didn't come in here more upset. It didn't even cross my mind that's what you were wanting to talk to him about, you seemed way too calm." She spoke.

"Well, if he had a record or any charges against him for this, I don't think I would've been nearly as understanding." He responded, the unimpressed look returning to her face in an instant.

"You did a background check on him?"

"Of course I did." He replied, shaking his head. "I don't care what the story is, if there are rumors like that about a guy that's… _friends _with my sister, I'm gonna check him out. Luckily for you, he's clean."

"Yeah, I could've told you that." Gabby responded, rolling her eyes. "He's not a bad guy, Antonio."

"I know that, now. But you can't fault me for checking things out. I love you, but your recent track record with men isn't stellar. Walker was a piece of shit, and I saw what that did to you. I didn't want to risk something worse happening this time." He spoke, Gabby swallowing the lump forming in her throat. "...But is that why Walker told everyone? Because of you and Casey?"

"How did you know it was Walker?"

"I'm a detective, you really think I can't easily find these things out?" He questioned, nudging her arm, prompting her to answer his original question.

"I don't think so. He was pissed at Casey, but not because of us. Him and Matt have had their own separate issues, I don't even think Bryan has any idea about me and Matt." She answered, earning a nod from her brother.

"What's the deal with him and Casey?" He asked, Gabby shrugging.

"Casey sees through his bullshit, and Bryan doesn't like it. Walker has a hard time respecting authority, and Matt won't put up with it, so it's caused some issues between them."

"Well, finally someone around here doesn't kiss the ground that dick walks on." He breathed out, Gabby raising her eyebrows. "I'm sorry sis, but you know it's true."

"If it makes you feel any better, it's not so much like that anymore. Shay's never liked him, but she pretty much hates him now. And Severide can't stand him, either. I don't think anyone really trusts him since he pulled that stunt with Matt."

"Good, it's the least he deserves." Antonio breathed out. "So that's why he confronted Casey? Just cause he was pissed off?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing as Gabby's gaze averted away from him, Antonio catching a flicker of hesitation in her eyes before she looked to the ground. "What?"

"...He was pissed at Casey because of me." She responded, confusion filling his features.

"But you just said-"

"It wasn't because Matt and I are together," Antonio caught her wording but didn't bother questioning it, knowing now wasn't the time. "Walker was messing with me." His eyes turned dark with rage as Gabby spoke, the paramedic suddenly thankful Walker wasn't in the house or he'd probably be dead in a few minutes. "He was drunk and being a jerk, and Casey stepped in, told him to back off."

"I told that bastard to leave you the hell alone." Antonio spoke angrily, his words sharp as his fists clenched at his sides.

"It's fine, Antonio, really. He hasn't been a problem since, I'm not worried about it. But that's why Walker was pissed, cause Matt called him out and told him to leave me, and Shay, alone. That's why he caused this entire mess." She responded, Antonio's tongue poking out between his teeth, running over his bottom lip as he tried to squash some of the anger lingering in his system.

"Why didn't you tell me he was bothering you?"

"Because it doesn't matter." She responded quickly, his eyes narrowing as he shook his head. "I'm serious, it doesn't. He doesn't. It wasn't a big deal, so I didn't say anything."

"Fine. But if he does anything else, I want to know."

"Antonio…"

"I'm serious, Gabby."

"Alright." She gave in, placing her hand on his arm, giving it a comforting squeeze. "But really, I don't think he'll be a problem. He's already on thin ice with Boden, and Casey. He's pretty much been keeping his head down since all this." She replied, waving her hand to emphasize her point.

"He should be. And I do appreciate Casey stepping in… I don't know what he was doing," He said pointedly, Gabby rolling her eyes. "But I'm glad he was there."

"I can take care of myself, Antonio." She challenged, the detective scoffing.

"Believe me, I know that. But I also know you've always had a blind spot when it comes to Walker…" He replied, Gabby biting on her bottom lip. "I'm just glad Casey was there." Antonio finished, Gabby giving him a slow nod, her gaze moving to the ground. He traced his eyes over his sister's face, his curiosity getting the better of him as he watched her nervous demeanor. "Can I ask you something?"

"I guess." She responded, looking back up to him.

"Do you like him?" He asked, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing. "Casey… Are you two actually more than just 'friends'?" He used air quotes as he spoke, earning an eye roll from her. "Don't give me that, it's just a question."

"No, we're not." She replied quickly, Antonio nodding.

"But do you want to be?" He pressed, her eyes narrowing as an expectant look crossed his face. "Just a second ago, you said you two were together, so I'm just wondering if your relationship is more than what you're saying."

"I didn't mean it like that." She responded, shaking her head. "I just meant…" She trailed off, unable to find the right words to use. "We're just friends, Antonio."

"Alright." He replied, pressing a kiss to her forehead. He wasn't sure if he believed her, but pushing her to talk more wouldn't get him anywhere. "I was just checking. Even though we live together, I feel like I don't know much about what's going on with you these days."

"Well, we've both been pretty busy." She spoke, her brother nodding.

"I've gotta get back to work, sis. But how about you and I go out for breakfast tomorrow after you get off shift?" He offered, a soft smile coming to her face.

"I'd like that." Gabby responded, wrapping her arms around him, bringing him in for a tight hug. "Now go do your job." She joked as they pulled apart, Antonio beginning to head for the exit just as the bells rang out, signaling ambo to a call.

"Yeah, you too." He replied, Gabby flashing him a smile before heading towards the rig, Shay coming out to meet her as they walked together.

"Antonio giving your boyfriend the 'big brother' talk?" Shay teased as they climbed into the rig, Gabby rolling her eyes.

"You've got to get it out of your head that Casey's my boyfriend."

"Then you should stop looking at him like your world revolves around him." She bit back with a smirk, Gabby huffing out a breath as she buckled up, Shay quickly pulling out of the garage.

Dawson knew she needed to focus, that she had to get herself mentally prepared to work, but she could stop from thinking about Shay's harmless comment. She knew her partner was just giving her a hard time, but something about it was sticking with her, and she didn't know why. She didn't understand why it affected her so much, but she was having a harder time shaking it off than she normally did.

* * *

Matt hopped down from the rig, his feet landing on the floor of the garage as the rest of his men began unloading. They had just gotten back to the house, 81 getting called to help with a house fire soon after they finished up their relatively easy car fire, the second call taking up the better part of their morning and early afternoon.

Hanging up his coat on the mirror, Casey glanced towards Walker, seeing him a few feet away, his eyes focused on the ground as he stripped out of his gear, Matt clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

"Hey Walker." He spoke, gaining the man's attention. "I just want to say good work on that call today, you finding that kid." Matt continued, Bryan nodding slowly.

"Just doing my job, Lieutenant." He responded.

"I know. But I do want you to know that I appreciate how you've been handling yourself the last few shifts. You've been focused on the work, and staying out of trouble. I appreciate it." Casey spoke, Walker swallowing thickly.

"Well, thank you, Lieutenant." Walker replied, hanging up his coat. "I'm just trying to do what I promised, and not be a problem." He finished, giving Casey a nod before heading for the common room.

Drawing in a deep breath, Matt began following that similar direction.

To Walker's credit, he had been doing a good job of keeping his head down. He hadn't been a problem for Casey, or anyone; he simply came in, did his job, and kept his focus on the work. Matt knew it was most likely more because of Boden getting involved, that had it just been Casey to reprimand him, not much would've changed, but truthfully Matt didn't care what caused him to start listening. As long as he listened, that's all that mattered. He still didn't trust him, but not having to constantly worry about what he was doing on calls was a step in the right direction.

The sound of something hitting the ground caught his attention, Matt glancing towards the noise, seeing the back doors of 61 open. Changing his path, he took the few steps towards the rig, coming around to the back, seeing Gabby bent over on the floor, picking up whatever she had dropped.

"You alright in there?"

Gabby jumped at the sound of his voice, his presence taking her by surprise as her head smacked against the side of the rig. Matt grimaced as she groaned, the firefighter stepping up into the rig, leading her to sit down on the gurney, Gabby's hand coming up press against her aching head as he sat down beside her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He spoke, trying to mask the smile desperate to appear on his face, her gaze narrowing on him.

"Yeah, it's hilarious." She spoke sarcastically, her words causing him to chuckle. "Laugh it up. Although you should really stop sneaking up on people." She replied, unable to stop the small smile that graced her lips, finding his laughter amusing.

"I didn't realize you were going to jump out of your skin." He replied, his attention moving to her head. Gently moving her hand out of the way, he inspected the area, knowing she hadn't hit hard enough to cause any serious damage, she'd probably just have a headache for a bit. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She responded, Matt nodding before dropping the arm he had around her back, her hand rubbing over the sore spot on her head quickly before moving her arm back into her lap. "How was your call?"

"It was fine, nothing too serious. Just took us awhile to get it under control." He told her, Gabby nodding. "What about you, what have you been up to?"

"Well, before you gave me a concussion, I was doing inventory." She replied with a grin, Matt shaking his head with a chuckle. "But, I am glad you're here."

"Why? You didn't get enough last night?" He teased with a raised eyebrow, Gabby feeling heat rise to her cheeks.

"That's not what I was talking about." She responded, Matt enjoying watching her become flustered. "I was wanting to apologize, for my brother coming here earlier."

Matt shook his head, waving his hand in the air. "It's fine. Truthfully, I should've been expecting it, I just didn't think about it getting back to him. But I should've known it would, it's not like it was just our group at Molly's that night. I'm honestly a little surprised he gave me the chance to explain things, had I been in his shoes I'm not sure I would've acted the same way."

"Well, he's a cop, he's not stupid enough to kill you when there's witnesses." She joked, Matt's eyebrows raising as he watched her laugh.

"That's comforting." He responded, his smile widening at seeing her grin. "But, in hindsight, I probably should've talked to him. I mean, yeah, we're not dating or anything, but still, he knows we're… doing this, and I don't want him to worry that I'd do something like that to you."

"Nah, he's fine. I'm not surprised he talked to you though, but I would've rather he come to me, or at least not done this here... But oh well, at least he knows he doesn't need to worry now." She responded, her hand coming back up to rub over her head.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, just a little headache." She shrugged off his concerns, Matt keeping his eyes on her head. "So, you and Severide are gonna go try and get lucky, huh?" She shifted the subject, his eyes finding hers, seeing the teasing look in her gaze.

"I'm still not entirely sure how I got roped into that." He breathed out, Gabby chuckling. "But hopefully I can at least get a few free drinks out of it. And the only way I'd get lucky is if Sev can find someone quick, and I don't have to stay there long." He spoke with a gleam in his eye, Gabby watching him with an amused grin.

"You're such an old man." She taunted, Matt cocking his head to the side.

"No, there are just better ways to spend my time." He spoke softly, Gabby's bottom lip falling between her teeth when their eyes locked, the air around them suddenly turning thick as he flashed her a small smile.

"Like what, exactly?" She questioned, her voice barely above a whisper, Gabby swallowing the lump forming in her throat.

"I can think of a few things." He murmured, his eyes flickering down before he leaned forward, capturing her lips with his, Gabby encouraging his action as she leaned into him, her hand resting on his upper thigh.

They battled for dominance, Matt gripping the back of her neck as their kisses got deeper, a low groan escaping his lips as her hand moved closer to his hips, rubbing over him softly.

"How fast can you be?" She questioned between breaths as they pulled back, Matt grinning as he glanced back out towards the garage, suddenly very aware of where they were.

"Are you sure we should do this here?" He questioned, a devilish smirk covering her face as she cupped him through his pants, his eyes fluttering closed.

"Only one way to find out." She whispered encouragingly, Matt opening his eyes to find her staring at him, want and lust shining in her eyes.

"That's good enough for me." He breathed out, quickly standing up, sparing one last glance out into the empty garage before shutting the doors, turning back around to find Gabby laying down on the stretcher, working on undoing her pants. He swatted her hands away, completing the task by himself, forcefully pulling the material down past her knees, just enough to get it out of the way as he climbed on top of her. "But you've gotta be quiet." He told her, latching his lips onto her neck, his actions eliciting a soft gasp from her.

"I will if you will." She challenged, her voice breathy as he was no doubt leaving a new mark on her skin. Gabby didn't bother trying to stop him as his hand came up to grasp her breast over her shirt, cupping her tightly as her hands moved to his pants quickly, both of them well aware that their moment together could be halted at any time.

And that's what made it all the more fun.

* * *

"So, I'm curious," Severide prefaced, Matt looking up to him as they sat in the unfamiliar bar, taking a sip of his beer. "And if you don't want to talk about it, I get it, but how long ago did all this stuff with your ex-wife happen?"

"Uh, we broke up over six months ago now." He answered, Severide nodding.

"And have you, yanno, gotten yourself back out there at all?" Kelly asked, Matt shrugging.

"Yeah. I mean for a while there, that's kind of all I was doing…" He answered honestly, Kelly nodding understandingly. "It was a nice distraction I guess, but it didn't really help me. The whole picking up women in bars thing hasn't really been my scene here lately."

"Are you seeing someone?" Kelly asked, Matt immediately shaking his head.

"No, no I'm not. I'm not looking for anything like that… I don't know, it just hasn't been a priority lately." He explained, Severide tapping his fingers against the bar top as he looked around the room.

"Well, maybe you should make it a priority again. I mean, no better way to get over heartbreak than some good old meaningless sex." He spoke, Matt chuckling.

"I think I'm good, thanks though." Casey responded. "I've actually been doing pretty well lately, all things considered. I'm moving on from everything, slowly, but still, it's getting better." He shrugged, Kelly clasping his shoulder.

"I'm glad. Any particular reason, or just time's helped?" He asked, Matt's mind immediately going to one thing in particular.

_Gabby_.

Even before she knew what happened with Hallie, she'd been helping him get past it all. He hadn't realized it at the time, in fact it didn't really occur to him until recently, but she had helped him move on with his life. It wasn't just the sex, it was everything. It was them teasing each other, them hanging out on shift, it was the moments they'd share when they'd lay in his bed. It was every moment they spent together, and it had done wonders for helping him move on. He just didn't realize it until he had to confront what Hallie had done.

"Uh, nothing really." Matt replied after a few seconds, swallowing thickly. "I guess it was just me needing time." He covered, Kelly nodding before taking a sip of his beer. "But everyone at the house has helped too, I know I haven't talked all that much about it, but that was my biggest concern, was how you all would handle it… I guess now that I know I have nothing to worry about, that's helped."

"I don't know what all happened at the other houses you've been at since all this, but I know you. Everyone at 51, well aside from Walker, we all love you Casey." Severide spoke, earning a nod from Matt. "I'm just sorry all this happened, but as far as I'm concerned 51 is your home, just like it is for everyone else there."

"Thanks man." Matt replied, knocking his beer against Kelly's before taking a drink, Matt's eyes moving past Severide to see a blonde staring at them from the corner of the bar, a heavy smirk on her face. "And, uh, not to change the subject, but we might've found you someone to spend some time with." Matt commented, raising his eyebrows as Kelly looked back, Severide releasing a chuckle.

"You saw that too, huh?" He asked with a grin.

"How she's practically drooling over you, yes I saw. Better go make your move, see if she'd like to spend some quality time with you." Matt joked, Severide grinning as he stood up, patting Matt's shoulder.

"Oh, I sure hope she is. You good?" He asked, picking up his beer from the bar.

"I'm fine, you go have your fun."

"Thanks man." Kelly replied before walking towards the blonde, Matt watching on in amusement.

It didn't take long for Kelly and this woman to be in deep conversation, Matt deciding his friend was in more than capable hands, the firefighter focusing his attention to the TV playing the Blackhawks game, nursing his beer quietly. He wasn't sure how much longer he was going to stay, but he wanted to be around long enough to be sure that Severide wouldn't end up stuck here alone.

The night wore on slowly, Matt glancing to his watch every few moments, feeling like more time had passed than what actually had, sparing a few looks to Kelly throughout the night to make sure he was still here.

"Can I buy you a drink?"

Casey turned to the voice, seeing a woman approach him, placing herself down on the seat that had been previously occupied by Kelly.

"Oh, no, I'm fine." He replied, nodding towards his half-full beer glass, the woman's smile widening. "Thank you, though."

"Are you here alone?" She questioned, placing her drink on the bar.

"I came with my friend, but he's a little busy." Matt responded, nodding back towards Kelly, the woman following his gaze, seeing his friend in the corner.

"Oh, yeah, he definitely is distracted." She giggled, Matt turning his attention back towards the TV. He was sure this woman was perfectly fine, she seemed nice enough, but he wasn't really looking to entertain her for however much longer he had to stay here. "So, I haven't seen you around here before, I'm Katie." She greeted, Matt glancing back towards her.

"Matt." He responded, giving her a small smile before looking away.

"What do you do, Matt?" She questioned, leaning an inch closer to him, Matt eyeing her carefully.

"Uh, I'm a firefighter." He replied, catching an unreadable look flash in her eyes before her grin widened.

"Wow. Noble." She spoke, Matt shrugging.

His body tensed as she placed a hand on his arm, Matt leaning out of her touch, seeing a look of confusion spread over her face.

"Something wrong?"

"No, it's just that- I'm sure you're very nice, but I have a girlfriend." He told her, the words leaving his lips before he could really register them. But even when he realized what he'd said, he didn't bother to correct himself, especially when he had a pretty good idea of what this woman was wanting from him.

He saw her visibly deflate, Katie putting back some distance between them.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize. I just saw you sitting here alone, so I assumed… I'm sorry." She rambled, clearly embarrassed.

"No, you're fine. I just came here because my friend asked me too, though he ditched me pretty quickly." Casey joked, trying to lighten the air around them, not wanting her to feel bad.

"Yeah, it seems like he did." She responded, standing up from her seat. "Well it was nice to meet you."

"You too."

"And, considering your friend seems to be doing just fine, might I suggest you just get out of here and go home to your girlfriend." She said, Matt chuckling softly. "She seems like a lucky lady."

"That's not a bad idea." He spoke, giving her a small smile before she walked away, leaving him on his own once more.

Sparing one last glance to Severide, Matt reached into his pocket, pulling out his cell phone, bringing up his messages and clicking on Gabby's name.

'_What are you up to?_'

He saw her read the message within seconds, a small smile pulling on his lips as she began her typing a response.

'_Just left Shay's. I'm surprised to hear from you, figured you'd be too busy working to get Kelly laid._'

Matt could practically hear her saying the words in his mind, shaking his head in amusement as he replied.

'_He's just fine on his own, I got ditched pretty quickly._'

He saw her read the message, but she never began typing a response. He waited through the slow seconds, unsure of why she hadn't said anything yet. But then his phone began buzzing in his hand, Matt seeing her contact pop up on the screen, his grin widening as he stood up, bringing the phone to his ear.

"Hey, sorry can you give me a second?" He asked, fishing into his pocket for some cash, hearing her hum in response despite the loud noise in the room, Matt tossing some bills down on the bar before heading for the door. "Sorry about that, it was pretty loud in there." He spoke as he stepped out onto the sidewalk, shoving his free hand in his pocket.

"_It's fine. I didn't interrupt anything, did I?_" She asked, Matt beginning to slowly pace back and forth on the pavement, avoiding the patches of ice as he moved.

"No, no you didn't. Just having to fight off a bunch of single women." He teased, hearing her scoff.

"_Oh, I bet. The ladies absolutely adore you._" She replied sarcastically, Matt's smile widening. "_So, Kelly ditched you already?_"

"Yup. He found a blonde, he seems to like her. Maybe we'll get invited to the wedding."

"_Well, as long as he's happy._" She went along with his joke. "_So, you and Kelly are doing alright?_"

"Oh, well Kelly's doing great, considering he's about to get laid." He replied, her laugh filling his chest with warmth. "And I'm alright, ready to get out of here. How was Shay?"

"_She's doing good… She was questioning me about why the rig was… not up to code when we got called out yesterday afternoon, and why I had changed the sheets on the bed. It didn't take her long to figure out what happened._" She spoke lightly, Matt's cheeks turning pink from embarrassment.

"Yeah, I guess we got a little carried away." He responded, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck. "Had we had more time, I could've helped you clean up."

"_Nah, it's fine. Shay thought it was hilarious, although she refuses to spend more time in the back of the ambulance than she has to now._"

"I hope you spared her the more graphic details." He spoke nervously, Gabby chuckling.

"_Don't worry, I didn't tell her much. She always asks for details, and then gets grossed out immediately._"

"Sounds like Shay." He responded lightly, glancing back towards the entrance to the bar. "So, uh, do you have any plans for the rest of the night?"

"_Um, no not really. I'm still sitting outside Shay's place, I was just gonna head home._"

"Well, how about you head to my place instead?" He offered, knowing his words brought a grin to her face.

"_Why, you trying to get lucky, too?_" She teased.

"Maybe." He responded, turning as he heard the door open, seeing Kelly stumble out with the blonde under his arm. "Hang on a sec." He told Gabby before pulling the phone away from his ear.

"Oh, there you are." Kelly spoke, taking a few steps towards Casey. "I thought you'd left already."

"No, just got a phone call." He replied, nodding towards the device in his hands. "You heading out?"

"Mhmm." He responded with a grin, smiling to the woman beside him.

"Alright, well be careful." Matt spoke with a chuckle, Kelly smirking before walking away, Casey waiting until he was far enough away before putting the phone back up to his ear. "Hey Gabby, sorry that was Kelly."

"_You're fine. So are you leaving soon?_"

"Yeah, I'm heading to my truck now." He replied, checking the road before he began crossing the street.

"_Okay, I guess I'll just head straight to your place then._"

"Good." He responded, unlocking his truck before climbing in. "I'm not sure if you ate, but I'm starving, so I'll probably pick up a pizza on the way if you don't mind waiting a few extra minutes."

"_No, I don't mind. Wouldn't want you to starve after your long night of fighting off women at the bar._" She spoke teasingly, Matt rolling his eyes as he turned on his truck.

"Do you have any requests for what type of pizza?" He questioned as he buckled up.

"_I'm fine with whatever, I'm not all that hungry._"

"Alright, well I'll see you in a bit."

"_Okay, see you soon._"

The two hung up, Matt putting his phone down on the seat beside him, checking his surroundings before pulling out into the street, heading towards his favorite pizza place near his place.

It took him about thirty minutes to get the food, and a few drinks, before he made it back to the apartment, pulling his truck up behind what he recognized as Gabby's car. She got out as he was gathering up his things, Gabby locking her car before walking towards him, opening his door.

"Hey there." She greeted, Matt flashing her a smile. "Need some help?"

"Can you get the keys and drinks?" He asked, Gabby nodding as she took the items from his hands, stepping out of the way so he could get out, pizza box in hand. Gabby locked up his truck before they headed for the front door, Gabby unlocking the door and pushing it open, Matt nodding at her to head in first.

They got situated in the living room, Matt putting the pizza box down on the coffee table before heading for the kitchen, grabbing some napkins and two plates while Gabby put her shoes and jacket by the door, coming back to the couch and curling up on it, her legs folded underneath her.

"I got the tea for you." He spoke as he came into the living room, kicking his boots off before coming to join her. Gabby looked towards the two drinks she'd placed down before glancing back to him. "I saw you drinking that one day, I'm not sure if you like it, I can get you something else."

"No, it's great. Thank you." She replied, giving him a soft smile before he flipped open the pizza box.

"Is there something you want to watch?" He questioned as he handed her a plate, Gabby shrugging.

"No, I don't care. Is there a hockey game on or something?" Matt nodded, reaching for his remote and turning the TV on, quickly finding the game.

They fell into a comfortable conversation while they ate and watched the game, both of them enjoying their dinner. It wasn't something they had really done before, just sitting and hanging out, but there was a sense of familiarity about it. Gabby found herself feeling like it was something they had done a hundred times, there was something comfortable about them just sitting here like this, and she wasn't sure why. But she liked the feeling.

After their dinner, they both settled into the couch, quietly watching the remainder of the game, Gabby's head propped in her hand as she had her eyes on the television. It wasn't until the game was over that she realized Matt had fallen asleep, Gabby glancing over to see him sunken down into the couch, his hands crossed over his stomach with his mouth open slightly, soft snores escaping his lips.

A small smile appeared on her face, Gabby watching him for a few moments before she slowly got up off the couch. Being as quiet as possible, she began cleaning up their dinner. She started with the pizza box, taking it into the kitchen and putting their leftovers in the fridge, before heading back out into the living room and grabbing their plates and drinks. She decided to quickly rinse off the plates, Gabby placing them on the drying rack before throwing away the rest of their trash.

When she walked back out to the living room, she saw him still sound asleep, his head tilted to the side. It was clear he was exhausted, considering he hadn't stirred a bit since she got up.

Gabby stood there for a few moments, trying to decide what she wanted to do. She knew she needed to wake him up, or he'd have a very uncomfortable nights rest. But she wasn't sure if she was going to stay or not.

It was late, and she didn't have anything to do tomorrow, but she knew they had stayed the night together a lot recently, more often than not, and she wasn't sure if it was a good idea. But something kept her from grabbing her things and heading out. She wasn't sure what it was, but she didn't want to go home.

Releasing a soft breath, she quietly moved to the front door, checking the locks before turning off the light in the entryway, moving back into the living room. Picking up the remote, she turned the television off, putting it back on the coffee table before sitting down on the couch next to Matt, placing her hand on his leg.

"Matt." She spoke softly, rubbing his leg, watching as he began to slowly wake up, his eyes blinking into focus. She could tell he was a little confused, his eyes moving around the room as he adjusted to the light around him, the man clearly disoriented. "Hey." She said, Matt looking back towards her, smiling softly.

"Hey, sorry I didn't mean to fall asleep." He replied, a yawn escaping his lips.

"It's fine, I just didn't want you sleeping out here all night. Figured you'd enjoy your bed much more." She told him, Matt nodding as he rubbed his eyes before sitting up, stretching out his back.

"I appreciate it." He responded, slowly standing up, Gabby following his lead. Silently, he started walking towards his room, a soft smile forming on his face as he noticed her following behind him, Gabby turning off all the lights as they moved through the apartment.

When they got to his room, Matt walked straight to the dresser, pulling open one of his drawers. "Is this okay for you to sleep in?" He asked, holding out one of his t-shirts, earning a nod from her as she took the clothing.

"Thanks." She replied, moving to the far side of the bed, beginning to strip from her clothes, Matt following suit. He stripped down to his boxers, Gabby placing her jeans, shirt, and bra on the chair before throwing his shirt on, the material hanging on her hips. She climbed into bed while he moved around the room, making herself comfortable as he turned off the lights, walking towards her.

Wordlessly, he got in beside her, lying on his back as he lifted his arm, silently inviting her to tuck herself into his side. Gabby obliged, leaning into him as she placed her head on his bare chest, her hand resting across his stomach, feeling his arm wrap around her and land on her hip.

"Night Gabby." He murmured into the darkness, Gabby nuzzling herself deeper into his chest, his warmth comforting.

"Goodnight Matt." She whispered, her eyes falling closed as she focused on the rise and fall of his chest beneath her, the movement soon lulling her to sleep.

* * *

**And there's another chapter for you all. I really hope you guys liked it. Now that Antonio knows about Matt's past, it seems like he can finally put it all behind him. Right? We'll have to wait and see. But things between Matt and Gabby appear to be going pretty well. They're great friends, aren't they?**

**I'm eager to hear what you all thought of this one. Thank you all so much for reading!**

**Until the next.**


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Hello all! Here's the next chapter for you guys. **

**Just so no one's confused, there is a bit of a time jump in this chapter. It's been a few weeks since the last chapter ended. I know it's sometimes hard to keep up with the timeline and everything, so I just wanted to make that clear.**

**Also, I had some requests for more M rated scenes, so yeah... I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

**SEVENTEEN**

* * *

Gabby's eyebrows furrowed as she felt an unusual sensation against her skin, a soft, involuntary groan escaping her lips as she slowly came into consciousness, trying to get a grip on her surroundings. Before she could even open her eyes, she registered the movements on her neck, feeling soft, slow kisses being placed along her skin, a small smile falling onto her face as she leaned into his touch.

"Matt…" She moaned, feeling him smirk against her, his wandering hand moving along her stomach.

"Shh." He responded, biting down into her neck before moving across her jaw, returning his lips to hers. His actions elicited a low moan from her, Gabby's hand moving to his hair as they fought for dominance, her mind still a little fuzzy from being awoken so abruptly, but she wasn't complaining.

His lips trailed down her skin, placing kisses along her neck and the exposed skin above the collar of his t-shirt covering her body, his hands moving to her waist, sliding the material up to rest just under her breasts. Moving down her body, he caught a glimpse of her bare stomach, her hips disappearing underneath the sheets. Pulling them back, he climbed on top of her, his mouth watering when he realized his shirt was the _only_ thing she had put on last night after they finished, a smirk resting on his lips as he straddled her, the sheet falling over his back.

Glancing up to her, he saw her hazy eyes on him, her chest heaving as she waited for his next move. Silently, he began placing kisses along her stomach, her breaths deepening as he took his time peppering her skin while she laid flat on her back. He moved his open-mouthed kisses over her ribcage, moving them up her breast bone, stopping when reached the edge of his shirt. After placing a lingering kiss in the middle of her chest, he pushed the material up, exposing her breasts as he kept his mouth on her.

His lips trailed over to her left breast, latching his mouth onto her as a soft moan escaped her lips, Matt taking his time appreciating her body. His lips and his tongue worked effortlessly as her breathing got heavier, Gabby's hand coming up to grip his hair, Matt smirking against her.

After spending more than enough time on this side of her body, he moved his lips across to her right breast, giving it the same attention, his fingers dancing across her stomach, noticing how tight her muscles were. When he finished on her chest, he kissed his way back to her breast bone before moving further south.

Slow and deliberate, he left his marks on her as he carefully moved down her body, Gabby's eyes locked on him while he marked her, his lips teasing her skin. It was something he did often, Matt leaving new marks on her body whenever he had the chance. She wasn't sure why he enjoyed marking her body so much, but there was something possessive about it. Especially the times he'd get carried away, and leave behind the discolored skin in very visible areas. In the couple of months since they'd started their arrangement, there had hardly been a time where he hadn't taken the chance to bruise her skin delicately. He loved doing it, and she'd be lying if she said she didn't enjoy it, too.

His movements continued down her body, heat rising within her as his lips got to her hips, Matt glancing up to her as he kissed her skin, his teeth grazing over the area as their eyes locked.

Without a word, Matt reached behind him and picked up the sheet, flashing her a devilish grin before he threw the covers over him, Matt disappearing from her view as the sheets landed on her stomach. Her breath caught in her throat, Gabby's hands moving out to rest on the bed beside her, feeling as he settled himself between her legs. The back of her thighs rested on his shoulders, Gabby feeling his breath on her as her body tensed.

She felt his finger moving along the inside of her thigh, Matt pushing her legs apart farther as he placed a soft kiss on her other leg, his actions slow and teasing. Gabby's head collapsed against the pillow, her breathing shallow as she focused on the feeling of him. There was something so exciting about not being able to see what he was doing, to only be able to know what was going on after it happened. It was thrilling, and Gabby was eager to see what he had planned.

A yelp escaped her lips when his tongue darted out and quickly ran over her, Matt pulling away as quickly as he touched her. Her breaths turned into panting as he went back to nipping at the skin on her thighs, Gabby's breathing ceasing momentarily as his finger stroked her, her legs involuntarily shivering.

His tongue made contact again, Gabby's hips bucking up at the unexpected action, Matt's mouth staying against her this time, slowly working her as he slid a finger into her.

He moved slowly, his lips attaching to the most sensitive part of her body as he slowly built up his pace, Gabby whining softly as removed his hand. He wasn't gone long, Matt inserting two fingers into her as he started back with his slow movements, working her up again as his mouth latched onto her.

The pace was agonizing, Matt knowing exactly what he was doing as he would build up to quicker movements before slowing back down, nearly driving her over the edge before taking it away, her entire body tensing each and every time.

"Matt…" She breathed out, pleading him to stop his teasing. Running his tongue over her, he slid his fingers back in, curling them upwards as a surprised squeak escaped her lips, Matt working up to a blinding pace, not slowing down this time as he dedicated himself to this moment.

Gabby's eyes rolled into the back of her head as she gripped the sheets beneath her tightly, her body going rigid as he moved in and out of her relentlessly, the combination of his mouth and his fingers sending shockwaves through her body. She felt like she was on fire, pants and moans falling from her lips as her mind went blank.

Her release hit her hard and fast, the sensation overwhelming as Matt continued his movements, keeping up his rapid pace through her finish, Gabby's entire body clenching as he moved in and out of her.

She tried to regulate her breathing as she slowly came down from her high, Matt easing out of his movements, gently lapping at her skin as her legs trembled around his head, Matt using one of his hands to keep her thighs apart.

She felt his soft kisses slowly moving up to her waist, Matt pulling the covers down. She was met by his smug grin as his head peeked out from under the sheets, Matt watching as her chest heaved up and down.

"Good morning." He spoke lightly, continuing his kisses over her skin, Gabby slowing regaining the feeling in her extremities as he moved up her body, latching his mouth onto her breast once more. He stayed there for a few seconds before releasing her from his lips, looking up at her.

"Great morning." She panted between breaths, Matt smirking as he pressed another kiss against her chest before rolling off of her, his palm resting over her stomach as her breathing became even. "What was that for?"

Matt grinned as he rested his head in his palm, tracing his fingers over her skin. "Figured a little stress reliever before shift is never a bad idea." He responded nonchalantly, his eyes moving to her bare chest, Gabby catching his stares.

"How much time do we have?" She questioned softly, lifting herself up to her elbows, finally taking in more of her surroundings. It was clearly still dark outside, and if not for the lamp that Matt had turned on at some point, it would've been nearly impossible to see him.

"It's pretty early, shift doesn't start for two hours." He answered, moving his hand up to rest below her breasts, feeling her breathing under his touch. "Do you need to go back to your place?" Matt questioned, glancing up to meet her gaze.

"Nope." She replied with a grin. "I came prepared this time, brought my clothes in my shift bag."

Her words brought a smile to his face, Matt leaning forward, capturing her lips in a heated kiss, Gabby caught off guard by the force of his movements before she responded, kissing him back with just as much passion. His hand slid up to cup her breast, massaging her skin in his palm as her elbows collapsed beneath her, Matt following her down to the bed.

"Can I interest you in a shower?" He questioned once they separated, both their chests heaving, Gabby's bottom lip falling between her teeth as she thought over his request.

"Maybe in a bit." She spoke, Matt cocking his head to the side. But he didn't get the opportunity to respond before she pushed against his chest, Matt falling onto his back against the bed. He let her take the lead, Gabby's hand moving over his waist, teasing the skin above his boxers before she climbed on top of him. She placed a feverish kiss against his lips, Matt moaning into her mouth before she pulled away far too quickly for his liking, Gabby mimicking his earlier movements as she began kissing her way down his neck and chest, her hands roaming his skin as she moved.

She took her time, Gabby leaving her marks just as he had on her, grazing her teeth over his sensitive skin, enjoying the reaction she was getting from him as she slowly made her way down his body.

She grabbed ahold of the waistband of his boxers with her teeth, lifting it up a few inches before dropping it, letting it snap against his skin, the action causing a rush of blood to move south as he let out a rough breath. Pressing a kiss against the scar over his hip, she pulled the boxers from his body, sliding off of him to rid him of the material, leaving him as bare as she was when she dropped them on the floor.

Placing soft kisses across his skin, her nails lightly ran over the inside of his thighs, Matt's eyes glued to her as he waited for her next movements, her eyes locking with his. He watched as her hand lightly took hold of him, Gabby stroking up and down, her grip as light as a feather, Matt lifting his hips into her movement.

"Gabby." He choked out, his breath getting caught in his throat as his head collapsed back onto the pillow, desperate for her to increase her pressure as she continued her teasing pace. Staring up at the ceiling, he waited impatiently for her to keep going, desperate to find out what she was going to do.

And she didn't disappoint, Matt's eyes squeezing shut when she took him into her mouth, the firefighter releasing a low groan as she eagerly started taking him in, Gabby ready to return the favor.

* * *

"Oh, somebody definitely got laid this morning."

Heat rose to Gabby's cheeks as she turned towards the rig, seeing Shay leaning against the back step, a smug grin on her voice.

"Excuse you?"

"Don't try and hide it, you're practically glowing. That's that 'I just got fucked' glow." The blonde taunted, Gabby's eyes widening in embarrassment.

"Would you keep your voice down?" Dawson shot back, glancing around the garage, thankful to not see many firefighters around her, and the ones she did see were far too preoccupied to be listening to anything Shay said.

"Quit worrying, no one heard me." Shay waved her off, the PIC walking towards her friend. "Casey had the exact same look on his face when he came in a few minutes ago, you both look extra cheery and relaxed." Shay spoke, raising an eyebrow. "So, tell me, how good was your morning?"

"Shay…"

"What? Throw me a bone here.. well, I mean not literally, that's more your area of expertise." She teased, Gabby ducking her head as Shay chuckled. "But I've been going through a dry spell lately, the least you could do is let me hear about all the hot and slutty sex you're having."

Gabby drew in a deep breath, glancing around the garage before leaning against the rig next to her partner, dropping her bag on the ground. "Let's just say… Casey woke up in a very energetic mood this morning."

"I knew it." Shay smirked, lightly punching Gabby's arm. "I'm assuming you took advantage of that."

"A few times." Gabby responded, Shay's grin widening as she shook her head. "What? I woke up with his hand under my shirt, you can't blame me." She defended, Shay laughing. "I was dead asleep and the next thing I know… well, there he was. What was I supposed to do, say no?"

"Oh no, I definitely don't blame you. You having crazy, hot sex bright and early in the morning? I don't think I've ever been prouder." Shay responded with a grin, Gabby rolling her eyes.

Their conversation halted when Gabby caught movement out of the corner of her eye, a lump forming in her throat as Walker passed by the ambulance, the firefighter heading in for shift. He spared a glance at the paramedics, and Gabby could tell by the tense look on his face he heard what Shay had said.

They locked eyes for a moment, his stare making her uncomfortable before he huffed out a breath, shaking his head as he kept walking, an unsettling feeling rising in her chest.

"What an asshole." Shay spoke, Gabby turning to see her glaring at the back of Bryan's head, her face rigid.

"I guess he heard what you said." Dawson breathed out, Shay focusing her attention on her friend.

"Yeah, and I don't know why he cares. It's been months, and he's slept with God knows how many people since he broke up with you, actually _before_ he broke up with you. He has no right to judge you."

"I know." Gabby responded, shaking her head. "But, I mean, I don't exactly want to hear about him sleeping with other people, either. It's just weird."

"I get that, but you wouldn't be giving him that look if you did. You'd act like an adult and move on… He has no say in what you do, God I can't stand him." She breathed out, aggravation clear in her voice. "You're not his property, he doesn't get an opinion on anything you do."

Gabby merely nodded, the uncomfortable feeling still present in her chest as she glanced across the garage, seeing Walker long gone.

"Anyway, back to more important matters, it sounds like things between you and Casey are still going well." Shay spoke quietly, Gabby tilting her head to the side. "I mean, it's been like, what? Two months since you've all been doing this… thing." She continued, waving her hand in the air to emphasize her point. "And I'm not sure I've ever seen you happier."

Gabby's eyebrows furrowed, the PIC shrugging her shoulders. "Well, I mean, it's fun. It's simple, and it's easy. We're both just having a good time… it's been nice to not have to deal with all the mess of a relationship."

Shay raised her eyebrows, an unimpressed look covering her face. "So you're still sticking to that story, huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've been sleeping together all this time, and you're still claiming to not have feelings for one another…" The blonde spoke, Gabby sighing.

"We don't Shay." Gabby replied, Shay rolling her eyes. "I don't know what you want me to tell you, we don't have feelings for one another."

"Mhmm. Answer this for me, do you two still see other people?" Gabby released a breath, her eyes moving forward.

"Well, I mean- no, we don't." Shay smirked, Gabby narrowing her gaze at her. "It was something we talked about early on, and we decided not to."

"So you're exclusive."

"Shay…"

"I'm just making sure I have this right. You two spend the night together, a lot, you're not seeing other people, you spend more time with him outside of shift than anyone else, you two hang out while we're here.. I'm just saying, it would be normal for you to have feelings for him. He's become the person you go to, aside from me, of course." Shay added, Gabby scoffing. "And he clearly seeks you out, too. I just don't see how you two have been doing this for this long, and don't have feelings for one another." She finished, Gabby biting on her bottom lip, trying to figure out how to respond.

"Neither of us want a relationship, Shay."

"Okay, and I understand that. After what both of you went through, I get it, but you do realize you two are basically in a relationship, you're just missing the label." She responded, Gabby pursing her lips together.

"Him and I are friends, Shay. Alright? That's it." She breathed out. "Yeah, I guess we've gotten closer, but we want to keep things simple. It's just fun; it's uncomplicated, harmless fun. That's what we both need right now."

"Maybe…" Shay replied, shrugging gently. "Or, maybe you two just needed each other."

"Shay…"

"What? Can you honestly sit there and tell me these last few months you haven't been happier than you had been in a long time? And, obviously we didn't know Matt before, but since you two have started this, he's seemed happier. It's not a coincidence." She challenged, Gabby resting her head in her palm. "What Bryan did to you, you had every right to completely fall apart. And you did, for a minute, but you got through that a lot better than I thought you would. And I think it's because of Matt."

Gabby remained quiet, pondering over Shay's words as she stared at the ground, feeling her partner rest her hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not trying to mess up what you and Matt have going, but I think if you do have feelings for him, or he does for you, it's not something you two should ignore… That's how someone ends up hurt." She spoke softly, Gabby giving her a nod before standing up.

"Okay." She replied, leaning down to pick up her bag, Shay sighing deeply.

"I didn't mean to upset you-"

"No, no you didn't." Gabby responded, flashing her a small smile. "I just need to get this stuff put up before shift gets crazy." She told her, Shay giving her a nod before Gabby started walking away, heading for the firehouse.

* * *

Matt carried his fresh cup of coffee to the head of the table, placing it down next to his newspaper as he sat down, making himself comfortable. It had become a routine, of sorts, for him over the last few shifts, Casey liking to get his day started this way.

He was barely on the second page of the paper when he heard the door hit against the wall, Casey glancing up quickly to see Walker march in through the double doors, his body radiating agitation as the man wordlessly stomped around the corner. The few other firefighters in the room looked confused, but none questioned it as they went back to their previous tasks.

Casey couldn't help but ponder on it as he kept his eyes on the hallway, wondering what that was all about. In the weeks that had passed since Walker's little stunt at Molly's, the man had been as close to a perfect coworker as one could get. He'd kept his head down, he hadn't caused any problems for Casey, or anyone really. He would hang around with the other firefighters, but most of the time he would keep to himself. It was a nice change of pace, and Casey had come to appreciate the new dynamic he had with the rest of the house.

But in all that time, Walker had never stormed in looking angry. He never let himself lose control of his emotions, even though Casey knew there were plenty of times where Walker wanted to say more than he did. But what Matt just saw, that reminded him of the old Walker; the Walker that let his giant-sized ego get in the way of his job. Casey hadn't missed that Walker, and the Lieutenant could only hope he wasn't reverting back to his old ways.

Matt knew people just had bad days sometimes, he's had his fair share, so that could be the explanation. Walker could have just been having a rough day, and hopefully he'd snap out of it at some point. But something in Casey's gut told him it wouldn't be that easy.

Knowing he had no reason to make anything of it unless something happened at the house, Matt left it alone, returning his attention back to his newspaper.

He had gotten so lost in the article he was reading, he almost missed the door opening again, Matt quickly glancing up to see who it was before returning his eyes to the newspaper. But once his brain registered who he'd seen, he quickly looked back up, his eyebrows furrowing as he saw Gabby walk in. She looked off, like something had upset her but she was trying not to show it. It was a definite shift from how she looked when they left his apartment earlier, and he couldn't help but wonder what happened.

Matt wasn't exactly sure how much time had gone by since Walker came in, but seeing as how both of them came in looking upset, he could only assume something had happened there.

Catching Gabby's gaze as she turned the corner, he flashed her a soft smile, seeing the tension in her face slowly dissolve, her lips curling into a soft grin before she disappeared down the hallway, Matt watching her walk away through the window.

He knew he should probably leave it alone. She seemed relatively okay, and he didn't want to insert himself into something that wasn't any of his business. But he couldn't shake the desire to make sure she really was fine. After seeing her so carefree and happy this morning, that's what he'd been expecting to see when she came in this morning. He couldn't help but want to make sure everything was alright.

After a few minutes of trying to decide what to do, Matt released a soft sigh, grabbing his coffee cup and moving into the kitchen to dump out the rest of his drink, rinsing out the mug before moving out of the common room. He wasn't entirely sure where she had gone, but he figured the locker room was his best bet.

As he turned the corner, he stopped when he nearly ran into someone, his abrupt appearance startling the woman in front of him, Gabby's eyes widening before she realized who it was.

"Jeez Casey, you scared me." She spoke lightly, Matt flashing her a grin as his eyes traced over her face.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to." He replied, glancing around to ensure they were alone. "But I was coming to look for you."

"Everything okay?" She questioned, unsure of what had brought him to her.

"I was actually going to ask you that." He replied, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"I'm fine." She responded slowly, Matt nodding.

"I just wanted to check, you seemed a little… I don't know, sad, or something when you came in." He told her, lowering his voice. "And when Walker came in before you, he looked angry. I wasn't sure if something happened, if he said something to you or anything." Matt spoke softly, shifting his weight back and forth on the balls of his feet. "I know it's not really any of my business, but I just wanted to make sure you were alright." He rambled, Gabby nodding as her arms crossed over her chest.

"I'm okay." She assured him. "I think Walker was pissed because he heard me and Shay talking.. about you." The second the words left her lips, his eyes widened, dread filling his body. But Gabby quickly shook her head, taking a step forward. "Not about _you_, per say. He doesn't know it was you, but Shay made a comment about me having sex this morning and he heard it, I guess it made him mad."

Matt's tongue ran over his bottom lip as he nodded, stifling an eye-roll at Walker's childish behavior.

"Oh, okay. I just wanted to check, make sure you were good." He replied sheepishly, Gabby grinning softly.

"I'm good." She mirrored his words, Matt's smile widening.

"Good." He spoke, Gabby rolling her eyes playfully. "Because today should be a good day." He commented, his hand moving to rest over her arm, Gabby suddenly hyper-aware of his touch as he gave her a gentle squeeze. Shay's words came flooding back to her mind, her body tensing slightly as she thought over everything her friend had said. "You know, especially after this morning…" He finished with a grin, heat rising to Gabby's cheeks as she thought back to the fun they had earlier, her head ducking slightly.

Before either of them had a chance to say anything else, the bells rang throughout the firehouse, calling all companies to a house fire, Matt rubbing her arm softly before stepping back.

"It's gonna be a good day." He repeated, Gabby slowly nodding as she watched him head for the garage, it taking a few seconds for her head to catch up, Gabby snapping out of her haze and following after him.

* * *

"Casey, I need you guys out of there. Smokes turning black." Boden called through the radio, Dawson and Shay watching on from the street as smoke billowed out into the sky, the fire burning with a vengeance inside the home.

When 51 pulled up to the burning house fifteen minutes ago, they immediately knew it was a bad one. The building was already completely engulfed in flames, and every firefighter knew they didn't have much time.

Squad had finished their sweep quickly, every firefighter under Severide's command safely outside on the street, along with Walker and Mouch, who had already finished their duties and were ordered by Casey to go outside.

"_On it, Chief. Herrmann, Otis, let's go._" Gabby heard through the radio, her and Shay hanging back by their unused stretcher. As far as they could tell, the house had been empty when it went up, which was a good thing. Gabby was sure anyone trapped in a fire this severe probably wouldn't have made it out alive, or at least whatever life they did have would've been a huge adjustment.

A burst of fire poured out from the top floor, Gabby taking a step back at the force of the flames, glancing towards Boden as he picked up his radio. "Casey, get out, now!" He spoke roughly into the speaker, but his orders fell on deaf ears as a loud boom filled the street, the building flashing over, sending debris and glass falling onto the ground around them, everyone turning away to shield themselves.

"Casey! Report!" Boden called, everyone turning back to the fire, anguish present on their faces. "Herrmann! Otis!"

"_Chief, Casey's down._" Herrmann's voice flooded through everyone's radios, Gabby's entire body going rigid as she stared helplessly at the burning home, her breathing shallow. "_He's pinned, Otis and I need backup._"

"Severide, Walker, go." Boden ordered his most able-bodied men, the two firefighters masking up without hesitation, running inside. Gabby felt a presence by her side, turning to see Shay, the blonde placing her hand on Dawson's back.

"He's gonna be okay." She spoke, Gabby swallowing thickly as she nodded, turning her attention back towards the house.

It felt like hours had passed before shadows emerged through the smoky doorway, Gabby kicking into action as she saw the firefighters climb down the steps, the paramedics moving their stretcher up to the curb, getting as close as they could. It took a second for their figures to become clearer, Gabby's breath getting caught in her throat when she saw only four of them walking, Severide and Walker carrying Casey limply in their arms. She could tell even before they got to her that Matt wasn't conscious, and it made her stomach sink.

Blinking quickly, she immediately got to work the second they placed him on the bed, ripping open his gear as Shay pulled off his mask, Casey's head falling to the side as he lay there unconscious.

"I've got a pulse." Shay called as Gabby cut open his shirt, beginning to hook him up to the monitor, her mind working in overdrive as she tried to focus solely on the task at hand. She couldn't think about this as Casey, she had to think of him as just any other patient. She had to be at the top of her game, Matt needed her to be.

"I think he got cut, he was pinned in there pretty good." Herrmann breathed out, Gabby barely registering the words as she looked further down his abdomen, seeing a slash in his turnout coat, Gabby able to see red staining the edges of his gear. Slowly moving the clothing out of the way, she saw a gash across his side, a lump forming in her throat.

"Shay, I need gauze." Gabby spoke firmly, the blonde grabbing a handful and passing it to her partner, Gabby beginning to press against his wound. It wasn't gushing blood, and it didn't appear to be too deep, but it was actively bleeding and she knew he'd need stitches. More than a few, from the looks of it. "We gotta get him to the hospital." Gabby spoke, turning to Boden who gave her a nod, the paramedic finally seeing all the firefighters that had crowded around them, clearly worried for their Lieutenant.

"We'll be there once we finish." He responded, Kelly helping push the stretcher into the back of the ambulance, Gabby climbing in. "Where are you taking him?" Boden asked, Shay shutting the doors.

"Lakeshore is closer." She replied, Boden nodding before the blonde moved to the driver's seat, driving off as quickly as she could.

Gabby ignored the shaking in her hands as she worked on Matt, his unconscious state causing panic to flood her body. She didn't know what all happened, but clearly something caused him to pass out. Did he get hit in the head? Was his body in shock? She had no idea, but the unknowns were causing her stomach to turn.

His pupils were responsive, and there was no trauma to his head that she could see, which was encouraging. He had some cuts and scratches along his skin, and he definitely looked beat up, but aside from the laceration on his side, she couldn't see any other damaging wounds. But with no way for her to know what his internal injuries were, the thought wasn't all that comforting.

As she finished dressing the wound on his abdomen, she heard him start to moan through his oxygen mask, Gabby turning her attention back to his head.

She felt relief wash over her when she saw his blue eyes staring back at her, confusion and pain shining in them as he saw her.

"Matt, it's okay. You're okay." She assured him, the firefighter blinking tightly, pain flooding his body as he tried to get up. "No no, hey. Don't move. Don't move." She spoke quickly, gently holding his chest down, another groan escaping his lips. "I know it hurts, we're taking you to the hospital." She assured him, Matt's hand blinding moving around at his side, hitting into her leg. Looking down, she knew exactly what he wanted, Gabby breathing deeply as she clasped her hand in his. "Try and breathe, okay?" She told him, glancing to the numbers on the monitor. His heart was racing, and while she wasn't surprised, she'd feel better if he could calm down a bit.

She saw him try to talk, but his words were muffled through the mask, Matt's free hand moving up slowly, a grimace covering his face as he pushed against the mask.

"You need to leave it on, you need to breathe." She tried, but Matt shook his head, Gabby watching as he hit against it again. Reluctantly, she moved the mask out of the way, Matt's teary eyes finding hers.

"Wh-what happened?" He breathed out shakily, Gabby feeling him squeeze her hand tightly. She could see he was scared, and between his question and look on his face, she wasn't sure how much he remembered.

"We were called to a house fire, do you remember that?" She questioned, Matt wincing as he took a deep breath, a gasp of pain escaping his lips. "Be careful, you might've hurt your ribs."

"I… I don't really remember." He answered, Gabby trying to mask the worry that filled her system.

"Do you remember anything from today?" She asked, Matt transitioning to more shallow breaths, finding it easier on him.

"I remember- I remember you joining me in the shower." He spoke, a watery chuckle escaping her lips, Gabby shaking her head. "And I remember you having me hold you against the wall while I stood behind you and-"

"Okay, okay your memory is fine." She cut him off, Matt laughing in response, but his laughs soon turned to coughs as pain flooded his chest, Gabby moving the oxygen mask back over his mouth. "Just breathe, Matt. Breathe." She ordered gently, quickly shifting back into paramedic mode. "We're almost there, everything's fine."

As soon as the words left her lips, she felt the ambulance come to a halt, Gabby giving his hand one last squeeze before she dropped ii, Shay pulling open the ambulance doors.

"Come on lover boy, we're here." Shay joked, Gabby rolling her eyes as they unloaded him from the rig, quickly taking him inside.

The handoff went quickly, Matt trying his hardest to focus as Gabby relayed his injuries she knew of, Matt suddenly understanding why he was in so much discomfort. He wasn't entirely sure of his surroundings, Casey feeling a rush of pain flow through his body as he was moved to the hospital bed, a loud groan escaping his lips.

"It's okay, Matt." He heard Gabby's voice break through the chaos, glancing over to see her flashing him a small smile. She reached for his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze before she was ushered away from the bed.

"Matt?!"

His body went rigid as he heard the familiar voice, looking past Gabby to see Hallie standing by the curtain, her face wide with shock. But what shocked him was her very pronounced belly, his ex looking like she was going to give birth at any moment.

"We need the space." One doctor spoke towards Dawson, Matt's eyes flickering to Gabby, seeing her nod before she looked back to him, giving him a soft smile, silently telling him everything would be fine.

The second she was gone, Hallie walked closer, taking in the sight of Matt's battered body. "What happened?" She breathed out, Matt looking away from her, ignoring the pain surging through his body as he moved the oxygen mask from his mouth.

"Sir, you need to keep that on." A nurse spoke, Matt shaking his head.

"I want her gone." He coughed out, nodding towards Hallie. Confusion filled the air in the room, Hallie drawing in a deep breath.

"Matt-"

"You all can treat me once she's gone." He spoke, the doctor working on him glancing towards Hallie.

"Dr. Thomas, please." The man spoke, Hallie blowing out a reluctant breath before nodding, sparing one last glance to Matt as she left the space, pulling the curtain closed behind her.

Moving slowly, Hallie walked back towards the main desk, seeing Dawson and Shay standing in the waiting room, the blonde sitting while Gabby paced back and forth, Hallie not missing the blood staining the PIC's jacket.

Hallie walked behind the desk, sitting down carefully as she kept her eyes on the room Matt was in, the doctor unable to see anything through the closed curtain.

Nearly half an hour had gone by, Hallie moving her attention back and forth from Matt's room to Gabby, seeing the woman still pacing nervously across the floor, now surrounded by the firefighters Hallie presumed to be Matt's coworkers. Gabby hadn't peeled her eyes from the room, despite multiple attempts from Shay, and a few of the firefighters, to get her to sit down.

Nurses and doctors had come and gone from Matt's room, Hallie continuously checking his chart in the system, needing to know what was wrong. Even though he clearly didn't want to be around her, she was still worried, and wanted to know what was happening. But his chart wasn't giving her much so far.

"Hey, uh, Dr. Thomas?" Hallie looked up to see Gabby standing in front of her, the woman nervously shifting on her feet. "Do you have any update?"

"No, not really." She replied, Dawson nodding. "I imagine they'll take him for some scans here soon, what exactly happened?" She asked, Gabby drawing in a deep breath.

"The building flashed over, and Herrmann, one of our firefighters, said he got pinned under a beam." Gabby explained, Hallie nodding.

"Yeah, then I'm sure he'll be taken for scans soon." She responded, both women looking over as they noticed a lot of movement, seeing as Matt was getting wheeled from his room. The firefighter caught a glimpse of Gabby, giving her a slow nod and a reassuring smile, Gabby's entire body relaxing as she smiled back at him, watching him until he was out of sight.

Hallie watched the interaction intently, knowing that Matt hadn't even seen her, he was only focused on Dawson, and the doctor had a lot of questions.

"I guess he's getting taken for those scans now." Gabby responded when she turned back to the woman, Hallie snapping out of her thoughts as she nodded.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"So, uh," Gabby cleared her throat, "when are you due?" She questioned, Hallie smiling softly.

"I was actually due a few days ago, but he hasn't wanted to come out yet." She answered, Gabby clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth.

"...You're having a boy?" Dawson asked, Hallie nodding, Gabby averting her eyes away from the doctor. Hallie was confused by the reaction, but then as she thought back to every interaction she saw between Matt and Dawson today, realization washed over her, Hallie shaking her head as she blew out a heavy sigh.

"You know, don't you?" Dr. Thomas asked, Gabby glancing back towards her. "You know about everything with this baby?" Gabby slowly nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. "Does everyone?" Hallie questioned, her eyes flickering back to the firemen.

"Everyone knows what happened, but, as far as I know, Shay is the only other person who knows you're Matt's ex-wife." Gabby responded quietly, Hallie nodding sharply, suddenly understanding why she'd been on the receiving end of a few harsh glares from the blonde paramedic the last few weeks.

"Yeah, I'm guessing you don't have a very high opinion of me right now." Hallie breathed out, Gabby remaining silent as she stood there uncomfortably. "But, despite what happened, I never stopped caring about him." She spoke, the paramedic unsure of what to say. "...How is he doing?" She asked, Gabby eyeing her cautiously.

She wasn't sure what Matt would think about her talking to Hallie about him, but she figured it was a harmless enough question. And, if anything, she thought Hallie deserved to know what she'd done hadn't completely ruined his life.

"Truthfully?" Gabby questioned, Hallie nodding. "He's doing really well." Dawson responded, pursing her lips together. "Considering everything, he's good."

"Good. That's all I want for him." Hallie responded, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing slightly but she remained quiet, knowing it wasn't her place to get involved in Hallie and Matt's relationship. "So, you and Matt?"

"I'm sorry?" Gabby asked, her voice higher than normal.

"How long have you two been together?" She questioned, Gabby shaking her head quickly.

"Oh, uh no- we're not… We're just friends." Gabby stuttered out, Hallie nodding with a knowing grin on her face, the paramedic hoping no one from the firehouse had heard what she said.

"My mistake." She responded, standing up. "But, whatever you two are, I want to thank you."

"For what?" Gabby asked curiously, Hallie tilting her head to the side.

"For looking out for him." She replied, confusion spreading across Gabby's face as the doctor walked away from her, leaving Dawson alone at the desk.

* * *

Matt groaned as he slowly came into consciousness, the overwhelming pain he remembered feeling before he fell asleep now reduced to a much more manageable dull ache, his eyes blinking furiously as he adjusted to the harsh hospital light.

"Ah Mr. Casey, glad to see you're awake." Matt looked to the sound of the voice, seeing the same doctor he remembered from the ER, the man holding a chart in his hands as he stood by Matt's bedside. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay, considering." He replied, his voice hoarse. But it wasn't until he spoke that he realized he didn't have that annoying oxygen mask on anymore, instead he'd been put on a nasal cannula, which he much rather preferred. "How long have I been out?" Casey asked, not really sure if it was still morning, or even the same day.

"For a few hours, but that's good. You need your rest." He spoke, glancing towards Matt's monitors before returning his gaze to the firefighter. "Now, I know you were kind of in a haze earlier, but I'm Dr. Martin. I'm not sure how much you remember about today or your accident…"

"Bits and pieces." He responded, clearing his throat. "It's coming back slowly."

"That's normal. When you came in, there were a few things we were concerned about, one of those being a head injury, considering you were unconscious for awhile. But all those scans came back clear. We found no cause for concern with anything regarding your brain, so that's great news." Dr. Martin explained, Matt nodding slowly. "Now, you have bruised some of your ribs pretty good. Nothing's broken, and there's no internal bleeding we could find, but you're gonna be pretty sore for awhile, if not for the morphine it would not be pleasant for you right now." He spoke honestly. "The most serious of your injuries is the laceration on your side… you have about thirty stitches there, but the paramedic who brought you in, she did a great job treating you out in the field, made our job a lot easier." He told Casey, his words bringing a smile to Matt's face.

"I'll tell her you said so." Matt responded, the doctor smiling softly as he nodded.

"But that'll take some time to heal. Whatever cut you, it didn't get through any muscle, so that'll help your healing a bit, but it's still going to be very sore. As of right now, I'd say you're going to have to be off the job for at least a week, maybe more. It'll just depend on your body." Dr. Martin spoke, Matt nodding understandingly. "But all things considered, you are very lucky. You might have a small scar left on your side, but other than that everything will heal up completely."

"Alright. Thank you." Matt replied.

"Of course. And you are going to have to stay the night. I can probably let you go home tomorrow afternoon, but I want to keep you overnight as a precaution, just to make sure no other problems present themselves. But when I do discharge you, I need someone to stay with you for at least the next couple of days." Dr. Martin spoke, Matt swallowing thickly as he nodded, wracking his brain for who he could ask. "Your body has been through a lot, and once you transition from the morphine to the pain medication, it'll be hard on you, especially the first 48 hours or so. You're going to be very sore, and I don't want you hurting yourself, so, if you could ask someone you trust to help you out for a few days, that would be great."

"Okay." He spoke, Dr. Martin closing the chart.

"Alright, well I'll get out of your way, let you get some more rest. But there has been someone itching to get in here and see you, so I'll send them in. But just make sure you rest, alright?" He spoke, Matt nodding, his eyes flickering to the door curiously as his doctor left.

Within seconds he saw who Dr. Martin was referring to, a soft smile falling onto Matt's face as he watched Gabby walk in, a relieved grin resting on her face.

"Hi." She spoke, coming to the side of his bed, her eyes moving over his form. He had some cuts and bruises forming across his face, and some peeking out on the skin she could see under his hospital gown, but he looked alright. And seeing him awake and alert made her feel a thousand times better, the weight crushing she'd been feeling all day slowly lifting from her chest.

"Hey there." He responded softly, clearing his sore throat. "I didn't realize you'd still be here."

"Shay and I still are, everyone else went back to the house after our last call… I talked to Boden, asked if we could stay here for awhile, just to make sure you weren't gonna do anything stupid on us." She spoke with a soft smile, Matt chuckling.

"Nah, I'm alright. But I'm glad to see you." He replied, Gabby pulling the chair beside his bed closer before she sat down in it. "You didn't have to stay."

"I wanted to." She responded without missing a beat, Matt swallowing thickly as he nodded. "So, I know about your injuries, but what did the doctor say?" She questioned, Matt smiling.

"Well, first of all, he praised the wonderful paramedic who took care of me out there." He spoke, a bright grin falling onto her face. "So, thank Shay for me next time you see her." Matt joked, Gabby scoffing as she rolled her eyes, leaning back into her chair.

"You think you're so funny." She muttered under her breath, Matt shaking his head, reaching out for her hand, Gabby's gaze flashing down before slowly grabbing ahold of it.

"No, but really, thank you. I appreciate everything you have done for me, some of which I probably don't even know… But I do remember waking up in the ambulance and being scared, but you kept me calm." He breathed out, Gabby nodding sadly. "Thank you for being there."

"Always." She responded, her breath catching in her throat as she realized what she'd said, the word falling from her lips before she even registered it. She saw something flash in his eyes, a look she couldn't read, but he gave her a smile before speaking up.

"But uh, he said I'm gonna be here until tomorrow, and he wants someone with me for a few days, until I've healed a bit more." He spoke, Gabby nodding as she focused on the feeling of their intertwined hands. "And, um… you don't have to, I know you're not obligated to help me or anything, and spending your time looking after me probably isn't how you want to spend your days off, but would you- would you mind helping me out for a few days?" Gabby's face softened as she heard the nervousness in his voice, Matt clearly apprehensive to ask her. "I can ask Kelly if you can't, or don't want to."

"I don't mind, Matt." She responded, Matt blowing out a relieved breath.

"Really?" He asked, Gabby nodding. "That helps me out a lot, thank you."

"Of course… you'd do the same for me." She replied, Matt flashing her a soft smile, giving her hand a tight squeeze.

"Yeah, I would." He spoke, his voice barely above a whisper, Matt clearing his dry throat, looking away from her. "And besides, I trust you a lot more than I do Kelly. No offense to him, but I don't know how I feel about him trying to deal with this gash on my side." He joked, Gabby laughing as she nodded.

"Yeah, he means well, but I'm definitely the better choice." She responded, scrunching her nose up, Matt feeling a warmth spread through his chest as he watched her.

"You are." He agreed, heat rising to Gabby's cheeks as she smiled shyly, her stomach doing flips as she felt his eyes on her.

"So, do you have a time tomorrow for when you can leave, or do you know?" She changed the subject, Matt shrugging.

"I'm not sure, it'll probably just depend on me. But hopefully it won't be too late, I don't want to be here any longer than I have to." He replied heavily, Gabby nodding as she understood the double meaning to his words, her eyes flickering away from him, using her free hand to brush a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, I just- I think you should know that Hallie asked me about you." She spoke, seeing his face harden slightly, Gabby wincing. "I'm sorry for talking to her, but she wanted to know how you'd been, and I told her you were doing good. I know I shouldn't have said anything, but-"

"It's fine, Gabby." He responded, cutting off her rambling. "You have nothing to apologize for, I'm sorry she brought you into this. I told her to get out when she was in the ER, she knew I wouldn't talk to her so I guess she figured you could give her whatever answers she wanted." He spoke, Gabby watching him closely. "But I don't want you to feel bad, you didn't do anything."

"Okay." She replied, Matt lacing his fingers through hers. "But, um, you should know that I'm pretty sure Hallie thinks we're together… I told her we weren't, but I don't think she believed me."

"I don't care what she thinks." He responded with a soft shrug, Matt feeling the soreness in his body as he moved. "As long as she didn't say anything to make you uncomfortable, it doesn't matter."

"She didn't." Gabby replied, the sound of Shay's voice coming through her radio filling the room, the unexpected noise causing her to jump.

"_Dawson, we've got a call._"

"Okay, I'm coming." She spoke into the radio, dropping Matt's hand as she stood up. "Do you need anything from the firehouse? I don't mind to go ahead and get your stuff, if you want me to."

"That would be great, actually. If you don't mind." He replied, Gabby nodding as she pulled her phone out of her pocket.

"Yeah, of course. Just give me your locker combination so I don't have to break in." She joked, Matt chuckling as he quickly typed it into her notes, Gabby taking her phone back. "Alright, I'll see you later." She responded, Matt nodding.

Before she could second guess her decision, she leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead, finding Matt's eyes on her as she pulled back.

"I'm so glad you're okay." She whispered, Matt smiling softly as she ran her fingers over the side of his face.

"Me too." He responded quietly, Gabby grinning before she moved for the door, Matt's eyes on her the entire way.

"Try and get some rest." She told him before disappearing down the hallway, picking up her pace to get to Shay.

As they headed for the stairs, she passed Hallie, the woman clearly wanting to talk.

"How is he?"

"He's good." Gabby responded quickly, glancing to Shay who had kept walking. "He should be out of here tomorrow."

"Good, good."

"I'm sorry, I can't talk we've got a call."

"Oh, you're fine." Hallie replied, flashing her a smile before walking past her, going in the direction of Matt's room, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip roughly. She knew she should leave it, that she couldn't stop Hallie from going to see him, but the last thing she wanted was for this day to be any harder on Matt.

"Uh, Hallie." She called, stopping the pregnant woman in her tracks. "I don't… I don't think he wants to see you." She spoke, seeing the woman's eyes narrow slightly. "I'm sorry, I know it's none of my business, but he… it's been a long day, and I think you going in there would only upset him."

"Dawson, we gotta go." Shay called from the door to the stairs, Gabby nodding towards her partner, sparing one last glance to Hallie before running towards Shay, knowing they needed to get to their call.

* * *

**Well, how are we feeling? Gabby seems to be really adamant that her and Casey are only friends, doesn't she? Unfortunately, no one seems to believe her.**

**I'm super excited to hear your thoughts on this chapter, thank you all so much for reading! I'm so thankful for all your love and support.**


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Hi everyone! Here's the next chapter for you guys, I hope you like it!**

* * *

**EIGHTEEN**

* * *

Hallie stood partially frozen in her spot as she watched Dawson walk away, her hands resting over her stomach as she thought over Gabby's words.

Part of her knew the paramedic was right, that it would be better for Matt if she didn't go and talk to him, but she needed to know he was alright. Had Dawson not left, she probably wouldn't be doing this. She wasn't even sure if Gabby would've let her in the room if she tried, but now that Hallie knew Casey was by himself, she was going to take the opportunity to check in on him.

Continuing her walk to his room, she moved slowly through the hallway, Hallie stopping at his door, looking in to see him lying on the bed with his eyes closed. She couldn't imagine he was asleep, Gabby had only been gone for a few minutes, but he looked peaceful, like he'd been sleeping for awhile.

Slowing, she pushed the door open, stepping inside the dim room, letting the door fall closed behind her. She was only a few feet inside when she saw him turn his head towards her, the relaxed look on his face hardening in an instant, the man looking away from her quickly, turning his head towards the window.

"Matt." She spoke, Casey refusing to look at her.

"I thought I made it clear that I didn't want to see you." He spat, Hallie taking a few steps forward, stopping at the end of his bed.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay." She spoke, Matt rolling his eyes.

"I'm fine, you can go."

"Matt, please." She spoke, the firefighter looking back towards her, an unreadable expression on his face. "Can I sit down?" She asked, his eyes flickering to her round stomach, the man ultimately nodding before looking away from her again. Despite how much he didn't want to talk to her, if she was insistent on staying, he wasn't going to make her stand there the entire time when she looked like she was days away from giving birth.

"Can you at least look at me?" She asked, Matt's eyes narrowing as he turned back towards her, seeing her occupying the seat Gabby was just in. And he couldn't help but wish it was still her sitting there, instead of Hallie.

"I don't know why you're here. What could you possibly have to say to me?"

"It doesn't need to be like this, Matt." She spoke, earning a scoff from the man in the bed. "I know a lot has happened, and it's my fault, but I never stopped caring about you. And I don't want to see you hurt."

"You never stopped caring about me, even when you were sleeping with one of my firefighters behind my back?" He responded sarcastically, shaking his head. "Save the bullshit, Hallie. Whatever this is, I don't want it. You did a shitty thing, and we're done. I don't want to hear whatever apologies you have, because they don't mean anything. They didn't mean anything when I found out the first time, when you said it would never happen again and then not even a week later you went back to sleeping with him."

"I never meant for any of this to happen. You have to know that."

"I don't believe you." He responded, ignoring the stabbing pain he felt in his side where his injury was. "Had it happened only once? If you were drunk, or even just upset, then fine. Maybe I'd believe you. But it happened over and over again. You were in more of a relationship with him than you were with your own husband. And you never had the decency to tell me that you wanted out."

"I'm sorry.. I don't know what else you want me to say."

"I don't want you to say anything, I want you to leave." He bit out exasperatedly, Hallie drawing in a deep breath.

"Matt-"

"Are you still with him?" He asked roughly, swallowing the lump in his throat.

Hallie bit on her bottom lip, her eyes falling down to her lap, giving him all the answer he needed.

"Well, I hope you two are very happy together. Just maybe try not to cheat on him… Or I guess hope that he doesn't cheat on you. Although maybe you two don't have any problem with that, considering how you got together." He spoke bitterly, Hallie looking back up to him.

"Matt, I know you're pissed at me. You have every reason to be, but you and I weren't happy anymore. We hadn't been for a long time, and I think we're both better off now."

"That's funny, because I had no idea you weren't happy anymore. In fact, I thought, for the first time in a long time, you and I were both on the same page." He spoke honestly, a frown forming on her face. "But I guess that's just because when you were sleeping with my coworker, you didn't really care about what was going on with us, you were too busy focusing on your relationship with him."

"Matt-"

"And, for the record, you not being happy doesn't excuse what you did. Nothing can justify that. You should've talked to me, instead of fucking some guy behind my back, and getting pregnant with his baby, after you continuously told me it was over."

"I know it doesn't excuse what I did, I'm not saying it does. I just want you to know I'm sorry."

"You weren't sorry enough to stop. You weren't sorry enough to tell me the truth." He snapped, holding his hand lightly over his injured side.

"I know you don't want to hear anything I have to say, and I don't blame you for that." She breathed out, shaking her head. "But I am sorry. I know you don't think I am, but it's true. I regret what I put you through, I should've come to you when I first realized I wasn't happy. Maybe we could've fixed it, maybe we couldn't have, but regardless, you didn't deserve that. I should've never done what I did, but I am glad to see you've been able to move on. I just want you to be happy, Matt."

"What do you mean, move on?" He asked with narrowed eyes, Hallie flashing him a smirk, which admittedly only agitated him further.

"You and Dawson." She responded, Matt sighing.

"We're not-"

"Yeah, she said the same thing." Hallie cut him off, Matt pursing his lips together. "But I know you, Matt. And, granted, I don't know Dawson that well, but I saw how she was today when you got brought in, how upset she was, and then how relieved she was when she knew you'd be okay." She spoke, Matt blinking tightly. "I'm glad you have someone who loves you."

"My relationship with Gabby isn't any of your business." Matt interjected, ignoring her last sentence. "But we are just friends."

"If you say so, but I don't think I've ever seen someone who's just a friend be that protective over someone else. She looks out for you, and even the small interaction her and I had today, I can tell you mean a lot to her… She even told me not to come in here, which, seeing as how much you don't want to see me, I can't blame her." Hallie breathed out, Matt blinking tightly as he tried to ignore the growing pain in his abdomen. "But before she saw me, I saw her face when she came out of here.. you make her happy. And I can only assume she makes you just as happy. I'm glad you've found someone, Matt."

He remained silent, hardly able to focus on her words as the pain in his side became overwhelming, Matt feeling the gown under his hand turning damp. Lifting his hand from his side, Matt saw red spreading across his hospital gown and his sheets, his blood partially covering his skin on his palm, Matt's head beginning to spin.

"Matt?" Hallie asked, his eyes widening as she saw him bleeding through his gown, Hallie standing up, pressing the button behind his bed. "Hey, it's okay. You're gonna be fine."

But her words fell on deaf ears, Matt's head lulling to the side as he struggled to stay awake, the blinding pain in his side soon causing the firefighter to fall unconscious, not registering all the nurses rushing into his room.

* * *

Gabby climbed into the rig as her and Shay walked out of med, having just finished up dropping off their patient.

"So, we're stopping by the firehouse then heading back to the boy?" She asked, Gabby raising her eyebrows before nodding, pulling her seatbelt across her body, locking it into place.

"Yeah, I need to get his stuff to him." She replied, Shay pulling out of the parking lot.

They sat in a comfortable quiet for most of the drive, Gabby's gaze focused out the window as they passed the busy streets of Chicago, her mind elsewhere. She wasn't able to get her mind off Matt, and even though she'd only been gone for a little over an hour, she couldn't help but worry if he was still okay. Rationally, she knew he was probably alright. Since he'd gotten to the hospital, he hadn't had any problems, and he looked fine when she saw him. But there was a sinking feeling in her gut that she didn't really understand, all she knew was that she wanted to get back to the hospital sooner rather than later.

"Okay, so are we just going to ignore the elephant in the room?" Shay broke the silence, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing as she turned to look at her friend.

"What?"

"How I've done an excellent job for _hours_ of not commenting on the fact that you, Gabriela Dawson, are a slut." She spoke with a gleam in her eye, Gabby's confusion only growing.

"I feel like I'm missing something." She responded, Shay's smirking widening.

"Oh, no we're not playing that game, we were all here when Casey talked about how you had him pin you up against the wall in the shower and take you from behi-"

"Jesus Christ, Shay." Gabby cut her off, the blonde breaking out into a fit of laughter as Gabby rested her forehead against her palm, the PIC's arm resting on the door.

"What?! You two are the freaky ones, not me."

"One, I can guarantee you Matt doesn't realize you heard that, so you won't repeat it again. To anyone. Not even me." Gabby started, the blonde poking her tongue out. "And two, that wasn't exactly what happened. He's the one who turned me around, I just… encouraged it." She replied sheepishly, Shay shaking her head in amusement.

"You two are both dirtier than I thought. You, you're not so surprising, but Casey? I wasn't expecting that. Some of the things you've told me, I can only imagine how wild that ride is." She teased, Dawson raising her eyebrows.

"He's lying in a hospital bed right now and all you're thinking about is sex?" Gabby asked, her words turning serious as she shook her head.

"Oh please, it's not like he's dying. He's fine." Shay responded, Gabby drawing in a deep breath. "And, considering how upset you've been all day, I figured talking about more pleasant times would make you feel better. I know you're worried about him, I don't blame you, but you can relax. He's okay." Shay's voice became firm, Gabby glancing back out the window, biting down on her bottom lip. "I know this freaked you out, I'm just trying to lighten the mood a bit. Especially because he's alright."

"No, I know, I'm sorry." Gabby responded, sighing deeply. "I just- he scared the hell out of me today, Shay." She admitted, her partner grabbing her leg, giving it a comforting squeeze, Gabby refusing to look at her.

"I know." Shay replied softly. "But he's fine, Gabs."

"Yeah." She spoke, shrugging her shoulders as Shay pulled into the driveway.

"Let's make this quick, that way we can get back to the hospital so you check on him." Shay told her, knowing the time for teasing was over, watching as Gabby nodded while the blonde put the rig in park

Shay was a little surprised at how hard Gabby was taking this. Obviously, everyone in the firehouse was worried, they had been up until they were told he was going to be fine. But then, once they knew he was alright, their fear had dissipated. Gabby, on the other hand, had only seemed to get more upset as the day progressed. She had kept herself level-headed up until now, focusing all her energy on Casey. But it was like now that she had a moment to breathe, she was finally feeling all the emotions she hadn't allowed herself to deal with throughout the day, and Shay was worried.

But Gabby's behavior the last few hours had only cemented the belief in Shay's mind that there were deeper feelings between Gabby and Matt than either of them wanted to admit to, and she couldn't help but wonder if after the events of today, Gabby was starting to realize them, too.

Shay silently followed Gabby into the firehouse, the paramedics getting bombarded with questions the second they stepped through the double doors.

"Whoa whoa whoa, one at a time, boys." Shay spoke loudly, effectively silencing the noise around the room.

"How's he doing?" Severide asked again, the blonde glancing to Dawson.

"He's doing well, all things considered." Gabby replied, the tension in the room lessening as the words left her lips. Although they were told earlier that he would be fine, hearing it from one of their own made them all feel a little better. "He has to stay overnight, but when I last saw him, he seemed to be in good spirits."

"So you did see him?" Herrmann asked, Gabby nodding.

"I did. He's definitely a little beat up, but he should make a full recovery." She told them, earning a few nods from around the room.

"Good, that's good." Herrmann replied.

"Dawson and I are gonna get his stuff and then head back over there, so if there are any messages you'd like us to relay to him, now's the time." Shay spoke, Gabby stepping away from the group and moving out into the hallway, letting Shay take over with everyone else while she went to go gather Matt's things.

Her first stop was his office, Dawson glancing around to see if there was anything worth taking for him, Gabby grabbing the jacket she knew he wore here this morning off the back of his chair before turning off the lights and heading for the locker room.

Getting to her destination, she stopped in front of his locker, pulling out her phone before putting in his combination, thankful when she got it on the first try, Gabby yanking it open.

She hadn't really looked inside his locker before, but she wasn't surprised to see it was very neat, and nearly empty. Aside from an extra uniform, his toiletries, his shift bag, and a thicker coat, it was completely bare. There were no photos or anything, really. And she wasn't exactly surprised by that. Especially considering his apartment was the same way.

She noticed early on that Matt didn't have many personal belongings around his home, and the more time she spent there, the more obvious it was. He had his furniture, he had the necessary items one would need for living in an apartment, but there was hardly anything there that showed _who _lived there. Aside from some random Blackhawks memorabilia, there was hardly anything in his apartment that gave any insight into him at all. She couldn't remember seeing one photo of him in the place. Nothing with his family, or any of his friends, there was nothing that showed him having any other relationships with people outside of this firehouse. And the thought made her heart fall into her stomach.

Gabby knew things had been hard for him before coming to 51, but she hadn't realized just how isolated he'd been. He never spoke of any other friends, he never spoke of his family, Gabby wasn't even sure he had people he'd consider friends before coming to their firehouse. All she knew was that he had a sister, but even that was something he never talked about, and there was no evidence to them being close. In fact, it seemed like the closest relationships he had before coming here were the ones with the random women he'd pick up from bars.

As far as she could tell, Hallie had been his family. And that made what she did to him all the worse. She betrayed him, she left him alone, and Gabby couldn't help but resent her for it.

Gabby noticed movement out of the corner of her eye, the woman being pulled from her thoughts as she saw Walker come into view, the man clearly surprised to see her. She saw his eyes flicker towards the locker, Gabby knowing the name on the door was visible to him as she stood there. But he said nothing about it, Bryan glancing back towards her.

"I didn't realize you were here." He spoke, Gabby suddenly realizing he hadn't been present in the common room with everyone else. She hadn't really paid attention to much when they first got back, Gabby not having checked to see who was or wasn't there.

"Uh, yeah. We just got back."

"Are you going back to the hospital?" He questioned, eyeing Matt's locker, Gabby nodding in response.

"Yeah, we are. We're gonna take Casey his stuff." She answered, grabbing Matt's duffle bag from the locker, her eyes bouncing around the small space quickly, grabbing his phone and his truck keys from the top shelf before shutting the door, locking it back in place.

"How is he doing?" Walker asked after a few silent moments, Gabby slinging Matt's bag over her shoulder, pocketing his keys.

"Uh, he's alright. It could've been a lot worse." She replied, Bryan nodding as he crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes moving to the ground.

Gabby hadn't seen him since this morning when he stormed out of the garage, but he seemed to be less angry than he was earlier, although she figured that had something to do with the events of today. Having one of your own get hurt put things into perspective, and she could only hope he realized he had no right to be upset at her for moving on with her life.

But she could tell there was something he wanted to say, and she had a feeling she knew what it was. She knew he wanted to ask her about what he'd heard Shay say this morning, but he wasn't able to get the words out before the blonde paramedic walked into the room, Gabby seeing her come up behind Bryan, clearly confused to see him there.

"Hey, uh, Gabby, you okay?" Shay asked, eyeing Walker cautiously as the man let out a scoff, glancing back towards her.

"She's fine, Shay. What do you think I'm gonna do to her?" Gabby could see the second his guard went back up, Bryan's face hardening.

"I don't know, why don't you tell me?" She asked, narrowing her eyes. Walker huffed out a breath, shaking his head as turned to leave, bumping past Shay as he left. "You good?"

"I'm fine." Gabby breathed out, flashing her a small smile.

Even though she hated to admit it, being alone with Bryan still made her nervous. She wished she didn't feel that way, she wished she could get past it, but it was hard. And, though she'd never say it out loud, she was glad Shay had come in when she did. Had her and Bryan actually started having that conversation, she knew it wouldn't have gone over well.

"You ready to get back?" Shay asked, noticing how Gabby visibly relaxed once Walker was out of the room, the PIC nodding.

"Yeah, let's go."

The paramedics barely got out of the locker room when they were stopped by one of their civilian employees, the woman calling out to Gabby, Dawson turning to look at her.

"There's a call for you from Lakeshore," The woman spoke, Gabby's body tensing, swallowing thickly as she walked towards her. "A Dr. Thomas called asking for you."

"Shay, can you take this, I'll be right there." Gabby told her friend, handing Matt's bag and coat to her, Shay taking it without hesitation.

"Yeah, of course. I'll go get the rig started." The blonde replied, grabbing the items from her partner before Gabby took off down the hall, anxiously following behind the woman.

They soon got to her desk, Gabby taking the phone from her, putting it up to her ear quickly.

"Hallie?"

"_Dawson, hey. I'm sorry for bothering you, but are you planning on coming back to the hospital?_" Hallie asked, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing.

"Yeah, Shay and I are heading there now… Is everything okay?" She asked apprehensively, her concern growing when she heard Hallie take a deep breath.

"_Everything's fine, Matt's sleeping now, but his wound started bleeding pretty badly soon after you left._" She spoke calmly, Gabby's lips pursing together, her hand coming up to press against her forehead. "_Some of his stitches pulled, and the wound reopened. He passed out, but-_"

"He passed out?" She cut in worriedly.

"_He did. But he's fine now. He woke back up soon after it happened, but he was in a lot of pain so they sedated him while they fixed his sutures. But they took him off the meds, he should wake up any time. I just wanted you to know what happened._"

"Yeah, okay thank you. I'll be there soon." Gabby breathed out, waiting for Hallie's goodbye before she hung up, saying a quick thank you to the woman who got her before heading for the garage, her body moving quickly through the firehouse.

When she got out to the garage, she saw Shay perched up against the ambulance, her door open as she waited for her friend.

"Everything okay?" She asked, Gabby drawing in a sharp breath, Shay seeing the clear nerves radiating off her body. "What happened?"

"He's fine, I think. His wound reopened and started bleeding, I didn't get much more out of Hallie but she said he's okay." She spoke quickly, Shay nodding.

"Okay, well I'm sure everything's alright." Shay replied calmly, knowing for as concerned as Gabby had already been, this only made things worse. "Let's get going." She told her, the two women climbing into the rig, hurrying to the hospital.

Gabby stayed quiet the entire time, gripping Matt's coat tightly in her lap as she stared out the window. Shay didn't try to make small talk, knowing Gabby wouldn't be very receptive to it anyway, the blonde focusing on getting them back to Lakeshore as quickly, and safely, as possible.

The second Shay pulled up to the entrance, Gabby hopped down, Matt's belongings in hand as she shut the door, hurrying inside towards the elevators. The ride to Matt's floor seemed to take forever, Gabby tapping her finger against her thigh as she waited to get to the fourth floor, Gabby sliding past the other people inside the elevator when the doors opened, her body taking her straight to Casey's room.

Stopping outside his door, she released a heavy breath when she saw him asleep in his bed. His head was turned to the side, his arms resting over his stomach as he slept peacefully. He looked exactly like he had when she was here early, like he hadn't moved an inch, but she knew that wasn't the case.

Slowly pushing the door open, she let it fall closed behind her as she quietly moved towards the bed, placing his bag down on the ground, draping his coat over the back of the chair. Moving as close as she could, her eyes looked over his sleeping form, seeing his chest rise and fall steadily with each breath. Before she could stop herself, she brought her hand up to his head, running her fingers through his hair, seeing him turn into her touch, Matt releasing a soft groan.

The action brought a smile to her face, Gabby having seen him like this a few times before. Mornings where she would wake up before him, she'd do that exact same thing and he'd react as he just had, Matt always waking up with a bright smile on his face.

And the same thing happened this time, a soft grin falling onto his lips as he opened his eyes, blinking quickly to help Gabby come into focus, his smile widening when he saw her.

"Hi." He croaked out, his voice hoarse.

"Hi… I heard you had an eventful afternoon." She commented, stroking her thumb over the side of his head before dropping her hand, reaching for his water.

"Yeah, I guess I did. I don't really remember it." He replied, Gabby bringing the cup up to his lips, Matt taking a few small sips, the liquid wetting his throat.

"I leave you for a couple hours and you pull a stunt like this…" She joked, trying to distract herself from the worry that wouldn't seem to leave her system. "Seriously Casey, there are easier ways to get more attention." Her words caused a light chuckle to escape his lips, the firefighter shaking his head lightly.

"I'll keep that in mind." He responded, Matt beginning to cough deeply, his hand resting over his side as the movement hurt his sore body.

"Are you okay?" She asked quickly, her eyes darting to his abdomen before looking back up at him, Matt nodding as his coughing soon subsided.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." He answered, clearing his throat. "It's just anytime I move, it hurts." He responded, Gabby frowning as she sat down on the edge of the chair, her hands resting on his bed.

"They've still got you on pain medication, right?"

"I think so, I don't know." He responded softly, his eyes tracing over her face, seeing her clearly distressed. "Are _you_ okay?" He questioned, her eyebrows furrowing.

"This isn't about me." She replied, Matt raising his eyebrows.

"You seem upset." He commented, ignoring her previous words.

"Yeah, well you've had me worried today." She spoke, releasing a heavy breath, a frown covering his face.

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine, it's not your fault. I'm just glad you're feeling better." Gabby responded, Matt placing his hand over hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. "So you don't really remember what happened?"

"I remember Hallie being in here, she wanted to talk." Gabby nodded, Matt catching her gaze. "She told me you asked her not to come in." He told her, Gabby ducking her head sheepishly.

"Yeah, I probably shouldn't have done that… I know it's not my place, but it had already been a hard day for you and I knew you didn't want to see her."

"No, it's fine. I'm glad you did, even though she didn't listen… I appreciate you looking out for me." He spoke, a soft smile coming to her face. "Although I guess it ended up being a good thing she was in here, because someone was here when my wound opened, but I could've done with the conversation." He breathed out, Gabby nodding slowly. She was curious to know what they talked about, but it wasn't her business, and she wasn't about to ask. "But I remember the pain, and feeling blood on my hand, but then the next thing I know, you're waking me up. Everything else is kind of blank." He told her, Gabby's tongue running over her bottom lip.

"But you're feeling better now?"

"I am." He assured her, picking up her hand off the bed and grasping it in his.

"Good." She replied, leaning back into the chair. "I got all your stuff for you, aside from your truck. But I figured I'd get Shay or my brother to help me get it to your place sometime tomorrow." She told him, Matt nodding.

"Thank you, for taking care of that."

"It's not a problem." She responded softly, feeling him run his thumb over the back of her hand. A soft yawn escaped through his lips, Gabby watching as he did his best to keep his tired eyes open, an amused grin falling across her face. "You should get some rest."

"But we're talking." He mumbled before yawning again, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip as she shook her head. Though she'd never admit it out loud, despite all the bruising and cuts blemishing his skin, she found him quite adorable in the state he was in right now. Barely awake but fighting off his exhaustion, there was something so endearing about it to her.

"And we're gonna have plenty of time to talk when we're stuck in the same apartment." She joked, Matt smirking sleepily. "Go to sleep, Matt."

"How long are you staying?" He murmured, squeezing her hand.

"I'll be here until we get a call, now sleep." She ordered, Matt nodding as he closed his eyes, letting his exhaustion take over, Gabby never dropping his hand as he quickly fell asleep.

* * *

Shay pushed herself up from the chair in the waiting room, glancing at the time on her watch as she moved into the hallway. Her and Dawson had gotten back to the hospital almost two hours ago, and Gabby hadn't left Casey's side since. Shay stopped by his room earlier after she'd gotten the rig parked, Gabby having stepped away from his bed to fill her in on everything, but Shay hadn't stayed very long. She was glad to see Matt was alright, but she didn't want to be in there while he was trying to rest, and she knew he was in more than capable hands with Gabby.

The blonde was quite surprised that they had managed to go this long without getting a call, but she figured that Boden might've had something to do with it. He knew they were staying at the hospital, and while he said nothing, Shay got the feeling he caught on to just how upset Gabby was about what happened today. Shay was aware that Boden always knew more about what went on in his firehouse than he let on, and it wouldn't shock her if he had some idea that there was something going on between Dawson and Casey. But after Chief practically encouraged her and Dawson to stay here with Matt, she knew he was probably responsible for the lack of calls they'd gotten this evening.

Rolling her neck, Shay stretched out her back as she walked down the hallway, her steps slowing as she noticed someone standing outside Matt's room. It didn't take her long to figure out who it was, the large belly being a dead giveaway.

As she got closer, Hallie noticed her, the doctor tearing her eyes away from the room, glancing towards Shay, the paramedic's face hard. Silently, Shay stopped beside her, looking to see what Hallie had been staring at.

Casey was sound asleep in the bed, the lights turned off as he laid leaned towards Dawson. At some point, Gabby had fallen asleep as well, her friend curled up in the chair, her head resting on her arm on the edge of the bed. Shay couldn't see her face, but she could see Gabby and Matt's intertwined hands resting on his chest, and a content smile on his face.

"So what is the deal with them, anyway?" Hallie spoke up, Shay glancing to her, seeing the woman's gaze still focused on the scene in front of them. "They both are so adamant they're not together, but clearly…" She trailed off, waving her hand in the air to show something she couldn't vocalize.

"I don't think that's any of your business." Shay responded coldly, looking back towards her friends.

"You don't really like me, do you?" Hallie questioned, crossing her arms on top of her stomach.

"Why would I? What you did to Casey... I have no reason to like you." She spoke, earning a sigh from the woman.

"I don't know what all Matt's told you, I'm sure it's the truth, but there's a lot that went on between us… things in our relationship weren't good and-"

"Nothing excuses what you did." She interjected, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not excusing it, all I'm saying is I had my reasons." Hallie responded, Shay scoffing.

"You have your reasons for ruining his life?" She questioned, Hallie's eyes falling closed. Shay thinking over her next words before continuing. "I'm assuming you know what all is said about him."

"...I've heard a few things."

"Yeah, things I'm sure you never bothered to correct." Shay spat, trying to control her anger. "Things that ruined god knows how many things for him, that got him kicked from house after house, that made him nearly have a breakdown when 51 found out because he was worried it was all happening again." Her words stunned Hallie, the doctor shaking her head.

"I didn't… I didn't realize all that had happened."

"No, of course you didn't. Cause I'm sure all you were worried about was making sure you didn't look like the bad guy. He went through all of that, and probably more that I don't know about, all because you didn't have the decency to just be honest with him." Shay spoke harshly, Hallie biting on the inside of her cheek. "You ruined his life, and you nearly ruined his career. This bullshit gets held over his head when it's not even true. You and your little boyfriend wrecked his entire life, and now all he's asked of you is to leave him alone. And you can't even do that."

"Shay-"

"The only reason I'm not kicking your ass right now is because of that baby, and because of Matt. But just leave him alone, Hallie. He's made it clear he doesn't want to see you-"

"How did you know that?"

Shay narrowed her eyes, shaking her head before continuing. "He doesn't want to see you." She repeated harshly. "He's fine without you, he's happy. Him and Gabby are happy, and I don't want you ruining that."

"What do you think I'm gonna do? I'm not trying to wreck him, or them-"

"Yeah, you better not. Because Gabby is my best friend, there isn't anything I wouldn't do to protect her. And Casey's become one of my closest friends. I love them both, they've both been through hell and I don't want you messing with them. I don't know what your intentions are by essentially stalking him in his room, but they don't need whatever this is you're doing."

"I just wanted him to know I'm sorry, that's why I came to see him earlier. So I could apologize, again. And make sure he was okay." She spoke, Shay sighing.

"So you've already told him you're sorry, what are you still doing here?" Shay asked expectantly, Hallie glancing back to Matt and Gabby. Dawson had shuffled closer to him in her sleep, her head up against his hip, both of them still sleeping peacefully.

"I… I loved him for a long time, I just need to know he's gonna be okay. I still worry about him."

"He has an entire family at fifty one who looks out for him, he doesn't need you for that anymore." Shay responded bluntly. "He _has _someone worrying about him, he's not your obligation anymore. He has people… he has Gabby. There's no reason for you to be here."

Clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth, Hallie nodded, glancing to Dawson and Casey one last time before starting to walk away, Shay stepping into the spot she had occupied.

But the doctor only got a few steps down the hallway before stopping, Shay looking to her as she turned back around.

"Do you wanna know why him and I were never going to work, Shay?" Hallie asked, the blonde's face remaining blank as she tilted her head to the side.

"Because you fucked one of his firefighters?" She questioned sarcastically, her voice harsh.

But Hallie took it in stride, shaking her head as she shoved her hands into the pockets of her white coat.

"Because in the thirty seconds I saw him with Dawson this afternoon, he looked happier than he ever did with me."

Without another word, Hallie continued down the hallway, Shay's eyes narrowing as she watched her walk away, the blonde shaking her head before returning her attention to her friends, seeing them still fast asleep.

The entire reason she'd come here in the first place was to try and make Gabby get something to eat, Shay knowing the paramedic hadn't really been taking care of herself today, but her partner looked so peaceful, she didn't want to disturb her. Especially after how hard the day had been on both Gabby and Matt, Shay figured there was no harm in letting her rest a little longer.

* * *

Gabby released a heavy sigh as she pushed open the front door to her brother's apartment, pulling her key from the lock before letting the door close behind her. She dropped her shift bag on the ground, stretching out her sore back before stepping further into the apartment, Gabby heading straight for her room.

When her and Shay had gone back to the hospital yesterday after what ended up being their last call, she never intended to spend the entire night in Matt's room, let alone spend most of her time leaned over his bed, asleep. But nothing yesterday had really gone according to plan, and she didn't feel right leaving him alone in the hospital. She just wished she had picked a more comfortable position to sleep in, because now her body was paying the price.

As Gabby began packing up for her days at Casey's place, she couldn't help but think over everything that had happened the last twenty four hours. His accident had scared her, more than she expected it to, but spending the night with him ended up being as much of a comfort to her as it was to him. Despite him trying to get her to leave multiple times, she assured him she was fine, that if she wasn't sitting here, she'd just be sitting in the firehouse.

Luckily, Matt had gotten a lot of sleep throughout the evening and most of the night, his body needing the rest to kickstart his recovery. He would wake up every time a nurse or doctor came in to check on him, but he would soon fall back asleep when he and Gabby were alone again. And aside from an hour span around 2AM where he got a sudden burst of energy, he never spent more than ten minutes awake, not until her and Shay had left the hospital to get back to the firehouse before shift change.

During the night, it hadn't occurred to her much, but as they were driving back to the firehouse Gabby realized they hadn't been on any calls through the night, which prompted Shay to explain how she was pretty sure Boden had taken them out of service so they could keep Casey company. Although it had been mostly Gabby that spent time with him, Shay stopped by a few times to visit and make sure they were both okay, the blonde focusing more of taking care of Gabby while the PIC focused on Matt.

Refocusing her attention on the task at hand, Gabby began looking through her drawers, trying to figure out what to bring. Not knowing how long she would actually be staying with Matt, she ended up overpacking a bit, but she tried to limit what she could, knowing she could do laundry if needed. Her main priorities were making sure she had everything she'd need for work, as well as her everyday essentials, Gabby trying to avoid having to come back for things unless she absolutely had to.

After she had finished packing, she decided to take a quick shower, wanting to wash away her hours spent in the hospital. She showered for all of ten minutes bathing before getting out and quickly getting ready to head back to the hospital, changing into a pair of jeans and a long sleeve shirt.

Noise out in the living room grabbed her attention, Gabby slinging her duffle bag over her shoulder, grabbing her laptop off the desk before heading out of her room, seeing Antonio standing in the kitchen.

"Morning sis." He spoke sleepily, his eyes narrowing in confusion when he saw her appearance. "Didn't you just get back from shift, where are you going?" He asked as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Well, there's actually something I need to talk to you about." She prefaced, Antonio placing his mug down, glancing towards her with a worried expression covering his face.

"What happened?"

"Casey got injured on call yesterday." She replied, Antonio's eyes widening.

"Is he okay?"

"He will be. He's not burned or anything, thank God, but he got pretty beat up, he bruised some ribs and has a pretty bad cut on his side. He's still in the hospital, but he should be getting discharged later today." She explained, Antonio releasing a heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry, sis." He breathed out, shaking his head. "But I'm glad he's okay."

"Me too. But, uh, his doctor told him he would need some help for a few days, so I'm not sure how much I'll be around the next few days." She told him, Antonio biting his tongue as he nodded. Despite the many teasing comments flooding his brain, he knew now wasn't the time.

"Alright. Tell Casey I'm sorry, and that I hope he feels better."

"I will."

"Do you need me to do anything?" He questioned, Gabby's head tilting to the side as she bit her bottom lip, Antonio's eyebrows raising. "What do you need?" He asked expectantly.

"It would actually be a lot of help if you could come with me to get Casey's truck at the firehouse. I don't wanna leave it there for however long he's gonna be off shift."

"Yeah, it's no problem. Are you wanting to do it now?" He questioned, glancing down to his pajamas.

"If you can. I'll probably have you follow me to Casey's place first, so I can drop my car off, then we can go to the firehouse."

"That's fine, just let me change then we can go, alright?" He told her, Gabby nodding as he walked out of the kitchen, pressing a kiss to her forehead before heading to his bedroom to get ready.

While waiting for her brother, Gabby dropped her bag by the door next to her one for shift, giving one last glance around the apartment, wanting to make sure there was nothing obvious she was forgetting before she left.

* * *

Gabby shoved her hands in her jacket as she stepped out of the elevator, feeling Matt's keys in her pocket as she walked down the hallway with a light smile on her face. It was a little after ten in the morning, Gabby feeling refreshed after her few hours away from the hospital. And she could only hope getting Matt out of here would have the same effect on him. Even though he will have only spent about 24 hours here by the time they leave, she could tell he hated being cooped up here, and that he would feel much more comfortable at home.

Getting to his room, she was glad to find his door open, Gabby walking in to see Matt sitting up in bed while a doctor spoke to him.

"Oh, sorry." She spoke sheepishly, stopping in her tracks as Matt caught sight of her, a weak smile forming over his face.

"It's okay, you can come in." He replied, Gabby hesitantly taking another step forward. "Dr. Martin, this is Gabby Dawson, one of the paramedics who got me here yesterday." Matt spoke, recognition covering the man's face.

"Yes, I remember. Sorry, it took me a second without the uniform." Dr. Martin responded, Gabby waving him off.

"It's fine."

"Gabby's gonna be the one helping me out for a few days." Matt spoke, Dr. Martin's smile widening.

"That's excellent. Actually, I feel better sending you home knowing you'll have a paramedic looking after you." He spoke, grinning between the pair. "Now, Ms. Dawson, as I was telling your boyfriend here, he needs to be very careful over the next forty eight hours." Heat rushed to Gabby's cheeks at his terminology, Matt blushing as his gaze flickered to her, neither of them saying anything as she simply nodded. "And, I'm sure you know how to tend to stitches, but I do want him keeping them covered for the next twenty four hours. I want you to wait at least that much time before showering, Mr. Casey, and make sure you have help." He told them, looking between the two, both Matt and Gabby nodding. "Since you've already had an issue with your sutures opening, I don't want that happening again. Make sure you don't strain yourself."

"I'll be careful."

"Good. Now, I do have some papers for you to take with you, essentially that highlight the basics of how to care for your stitches, and it touches on your limitations, but just be smart. I've dealt with firefighters before, I know you all can be stubborn, but I don't want to see you back here."

"Understood." Matt replied, Gabby biting back a smirk.

"Alright. Well, someone from the pharmacy should be by with your prescription here shortly, and I want to look over your scans from this morning one last time before you leave, just to make sure. It'll probably be around an hour or so, but you can go ahead and get ready if you like. I'll stop by in a little bit to give you the all clear to leave."

"Okay. Thanks doctor."

"Of course, I'm glad to see you're feeling better. It was nice to meet you, Ms. Dawson." He spoke, Gabby nodding with a smile as he left the room, closing the door behind him.

"Hi." Gabby greeted, coming around to the side of the bed.

"Hey." He responded, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing as she noticed his somber mood.

"Everything okay?" She questioned, Matt meeting her gaze. "You're not in pain or anything are you?"

"No, nothing like that."

"Then what's wrong?" She asked, coming to stop by the edge of his bed.

"It's nothing, I'm just… I'm ready to get out of here." He breathed out, Gabby's lips turning down into a slight frown, her eyes tracing over his face. "I feel like I've been here forever."

She nodded slowly, reaching her hand out to rest on his arm, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Soon." She replied, flashing him a supportive smile. Matt nodded, swallowing thickly as he looked back down to the bed sheets, his strange behavior causing worry to settle in her gut. "You can talk to me, if something's bothering you." Gabby spoke, Matt nodding.

"I know.. Maybe when we get back to my place?" He offered, looking back up at her. "I'm fine, though. It's just been a lot… the last day." Matt spoke vaguely, but Gabby knew exactly what he was talking about, the paramedic nodding immediately.

"I know it has." She responded, moving her hand to brush over the side of his face, getting him to look at her. "But I'm gonna get you out of here soon, and then you can spend your time abusing the fact that you have my help." She joked, her smile widening when she saw him grin, Gabby running her fingers through his hair.

"Oh, I am definitely going to." He spoke lightly, Gabby shaking her head, silently grateful to see his mood lifting.

"I figured." She replied. "So, you got more scans done this morning?"

"Yeah, I did. Dr. Martin just wanted assurance that everything was good, that there was no internal bleeding or anything that came up." He explained. "And when I got back from my tests, Severide and Boden were here." He told her, Gabby nodding. She knew Kelly mentioned something about stopping by to visit him, but she wasn't sure if he had.

"How'd that go?"

"It was good. Chief told me to take off all the time I needed, he's already put in a request for a temporary Lieutenant, but I don't want to be gone too long if I can help it."

"I know you don't, but I don't want you overdoing it. We don't need you hurting yourself more."

"I know, and I won't. I'm just not looking forward to sitting around for days. But I won't do anything stupid, you'd kill me if I did." He teased, Gabby scoffing.

"Maybe." She responded. "Just don't give me a reason."

Matt rolled his eyes, throwing the sheets off himself as he slowly moved to sit up, Gabby's eyes widening as she placed her hands gently on his shoulders, stopping him.

"Whoa, excuse me sir, what do you think you're doing?"

"Going to the bathroom." He responded, Gabby eyeing him skeptically. "They took out the catheter an hour ago, so unless you want a mess on your hands." He spoke with a chuckle, Gabby narrowing her eyes before easing up her grip.

"Alright, but you've got to let me help you." She told him, Matt shaking his head.

"I think I can pee by myself."

"Help you _to_ the bathroom, dumbass." She muttered, Matt gripping onto her shoulder as he slowly eased himself to the edge of the bed, the firefighter laughing.

"You really should work on your bedside manner." He joked, carefully getting up with the help of Gabby, a slight hiss leaving his lips as he stood up straight.

"You okay?" She asked, all teasing gone from her voice as she looked up at him, Matt giving her a nod.

"I'm good, just sore." He replied, beginning his slow steps to the bathroom, his arm wrapped around Gabby's shoulders as his other hand rested over his sutures, Gabby moving at his pace.

It was a process, but she managed to get him positioned in the bathroom, Gabby stepping out to give him his privacy until he told her he was done, Gabby coming back in to help him get to the bed.

"See, I'm not too bad at this." She spoke lightly as she helped him sit down on the edge of the bed.

"No, you're not. Not that I had any doubts." He responded, smiling softly at her as she stood in front of him, his words bringing a small grin to her face. "Do you, uh… do you mind helping me get changed?" He asked, Gabby shaking her head.

"Nope." She responded without hesitation, knowing he felt uncomfortable asking. Even though they both were aware that this was just the beginning of things he was going to need help with over the next few days, she knew it couldn't have been easy for him to ask for help with the simplest of things. She didn't want to give him any reason to feel nervous coming to her.

"I've got some sweatpants and a shirt in my bag." He told her, Gabby moving to grab his shift bag that had been relocated to the corner, placing the item on the bed beside him. Before starting the process, she went to pull the curtain closed around the bed, giving Matt privacy.

She pulled out his sweatpants and t-shirt, placing the items of clothing down beside him.

"How do you wanna do this?" She asked, Matt shrugging softly.

"I don't know."

"Already making me do everything." She teased, her words easing some of the nerves from his body as Matt chuckled softly.

Gabby grabbed the sweatpants, crouching down to the ground, patiently helping him get his feet into the clothing, pulling them up until they were bunched above his knees, Gabby standing back up. She nodded at him to stand up, Matt using her for support as he moved, Gabby beginning to take off his gown, sliding the thin material down his arms, placing it on the bed. She let him put on his sweatpants the rest of the way, Gabby averting her eyes until he was covered. Even though she'd seen him without clothes plenty of times, this was something different. She knew he was feeling vulnerable, and she didn't want to take advantage of that.

With his pants in place, Gabby met his eyes again, flashing him a comforting smile before reaching for his shirt, her eyes catching a glimpse of the large bandage wrapping around his side.

She knew the laceration was significant, but she hadn't actually gotten a good look at it, and seeing the size of the bandage was a little alarming.

"Enough of the free show." He spoke lightly, Gabby rolling her eyes as she put his shirt over his head.

"If I really wanted a free show, we should've kept your pants off." She joked back, Matt smirking as she helped him get the shirt on, Matt adjusting it as it rested on his body before sitting back down on the bed, Gabby getting his things together.

They were only left waiting for around half an hour before getting the all clear to leave, Gabby spending that time helping him with his shoes and his coat, as well as packing up his papers and his medication. The nurse had just come in with the wheelchair, Gabby helping him down into it before placing his bag on his lap, tapping his cheek.

"I'm gonna go down and get the car, if you're good?"

"I'm fine." He assured her, Gabby nodding.

"Alright, I'll see you down there." She spoke, mindlessly pressing a quick kiss to the top of his head, missing the soft grin from the nurse helping Matt as she left the room.

"You two are very cute." The older woman spoke as she carefully wheeled him through the doorway, Matt's cheeks turning red as he cleared his throat.

"Oh, uh.. thank you." He responded, unsure of what to say as she slowly pushed him down the hallway, starting their long trip to the exit.

When Gabby pulled his truck up to the curb ten minutes later, Matt was surprised, to say the least, as she climbed out of the driver's seat, the nurse pushing him towards the passenger side.

"You drove my truck?" He asked, Gabby chuckling.

"I sure did." She replied, opening his door as the nurse locked his wheelchair, Gabby slowly helping him up, Matt eyeing her with an amused expression. "It's not like I wrecked it or anything." She spoke, Matt raising his eyebrows. "Plus, I figured it would be easier for you to get in and out of, as opposed to my car. Now sit." She ordered, Matt slowly maneuvering his body into the truck, Gabby making sure he was settled before handing him his bag and shutting the door, saying a quick thank you to the nurse before walking around to the other side.

Casey watched her as she climbed in, a soft smile resting on his face as she buckled up.

"What?" She asked, a smile forming across her lips as she noticed him watching her.

"Nothing." He responded, looking ahead. "I'm just looking forward to being home." He told her, Gabby nodding as she put the truck into drive.

"Well, lucky for you, we'll be there soon." She replied, squeezing his leg gently before pulling out of the parking lot, driving towards Matt's apartment.

* * *

**And there's another one. Matt's out of the hospital, away from Hallie, and ready to be home, with Gabby's help of course. Also, not gonna lie, I really enjoyed writing Shay and Hallie's scene. Shay has been so much fun to write, and, from your reviews, I know you all are liking her in this story.**

**I really hope you all enjoyed this, I'm eager to hear your thoughts on everything, and how you think Gabby taking care of Matt, and Matt having to step back and let someone help him, is going to go. I always am so excited to read your reviews, thank you all for the support!**


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for you guys. I really think you're gonna enjoy this one.**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**NINETEEN**

* * *

Gabby shut Casey's front door behind her, turning the lock in place before stepping into the apartment, glancing over to see Matt sitting on the couch, perched in the same place she had left him moments before.

"Where do you want this?" Gabby asked, holding up his shift bag in her hand.

"In the bedroom is fine." He responded, Gabby nodding before heading back towards his room, stepping inside. She caught a glimpse of her two bags that she'd sat on his bed earlier, Gabby having just dropped them off in here when she ran in before going to pick up his truck. She knew she'd need to move her things somewhere else, but it wasn't a priority at the moment as Gabby dropped his shift bag at the end of the bed before heading back for the hallway.

"Do you need anything? A drink, or something to eat?" She offered as she stopped at the end of the hallway, looking at Matt across the room.

"Uh… I guess some water. I'm not really hungry." He replied, Gabby nodding before turning to go into the kitchen, Matt watching her until she was out of sight. She was gone for maybe a minute before she reappeared, holding one glass of water and one glass of what Matt assumed to be apple juice in her hands, Casey raising his eyebrows at her as she got closer.

"Sorry, I saw the juice in there and it sounded good." She spoke sheepishly, Matt chuckling as he took his glass of water. "Is that okay? I know I didn't ask or anything, but-"

"Gabby." He cut her off, Dawson stopping her rambling as she looked to him, Matt patting the couch beside him, prompting her to sit down. "You don't need to ask me if you want juice, you don't need to ask me if you want anything here." He spoke, Gabby relaxing into the cushions. "As far as I'm concerned, while you're here helping me out, you can just think of this as your place, too." He told her, Gabby's eyebrows raising slightly. "I don't want you walking around on eggshells here, especially seeing as how you're giving up your time to help me."

"Okay." She responded, Matt flashing her a smile.

"I know this is kind of a big change from what we're used to. I mean, yeah you've spent a lot of time here, but it's mostly been in my room. Although we've had some fun out here too, and that one time in the kitchen…" He said with a chuckle, Gabby feeling heat spread through her body at the memory. "And you've been spending the night a lot, all of which I've thoroughly enjoyed." He spoke, Gabby scoffing lightly as she shook her head.

"Yeah, I've noticed." She responded, a shade of red tinting his cheeks before he continued.

"_But_, the point is, us being together pretty much all the time is gonna be different, so I want you to feel comfortable here. I'm serious, do whatever you want to make yourself at home." He told her, Gabby nodding before taking a sip of her juice.

"Okay, I will." She replied, Matt nodding, bringing his drink up to his lips. "Thank you, Casey."

"I'm not the one who deserves any thanks here, that's all you." He spoke, Gabby eyeing him carefully. "Really, you being here to help me means a lot. I know I could've asked Severide, but other than that, I don't really have anyone else that I could've asked…" He trailed off, his eyes moving to the ground as Gabby kept her gaze on him, Dawson swallowing the lump in her throat. "It just means a lot that you agreed to do this." He said, Gabby placing her hand on his thigh, getting him to look at her.

"I'm happy to help." She replied with a soft smile. "Really, I don't mind being here at all. I'm glad you trust me to help you with this." Matt nodded with a grin, his eyebrows raising as he saw the gleam in her eyes. "...And I think I'll be able to make you needing help in the shower much more enjoyable than Severide could." She spoke lightly, Matt chuckling as he placed his hand on top of hers.

"Yeah, I don't doubt that." He responded, squeezing her hand, the teasing look leaving her eyes.

"But, in all seriousness, you don't need to keep thanking me. I don't mind being here, I want to be here." She spoke, Matt unable to stop the soft grin that fell onto his face, but her next words caused it to soon disappear. "...You really scared me yesterday, so this is as much for me as it is for you. I like being able to keep an eye on you, if gives me some peace of mind if I'm being honest." She admitted, missing the slight frown that pulled at his lips, hating that he had her so worried. "And we all saw what happened when I left you alone yesterday, you had to go and pull your stitches open." Her voice turned less serious, Gabby trying to lift some of the heaviness around them.

"Yeah, I'm not entirely sure Hallie's presence wasn't the cause for that." He muttered as he shook his head, Gabby giving his thigh a comforting squeeze. The way he said it, she knew he was trying to play it off as a joke, but that didn't mean there wasn't some truth behind it.

"Do you want to talk about that?" She asked cautiously, Matt's tongue running over his bottom lip. "I know she's why you were upset at the hospital earlier today… And we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but I'm here if you do." She reminded him, Matt nodding slowly.

"Yeah, I guess I kind of keep forgetting that." He murmured, Gabby moving her hand up to his neck, running her fingers lightly over the skin there, knowing the action calmed him. She had found out by accident, having done it as a source of comfort when he first told her about Hallie, but she soon discovered it was one of the easiest ways to quickly console him.

"What do you mean?"

"I keep forgetting that I have someone I can talk to now." He clarified, Matt shaking his head as he saw the frown forming on her lips. "Oh, come on, I don't need you to feel sorry for me, I've had enough of that lately." He responded with a chuckle, Gabby moving her fingers through the hair at the base of his neck, knowing he was deflecting.

"Matt…" She responded, Casey releasing a sigh, leaning into her touch before replying.

"It's just that after everything with Hallie, I kind of lost the people I could count on." He admitted, Gabby biting the inside of her cheek. "Looking back on it, I know it wasn't the most healthy thing in the world, but Hallie was kind of the only family I had. And the way that all went down, when I got kicked out of my firehouse I lost every relationship I had there too, especially cause I could tell they all kind of believed what was said about me. They would act like it didn't affect things those few shifts I was still there, but when headquarters made the decision to move me, and they didn't have to see me all the time, none of them ever reached out to me again." He breathed out, Gabby leaning forward to place her glass on the coffee table before sitting back, curling her legs up onto the couch, her body facing his. "And then everywhere I was at in between that house and 51, no one really made much of an effort with me, especially once they heard the rumors... I was pretty isolated." Matt spoke, shrugging softly as he placed his hand on her knee, rubbing up and down over her leg. "I'm not trying to sound pathetic or anything, I'm fine, but it's just kind of weird, to actually have someone I can talk to, who I know isn't doing it to pretend to be nice, or doing it to try and gain something out of it. I don't know, I just haven't had that in a while…" He trailed off, meeting her eyes, seeing her clearly thinking over her next words carefully, Gabby's lips pursed together.

"I don't know what it's like to feel isolated like that, I mean not really. There were times it kind of felt like that at 51, when things with Bryan were bad, but I know it's nothing compared to what you went through. But I do know what it feels like to be cheated on by someone you thought you could trust." She spoke, Matt's face softening at her words. "And even though I might not always be able to understand what you've gone through from my own experiences, you can still come to me, with whatever it is. Even if you just need to blow off some steam,"

"I believe we've found some better ways to blow off steam than just talking." He cut in with a smirk, Gabby rolling her eyes.

"Here I am trying to be supportive and you're making this about sex."

"Sorry, sorry, you're right." He responded with a chuckle, Gabby unable to hide her grin before she continued.

"Anyway, the point of all this is that I'm here. I never realized how bad it was, with you feeling like you didn't have people. But that's not the case now, and I need to make sure you know that. You've got an entire firehouse of people who love you and support you, who would drop anything to help you. And you've got me." She spoke with a soft grin, Matt's eyes locking with hers. "With whatever it is, whether you need to talk, or you don't want to talk, if you just want some company, whatever it may be, I'm your girl."

"I know you are." He responded, squeezing her leg as his eyes flickered away from hers, Matt focusing his gaze in between them. Gabby felt those all too familiar flutters rise up in her stomach while they sat here, but she did her best to ignore them. Right now she needed to focus on Matt.

"Which means if you need to talk about whatever Hallie said that's clearly been bothering you, we can." She spoke pointedly, Matt glancing back up to her. "You've been angry, since you spoke to her yesterday. I know we haven't really talked about her much, but every time she even vaguely comes up, you get upset… And I don't blame you, you have every right to feel whatever you need to about this, but I don't want you to be consumed by it. If you feel like you can talk about it, I'm all ears. But if you can't, that's fine too. Just tell me to shut up, and I will."

"I'd never tell you to shut up." He cut in, Gabby cocking her head to the side. "Be quiet, maybe. But never shut up." He joked, Gabby scratching the back of his neck as she shook her head in amusement. "But, uh… the thing with Hallie," He cleared his throat, the air around them shifting as Gabby waited patiently, giving him all the time he needed to feel comfortable. "She's just always had this affect on me, and she knows it. She knows that I don't want to be around her, or even see her. And even after I repeatedly told her I wanted her out, she wouldn't leave… She just kept saying she needed to make sure I was okay, but she didn't need to be in my room for that. If she was really so concerned, she could've just asked my doctor and left it at that, but she did what she always does, she makes it about her." He had started rambling, Gabby seeing his clear frustration at the situation, but she said nothing, knowing Casey needed to get this out. "She was only there as some kind of way to clear her conscious, to try and reason with what she did, and it just- it made me so mad… She kept excusing it by talking about how we weren't happy anymore, how we both knew it wouldn't work, but I didn't know that. I thought everything was good, I thought we were doing well but it was just all a lie. And then she came in there trying to excuse it."

Gabby could see him getting worked up, the paramedic beginning to scratch lightly over the back of his head, hoping the movement would calm him down.

"But I just… she went there for her, not for me. I got hurt, and she was only there for herself. To give herself a pat on the back and pretend she cares, when I know she doesn't." His voice had dropped to a whisper, Gabby frowning. She could tell he still held onto a lot of the pain and anger he felt towards Hallie and what she did, but it made her stomach sink to see him so upset. "I just wish she would've listened to you and left me alone. I hate that she still has this affect on me, that even just seeing her still upsets me this much. I wish it wasn't like this, that I could see her and not care, but…"

"She broke your heart." Gabby said, Matt glancing to her. "And not only did she break your heart, she pretty much tore your entire life apart. That's not an easy thing to get over, there's no timetable on how to deal with something like that." Gabby paused for a moment, giving her words a second to resonate in his head. "You're allowed to still be hurt by it, and not want to have to see her. You don't need to feel ashamed of this still affecting you. Believe me, there's nothing wrong with still being upset over the person you loved betraying you." Gabby breathed out, Matt nodding as he thought over his next words.

He wasn't sure if he should ask the question on the tip of his tongue, Matt not wanting to upset her. He knew they didn't do this, they didn't talk about _him_. Aside from that one time at her brother's apartment a while back, Matt had never tried to talk to her about what _he_ did to her. But he wanted to know.

"How do you handle it?" He asked before he could overthink it any longer, Gabby raising her eyebrows curiously. "How do you handle seeing Walker all the time, after what he did?"

Gabby bit down on her bottom lip, her eyes moving forward as she thought over his question, Matt waiting patiently. From the look on her face, he almost wished he'd never asked. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable, or bring up unpleasant memories, but she was the only person who had any idea of what he was going through with this, and he was curious to know how she dealt with it all.

"I guess… I guess I just accepted that he never really loved me." She spoke up after nearly a full minute of silence, a slight frown forming over his lips, Gabby intaking a deep breath. "There was other stuff going on with us, aside from the cheating, but I didn't know for sure he'd been cheating on me until after he ended things. But, I don't know, to do what he did to me, there's no way he ever loved me. At least he hadn't for a very long time. And I had to come to terms with that." She spoke, Matt's chest tightening as he listened to her words. "In some ways I think all of it made me stronger, because I won't let myself go through anything like that ever again. But, truthfully, I still feel weak when I'm around him." Matt's frown deepened as he heard her admission. "I don't like to be alone with him if I can help it, because I hate the person I am with him. But I'm trying to move on from everything, it's not easy though." She breathed out, Matt giving her leg a comforting squeeze. "So I guess to answer your question, I don't really handle it all that well. I think everyone thinks I'm dealing with it better than I actually am. I'm like you in how I don't want to see him, or talk to him, but I don't really have a choice."

Gabby took a second to breathe after she finished talking, a sense of light shock settling over her at the fact she had just shared all that with him. They didn't do this, at least not with her. If they ever talked about anything past surface level emotions, it was about him, not her. She wasn't sure why she admitted all that to him, but she'd be lying if she said she didn't feel a little bit better.

"I guess that doesn't really help you much, does it?" She asked, trying to deflect away from focusing on everything she'd just said to him. Glancing up, she saw him staring at her with a look of sadness shining in her eyes, Gabby sighing softly. "Okay, you said I couldn't feel sorry for you, I don't want you feeling sorry for me."

"I don't feel sorry for you." He clarified, her eyes locked on his. "But I do admire you." Gabby's eyebrows furrowed, confusion covering her face.

"Admire me for what?"

"I can't imagine how I would handle it, having to see Hallie all the time, and having to work with her. The few times I've seen her in the past day was more than I ever wanted to see her again, yet you're able to deal with Walker three times a week." He spoke, Gabby biting on her bottom lip. "I know you think you didn't really have a choice, but you actually did. You could've left 51, you could've gone to another house and never had to deal with him again, but you didn't." He told her, Gabby drawing in a deep breath. "I don't know the extent of what all happened with you two, or what all you've gone through, but, at least from where I'm standing, you've dealt with it a lot better than you think you have. That's pretty admirable, if you ask me."

Gabby was stunned by his words, not expecting to hear them, let alone him say them with such conviction, the paramedic unsure of how to respond.

"And the same goes for you, you know." Matt spoke again after a few moments, Gabby catching his longing gaze. "If you need to talk, about him or anything, you can talk to me. I don't want you feeling like you can't." Matt said, flashing her a soft smile. "I know I've told you this before, but you can come to me even if it's about him. Yeah, I'm his boss, but you're my friend, Gabby. If I'm being honest, you might be my best friend." Her face softened at his words, Gabby not taking her eyes off of him. "The point is, I don't want you thinking that you can't talk to me, just because it's about Walker. I'm here for you, with whatever."

Gabby drew in a deep breath, her tongue poking out between her teeth, running over her bottom lip before she nodded, Matt grinning softly. "Okay… I'll keep that in mind. Thank you, Casey."

Matt gave her a nod, grabbing his water and taking another sip before putting on the end table, glancing back towards her, Gabby noticing him shifting slightly. "And, uh, I'm sorry to ruin the moment, but could you help me to the bathroom?" He asked, Gabby nodding as she stood up, almost grateful for the shift in conversation.

"Come on." She spoke, Gabby leaning over to let him wrap his arm around her shoulders, Gabby putting her hand on his upper back, being mindful of his injured side as she carefully helped him up. Matt kept his arm around her shoulders as they walked to his guest bathroom, the two moving slowly.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, Matt blowing out a breath.

"Sore, but not too bad. Although I know I need to start taking my pills here soon." He responded.

"I can get them for you." She replied, Matt nodding as Gabby pushed the door open, Matt unhooking his arm from her body, slowly beginning to walk into the bathroom, Gabby watching as he limped slightly. "Is your leg alright?" She questioned, Matt nodding.

"It's fine, my shin hurts a bit but I think that was just from being trapped under part of a building." He responded, Gabby's eyes flickering down to the back of his leg before nodding.

"Alright, if you say so. I'm gonna get your pills, just yell when you're done." She told him, Matt nodding as she shut the door, leaving it slightly ajar against the frame before Gabby moved towards the kitchen, needing to get his medication.

* * *

Gabby blew out a sigh as she flipped through Matt's dresser, searching for a pair of pajama pants for him to wear, feeling Matt's eyes on her as he sat on the edge of the bed. It was only a little after nine, but Casey was exhausted and more than ready for bed, and Gabby knew he needed as much rest as possible.

He had gotten some sleep this afternoon, but he only slept for about an hour before he woke up with a pain in his side, Matt having to get up and move around to help alleviate the cramp. After that, he hadn't been able to fall back asleep, and the two spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening watching a movie. For dinner, Gabby had settled on making sandwiches, that really being her only option because Casey had next to nothing in terms of groceries, and she knew it would be easier on his stomach.

Pretty soon after they ate, she could tell Matt was beginning to fade, but he needed to stay up long enough to take another pain pill before going to bed, something he wasn't too excited about.

But overall, the day had gone well, and Matt had done a good job of asking for help when he needed it, and Gabby had gotten good at stepping back and letting him do as much as he could. It was a delicate balance they had silently agreed upon, Gabby knowing the mental aspect of Matt relinquishing control was harder than he led on, so she tried to let him do as much as he could. They had fallen into a good rhythm together, and she hoped the rest of his recovery would continue just as smoothly.

"Do you want a t-shirt or no?" She asked, turning around to see him shake his head, Gabby giving him a nod as she grabbed a pair of thin, flannel pants, before walking towards the bed. "Lift your arms." She she said, Matt scoffing before slowly lifting them above his head, grimacing at the movement.

"I feel like a five year old." He muttered, Gabby shaking her head as she carefully pulled the shirt from his body, tossing it onto the bed beside him. Glancing to him quickly, her eyes ran over his battered body, seeing multiple deep bruises and scratches covering his skin, along with the significant bandage across his side.

"Better that than your pulling your stitches. Now up." She ordered, Matt using her for support as he stood up, Gabby squatting down to change him out of his sweatpants, Matt sitting back down once the pants were past his waist.

"Just so you know, I plan on making this up to you once I'm back in fighting shape." He breathed out while Gabby helped him get into his pajamas, her eyebrows raising as she glanced up to him, a smirk playing on her lips.

"Yeah, and how are you gonna do that exactly?" She challenged, helping him up again, Matt adjusting his pajamas before meeting her eyes, Gabby suddenly realizing how close they were standing, their faces inches apart.

"Well, it'll be a little something like yesterday morning." He spoke softly, a smirk tugging on his lips as she felt heat rise to her cheeks. "But maybe a little more focused on you."

"I don't know…" She whispered, her mind going back to the image of him hiding underneath the sheets, the memory causing her stomach to flip. "I think you seemed pretty focused on me already."

Her words brought a grin to his face, Matt bringing his hand up to brush her hair behind her ear, his thumb stroking over her cheek. "Yeah, I suppose. But I think there's more I can do to show you just how much your help is… appreciated." He told her, Gabby's bottom lip tucking in between her teeth.

"I'm looking forward to it." She spoke softly, Matt leaning forward without warning, pressing his lips into hers. The action took her by surprise, it taking her brain a few seconds to catch up before she began reciprocating his movements, her hands coming up to rest against his neck, holding him to her.

Their movements were soft and gentle, Gabby not wanting to hurt him as they kissed, the two only pulling back when Matt began coughing, worry covering her features.

"You okay?" She asked, taking a deep breath as Matt nodded, clearing his throat.

"I am." He responded, coughing again before shaking his head, flashing her an assuring smile. "Guess we'll need to put a pause on _everything_, at least for a few days." He told her, Gabby grinning as she rubbed her thumb over his neck, leaning forward to place a quick, chaste kiss to his lips, feeling him grin against her. "Actually, you know what, a little cough is worth it." Matt muttered before he kissed her again, Gabby smiling against his lips before pulling away.

"Easy there, buddy." She spoke, her eyes tracing over his face, trying not to linger on the bruises and cuts marring his skin. "We're not gonna have you going into a coughing fit just because you can't seem to keep your lips to yourself."

"I don't recall you ever complaining about that before…" He spoke with a smirk, Gabby rolling her eyes, taking a step away from him.

"Right now, we just need to focus on you recovering. The fun stuff can wait." She told him, Matt nodding reluctantly as he watched her walk back towards his dresser before he slowly sat down onto the bed. His eyes followed her as she pulled out one of his t-shirts, Matt raising his eyebrows as she turned back to face him, shrugging softly. "You said I could make myself at home."

Matt chuckled, a grin forming across his lips as he nodded. "Yes, I did." Gabby placed the shirt on the top of his dresser before heading for the door, silently leaving his room, Matt waiting patiently for her return. When Gabby walked back into the room a few minutes later, he realized what she'd gone after, seeing her holding a new bandage for him. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot." He breathed out, Gabby shooting him a sympathetic smile before crouching down in front of him, Matt slowly angling his body to give her as much access as he could.

Pulling as gently as possible, Gabby rid him of the bandage, a grimace covering her face as she got her first look at the stitches across his skin, her head shaking back and forth. It was a deeper wound than she remembered, the jagged edges sewn back together, his skin red and angry around the gash. Although she couldn't be sure, it wouldn't surprise her if this injury left him with yet another scar on his body from the job.

"How ugly is it?" Matt asked, snapping Gabby from her thoughts as she looked up to him, seeing his eyes on her intently.

"Considering how you got it, it's not too bad." She told him honestly, giving him a warm smile before beginning the process of applying his new bandage, making sure to cover his wound completely. "Alright, I'm all done with you." She spoke, Matt nodding as he moved his arm down to his side.

"Thank you." He murmured, Gabby flashing him a grin before she moved back to the dresser.

"It was nothing." She assured him, grabbing ahold of his t-shirt she pulled out before turning around. "I'm gonna shower real quick, do you need anything else?" She asked, moving to her duffle bag she'd placed on the end of the bed, pulling out everything she'd need.

"I'm okay, I'll just be lying here, being jealous of your ability to bathe." He spoke, Gabby grinning in amusement.

"Tomorrow. Just one more day and we can get you all clean and not smelling like a hospital." She reminded him, Matt nodding as he slowly began maneuvering himself to lie down on his back. Although she let him do it by himself, she did make herself busy moving things around her bag, wanting to stay until he was settled, just in case.

Though they hadn't had any conflicts throughout the day, Gabby could tell Matt was having a hard time letting himself rely on her. From what he'd told her, she knew he had been taking care of himself for a long time, she could only imagine how hard it was to relinquish that mentality and allow someone to take care of him. Being vulnerable like that wasn't easy regardless, let alone with everything Hallie put him through. And on top of his own personal experiences, he was a firefighter; and if there was one thing Gabby knew about firefighters it was that they hated to give up their control. In less than the day that she'd been helping to take care of him, she had seen flashes of him fighting his instincts to just do everything on his own. This wasn't easy for him. But, to his credit, he'd asked her for help every time he needed it.

Once he was settled, Gabby grabbed the sheets from the edge of the bed, pulling them up until he could reach them, Matt bringing them to rest across his waist.

"I'll be back in a few minutes." She told him, turning off the lights before making her way to the bathroom, Gabby leaving the door ajar as she went to shower.

She was gone for about twenty minutes, Gabby hanging up her towel before she came out into the room, clad in his t-shirt and a pair of shorts, seeing him sound asleep in bed. She could hear his soft snores, Gabby knowing he'd probably been asleep most of the time she was gone, which she was thankful for. Above everything, he needed rest.

Flipping the light off in the bathroom, Gabby blindly made her way to her side of the bed. As soon as they got into the bedroom earlier, they quickly realized they'd have to switch which side they sleep on for at least the next week or so. If they didn't, Gabby would've been sleeping on his injured side, and she didn't want to do that, the paramedic not willing to risk her accidentally bumping into him and hurting him.

Sliding into bed as quietly as she could, Gabby kept some distance between them, turning to look at him as he slept, seeing his head leaned towards her and his arm resting on the mattress in between them. Biting down on her bottom lip, she carefully adjusted her body, leaning over him to place a soft kiss to the side of his head, pulling back just as quickly as she moved to him before snuggling down into his bed.

"Goodnight Gabby." He whispered, Gabby looking at him, not realizing he'd woken up. But his soft words brought a smile to her face.

"Goodnight Matt." She responded, reaching for his hand on the bed and clasping it in hers, Gabby feeling him squeeze her palm tightly as she closed her eyes, the two soon falling asleep.

* * *

Matt groaned as he slowly slipped into consciousness, immediately feeling the soreness lingering in his body as he woke up. He reached over beside him, confused to feel his hand hit the cold sheets, Matt opening his eyes only to shut them immediately as light hit his eyes. It took a few seconds of blinking for him to adjust to the brightness in the room, Matt looking to find Gabby's side of the bed empty, his hand coming up to rub over the side of his face.

"Good morning."

"Jesus Christ." Casey nearly jumped out of his skin, a low groan escaping his lips as his sore body moved suddenly. Matt turned his head towards the unexpected voice, his eyebrows furrowing as he saw the blonde standing at the foot of his bed, a smirk covering her face. "Shay?" He asked, not entirely sure he wasn't somehow still asleep right now.

"Hello lover boy." She responded, Matt rubbing his eyes before slowly sitting up, his body hating the movement. "Dawson put your pain pill and some water beside the bed, she told me to make sure you took it as soon as you woke up." She explained, Matt merely nodding, still not really understanding what was happening. But he took the medication, slowly stretching his back as he sat on the edge of the bed. "So, this is where most of the Dawson-lovin' takes place, it's nice." She spoke lightly, Matt sighing heavily as he shook his head. "Notice how I said most of, not all, considering you two are gross and love to get down and dirty in a bunch of different places."

"Shay, what are you doing here?" He asked, ignoring her comments all together as the paramedic walked around towards him.

"I'm here to babysit." She responded, Matt grimacing at her terminology.

"Where's Gabby?"

"Don't worry, your girlfriend will be back soon." Shay spoke, Matt huffing out a breath. "She decided to go to the store, because apparently you have nothing to eat in this place. She's been gone for over an hour, though, so she shouldn't be out much longer." She explained, Casey glancing to the clock, seeing it a few minutes after ten. "Also, can I just say, I appreciate the fact that you sleep in pants. When I first came in here, I wasn't so sure you weren't naked, and I wasn't really looking forward to dealing with all that. I mean, I know Dawson likes it, but it's not really my thing." She teased, Matt raising his eyebrows.

"I'm clothed. Don't worry." He replied, slowly beginning to push himself up off the bed.

"Whoa whoa whoa, slow down Casey." Shay spoke, grabbing ahold of him to help him up.

"Shay, I have to try to do things on my own." He bit out, the blonde narrowing her eyes as he reluctantly put his arm around her shoulders, letting her help him.

"Yeah, I get that. But the last thing I'm gonna do is allow you to get hurt on my watch. Gabby will kill me, I was given strict instructions to look after you. So maybe wait to test your limits until she gets back." She responded, Matt sighing before giving her a nod. "Now, where were you off to?"

"The bathroom."

"Oh God." She muttered, changing their direction, the two walking towards his bathroom. "The both of you are gonna owe me big time."

"You just help me get there. Then you leave." He clarified, hearing her release a relieved breath.

"Thank God." She responded, Matt shaking his head in amusement. "I mean, no offense, but I don't really want to see your dick. Sorry, Casey."

"No apologies necessary, Shay." He spoke with a chuckle, the two continuing their short walk to the bathroom, Shay making sure he was alright before leaving him alone, taking the opportunity to look around his room while he was preoccupied.

Once he finished, Shay helped the firefighter out into the living room, being mindful of his injuries as she got him situated on the couch. "So, do you need anything?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she took a few steps back, watching as Matt shook his head.

"No, I'm okay. Thanks though." He told her, Shay nodding as a pensive look covered her face, something Casey picked up on instantly. "What is it?"

"Uh, well it may be nothing." She replied, Matt's head tilting to the side in confusion. "But I feel like you should know that I talked to Hallie."

Matt's body tensed slightly, Shay blowing out a breath as she came and sat on the coffee table in front of him, Matt swallowing the lump in his throat.

"When?"

"While you were in the hospital. It was after Dawson and I came back from our call, you and Gabby were sleeping and I went to check on you. Hallie was standing outside your room, watching you guys." She explained, Matt's tongue poking out between his teeth, running over his bottom lip. "I really didn't want to get into a fight with her, but I couldn't help it. She started talking about you guys and I just, I don't know, went into protective mode." She spoke sheepishly, Matt catching her gaze.

"What was she saying?"

"She was trying to get me to tell her what was going on with you two, then she started trying to excuse what she did to you, which really pissed me off." She breathed out. "But I basically just told her to leave you alone, that you didn't need her guilt or whatever she was trying to do. That she had no business even being around you. I can tell you everything, if you want-"

"No, it's okay." He cut her off. "I don't care what she was saying, it doesn't matter. But thank you… For doing that. I didn't even know she came back, but thank you for getting her to leave."

"Of course. That's what friends are for." She replied, patting his knee gently. "I know you didn't want to see her, and clearly she ignored Gabby's attempts to get her to leave you alone, so I guess she just needed the right person to tell her to take her self-pity bullshit somewhere else." Shay spoke lightly, Matt shaking his head with a chuckle.

Neither blonde was able to say anything else before they heard the front door open, both glancing towards the entryway in time to see Gabby appear around the corner, grocery bags filling her arms.

"There she is." Shay spoke, pushing herself up from the coffee table, walking towards her friend. "Do you need any help?"

"Yeah, there's a few more bags in my car." She responded, Shay nodding before heading out the door.

"Hey there." Matt spoke from his seat on the couch, Gabby flashing him a smile as she headed for the kitchen.

"Good morning. Glad to see you finally woke up." She replied, disappearing into the kitchen before coming back a few seconds later. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did, yeah. Although I woke up with Shay standing at the end of my bed, that was a little weird." He spoke, Gabby chuckling as she shook her head.

"Well, I can't say for sure, but I'm hoping she wasn't standing there the entire time. I thought about waking you before I left, but you were passed out and I wanted to let you rest."

"I appreciate it, I needed the sleep. You didn't have to go to the store, though." He told her, Gabby scoffing as she moved towards the couch, standing in front of him.

"If you wanted to eat actual food, yes I did."

"Good Lord, Dawson, how much food did you get." Shay's groaning voice filtered into the room, Gabby turning to see her come around the corner, juggling the remaining grocery bags.

"You didn't have to get it all in one trip, I was gonna come help." Gabby responded, walking towards her friend.

"Yeah, well, I figured you'd be too preoccupied making sure I didn't hurt your boyfriend." She spoke with a smirk, Gabby rolling her eyes before taking the bags and heading for the kitchen, ignoring Casey's longing gaze on her.

"She's so easy to mess with, sometimes it's not even fun." Shay spoke, Matt raising his eyebrows as Shay shot him a proud grin before heading into the kitchen, finding Dawson putting away the food she bought.

"You've gotta stop calling him my boyfriend, Shay." She spoke quietly, the blonde cocking her head to the side.

"You're not actually mad at me, are you?"

"No, but you forget that Casey hasn't known you as long as I have, and sometimes it's hard to tell when you're joking." Gabby replied, putting away the last of the cold items before shutting the fridge, turning towards the blonde.

"Well, maybe it's not a joke." She countered, Gabby's eyes narrowing. "I wasn't kidding when I told you that you two act like a couple without the label. He's practically your boyfriend."

"Shay, stop." Gabby snapped, Shay's eyes widening slightly as she watched Gabby release a heavy breath, surprised by the harsh tone in her friend's voice. A thick silence fell over the best friends, Shay crossing her arms over her chest as she kept her eyes on Dawson, Gabby pressing her fingers together, pinching the bridge of her nose before looking back to her partner. "I'm sorry." She spoke, Shay shaking her head.

"It's okay, I didn't mean to upset you, I was just messing around." Shay said carefully, Gabby nodding.

"I know, I'm sorry. It's just been a long few days." Gabby replied, her eyes darting away before she turned around, going back to putting up the rest of the food. She could feel Shay's eyes on her as she moved through the small room, but the blonde said nothing until Gabby had finished, waiting until Dawson was looking at her to speak up.

"Are you doing okay, Gabby?" She asked, a look of concern playing across her face.

"I'm fine, I'm just tired." She responded quickly, Shay's eyes narrowing. "Has he eaten yet?" Gabby changed the subject, Shay taking a deep breath before shaking her head.

"No, he hasn't been up very long though. He's taken his pill, but that's about it."

"Alright, I'm gonna go see if he's hungry. Thanks for coming to look after him." Dawson spoke, sliding past her friend, heading towards the living room.

"It's no problem." Shay replied just as Gabby was out of sight, the blonde following after her, seeing Casey waiting for them where they'd left him, Shay unsure if he'd heard any of their conversation or not.

"Are you hungry at all?" Gabby asked as she walked towards him, Matt shrugging.

"A little, I guess, yeah."

"Alright, I'll go get started on something. You wanna stay for breakfast, Shay?"

"Oh no that's okay, I've got some things I gotta do today." She replied, Gabby nodding slowly before heading back for the kitchen. Shay's eyes fell on Casey, seeing the man staring towards the direction Gabby went, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Is she okay?" Matt asked, glancing towards the paramedic.

"I think she's just tired." Shay responded, Matt giving her a nod as the blonde walked towards him. "Well, I'm gonna get out of here. I'm glad you're doing alright, Casey." She spoke, leaning down to give him a gentle hug. "Call me or Sev if you two need anything."

"I will, thanks for being here, even though I had no idea you were coming."

"Anytime." She replied, flashing him a smile before heading to the front door, Matt hearing her leave.

He sat on the couch for a few minutes, listening to the sounds of Gabby banging around in the kitchen. He wasn't sure what she was trying to make for breakfast, but he just hoped it wasn't anything too complicated. Although based on how many bowls he'd heard against the countertop, he figured she was doing more than necessary.

Releasing a heavy sigh, Matt carefully shifted himself towards the edge of the couch, grimacing as he got into the position to stand up. He moved slowly, part of him feeling like his body was going to give out as he stood up. The movement was uncomfortable, his muscles screaming at him as he moved, but he felt a sense of accomplishment as he stood there, Matt knowing that even just last night, this was something he probably wouldn't have been able to do on his own.

Moving his foot forward, Casey began the slow walk towards the kitchen, feeling more and more confident with each step. His body was hurting a little, he was still sore and in some discomfort, but it wasn't anything unbearable. It wasn't anything that would stop him from getting to the kitchen.

In took him a few minutes, but he finally entered through the doorway, seeing Gabby standing at the counter, her back to him as her attention was focused on whatever she was preparing. He took a few more steps forward, making it to the table as he gripped the back of the chair.

"Hi."

His soft voice caused her to tense up, Gabby turning around quickly, clearly not expecting him to be there.

"God, you scared me." She breathed out, her shock soon morphing into concern, Gabby's eyes narrowing. "Please tell me you didn't walk all the way in here by yourself."

"I sure did." He spoke proudly, Gabby shaking her head as she moved towards him, nodding towards the seat.

"Sit down, before you hurt yourself." She ordered, Matt nodding before slowly pulling out the chair, placing his body into it.

"I'm basically fully mobile." He told her, Gabby shaking her head with a grin.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't push your luck." She replied, giving him a once over to make sure his little stunt hadn't caused him any harm.

"I don't know, I might not need you around here much longer." He spoke teasingly, Gabby's smile faltering slightly before she quickly recovered, but he caught it. "Are you okay?"

"I'm good, just glad to see you're feeling better." She responded, flashing him a smile before heading back to the counter. "I'm making some pancakes and bacon, I hope that's alright."

"That's more than alright, but you don't have to go through the trouble of all that. Anything would've been fine."

"I don't mind, it's easy. I also got some stuff to make this chicken and potato soup for dinner. It might sound a bit weird, but trust me, it's delicious." She told him as she went back to working on breakfast, Matt smiling softly as he watched her.

"It sounds great." He replied.

The two spent the next hour together in the kitchen, enjoying the breakfast Gabby made for them before she helped him back into the living room, both of them looking forward to their quiet day at Matt's apartment.

* * *

Gabby stuck her hand under the running water, checking to make sure the temperature was acceptable before turning around, seeing Matt leaned up against the counter.

"You ready?" She questioned, Matt nodding eagerly.

"Yes, I feel disgusting." He responded, Gabby chuckling softly.

It was a little after eight in the evening when they decided to go ahead and give Matt a shower, Gabby knowing he'd been more than ready to bathe since yesterday. She had originally planned on doing it this afternoon, but when Matt passed out around one, and didn't wake up until it was time for dinner, her plans had to be altered.

The two had enjoyed their dinner, sitting quietly together as they occasionally chatted about one thing or another, their conversation light and easy. After finishing the soup, Matt insisted on walking to the bedroom himself while Gabby cleaned up, the paramedic listening intently as he walked down the hallway, needing to make sure he got there safely. When she had met up with him in the bedroom, he was perched on the bed waiting for her, the man desperate for his shower.

"So, how much of this are you gonna let me do myself?" He asked with a raised brow, pulling her from her thoughts.

"You know, in any other circumstances I don't think you'd be complaining about me showering with you." She spoke teasingly, her words earning a smirk from him.

Throughout the day, there hadn't been as much teasing between them as normal, and he wasn't sure why. Gabby had been a little off all day, and it worried him. He noticed her change in behavior right before Shay had left, and he wasn't sure what caused it, but Matt was glad she was back to her old self, at least for right now. He could tell something had been bothering her, but, whatever it was, she didn't seem to want to talk about it. He just hoped their playful banter would help keep her in better spirits.

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm definitely not complaining. But it's much more enjoyable when you choose to help me shower, as opposed to you having to."

"Who says this can't be just as fun?" She spoke, her voice barely above a whisper as she stepped closer to him, stopping right in front of him. She leaned her body gently against his, resting her palms on the counter on either side of his waist, her hands in between his hips and his arms. Her hips were pressed into his, his thin pajama pants not doing much of anything to hide the effect she had on him, Gabby smirking softly before she leaned forward, pressing a kiss against his neck. Matt gulped, willing himself to calm down as she delicately kissed his skin, a nearly inaudible groan escaping his lips as he felt her teeth graze his skin before she pulled back. "Well, you know, except for the doctor." She joked, chuckling softly before stepping away from him, moving back towards the shower, leaving him wide-eyed against the counter.

"God, you're such a tease." He breathed out frustratedly, hearing her laugh as she shook her head.

"You know we can't even do anything right now anyway, Casey." She spoke, Matt shaking his head despite her not being able to see him.

"I don't know, I think that might've just been a suggestion." He tried, Gabby glancing back to him, her nose scrunched up in amusement.

"Yeah, I don't think so." She replied, walking towards him. "Now, do you want to take your pants off or am I supposed to?"

"I wouldn't object to you doing it." He joked, Gabby rolling her eyes before leading him towards the shower, the two beginning to disrobe. It took Matt longer to remove just his pair of pants than it did Gabby to strip out of her entire outfit, but she wanted to let him do it himself unless he asked for help.

Once they were both bare, Gabby had him lift his arm, giving her room to remove his bandage, slowly peeling it from his body, giving her a look at his stitches. His healing had already started, Gabby seeing the slow progress of his injury. His skin was still red, but luckily there were no signs of infection or anything that would halt the healing process.

"Alright, when we get in there, I need you to stay away from the stream of water, we've gotta be careful with your side." She told him, Matt giving her a nod.

"But I will actually get to shower, right?"

"Yes, Casey." She responded with an annoyed grin, before the two got into his shower. Gabby stepped in first, placing herself directly under the water, giving him plenty of room to maneuver his sore body, Matt holding onto her forearms until he got settled.

It didn't take long for them to begin the process, Gabby letting him do what he could, reminding him to not touch his wound. She could see on his face almost instantly how much the shower was making him feel better.

They had only been in there for a few minutes when Gabby started cleaning his cut, not wanting to have him up on his feet for too long, Dawson able to sense his eyes on her while she worked.

"So, what's the plan for tomorrow?" He broke their comfortable silence, Gabby's gaze flickering up to meet his before returning to the task at hand. "Do you trust me enough to go to shift?"

"I haven't entirely decided yet." She responded, Matt rolling his eyes playfully. "But no, originally I wasn't sure if I was gonna go or not, but you've made a lot of progress today. You're able to get around a lot better." She spoke, catching a glimpse of his proud smile. "So as long as you think you're okay, I'm probably gonna go in."

"I'm alright, Gabby." He assured her, grimacing as she cleaned his wound. "I mean, I know there's a lot I can't do and I'm still pretty sore. I'm not going to be running any marathons anytime soon, but I promise I'll be careful."

"Yeah, you better." She muttered.

"And plus, I don't want you missing work for me."

"I don't care about that-"

"But I do." He cut her off, Gabby looking up at him. "You've done plenty for me already, I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself tomorrow, especially seeing as how I'm gonna be sleeping most of the day. And plus, the doctor said it was really only the first day or so that I needed constant help. I mean, I don't think I can be completely left on my own yet, but I'm fine for you to go to shift."

"Okay, then I'll go." She replied, Matt grinning. "But, expect constant calls from me so I know you're alright. Which means you need to answer me, or I'm gonna be very upset with you."

"Like I'd ignore your calls." He responded, Gabby shaking her head with a soft smile.

"And, whenever we have time, Shay and I are gonna stop by. I'll have to come and change your dressing at some point anyway, but don't be surprised if we're here more than once."

"Yes ma'am." He spoke, knowing it was pointless to argue with her. "But, you do realize you worry too much, right?"

"Well, you've given me plenty of reason to." She spoke softly, turning her attention back to cleaning his side, a slight frown pulling at his lips. "But, I need you to promise me you'll take it easy. There's plenty of things here for you to eat, and drink, and there's even some leftovers in there. But I need you to make sure you'll be careful. Don't do anything stupid like try and shower, or clean, or something like that."

"I won't, Gabby." He replied instantly, sensing her nerves.

"Thank you." She nearly whispered, looking back up at him. "All done." She spoke, her breath getting caught in her throat as she realized how close they were. Their faces were inches apart, Matt's eyes locking with hers almost instantly, Gabby feeling her heart begin to pound in her chest. His gaze flickered to her lips before meeting her eyes again, a soft grin forming over his face, her blood pumping through her ears as her stomach began to flutter under his stares. Her body immediately felt like it was burning up, but she wasn't able to look away.

Without a word, he leaned forward, pressing a soft, delicate kiss to her lips, Gabby relaxing into him instantly as she reciprocated the movement. Every move they made was slow, and deliberate, the two relishing in the gentle feeling of one another as Matt carefully brought his hands up to her waist, gripping her skin lightly.

There was a definite shift in the air around them, Gabby could feel it and it almost felt suffocating. Part of her wanted to pick up and run far away from everything going on inside this shower. But the much bigger part of her wanted to stay exactly where she was, Dawson focusing on the feeling of his soft lips moving against hers, their slow pace remaining steady.

This wasn't what they did. No matter how they started, their movements would always end up rough and wanting. She knew he physically wasn't able to put his all into it, but that wasn't what was making her feel this way. There was something different about this. It was something completely new, this was Matt conveying something to her, this was their dynamic shifting. It felt like everything between them was changing.

And she didn't know what to do, except to keep kissing him.

So she did.

* * *

Gabby stared blankly at the full coffee cup sitting in front of her in the common room, her mind elsewhere as she was surrounded by firefighters, the paramedic vaguely hearing all of their voices but she was barely registering what they were saying.

Shift had just started, everyone congregated in the common room, some still carrying their shift bags, not having yet gone to put their things away. But Gabby wasn't focused on anything they were saying. Not until she heard Matt's name.

"So, does anyone know how Casey's doing?" Cruz asked, Gabby snapping from her thoughts almost violently, missing the confused look Shay gave her.

"I talked to him a few times, he seemed to be doing alright. Said he had some family helping him out, I'm guessing it's his sister." Severide answered, Gabby swallowing thickly, turning to see Shay staring at her closely. "But I texted him this morning, he said he was feeling a lot better. He's not sure when he'll be back, though. So you might be filling in for awhile, Herrmann." Severide spoke, the older firefighter shaking his head.

"It's such a shame he got hurt, but at least he's feeling alright." Herrmann replied, clearing his throat. "Anyone gone to see him?"

Shay nudged Dawson's arm, the PIC raising her eyebrows, seeing Shay's gaze flicker to the group expectantly, clearly wanting her to say something. But Gabby shook her head, Shay releasing a sigh before looking at Herrmann.

"He's doing alright." Shay spoke, all the heads in the room turning towards her, Gabby's eyes widening.

"You've seen him, Shay?"

"Yeah, I went to visit him yesterday morning, he looked alright. He's still struggling to get around, but he has a lot of help." She told them room, her knowing gaze flashing to Gabby.

"Well, that's good to hear. Is he handling all of it okay? I know stuff like this can really affect a person."

"He's alright, as far as I can tell. Though I think once he gets a little more mobile, he'll start feeling better." She told the group, earning nods from a few of the firefighters.

Gabby started tuning them out again once the topic changed, her thoughts unable to stop from going back to Matt. She couldn't stop thinking about him; about how he looked at her, about how he kissed her, about how he made her feel. It was like her mind was completely consumed by him, and she didn't know why, or how to stop it. But it was overwhelming.

Blinking tightly, she slowly pushed herself up from her chair, silently leaving the room and heading for the garage, needing space to try and get ahold of her thoughts.

She didn't know why she was suddenly so focused on Casey. Why she couldn't seem to go a minute without thinking about him. It was like it came out of nowhere.

But, deep down, she knew that wasn't the case. If she was being honest with herself, she knew she had been feeling this way for awhile. She just didn't want to admit it, to him or to anyone.

"Dawson."

Gabby stopped her pacing, not even realizing she had gotten all the way to the ambulance as she turned around, seeing Shay following her, the blonde approaching her cautiously.

"You alright?" She asked apprehensively, Gabby's pacing continuing as Shay watched on, concern flooding her body.

"I… I just-" Her words turned into an incoherent mess, Shay's worry only growing as Gabby paced quickly back and forth, her arms crossed over her chest.

"What's going on, Gabby?" Shay asked after she had gone quiet once more, Dawson stopping as she looked towards her friend. Shay could see that whatever this was had rattled her, and she was obviously confused. "You were acting all weird at Casey's place yesterday, and you're acting even stranger now. What is it?"

Gabby sucked in a deep breath, her eyes cast down to the ground as she swallowed the lump in her throat, trying to figure out how to voice what was going on in her mind. Slowly, she lifted her head, finding Shay's expectant gaze waiting for her, Gabby blinking furiously before opening her mouth.

"I think I have feelings for Matt."

* * *

**Well, it looks like things just got a lot more interesting. I know a lot of you were interested to see who would admit to their feelings first, are any of you surprised it was Gabby? We'll have to wait and see what happens now that she's come to terms with how she feels, if she's even come to terms with how she feels. Knowing Dawson, I'm sure you all can imagine it won't all be smooth sailing. Although all of you had clearly picked up on there being more to Dawsey's relationship, Gabby had been in some pretty deep denial for a while. So, yeah, she's definitely a little rattled.**

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I really liked writing it. I always enjoyed Shay and Casey's friendship on the show, I wish we saw more of it, so it's been really fun for me to get to write that in this story. **

**I'm so eager to hear your thoughts on everything, thank you all so much for reading! Your constant support means everything to me.**


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Hello everyone! I absolutely loved reading your reactions to the last chapter. I hope you guys enjoy this one as well!**

* * *

**TWENTY**

* * *

"_I think I have feelings for Matt._"

Shay's eyebrows raised in question, the blonde's head tilting to the side as she saw Gabby's panicked expression, her friend standing nervously a few feet from her. She was gnawing on her bottom lip, her hands fidgeting as they hung at her sides.

"Say something, please." Gabby spoke up after a few moments had passed with nothing, Shay shaking her head with a light chuckle.

"Am I supposed to be surprised by that?" She questioned, Gabby huffing out a frustrated breath, continuing her pacing.

"Shay…"

"What? Is that really what's got you all shaken up? That you have feelings for Casey?" Gabby's eyes narrowed as Shay released another laugh. "Dawson, that's not news."

Gabby rolled her eyes as she walked back and forth beside the ambulance, her hand coming up to cover the side of her face. Shay's eyebrows furrowed as she watched her friend closely, realization washing over the blonde.

"Wait… you're actually serious?" Shay's words stopped Dawson's movement, Gabby glancing up to her. "This whole time you really didn't think there were feelings there? You weren't just lying about it?"

"No, Shay I wasn't." She breathed out, Gabby pressing firmly against her temple, trying to release some of the pressure building in her head. "I wasn't lying, I didn't think I had feelings for him, but now? I just- I don't know."

"Okay, it's okay." All the teasing was gone from Shay's voice, the blonde leading Gabby towards the rig and nodding her towards her seat, Shay wanting to make sure this would be a private conversation. Once they were settled in the rig, Shay angled her body towards Dawson, seeing her friend fidgeting in her seat, the PIC staring straight ahead. "Alright, walk me through this. When did this happen?"

Gabby clenched her hands together in her lap, swallowing thickly as she glanced towards Shay. "I don't know, I guess it didn't just happen, but I didn't realize what I was feeling until recently… I just thought we were friends, and we are, but, I don't know, something about being around him just- I don't know." She was having a hard time expressing her feelings, Gabby's thoughts jumbled in her own head, making it difficult to vocalize them to her best friend. "I… I really thought this was just us having fun, that it was meaningless sex, and then, I don't know, we became friends after. I didn't think it would be this, that I'd like him like that, or I think I do. I'm not even sure."

"Okay, let's not focus on the timing right now." Shay could tell this was stressing her out, so she wanted to shift topics, hoping it would help her gather her thoughts. "_Why_ do you have feelings for him? What's happened that's making you think things have changed?"

"I… I don't know how to explain it, it's just how I feel." She responded quietly, Shay seeing a small smile come to her face before she started speaking again. "When I first met him, I couldn't stand him. But now, when I'm not with him, I want to be… He makes me comfortable, he makes me laugh, he makes me feel better when I'm having a bad day. I don't know, it's just a bunch of little things." She breathed out, Shay smiling softly. "I guess there were always signs, I just ignored them. But since his accident, I haven't really been able to do that anymore and it's all I can think about. And then last night everything just kind of…" Gabby trailed off, her head dropping down into her hands, Shay watching her curiously.

"Kind of what?" Shay prompted, Gabby taking a deep breath as she lifted her head back up.

"Something changed between us."

"What do you mean?" The blonde asked for more of an explanation, Gabby sighing deeply, her tongue running over her bottom lip as she tried to figure out her next words.

"I was helping Matt shower and- Okay, stop." Gabby cut herself off once she saw the smirk on Shay's face. "Nothing dirty happened, we can't even do anything until he heals more but that's not the point. Anyway, I was helping him shower and he kissed me-"

"I thought you said this wasn't dirty."

"Shay." Gabby groaned, the blonde rubbing her friends leg.

"I'm sorry, keep going."

"...He kissed me, but something about it felt different. I don't really even know how to explain it, but it just felt like something changed." She spoke vaguely, Shay tilting her head to the side, Gabby releasing a sigh. "I know you're never gonna let me live this down, but usually when Matt and I are…" She trailed off, raising her eyebrows as Shay nodded knowingly. "It might start kind of like, slow or gentle or whatever, but it never stays that way. It's usually pretty...passionate." She explained, ignoring the amused grin on Shay's face. "But last night, it was all different. It felt like things were changing, like they _had_ changed. Like he was kissing me just because he wanted to kiss me, not because he knew it would lead to something more, I guess? God, I don't even know how to explain any of this or if I'm making any sense, but I'm just so confused." Gabby breathed out, leaning forward in her seat to rest her head in her hands, Shay watching her friend with sympathetic eyes. She had never seen Gabby like this before, so at war with her own feelings. Dawson never had any trouble in the past knowing exactly how she felt, and confronting those feelings. This uncertainty was new for her, and Shay could tell it had thrown her for a loop.

The blonde put her hand on Gabby's back, rubbing soothingly up and down, doing her best to comfort her. "Did you two ever talk about it?" Shay asked after a few moments, Gabby turning her head over to look at her.

"Talk about what?"

"What would happen if this became more than it was supposed to be…" She elaborated, earning next to nothing in a reaction from Dawson. "I didn't believe you when you said there were no feelings involved, but clearly you really thought this was just sex, or at least you had convinced yourself it was. You two started this, and it was purely physical, I get that. But did you really not think about this becoming a possibility? Did you two just assume things would stay uncomplicated, that you could continue sleeping together, and _sleeping_ together, and you'd just remain friends?" Shay asked, Gabby drawing in a deep breath.

"I guess we did, yeah…" She replied softly. "I never thought it would be an issue, we never really talked about it. I proposed the idea because it was easy. After everything with Bryan, I didn't think I'd ever want to be with someone I worked with again, and I had no intention of doing it with Matt. I just thought it would be fun, something to take our minds off things… And I'm still not entirely sure _what_ I'm feeling, but I never thought this would become a problem. I never imagined I'd be feeling this confused about what my actual feelings are." She spoke nervously, shaking her head as she pressed her hand against her forehead. "Casey, he's not... he's not usually the kind of guy I date, he's not-"

"An asshole." Shay cut in, Gabby glancing to her. "I'm sorry, I love you but it's true. Ever since I've known you, you haven't had the best taste in men." She finished, Gabby sighing softly.

"He's not normally my type." Dawson continued with a pointed stare. "When him and I first agreed on this, I didn't really know him that well, and I never imagined all this would happen… But getting to know him and to see up close how great of a guy he is, I just- I don't know, it's made all this complicated." She spoke, clearly frustrated. "All we wanted was something easy, and simple... And this ruins all of that. God, Shay I don't know what I'm gonna do."

"Honey, you need to talk to him." She responded instantly, Gabby's eyes widening as she looked to her friend.

"No."

"Gabby-"

"No, Shay. I can't." She spoke forcefully. "I can't tell him this, I can never tell him."

"So, what are you going to do exactly?" Shay asked, clearly unimpressed. "Just bury your feelings so things stay easy? Let yourself get hurt just because you're scared to let him in?"

"I can't tell him, Shay." Gabby replied, completely ignoring what the blonde had said. "We know how this is going to go. Me telling him will ruin everything. He doesn't want a relationship, he doesn't want this, he's made that very clear. I can't go and ruin everything over feelings I'm not even sure I have." She spoke quickly, Shay sighing heavily.

"You wouldn't ruin anything..."

"Yes, I would. I absolutely would because Matt doesn't want this." She repeated, blinking tightly. "He doesn't want to be with me like that, he's doing this because he wants sex and I'm an easy way to get it." She said, Gabby's choice of words leaving an uneasy feeling in Shay's stomach.

"Dawson-"

"He doesn't want to be in a relationship, that's why we started this in the first place." Gabby cut her off, the words tasting bitter as they left her mouth, Shay sighing deeply.

"Gabby, I know you're scared, but there's no way in hell Matt's only in this for sex. He's not just using you for sex." Shay replied, catching her friend's gaze. "As someone who has seen you two together, I know Matt doesn't see you as just his 'fuck-buddy', or whatever you two are calling it. He's not just doing this because it's an easy lay. He cares about you, he cares _for_ you. He cares about you just as much as you care about him. You need to talk to him." Her voice was soft, a frown forming over her face as she saw the tears sitting in Gabby's eyes. This entire thing had really messed with Dawson, and Shay hated seeing her friend so upset. "Look, you have every right to be scared about getting into another relationship this soon and opening up your heart to someone again, especially with someone you work with, but Matt is not Bryan." She said directly, Gabby grimacing. "He would never hurt you like Walker did, especially after what Hallie put him through. He's a good guy, Gabby. He's a genuinely good guy, and you deserve that. You deserve someone who's not a self-righteous prick." She spoke firmly, drawing in a deep breath as Gabby averted her eyes. "You're allowed to want him, Gabby. You're allowed to be happy, and be with a great guy, I don't want you thinking you don't deserve that. I don't want you to be afraid to let him in… You need to tell him how you feel, because I'm pretty sure he feels the same way."

"Shay…" Her voice was barely above a whisper, Gabby blinking back the tears in her eyes.

"And this is Casey we're talking about." She continued. "Even if, on the very slim chance that he doesn't have feelings for you, which I know he does, you know he wouldn't do anything to hurt you. You need to talk to him about this."

"But I don't even know how I feel, Shay." She responded quietly, biting down on the inside of her cheek. "I won't risk ruining our friendship because I think I might maybe have feelings for him…"

"Gabby-"

"He told me the other day that I was his best friend." Dawson cut her off, "And how since this entire mess with Hallie started, he hasn't had anyone. Not until me, and you, and everyone here. I don't want to ruin our relationship because I don't want to do that to _him_, not after everything he's been through. I don't want to put him in that position. He finally has people he can trust, and if I tell him and this makes things weird or awkward between us, I've ruined that relationship for him. I won't do it."

Shay eyed her carefully, clicking her tongue on the roof of her mouth as she thought over her next words, trying to find the right thing to say that Gabby would might actually listen to.

"Dawson, do you wanna know what I think?" Shay asked, Gabby glancing up to her friend, apprehensively nodding. "After everything you've said, and how I've seen you two together, I think you know exactly how you feel. You're in love with him." Gabby's eyes widened, Dawson opening her mouth to protest but Shay held up her hand, signaling her to stay quiet. "I think you have deep feelings for him, feelings you've ignored for however long because you're scared. You're scared of changing the dynamic between you two. What you two have is comfortable and it's fun, but you both agreed it wasn't a relationship. And you're scared to change that." Shay spoke softly, hoping her words resonated. "You're scared to go to him and tell him you want more, that you feel something more for him than just friends who hook up with each other. You don't want to put a label on it, because that's when things get real, and when something's real, it can be broken." She said, Gabby's jaw clenching tightly.

"And I know you're scared because of everything that happened with Walker." Gabby's breath hitched in her throat, Shay continuing on. "You don't want to go through that again, and I understand it, I do. I meant what I said, you have every reason to be hesitant of getting into a relationship with Casey, but Gabby you don't need to act like you don't know what you're feeling, because that's never been an issue for you. You know how you feel, you're just scared to get hurt again." She breathed out, Gabby swallowing thickly.

Shay paused for a moment, silence filling the air around them as the blonde's words hit Gabby like a truck.

"Knowing you for as long as I have, I think you know exactly what you're feeling for Casey. It's obvious how much you care for him. You stayed the entire night with him while he was in the hospital, you're taking care of him right now while he heals, you got him through the mess with Walker and the house finding out about Hallie. His happiness and him being alright matters to you, you want him to be okay, and you try and fix it when he's not. You look out for him, you're the first person he turns to. I think you know exactly what all of that means for you two, I think you know how you feel about him. But you had been fine ignoring it. You ignored it until you couldn't anymore. When the accident happened and he was hurt, it made you confront how deeply you care about him."

Gabby remained silent, her gaze moving out the windshield as she took slow, shallow breaths, her mind running rampant as she tried to process every emotion filling her body.

"Look, this is up to you how you handle this. Obviously, I can't force you to do anything, and I wouldn't. I'd never say anything to him about this, but I do think you need to talk to him. You two are the only ones who can figure this out. And I feel like if you just keep trying to ignore it, you're only gonna end up hurt. If he's thinking this is still just a casual thing, but it means more to you than that, you're gonna get hurt. Most likely the both of you will… For both your sakes, when you feel like you can, you need to tell him."

Gabby nodded slowly, chewing on her bottom lip as she tried to distract herself from everything she was feeling.

She still wasn't sure if Shay was right, she wasn't sure if she did know how she felt. But what she was sure of is that she cares about Matt, and she likes how things are right now. She didn't want to mess that up, she refused to.

The sound of the bells filled the firehouse, signaling 61 and squad 3 to a car accident, Shay sighing heavily as she turned on the rig, Gabby shaking her head before buckling up.

"Are you okay to do this?" Shay asked, Gabby nodding immediately as the blonde pulled out into the driveway.

"I am, I'm fine." She replied, missing the look of uncertainty Shay shot her, Gabby looking out the window as her partner drove them to the scene.

"Are you gonna talk to him?" Shay questioned after a few moments, skillfully maneuvering through the Chicago traffic.

Gabby took a deep breath as she rubbed her hands over her legs, trying to figure out how to answer her.

"...I know you think I should, and I hear what you're saying, I do. But I'm still not sure I know how I'm feeling about all of this, and until I'm completely sure, I can't tell him." She responded, Shay biting her tongue. "I know you think I'm in love with him, and maybe I am, but I'm not lying to you when I say that I don't know. This is all so confusing, it couldn't have happened at a worse time, and I'm not entirely sure what I'm feeling right now." Dawson admitted, Shay's face softening. "But if you're right, and he does feel the same way about me, that's even more of a reason for me to not say anything until I'm sure."

"What do you mean?"

"Imagine what would happen if I end up realizing I don't really want that type of relationship with him, but he thinks I do, and he has feelings for me… I don't want to hurt him. I _won't_ do that to him, Shay. I won't let him get his heart broken again, especially not because of me."

The blonde clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, keeping her eyes focused on the road as she thought over Dawson's words, the paramedics riding in silence the rest of the way, Shay not speaking up again until they pulled up to the scene.

"I understand why you're being cautious, alright? I do. But, if you ask me, I think you're overthinking this." She spoke, Gabby glancing to her. "It's admirable, you looking out for Casey's feelings over your own, but it can't stay that way forever, Gabby. At some point, you're going to have to face it." She told her before getting out of the rig, Gabby sighing deeply as she followed her lead, knowing they had a call to focus on now.

* * *

Dawson unclasped her seat belt when Shay pulled up to the curb, Gabby glancing towards her partner as the blonde put the rig in park.

"I shouldn't be gone too long." Gabby broke the silence that had settled around them since they left the hospital, Shay nodding as she settled into her seat. "And, uh, thank you. For letting us stop by." She spoke, Shay's eyebrows furrowing.

"There's nothing to thank me for, I know you want to check on him." She replied, Gabby nodding as she climbed down from the rig, flashing her partner a smile before pushing the door closed, beginning her walk up the sidewalk towards his apartment. Climbing the stairs, Gabby pulled the key to his front door out of her pocket, shoving it in the lock and quickly getting it opened, sparing one last glance to Shay before stepping inside, closing the door behind her.

Unsure of what she was walking into, Gabby stayed as quiet as possible, sliding the key back into her pocket as she faintly heard the television playing in the living room. Stepping around the corner, a soft smile fell onto her face as she saw Matt lying on the couch. She couldn't see his face, so she wasn't sure if he was asleep or not, but she moved quietly regardless, Gabby slowly walking towards him.

Coming to a stop in between him and the coffee table, she saw his tired eyes open a little wider when he noticed her presence, a sleepy smile falling onto his face. Although he hadn't been sleeping when she got here, she could tell he was either very close, or he had just woken up.

"Shift over already?" He asked teasingly, Gabby rolling her eyes as she sat down on the coffee table, her gaze running over his relaxed form.

"You wish." She responded, Matt's grin widening. "I see you managed to make it from the bedroom in one piece."

"I sure did. I'm getting pretty good at this whole walking thing." He commented smugly, Gabby chuckling as she reached her hand out, running her fingers through his hair. Matt's eyes fell closed at the action, leaning into her touch as she massaged his scalp. "What brings you by?" He asked, his words distorted as a yawn left his lips mid-sentence.

"Shay and I just finished up a call, I wanted to stop by and see how you were doing."

"I'm good, I even managed to make breakfast for myself." He told her proudly, Gabby raising her eyebrows.

"I don't think pouring cereal counts as making breakfast." She replied, scrunching up her nose in amusement, Matt eyebrows furrowing.

"How'd you know I had cereal? You didn't put baby monitors around the house, did you?" He questioned with a gleam in his eye, Gabby chuckling as she shook her head.

"No, I didn't. Although that's not a bad idea." She muttered before reaching out towards his chest, confusion filling his face. "But the cereal on your shirt and the empty bowl were kind of dead giveaways." She spoke with a grin, putting the piece of food that missed his mouth into the bowl sitting beside her, Matt watching her sheepishly.

"You take such great care of me." He spoke softly, Gabby chuckling as she shook her head.

"Well, someone's got to. Did you take your medication this morning?"

"Yes ma'am." He replied, Gabby rubbing her hand over his chest before standing up.

"Good." She spoke, grabbing his dirty cereal bowl and the empty glass sitting on the coffee table, Gabby moving towards the kitchen.

"You don't need to do that." He tried, Gabby shrugging.

"I don't mind." She replied, flashing him a smile before disappearing into the kitchen, quickly rinsing off the used dishes. "Do you need anything?" She called, stepping into the doorway, seeing him from across the room.

"I think I'm okay, thanks though." He replied, Gabby walking back towards him as he slowly sat up, Dawson not missing the few grimaces that covered his face while he moved.

"You good?" She asked, Matt giving her a nod as he got settled.

"I'm good." He repeated, grinning softly.

"Alright. Well, I should probably get out of here. We didn't exactly tell anyone we were taking a detour, so we need to get back to the house. Are you good for lunch?"

"I'm fine, Gabby." He answered, Gabby nodding.

"Okay, well I'm gonna get out of here. I'll be back later to change your bandage before bed." She spoke, flashing him a soft smile before she started moving for the door. But she didn't get very far before Casey grabbed her wrist gently, stopping her movements.

"Wait." He spoke, Dawson glancing back towards him with a curious look covering her face. "Come here."

Without another word, he lightly tugged on her arm, bringing her back towards him, pulling her down onto the couch beside him. Before she could react, he slid his hand around her back, bringing her towards him and kissing her softly. It was slow, and gentle, but there was a lot of passion behind it. It took her a few seconds for her mind to catch up, Matt slowly pulling back when he felt her not reciprocating, a worried expression covering his face when he saw the uncertainty in her eyes.

"Everything okay?" He asked quietly, bringing his other hand up to cup her cheek, moving his thumb tenderly over her skin.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she nodded, giving him a soft smile. "I'm good." She responded quietly, Matt's eyes flickering over her face, searching for any signs of deception. But before he could focus on her too long, she leaned forward, pressing her lips back against his. Matt smiled against her as he pulled her closer, her hand coming to rest on his neck as he deepened their movements, feeling Gabby relax into him.

Her mind was in a haze while he kissed her, Gabby's conflicting thoughts and emotions running rampant as they slowly moved together. She was confused, and didn't know what to do about what she was feeling. But when she felt that familiar warmth rise in her chest, there was a small part of her that knew exactly what she felt. She just didn't know what to do about it.

They reluctantly pulled away from one another when air became an issue, Gabby and Matt both breathing heavily as they sat on the couch, his hand sliding slowly up and down her back while they caught their breath, Matt grinning softly.

"Be safe out there, alright?"

Gabby nodded, Matt leaning forward to give her another quick kiss before pulling back, Dawson biting back a grin as she stood up.

"And you don't do anything stupid here, okay?" She gave him a similar warning, Matt chuckling as he shook his head.

"I promise, I'll be careful. I'm not moving much farther than this couch." He replied, giving her a wink. Gabby felt heat rise to her cheeks as she nodded, her smile widening.

"Good. I'll see you tonight." She spoke, her voice suddenly unsteady.

"I'm already looking forward to it." He responded, her cheeks getting hotter as she moved towards the front door, feeling his eyes on her as she went.

As she locked up the front door, she tried to get herself under control, knowing Shay would immediately be able to tell if she was flustered. She didn't want the conversation, not after this morning. Gabby had a lot to figure out, and, even though she meant well, Dawson didn't want to hear Shay's opinions right now. Shay had told her exactly what she thought about her feelings, now it was time for Dawson to figure them out for herself.

But that didn't stop her from letting herself think about the slight possibility that Shay just might have been right.

* * *

Gabby pushed the door open, hopping down from the rig once Shay had parked in the garage, the paramedics finally back at 61. Stretching out her neck, Gabby began walking towards the entrance, but she didn't get very far before her partner stopped her.

"Dawson." Shay called, Gabby turning to see the blonde standing at the back of the rig.

The two hadn't spoken much since before their call, Shay wanting to give her PIC some space after their conversation this morning. Aside from asking how Casey was, the two hadn't said a word the entire way back. And while it wasn't an awkward silence, it wasn't what they were used to.

"Yeah?" Gabby asked, taking a step back towards her.

"Are we okay?"

Dawson's face softened, her lips curling into a soft smile, nodding immediately.

"We're fine, Shay." She responded, moving towards her friend, hugging her tightly.

"Good." She spoke softly, squeezing her tighter before they separated. "I just wanted to be sure, I know you didn't really like what I said, but-"

"It's not that, I really just… I don't know what's going on." Gabby breathed out, Shay nodding understandingly. "There's a lot I've got to figure out, but you and I good Shay." The blonde nodded, rubbing Dawson's shoulder before they began moving towards the house, Shay's arm wrapped around her.

They barely got through the door when they were stopped by a voice, the paramedics turning to see Adam Davis approaching them down the hallway. When 51 had gotten word that Casey was going to be out for more than a shift, headquarters decided to send Davis back here to fill in on 81 while Herrmann was covering for their Lieutenant.

"Hey, did you guys just get back?" Davis asked, Shay nodding.

"Yeah, we stopped by Casey's to check on him."

"How is he?" Herrmann asked from his position in the common room, all eyes in the room turning towards the paramedics.

"He's doing pretty well." Gabby responded, seeing Walker's dark gaze focused on her. She instantly felt uncomfortable under his unwavering stare, Gabby wincing before looking away from him. "He wasn't moving around much or anything, but he's in good spirits." She spoke vaguely, biting on the inside of her cheek.

"Good, that's good. Are you gonna see him again?"

"Yeah, we're gonna go back a little later to him help deal with his bandage." Shay replied.

"Well, let him know we're missing him. And that if he needs anything, just let us know."

"I will, Herrmann."

"Dawson." Davis spoke up, Gabby looking back towards the young firefighter. "Boden asked to see you, he said to tell you to go to his office when you got back." He said, her eyebrows furrowing before she nodded, stepping out of Shay's grasp.

"Alright, thanks Davis." Gabby gave him a small smile before heading down the hallway.

Shay watched Gabby for a second before turning back towards the group, looking towards everyone sitting in the common room before glancing to the firefighter beside her in the hallway. Her eyebrows raised as she saw Davis watching Gabby until she was out of sight, and even then, he didn't look away. An amused grin fell onto her face, the blonde shaking her head as she let out a chuckle.

"Oh, sweetheart." She muttered, Adam snapping out of his daze as he turned to look at the blonde paramedic.

"What?"

"You have a crush on Dawson." She spoke, Adam's eyes widening as he heard snickers from inside the common room. Walker's ears perked up when he heard Shay's words, his glare hardening on the firefighter.

"What? No- No I don't." He responded quickly, Shay grinning.

"You so do, and I don't blame you. She's hot." Shay spoke, patting him on the shoulder. "But she's not really on the market right now, so I wouldn't hold your breath." She said, dropping her hand before walking into the common room.

"Wait, Shay- Dawson's seeing someone?" Herrmann asked, the blonde stopping in her tracks a few steps inside the room, swallowing thickly. She hadn't realized what she said, not until Herrmann called her on it, but now everyone was watching her, waiting for her response.

"Oh, uh no." She spoke, clearing her throat. "I just meant that after, you know, everything that happened, she's taking a break from relationships for awhile." Shay covered, Herrmann nodding in response.

Shay heard a scoff to her left, turning to see Walker sitting at the table, shaking his head. The paramedic's eyes narrowed, Shay crossing her arms over her chest as she turned her body towards him.

"You have something to say?" She asked challengingly, Bryan rolling his eyes.

"No. I'm just not sure Gabby's been swearing off men as much as you make it sound." He chuckled, Shay's muscles tensing in agitation as the room full of firefighters fell silent.

"And why does that matter to you exactly?" She fired back, seeing the smug grin on his face fall. "You're the one who dumped her, you dropped her like your engagement meant nothing, why do you care what she does?"

"Wait, what?" Herrmann interjected, Shay breaking her eye contact with Walker, glancing back towards the man on the couch. "You broke up with her? I thought it was a mutual thing?" There was clear confusion in Herrmann's voice, Shay smirking knowingly as she turned back to Walker, seeing his demeanor falter slightly, his narrowed eyes focusing back on the blonde paramedic.

"Oh yeah, can't forget how you lied to everyone about that." She spoke, Walker's eyes piercing into her.

"Shay." He warned, his voice dripping in anger, but she just rolled her eyes.

"Is that true?" Mouch asked, Shay raising her eyebrows towards Bryan expectantly, the man huffing out a breath.

"Yeah, I broke up with her." He breathed out, confused stares moving around the room.

"Why didn't you just tell us that?"

"Why does it even matter?" He snapped, shaking his head. "It was months ago, it doesn't matter who broke up with who, we've both moved on."

"Then why do you care about who she's seeing?" Shay shot back, Walker's glare moving back to her.

"_I_ don't care, I don't give a shit who she's screwing," He spoke roughly, Shay's hard stare never faltering. "But I think Davis should be warned about what kind of chick he's chasing after, then maybe run the other way while he can. Dawson's a real piece of work, in case you haven't noticed."

"Walker." Severide warned, his voice dangerously low, Bryan leaning back in his seat.

"What? I'm just trying to help the kid out. Trust me, you don't want anything to do with her."

"Says the guy who cheated on her." Shay spat, the room falling deadly silent as the words left her lips. All eyes fell on the blonde, confusion and anger filling the room. Walker hadn't moved a muscle, rage radiating off her body as he kept his eyes on the paramedic, his neck clenching in anger.

"What did you just say?" Herrmann asked, feeling like he had to have misheard her. But Shay never answered him, her eyes locked on Bryan.

"Are you gonna tell them? Or do you want me to?" She questioned harshly.

"Shay, don't." Severide tried, but the paramedic ignored him. She knew Gabby would kill her for this, that Dawson didn't want people knowing, but she'd had enough of Walker's self-righteous attitude. Everyone deserved to know what kind of person he really was.

"What is she talking about?" Herrmann asked again, pushing himself up from the couch, moving to stand beside Shay.

Walker's hard gaze diminished as he caught Herrmann's eyes, Bryan pursing his lips together tightly as he felt the stares of the entire room on him. But he said nothing, his throat bobbing up and down as his gaze landed back on Shay.

"He'd been cheating on Dawson." She spoke firmly, taking a breath before continuing. "He had been for about a year before he broke up with her, with multiple people."

Silence fell over the room again, Walker avoiding their glares as he drew in a deep breath, the firefighter feeling all the anger in the room directed towards him.

"Guys…"

"How dare you." Herrmann's voice cut Walker off, the older firefighter shaking his head in disbelief.

"Herrmann-"

"Why would you do that to her? What kind of person does that to someone they're intending to marry- wait." Herrmann cut himself off, his face furrowing in disgust as he glared at the man. "You and Dawson hadn't even been engaged for a year." He stated angrily, Walker sighing deeply. "You proposed to her after you'd been cheating on her?!"

"Guys, I'm sorry. It was a mistake, I should've-"

"No, that's not a mistake." Herrmann spat, the other first responders in the room looking back and forth between the two firefighters. Everyone in the room was sure they'd never heard Herrmann this upset before. He had always been a hothead, but never like this, and never towards one of their own. He was absolutely livid with the man sitting across from him, and it was jarring. "A mistake is if it happens once, or maybe even twice, but you cheated on Dawson for an entire year?!" His tone rose as he spoke, the man getting more and more angry with each word. "That's no mistake, that's a choice. You chose to do that to her. God, what kind of man are you? I can't even look at you right now." Herrmann growled, stomping out of the room without another word, pushing the door open violently as he marched into the garage, needing to blow off some steam.

No other words were said in the common room, everyone too stunned and upset to think straight as Walker roughly pushed back his chair, storming from the room before anyone could stop him.

* * *

Gabby stood in the open doorway of Boden's office, tapping lightly on the frame as he looked up to her, smiling softly.

"Hello Dawson, come in." He prompted, the paramedic nodding as she stepped inside.

"Do I need to shut the door or..?" She questioned, Boden shaking his head.

"No, you're not in trouble or anything." He replied with a smile, Gabby chuckling as she moved towards the desk.

"Well, I wasn't sure. You only asked for me, instead of Shay and I, so I wasn't sure if I'd done something." She spoke lightly, earning a laugh from her boss.

"No, Dawson, you haven't done anything." He responded, Gabby sitting down across from him, relaxing into the chair.

"So, what's going on, Chief?" She asked, resting her arms across her lap.

"I just wanted to check in, see how you're doing." He said, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing slightly in confusion.

"I'm fine." She replied a little too quickly, Boden leaning forward against his desk as he watched her, Gabby suddenly feeling uncomfortable. "Why?"

"With everything going on the last few days, I know you took Casey's accident a little harder than the rest of us, I wanted to make sure you were alright." He responded, Gabby swallowing thickly as her eyes moved towards her lap, fiddling with her fingers. "I know accidents on the job are always hard for the first responder who's gotten injured, but they're also hard on the people they work with. And, from what I could tell, you seemed pretty upset about what happened, so I just wanted to check in with you." He explained, Gabby raising her head to find his gaze on her, the paramedic forcing a smile onto her face.

"I'm good, Chief. Really, I am." Gabby assured him, straightening her spine. "What happened to Casey did scare me, I won't pretend it didn't, but I'm fine." Boden nodded slowly, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "It's never easy to see any of us go down, and Casey's a good friend, it was hard to see him hurt. But there's nothing to worry about, I'm alright."

"Yeah, I have noticed you two seem close." He commented, Gabby's tongue poking out between her teeth, running over her bottom lip. "But that's good to hear. Obviously, I've been worried about Lieutenant Casey, but I was concerned for you too. I know things have been kind of hard for you lately, so I just wanted to make sure everything was good."

"I appreciate that Chief." She replied, Boden nodding as he leaned back in his chair. "Is that all?"

"Mhmm. You're free to go." He told her, Gabby drawing in a breath as she stood up, turning to leave. But she soon stopped, Boden eyeing her carefully as she looked back towards him, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jacket.

"Uh, before I go I just wanted to say thank you." She spoke softly, Boden's eyebrows raising curiously.

"What for?"

"For taking 61 out of service last shift, so we could stay with Casey." Realization settled over his face, Boden giving her a slight nod as a grin pulled on his lips. "I really appreciate you doing that."

"No thanks necessary, Dawson. I wanted some of us there with him, and I figured it would've made you feel better to keep an eye on him as well." He replied, Gabby nodding slowly, flashing him a thankful smile before moving towards the door. "And Dawson?"

Gabby stopped in the doorway, turning back to face him, an expectant look covering her face. "Yeah Chief?"

"Tell Casey I hope he feels better." He spoke knowingly, Gabby biting down roughly on her bottom lip before giving him a nod, turning to leave his office.

* * *

Gabby sat on the bed in the back of the ambulance, going through the tedious process of checking 61's inventory after returning from their multiple calls this afternoon. Practically the second she left Boden's office, ambulance 61 had gotten called as backup to a car accident with another house. And the calls kept coming after that. They ended up having four calls back to back, the paramedics not even having a chance to eat as they drove all over Chicago. Dawson and Shay ended up being away from the house for nearly the entire afternoon.

They had only gotten back about twenty minutes ago, Shay practically running inside the second the rig was in park, making a comment about how if she didn't get some food soon she was going to hit someone, and Gabby hadn't seen her since. Even though the PIC was a little hungry, she knew their inventory needed to be gone through so they could restock after their next call, so she'd decided to take care of that first.

Her phone buzzing on the bed beside her pulled her from her thoughts, Gabby picking it up to see a text from Matt, the man having answered her message she sent about ten minutes ago, the paramedic checking up on him.

'_I'm good, took a really long nap. You'd be proud_.'

A slight smile formed over her face as she read his message, Gabby pushing a strand of hair behind her ear before responding.

'_That's good to hear. Did you manage to eat some lunch?_'

She put her phone back down to get more work done while she waited for his response, but the action proved useless when her phone buzzed seconds later, signaling a new message.

'_I sure did. That soup you made was even better the second time, I had two bowls._'

Gabby's smile widened, her fingers moving quickly over her screen to type out her response.

'_That's good to know. I'll have to make it for you again sometime._'

"Hey Dawson."

Gabby looked up to see Herrmann standing in front of her, the man just outside the back of the rig, his hands shoved in his pockets.

"Hey Herrmann." She responded, feeling her phone buzz in her hands again, Gabby glancing down to see Matt's message.

'_I'm already looking forward to it._'

Locking her phone, she shoved it back into her pocket, turning her attention to the firefighter.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" He questioned, Gabby shaking her head.

"Just inventory, and I always welcome a distraction from that." She replied with a light smile, Herrmann nodding. "What's up?"

"I was wondering if we could talk for a second." He spoke vaguely, bringing his hand up to rub over the back of his neck, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"Yeah, of course. Is everything alright?" She could see the apprehension in his features, and a hint of what she could only describe as sadness shining in his eyes, Gabby unsure of what was going on.

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry, kid." He breathed out, Dawson's confusion only growing.

"For what?"

"For what Walker did to you."

Gabby's body froze, her heart rate increasing as her eyes widened slightly. "What are you talking about?" She questioned quietly, Herrmann sighing heavily.

"Shay told everyone what happened, how he was the one who ended things, and that he'd been cheating on you for awhile." Gabby's eyes fell closed as Herrmann spoke, Dawson biting down roughly on the inside of her cheek, shaking her head as she felt her chest tighten. "I'm so sorry he did that to you, Dawson. I had no idea." He spoke, Gabby swallowing the lump in her throat, having to force herself to breathe.

"It's okay, Herrmann." She spoke quietly, avoiding his gaze.

"No it's not. I don't know what he was thinking, you didn't deserve him doing that to you. I swear, I'm so angry at him for putting you through that... But you could've told us, Dawson. You know, nothing he did was your fault."

"No, I know that." She responded, clearing her throat. "But it was between me and Walker, and I guess I just didn't want to bring it into the house." She spoke, Herrmann eyeing her sadly.

"I'm sorry he did that to you, Dawson." He repeated, shaking his head. "And I know it's been awhile since everything, but still, I'm here if you need anything." He told her, Gabby nodding, slowly lifting her head.

"Thanks Herrmann." She replied, stepping down out of the rig. The man pulled her into a hug, Gabby reciprocating the action quickly before pulling away, grimacing when she saw the pitiful look in his eyes. "Is Shay still inside?"

"Yeah, she was stealing some of Severide's food, last I saw." He replied, Gabby nodding before turning on her heels, heading for the common room.

It took her mere seconds to get there, Gabby trying to keep her emotions under control as she whipped the door open, soon finding Shay exactly where Herrmann said she'd be. Before the blonde noticed her, Gabby saw some of the looks from the firefighters in the room, Dawson seeing the same looks of pity for her that Herrmann had. And she hated it.

She wasn't sure when Shay had told everyone, but considering no one had been looking at her like this earlier, she could only assume it happened either during her meeting with Boden, or just now after they'd gotten back.

"Shay." Gabby called sharply, the blonde lifting her head and turning to her friend. "Can we talk?"

Once getting a nod of confirmation, Gabby turned down the hall, not bothering to look back to make sure she was being followed, Dawson stopping in the doorway to the second set of double doors.

"What's up?" Shay asked, coming to stand in front of her friend.

"Why did you tell them?" Gabby questioned harshly. Shay was immediately confused by her partner's demeanor, but it only took her a couple of seconds to realize what her friend was talking about, the blonde paramedic crossing her arms over her chest.

"Gabby, I'm sorry." She breathed out, seeing the hard look of anger covering Dawson's face. "I know I shouldn't have said anything, but he was being such a dick and-"

"I don't care, Shay." Her voice was quiet, but Shay could hear how upset she was. "He's always like that. I asked you not to say anything and you did anyway."

"Dawson-"

"No, Shay. Just no. You knew I didn't want everyone knowing, you knew that and you told them anyway. You told the entire house, and for what? To be able to one-up Walker?"

"That's not what I was doing." Shay defended.

"And not only did you tell them, you told them behind my back, and I had to find out from Herrmann?"

"Dawson, I'm sorry." Shay apologized, Gabby sighing deeply. "I should've told you what happened, but I was only trying to look out for you. He was being an ass and saying things about you, and it just kind of slipped out. I wasn't trying to betray you, or hurt you. I know I shouldn't have said anything about it and I'm sorry, but I was trying to help."

Gabby drew in a deep breath, her eyes moving to the ground before she nodded tightly, clenching her neck.

"I need to go check on Matt." She spoke, turning towards the double doors.

"Gabby…"

But Dawson didn't say anything, she simply kept walking through the door into the garage, Shay sighing before heading after her.

The ride to Casey's place was tense, to say the least. Gabby refused to say a word, and Shay didn't try and push her. She knew that Gabby was angry right now, and until she moved past that, they wouldn't get anywhere.

Shay didn't do it to hurt her, and the blonde was sure her friend knew that. But it was obvious Gabby wasn't happy with her for betraying her trust, so she left Dawson alone.

When Shay pulled up outside Casey's place, Gabby got out without a word, closing the door behind her and hurrying towards his front door, the cold air nipping at her skin. She got inside as quickly as she could, stepping into the apartment, surprised to find the living room empty.

"Casey?" She called throughout the room, getting no response as she walked further into the apartment. There weren't many places for him to hide, Gabby soon seeing he wasn't in the kitchen or guest bathroom either. "Matt?" She called again, heading for his bedroom. Again, she got no response, and when she stepped into the room and saw him nowhere, she felt her nerves rising slightly. "Matt?"

As she stepped inside, she released a breath when she saw Matt slowly leaving the bathroom, his smile widening when he saw her.

"Hey, sorry." He greeted, Gabby shaking her head as she walked closer to him.

"No, it's fine. I just didn't know where you were."

"I'm right here." He spoke with a gentle smile, coming to a stop in front of her, seeing her nod slowly. His eyebrows furrowed as he took in her demeanor, his eyes tracing thoughtfully over her face. "What's wrong?" He asked suddenly, Gabby narrowing her eyes in confusion.

"What?"

"You seem upset, what happened?" He repeated softly, bringing his hand up to rest on her arm, rubbing gently over her jacket.

Gabby drew in a deep breath, her eyes focusing on his shirt as she chewed on her bottom lip, Matt patiently waiting for her to respond. "Shay… she just- she told everyone about Bryan cheating on me." Her voice dropped, Gabby refusing to meet his eyes.

Casey's face softened, bringing his other arm up to wrap around her, pulling her closer to him as he placed both hands on her hips. "Why?"

"I don't know." Gabby breathed out frustratedly. "She said they got into a fight, about me I guess. Walker was running his mouth and Shay just couldn't help herself."

A soft frown formed over his lips, Matt pulling her towards him, wrapping his arms around her back as he brought her into a hug. Gabby relaxed into his hold, curling her arms against his chest, not wanting to hug him back and risk hurting his side. She pressed her head into his neck, releasing a heavy breath as she felt him squeeze her body against his.

They stood there for a few minutes, Matt holding onto her for as long as he felt like she needed. Although he never really agreed with her decision to not tell the house about what Walker did, he understood it. He knew she had her reasons for wanting to keep that private, and he knew how much thinking about it upset her. It should've been her decision whether people found out or not, and even though he was sure Shay hadn't done it to hurt her, he knew this wasn't easy for Gabby to face.

"I'm sorry." He murmured, feeling her nuzzle herself into his neck, Matt pressing a kiss to the side of her head. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I guess. I just didn't think I'd have to deal with all this today, or ever… I didn't want them to know."

"I know."

"I don't want their pity. I know they mean well, but the way they were all looking at me today after they found out, they all just felt sorry for me." She breathed out, Gabby focusing on the feeling of his arms wrapped around her, and how comfortable she felt in his embrace. "And I haven't even seen Walker since she told them, but I'm sure that he'll somehow think this is my fault."

"If he does, we'll deal with it." He replied, Gabby sighing as she pulled her head back, looking up at him. "I don't think he's stupid enough to mess with you again, but if he does, I'll handle it."

"Matt…"

"What? Just because I'm a little beat up doesn't mean I can't take him." He spoke lightly, a grin coming to her face as she chuckled, Matt matching her smile. Leaning forward, he placed a lingering kiss to her forehead, his hand cupping the side of her head as he pulled back, rubbing his thumb over her hair. "Obviously, I don't know what happened, but I do know Shay. And you know Shay, probably better than anyone. She never does anything without a good reason." Matt spoke, Gabby nodding knowingly. "I know you're upset, and you have every right to be, but I'm sure her heart was in the right place."

Gabby's tongue ran over her bottom lip, the paramedic thinking over his words before she reluctantly nodded. "Yeah… you're right." A bright smile fell onto his face, Gabby rolling her eyes playfully. "Don't get too excited, it'll never happen again."

Chuckling softly, Matt leaned towards her, capturing her lips in a gentle kiss, Gabby reciprocating the action before they separated.

"Alright, enough of that." She commented, pulling herself from his grasp. "I need to get you patched up before I get a call." She told him, Matt nodding as he slowly moved to the bed, Gabby heading in the opposite direction towards the bathroom to get his bandages, neither sure how much time they had before Gabby might get called away.

* * *

**So, there's another one, and there's kind of a lot to unpack here. Gabby seems content to just ignore everything she's feeling for Matt for the time being, and poor Matt doesn't even know. Although it seems like Boden has some idea that something is going on there. But also, now everyone knows Walker cheated on Gabby, and, as you can see, it didn't go over very well.**

**I'm super excited to hear your thoughts on everything. Things are definitely gonna start getting a little crazier here soon. I've got some interesting, and kind of intense, things planned for this story that I'm really looking forward to.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	21. Chapter Twenty One

**Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all, I hope you like it.**

**There is a little M-rated scene in this one, as it's been requested a few times for more of that. I can definitely keep adding more of those scenes, if you all are interested.**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**TWENTY ONE**

* * *

Gabby blew out a heavy breath as she pushed open the front door to Matt's apartment, closing it in place behind her as soon as she got inside, turning the lock before stepping further into his quiet home. Having just returned from shift, Gabby placed her work bag down on the ground just inside his living room, knowing she could deal with it later. But first, she needed food.

It had been a long day of work for Dawson, and right now all she wanted was some breakfast, a shower, and a nap, in that order. But she knew the nap would probably have to wait, Gabby not wanting to be asleep when Matt came home.

Dawson knew she'd be walking into an empty apartment after work, the paramedic well aware that Matt had his appointment to be cleared for work first thing this morning. She had tried to get him to push it back, telling him she'd go with him if he wanted, but Casey had told her not to worry about it, that he'd fill her in on everything once he got home. And Dawson could only hope he'd be coming home with good news.

It had been a little less than two weeks since his accident on the job, and Matt was chomping at the bit to get back to work. Aside from the scar left on his side, there were no remains of his accident, and Casey was more than ready to get back to his life. After having spent every day here for the last two weeks, aside from the days she was at work, Gabby knew better than anyone how excited he was to get back into the swing of things, and hopefully here soon he'd be able to.

After kicking her shoes off, Gabby made her way into the kitchen, opening the fridge and looking over her options for any sort of suitable breakfast. Deciding she didn't have the energy for anything too intensive, Gabby closed the fridge and grabbed the loaf of bread sitting on the counter, settling on two pieces of toast.

It took her longer than normal to finish her breakfast, Gabby's body feeling the effects of her long shift day. It had been non stop calls for nearly twenty four hours, and her lack of sleep was definitely catching up with her.

Once downing the the last bit of her orange juice, Gabby cleaned up her dishes before heading for Matt's bedroom, occasional yawns escaping her lips as she moved. Stepping into the bathroom, she turned the shower on before beginning to strip out of her clothes, tossing them into a pile on the ground, Gabby stretching out her sore and exhausted limbs.

When the water was a sufficient temperature, she stepped in, letting the warm water soothe her aching muscles, Gabby's mind wandering as the steam surrounded her. The last two weeks had been interesting, to say the least, for both Matt and Gabby, and in the times where Dawson got a moment to herself, it was hard to not think about everything.

Gabby was trying her hardest to figure out her feelings for the man she'd been living with as of late, but she was struggling to do so. Every time she felt like she was close to coming to terms with what she felt, she's second guess herself, deciding it was just the high emotions of the last few weeks, and she'd end up back at square one. She was having a hard time letting her mind accept what her heart was telling her, and it left her feeling more confused and vulnerable than she'd care to admit. Dawson knew she needed to figure out what was going on in her head, before she did anything else she needed to come to grips with what she was feeling, but the weight of what her confession would do stopped her every time she felt like she was close to accepting her feelings for the man she'd grown so close to.

They had fallen into a good rhythm, the two of them, and she didn't want to mess that up. Shay had been undoubtedly right about one thing; she was scared to have more with Matt. She was scared of changing things, she was scared of the possible rejection. She liked what they had, and her possible feelings could ruin that. So the only thing she knew to do was ignore them. She had to, for both their sakes.

Even though Shay had been right about her fear, there was one thing Dawson hoped she was wrong about; that her ignoring her feelings would end up hurting them both. She was doing this to protect what they had, so neither of them would get hurt. She was doing this for them, and all she could do was trust that she was doing the right thing.

She just hoped it wouldn't come back to blow up in her face.

* * *

Matt walked into his apartment with a bright smile on his face, his spirits significantly lifted after the appointment he'd had with his doctor. He'd gotten great news, and he couldn't wait to tell everyone. He needed to call Boden and let him know what was going on, but there was one person he wanted to tell first.

"Gabby?" He called through the room, catching a glimpse of her shift bag sitting on the floor, telling him she was here. His eyes moved around the room, not seeing her anywhere, but a small smile caught on his lips as he saw little traces of her all over his apartment. It was clear he no longer lived here alone, and although it was only temporary, he had to admit that he liked the feeling. He liked having someone to come home to, he liked having someone to spend his time with. And he really liked that that person was Gabby.

"Gabby?" He called again when he got no answer, hanging his jacket up on the rack before walking further into the apartment, hearing the faint sound of the shower running as he moved. A slight smirk played on his lips, Matt following the sound as he walked towards his bedroom, heading straight for the bathroom.

As he stepped inside the smaller room, he saw the outline of Gabby's body through the fogged glass door, steam filling the air as he began stripping out of his clothes, throwing them into the pile she'd already created. Slowly opening the door, Casey was all ready to make a comment about her wanting some company, but he stopped himself when he saw her deep in thought. Whatever she was thinking about had consumed her to the point she hadn't even heard him open the door, Matt stepping in behind her and closing the door.

Gabby tensed when she felt the unexpected arms slide around her waist, but immediately relaxed as she felt him pull her back against his chest, water falling down over them.

"Sorry." He murmured, pressing a soft kiss to her shoulder, his hands gliding over her stomach.

"It's okay, I just didn't hear you." She responded just as softly, not wanting to disturb the peaceful feeling in the air. "How'd your appointment go?" She questioned, her eyes falling closed as she focused on the feeling of his hands slowly running over her body, finally settling under her breasts, keeping her close to him.

"Well, I think it went pretty well." He spoke lightly, pressing a kiss to her neck. "I got cleared to return next shift."

A wide smile covered her face as she turned around in his arms, his hands resting on her hips as she met his eyes, his grin widening when he saw the genuine excitement in her features.

"You did?" She asked softly, Matt nodding.

"Mhmm."

Gabby leaned forward, pressing a firm kiss against his lips, feeling him smile before reciprocating the gesture, the two moving together as Matt gripped her hips tightly, holding her body against his.

"That's great, Matt." She whispered as they pulled back, Casey running his hands over her slick back before he settled low on her waist. "I know you're ready to get back into everything, and it hasn't been the same without you at the house."

"Oh, I'm sure it hasn't. I mean, I don't think anyone else appreciates our time together at the firehouse nearly as much as I do… Especially that time I came back from a call and had a nice, pants-less surprise waiting for me in my office." He spoke with a smug grin, heat rising to Gabby's cheeks as she focused her gaze on his chest.

"That was one time." She responded, Matt chuckling as he ducked his head, pulling her in for another kiss, Gabby's body leaning into his.

"It's a shame that it was _only_ one time." He murmured, Gabby grinning against his lips before kissing him again, a surprised squeak escaping her lips as his hands slid down past her waist, cupping her skin in his palms.

When air became a priority, the two pulled back, their chests heaving as they stayed pressed together, their eyes locked on one another.

"So…" Gabby spoke once she'd caught her breath. "I guess since you have a clean bill of health, that means I can go home again." She said softly, Matt swallowing thickly.

It wasn't something they had talked about, but it was clear to both of them that Matt had been fine to stay on his own for nearly a week now. He'd been able to get around by himself, he didn't need her help with anything, but she had chosen to stay. They never brought it up, even though they both knew there was no medical reason for her to stay with him anymore. But now she didn't have the excuse that he was still not cleared to work. At least when that had been the case, she had some semblance of an excuse if the topic ever came up. But now, there was nothing to keep her here. Nothing except that she liked being here, with him.

"Yeah, I guess so." He responded, his tongue poking out between his teeth. "But, I am gonna miss you having you here."

Gabby bit down on the inside of her cheek, her eyes flickering over his face before she nodded, suddenly very aware of his hands on her body.

"I'm sure I'll still be around." She replied, her hands moving from his chest to his hips.

"You better be." He spoke quietly, leaning in to kiss her again, this one much more gentle than the previous ones, Gabby nearly melting into him.

They moved together for a few tender moments, both only focused on the other until Gabby pulled back first, catching his gaze before speaking up.

"Since you've been cleared to work, I'm guessing you're cleared for… everything?" Her words were drawn out as she raised an eyebrow, cocking her head to the side as Matt felt heat spread through his body.

"Absolutely." He murmured, Gabby grinning mischievously before leaning in to kiss him again, Gabby pressing her hips into his, the action causing a groan to escape the back of his throat.

Casey had been trying for a few days now to persuade Gabby into partaking in some of their more fun activities, claiming that he was feeling fine, and they didn't need to wait when he'd been getting the go-ahead in a couple of days anyway. He was persistent, and Gabby nearly caved once or twice, but she shot him down every time. Despite how much she missed that part of their friendship, she wouldn't risk him getting hurt for it. So, no matter how heated things became, she ended up turning him down multiple times, leading to a very disgruntled Matt who had needed more than a few cold showers.

But now that he was back at a hundred percent, she had no intentions of stopping whatever he started, although allowing herself to have a little fun first couldn't hurt.

"That's good to hear." She replied quietly, pressing a soft kiss against his neck, Matt's eyes falling closed as he focused on the feeling of her body pressed into his, the firefighter having missed this more than he realized.

Gabby's hands carefully slid from his waist around to his stomach, the paramedic putting some distance between their hips, enough for her hand to sneak in between them and grab ahold of him without warning. Matt's breath caught in his throat, a low moan escaping his lips as Gabby began to slowly stroke him, the water encouraging her movements as she kept up her steady pace.

Matt could feel his muscles tensing, Gabby's kisses moving over his neck and his jaw as she continued. She never sped up, she never slowed down, or changed her grip. Everything was constant, and it was driving him insane.

"Gabby…" He breathed out, feeling her smirk against his neck before she dropped her hand, stepping away from him.

"Enjoy the rest of your shower." She spoke softly, a displeased look covering his face as Gabby slid past him, stepping out of the shower and reaching for the towel that had become hers.

"You're really gonna leave me like this?" He huffed out as Gabby bit back a smirk, catching a glimpse of just how effective her little stunt had been as she wrapped the towel around her body.

"You can handle it." She responded with a shrug, Matt groaning as she shut the shower door.

"Seriously?" He nearly whined as she moved towards the bedroom. She wasn't serious, they both knew that. She was fully expecting him to be out of the shower in minutes, for him to meet her in the bedroom where she'd be waiting, but it was so easy to get him all riled up, she couldn't resist. And she knew she'd very much enjoy the repercussions of leaving him in that shower. "Such a tease." She heard him mutter before she got into the other room, a soft chuckle escaping her lips while she moved towards the bed.

Casey took his time in the shower, not only to try and calm himself down a bit, but also because, as Gabby had correctly assumed, he knew exactly what she was doing. This wasn't the first time she'd done something like this, and he knew what was going to happen as soon as he got out of the shower. How she'd be waiting for him just on the other side of this wall, most likely still wrapped up in her towel, if even that.

Blowing out a heavy breath, Casey turned off the water, finishing his second shower of the morning as he stepped out into the open bathroom, quickly drying himself off before wrapping his towel around his waist.

With a slight smirk on his lips, Matt walked out of his bathroom into the bedroom, but the second he saw the scene in front of him his smirk soon turned into a gentle grin, his face softening as he saw Gabby curled up in the middle of his bed, wrapped in only a towel, sound asleep.

If he had to guess, he'd say she fell asleep on accident, Matt assuming she had a pretty long night on shift if she'd fallen asleep that quickly. Knowing their original plans were now put on hold, Matt walked over to the bed, sitting down to face her, resting his hand on her exposed thigh, stroking the skin softly.

"Gabby." He murmured, hearing her groan softly, clearly not enjoying being pulled from her slumber. "Let me get the towel so you can sleep." He didn't want her sleeping in a wet towel all morning, but with it being wrapped around her body there was no way to remove it without waking her.

A look of confusion covered her face as she slowly came into consciousness, Gabby blinking furiously as she looked around the room before landing on Matt, seeing him watching her with a gentle smile.

"You fell asleep." He spoke, Gabby yawning as she shifted to lie on her back, a shiver coursing through her body.

"I'm sorry." She responded softly, rubbing her eyes before finding his gaze again, seeing him shake his head.

"It's fine, you look like you could use some rest, we can pick this up later."

His words reignited something within her, Gabby smiling devilishly as she moved her hands to her towel-covered stomach, Matt following her movements closely.

"Or we could pick this up right now." She murmured, sliding her hands up her body, Matt swallowing the lump in his throat as she ran her hands over her chest, stopping when she got to the edge of her towel.

"You can sleep, really it's fine." Matt assured her, not wanting her to do this just for his own benefit, the man desperately trying to ignore the blood rushing south in his body.

"I'm wide awake now." She responded, slowly pulling the towel open, letting the material fall to either side of her body, exposing herself to him. His eyes immediately trailed down her form, Matt slowly taking her in even though he'd seen her like this moments prior.

Without another word, Matt climbed onto the bed, covering her body with his as he captured her lips in a passionate kiss. Gabby's hands immediately moved to his waist, ridding him of the towel and tossing it out of the way, Matt pressing his hips down into hers.

Every move they made was slow and deliberate, Matt taking his time as she spread her legs apart, letting his body rest in between them. His soft kisses moved over her jaw down to her neck, his hands roaming every inch of her body as they got lost in one another, Gabby's mind full of nothing but Matt.

Pulling back from her slightly, Casey let himself have a moment to take her in, her chest heaving from the lack of oxygen as she lay on the mattress beneath him, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip as he stared at her. For just a moment, he thought about how much he liked this view, Matt thinking about how gorgeous she looked lying under him, and how he could see himself enjoying this view for a very long time.

The air around them was thick with unsaid emotions, Matt grinning softly before he leaned back down, placing kisses over her chest, holding her skin between his lips. Every move he made was gentle and caring, his hand sliding along the inside of her thigh, his thumb teasing her every few moments while he took his time with her.

"I've missed this." He murmured against her skin, Gabby swallowing the lump in her throat as he kissed his way back up to her lips, their mouths connecting once more as he ran his hand lightly over her center. Occasional whimpers and moans escaped through her lips, Matt carefully sliding one finger into her before pulling it back, the man continuing this for a few minutes before ceasing his movements.

With his lips still on hers, his grabbed ahold of himself and lined up at her entrance, carefully sinking down into her. A low moan left her lips as he filled her completely, the two taking a moment to readjust to the feeling before Matt began to slowly thrust in and out of her.

His movements were steady, the two kissing long and slow while he carefully moved in and out of her, his body covering hers completely as she hooked her legs around his thighs, refusing to let him get very far.

In the midst of his movements, Matt blindly reached for Gabby's hand, their fingers lacing together as he placed their conjoined hands on the bed beside her head, her arm bent at the elbow as he steadily increased his pace. Gabby was completely immersed in him and his movements, the pair never disconnecting from one another as they enjoyed being together for the first time in a couple of weeks.

Unlike every other time, nothing about this was rough, or rushed. There was no frantic need to get this done as quickly as possible. This was a desperation to feel each other again, a desperate need to be together, the two focused on nothing besides each other. This was slow, and it was caring, and it was exactly what she needed it to be after what happened to him. This was another reminder that he was still here, that he was fine. She wasn't sure if he knew she needed this, or if he felt the same way, but in this moment she felt closer to him than she ever had before.

Every gentle movement he made brought her closer to the edge, her body responding to the tender moments between them as Gabby used her free hand to grip the back of his neck, holding him to her as she clenched around him. She heard the exact moment he felt her body's signals that she was close, Matt moaning into her mouth as she repeated the action steadily, Matt's deep thrusts continuing at his steady pace.

Her release hit her suddenly, Matt working her through it as her body trembled around him, her grip on his hand tightening as pleasure flooded her system, Matt continuing his pace as whimpers and moans escaped through her lips. Her body relaxed around him as he continued to move in and out of her, Gabby doing what she could to keep kissing him while her limbs felt like jelly, his release following minutes later.

He eased out of his movements to bring them slowly back down, Gabby panting against him as he came to a complete stop, Matt kissing her one last time before pulling his head back, seeing a look of complete contentment on her face. Slowly pulling out of her, Matt collapsed on the bed beside her, their chests heaving as they laid in the comfortable silence.

Once she caught her breath, Gabby quietly got up, Matt watching as she disappeared into the bathroom, Casey taking the moment to toss her towel off the bed towards his, knowing it was something they could deal with later. When she reappeared minutes later, she immediately came back to bed, Matt pulling her into his chest the second she hit the mattress. Her back was pressed against him as he threw the covers over them, Gabby relaxing her body into his, feeling him place a kiss to the top of her shoulder, his arm holding her around her stomach.

"Yeah, I definitely missed that." He murmured, Gabby chuckling softly as she felt him press another kiss to her skin, her mind slowly fading. "Get some sleep." She heard him whisper, Gabby focusing on the feeling of his thumb stroking her stomach as she let her body give in to its exhaustion, the content smile never leaving her face.

* * *

Gabby stood by herself in the locker room, hanging her shift bag up as she began to mentally prepare for work. Today was Casey's first day back, and aside from her and Boden, no one knew he'd be returning today. She wasn't sure how it became a surprise, but all Gabby knew was that no one was aware that their truck Lieutenant was returning today. And based on all the nervous energy Matt had from the moment they woke up this morning, she knew it was well past time for him to come back.

During the last two days since Matt had been cleared, the firefighter had been practically bouncing off the walls, amping himself up to return to work. Gabby couldn't help but think he was acting like he'd been off the job for months and not a couple of weeks, but regardless she was glad to have him back. She missed working with him, and she knew how much he missed being around everyone.

But that didn't mean she wasn't a little nervous. After him getting injured at that call, she couldn't help but worry about him working again. There were so many unknowns to this job, so many things out of their control, and she didn't want to see him hurt again. But she knew he was always as safe as he could be, and he had a bunch of people here looking out for him. It would probably just take a few shifts for the lingering jitters to leave her system.

And she knew the same could be said for him, Gabby having seen flashes of his apprehension the last few days.

Despite their conversation about Gabby not staying with him anymore, she had actually yet to go back to Antonio's apartment. The day he got cleared, after their morning of celebration and then their nap that followed, they ended up having a lazy day together that consisted of them lounging around the apartment. After dinner they had curled up on the couch, Gabby having fallen asleep on him before she could think of going home. Then the next morning when she woke up in his bed, and Matt explained to her how he carried her to bed so they wouldn't have to sleep on the couch, she had every intention of going home later that day. But when it got closer to the evening, Gabby could tell how anxious Matt was feeling. He was nervous to return to work after what happened, even though he was having a hard time admitting it, so when he asked her to stay with him last night it never even crossed her mind to say no. For as concerned as she felt for Matt, she knew it was only that much worse for him, and she wouldn't leave him alone when he was feeling so unsure.

Gabby just hoped that once he got back into the swing of things, his uncertainty would pass, that both of them could lose this sense of nervousness that they couldn't seem to shake. She didn't want to feel worried about him doing his job, and she didn't want him to feel that way either, but she knew it would most likely take time for them both to get past their nerves.

The loud sound of a locker door slamming closed caused Gabby to jump in her skin, the paramedic turning to see Walker standing at his now shut locker. She didn't even know he was in here, she hadn't heard come in or open his locker, but it was clear he'd been here awhile as all his stuff was now put away.

The firefighter looked towards her with an intense glare, Gabby swallowing the thick lump that had formed in her throat before turning her attention back to her locker.

Since the house had learned of Walker's infidelity, Gabby was surprised to say that he hadn't made any attempt to talk to her about it, or, more accurately, yell at her about it. When she'd gotten back from Casey's house that night after finding out Shay had told everyone, she was expecting him to be livid. For him to be in a complete rage, and for her to be the target of his anger, but he never said a word about it that night. He hadn't said a word to her at all. Aside from being on the receiving end of a lot of glares from him, that was as far as their contact had gone, and while she wasn't expecting that at all, she was thankful for it. In fact, Walker hadn't really talked to anyone, now that she thought about it. Most everyone in the house was still angry with him for what he did, and he hadn't really gone to any lengths to try and mend those relationships. He seemed content to just keep his head down and leave everyone alone. Although considering how she could still feel his eyes burning holes in the side of her head, she wasn't sure how much longer he'd be sticking to that strategy.

"Dawson." He spoke roughly, Gabby blinking tightly before turning around, finding he'd taken a step closer to her, the paramedic instinctively backing up against the lockers.

"What do you want, Walker?" She asked quickly, closing her locker, preparing herself for a quick getaway if needed. She wasn't sure what his plan was, she didn't think he was stupid enough to do anything here, but the look of rage burning in his eyes had her on edge.

"I just want to know how you managed to turn everyone here against me." He spoke calmly, his tone clashing with the hard look on his face.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't act stupid." He spat, Gabby digging her fingernail into the back of her hand as an attempt to distract herself. "You've been walking around here all high and mighty, and now you've got everyone else on your side, all because you couldn't keep your mouth shut. You had to go cry to Shay, and then she went running her mouth about things she knew nothing about. Now everyone here hates me. All because you couldn't just get over it."

"I didn't do anything, Walker." She responded firmly, clearing her throat. "You're the one who cheated on me, you're the one who _hurt_ me," He took a step closer to her when those words left her mouth, Gabby taking another step back.

"Yeah, and have you gone crying to Shay about that yet? Feeding her all that bullshit." He questioned harshly, Gabby blinking furiously. "I'm guessing you haven't, considering no one's come crying to me about it." He spoke, closing more of the distance between them, Gabby holding her hand out.

"Don't come near me." She spoke as forcefully as she could, but her words only caused him to smile, Bryan clearly enjoying the effect he had on her. "You made all those choices on your own, how people respond to them isn't on me. And for the record, I even asked Shay not to say anything. She did all that on her own. But you're the only one responsible for what you did, Bryan. How people treat you because of it isn't my fault." She told him, her voice hard. "Even if I did tell Shay to tell everyone, it doesn't matter. You still cheated on me, you still h-" She cut herself off, her jaw clenching tightly. "You made your own choices, you don't get the right to be mad at me, or Shay, or anyone but yourself for how people see you now. You did this."

"Yeah, and maybe if you were a better girlfriend, I wouldn't have had to." He snapped, Gabby crossing her arms over her chest. "Anything I did, you had it coming, I know you know that. Because you couldn't just keep your mouth shut and listen. You never could, but after awhile it wasn't so cute anymore. You made my life hell for years, and you still are. Except now instead of just you, it's you and Shay, because she's believing whatever sob story you're telling her."

"It's not a sob story if it's the truth."

"Yeah, I wouldn't be so sure about that." He spoke roughly, taking another step closer to her, Gabby feeling her heart begin to pound in her chest. "If I find out you've told _anyone _anything else about our relationship, whether it be your dumbass brother, or Shay, or whatever loser you've convinced that you're worth fucking, I swear you'll regret it."

"Walker."

Gabby bit down on the inside of her cheek roughly as she turned to see Severide standing at the entrance of the locker room, his arms crossed over his chest firmly, Bryan immediately taking a step away from Dawson.

"Is there a problem?" Kelly asked with narrowed eyes, Gabby blinking back the tears in her eyes as she looked towards the ground.

"Nope, nothing that concerns you. Just having a chat with Dawson, here." He replied with a grin. Walker clasping her on the shoulder, Gabby flinching when he touched her. "Remember what I said." He nearly whispered, gripping her tightly before letting go, Bryan flashing Kelly a grin before leaving the locker room.

Once they were alone, Severide took in Dawson's demeanor for a moment, seeing her eyes plastered to the ground, her arms wrapped around herself almost protectively.

"You okay, Dawson?" He asked, Gabby nodding before meeting his eyes, Kelly watching as she plastered a fake smile onto her face.

"I'm good. Did you need something?"

"Boden wants everyone in the conference room." Severide replied carefully, Gabby nodding a few times before shoving her hands into her pockets.

"Okay."

Without another word, Kelly walked with Dawson to the conference room, the two being the last of the house to come in, a wide smile falling onto Severide's face when he saw Casey at the front of the room.

"Well, would you look who's finally back." Kelly spoke, Matt grinning as he watched the two walk in, his smile faltering slightly when he saw the near despondent look on Gabby's face. When she saw him watching her, she recovered quickly, flashing him a soft smile as she moved towards the table Shay was at, Matt responding with a similar grin.

"Yes, as you all can see Casey is back with us."

Cheers and hollers were heard throughout the room, Matt smiling as he clasped his hands together.

"He's been cleared for full-duty, so things will be able to get back to normal around here."

"Yeah, I'm glad to be back here." Casey added. "Herrmann, I appreciate you taking over for me while I was out, but I'm looking forward to being back with you guys."

"We're glad to have you, Lieutenant." Herrmann replied. "Trust me, probably me more than anyone are glad you're back, if just for the paperwork alone." He joked, earning laughs from around the room.

Their conversation was cut off by the bells ringing out, signaling 61 to respond as backup to a car accident, Dawson and Shay pushing themselves up from their seat.

"Glad to have you back, Casey." Shay called, flashing him a warm grin as she moved towards the door, Gabby giving him a similar small smile before they disappeared out into the hallway, jogging towards the garage.

The partners got into the rig silently, Gabby buckling up while Shay got the ambulance started, the blonde pulling from the garage as quickly as she could.

"You okay?" Shay asked carefully after a few minutes, Gabby turning to look at her with a questioning look. "You seem a little upset."

"I'm okay." Gabby responded softly, the blonde nodding before returning her attention back to the road.

Though Shay didn't really believe her partner, she left it alone, knowing they weren't really in a place where she thought she should push her to talk.

Ever since Shay had told the house of how Walker had been cheating on Gabby, things had been a little tense between the best friends. They had a talk about it the night it happened, on the way back from Casey's place they hashed things out; Shay profusely apologized for telling everyone, Gabby telling her it was okay, she just needed some time to get over it. Dawson made it known that she wasn't mad, but she felt weird about Shay telling everyone what happened when she knew that was the last thing Gabby wanted, and Dawson needed time to move past that.

So the blonde had backed off, giving Gabby space. And things were still a little off between them. Shay hated it, and she could only hope Dawson did as well, but she knew better than to try and force her PIC to talk to her. Gabby would shut down before she could even finish a thought, and Shay didn't want that. She just wished things weren't so strange between them.

Shay had done what she could to act like everything was normal, but she could tell Gabby was holding back. Their previous conversations about anything and everything were now reduced to short back and forths, Gabby barely giving her anything. And if Shay had to guess, she figured her best friend felt apprehensive to talk to her, and that was the last thing the blonde wanted. She could barely even get her to talk about Casey, Shay getting nothing more than Gabby relaying how he was feeling. Gabby hadn't even told her he was coming back to work.

It all just felt different, and Shay despised it. She wanted her friend back, but she knew her actions caused this. Despite her intentions, Gabby felt betrayed by what she did, and Dawson needed time to move past that. And although Shay was a little surprised that it had been two weeks since it happened and Gabby had yet to truly forgive her, she knew things concerning Walker were always harder for Gabby to deal with. So Shay would give her as much time as she needed.

But just because she'd give her time, that didn't mean Shay couldn't remind Dawson that she was here for her, no matter what.

"Hey Gabby?" Shay spoke up as they got closer to the scene, pulling Dawson from her own thoughts, the PIC looking towards her.

"Yeah?"

"I know things have been a little… off with us lately." Shay started, Gabby's face faltering slightly. "But you can always come to me if you need to. I know I messed up by telling everyone about what Walker did. I was trying to help, but that doesn't matter, I shouldn't have done it because I knew you didn't want me to. I am sorry, Dawson. But I'm always here if you need me, I hope you still know that."

Shay finished her small speech as they pulled up to the scene, Gabby nodding, waiting for her partner to put the rig in park before pulling her into a hug. The action surprised Shay, but she quickly responded, wrapping her arms tightly around her friend.

"I'm sorry, too." Gabby whispered, giving her a quick squeeze before they separated, both women knowing they didn't have time to have this full conversation right now. Once they climbed down from the rig, Shay moved to grab their bag, Gabby working on getting the stretcher from the back. "I know you meant well, and I don't think I was so much mad at you, as I was with having to face all of it again, and worrying about what Walker would do…" She trailed off, Shay's face falling as Gabby shook her head softly. "But I'm sorry for acting a little distant lately, I've missed you Shay."

"I missed you, too." The blonde spoke, smiling widely at her friend before they moved towards the scene, focusing on the task at hand.

* * *

"Oh, well would you look at that, there are my two favorite guys." Shay called as her and Dawson walked towards the squad table that was currently occupied by Casey and Severide, the two men looking up at the paramedics.

"Yeah? Which one do you like more?" Severide questioned, Shay shoving her hands into her pockets as she glanced back and forth between the two.

"Today, Casey probably. But that could change." She shrugged, sitting down on the edge of the table as Gabby took a detour, flashing the group a small smile before heading for the double doors, no one saying anything until the door fell closed behind her.

"Is Dawson alright?" Severide questioned, Shay's gaze flickering to Casey, seeing a concerned look shining in his eyes as she responded.

"She seemed okay at the call, but she was acting a little weird before that."

"I wonder if it was because of Walker."

Both Shay's and Matt's eyes narrowed at Severide's words, the blondes glancing to one another before returning their attention back to the firefighter.

"What do you mean?" Casey asked, Shay soon following up with another question.

"What happened with Walker?"

"I don't know, but I went into the locker room and they were in there. I couldn't really hear their conversation, but Gabby looked spooked." Severide answered, Casey's neck clenching as he met Shay's worried eyes.

"You didn't hear anything?" Shay pressed, Severide shaking his head.

"No, it's not like they were yelling or anything. I could hear voices, but I couldn't really make out what they were saying. When I came in, Walker was practically standing over her, and Gabby looked kinda nervous, I'm guessing that's what had her acting weird."

Shay blew out a sigh, Matt clasping his hands together in his lap as he bit down on his tongue.

"I wish he'd just leave her alone." Shay breathed out, shaking her head.

"Has he said anything to her since everyone found out about him cheating?" Matt questioned the paramedic. Although he knew the answer already, or at least he knew what Gabby had told him, he wanted the extra reassurance.

"Not that I know of." Shay replied, Matt nodding. "But I'm not sure she would've told me if he had, she's been kind of distant since all that."

"Yeah…" Matt trailed off, his gaze moving towards the doors she disappeared through, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

Although Casey hadn't been here to see it, he knew Dawson had still been weary of everyone at 51 since they found out about Walker's cheating. From their few talks about it, he could tell it was something that bothered her more than she cared to admit, everyone knowing about what Walker did, so he wasn't surprised to hear from Shay that things hadn't exactly been smooth sailing as of late.

"Casey."

Severide snapping his fingers in front of Casey's face pulled Matt from his thoughts, the truck Lieutenant's gaze focusing on his friend, Kelly watching him expectantly.

"What?"

"Dawson's not there, you can stop staring." Severide spoke, Matt shaking his head as he glanced towards Shay. "Speaking of, that's something I am curious about." He said vaguely, Casey raising his eyebrows.

"What's that, exactly?"

"How long have you and Dawson been screwing?"

Matt's eyes widened in shock, the firefighter angrily glancing to Shay, seeing the woman already on the defensive as she held her hands up in front of her.

"It wasn't me!"

"Technically, it was." Severide bit back, Casey sighing heavily as he slouched in his seat, Kelly chuckling lightly.

"How'd you know?" Matt asked pointedly, Shay shaking her head.

"I never told him." She spoke, Casey turning his attention back to Severide, waiting for him to answer.

"Well, I didn't exactly know until just now, I only had a feeling." Severide started, Matt shaking his head as he ran his hand over his mouth. "But you two have been super close the last few months, you guys are together a lot on shift, and there were a few times on shift I noticed you'd disappear at the same time, which, congrats on that, man." Kelly said with a devilish grin, Matt rolling his eyes. "And then that night you defended her at the bar with Walker, and how she was acting at the hospital when you got hurt… It was a bunch of stuff like that, that by itself I didn't think much of, but then Shay here let it slip the other day that Gabby was the one taking care of you, and I kind of just put it all together."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Shay questioned, Kelly shrugging.

"Because I still wasn't sure if it was anything, and I didn't know you knew."

"Of course I knew, I'm Gabby's best friend." Shay spoke, Matt rolling his eyes.

"Okay, to be fair, we never intended for you to find out." Casey muttered, the paramedic waving him off.

"Like that matters." She huffed out, Kelly shaking his head before focusing on Casey.

"Does anyone else know?" Casey asked, Shay and Severide glancing to one another.

"Not as far as I know." Shay spoke, Kelly nodding in agreement.

"Although I'm not sure how, because when I really thought about it, you two don't hide it very well." Severide added, Casey blowing out a heavy breath, Kelly smirking slightly. "So you and Dawson are together?"

"We're… it's complicated." Matt answered, Shay biting her tongue.

"What does that mean?"

"It means it's complicated." Matt answered sharply, Kelly raising his eyebrows.

"Alright, fine." He responded, glancing to Shay. "Why are you guys hiding it?"

"Huh?"

"Whatever relationship this is, or whatever, why are you guys being so secretive about it?"

"Because it's nobody's business." Matt replied simply. "And the last thing either of us wanna deal with are all the questions from everyone.. And then everything with Walker, that's another issue all together."

"Why? It's not like you two were together before they broke up, right?"

"No, we weren't." Casey was quick to assure him. "But the timing is… tricky, and I don't think Walker's gonna care that they were broken up when we met."

"Who cares what he thinks?" Kelly asked, Matt shaking his head.

"It's not Walker I'm worried about, it's Gabby." Casey clarified. "I don't want her to have to deal with him. From what I can tell, he doesn't seem to like the fact that Gabby's moved on, but if he were to find out she moved on with his boss? I don't think his ego could handle that. And I don't want Gabby having to deal with whatever fallout would come from it."

"He has this weird, possessive thing with her." Shay added, backing up Casey's reasoning. "He doesn't want to be with her, but he doesn't want her to be with anyone else. It's creepy, and he's a psycho." Shay finished, Severide sighing deeply.

"I just don't want to make things harder for her." Casey said. "Her and I, there's not really a label for what we are."

"I thought you guys were calling it 'fuck-buddies'." Shay quipped, Kelly glancing to Casey with raised eyebrows as Matt narrowed his gaze at the blonde.

"_Anyway_, the reason we're not telling people is because this is something that's only for us, it doesn't affect anyone else, so we're just keeping things simple. And keeping it between us. Or, trying to." Matt spoke pointedly.

"I won't tell anyone, don't worry." Kelly replied, Matt giving him a nod. "So you two aren't actually dating?"

"No."

"But you're… enjoying each other's company?"

"God, you make everything sound so gross." Shay groaned, Kelly shrugging as he looked back to Matt.

"You know what, I know the answer to that, so you don't need to respond. But I am curious about why."

"Why what?"

"Why you two just don't date." Kelly elaborated. "Is it because of Walker?"

"It's not because of him, but it's because of what he did, I guess. And for me, it was everything with Hallie. Neither of us want a relationship, so we're keeping it simple."

"Uh huh…" Severide spoke, clearly not convinced. "And yet, when I just asked you what you two were, you said it was complicated." He responded, Matt raising his eyebrows.

"What's your point, Kelly?"

"Nothing. I just wish you both the best of luck with this, that's all."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Casey asked, Kelly glancing to Shay.

"You two can't really think this is a good idea, can you?" He questioned, Matt rolling his eyes. "I'm sorry, but I just don't know if what you two are doing is good for either of you. I mean, yeah, sex with no strings sounds great, but doing it with someone you work with? That can get messy. Especially someone like Dawson."

"What do you mean 'someone like Dawson'?" Shay interjected with a raised brow, ready to jump in and defend her best friend if needed.

"Easy Shay, I just meant that Gabby is the type of person who throws her all into everything. If I know anything about Dawson, it's that she sometimes gets attached to people easily, maybe at times when she shouldn't. I just don't see her being able to sustain something like this. She's not really the type to be able to leave her emotions out of things, I think we all know that." He commented, Matt glancing up to Shay, seeing an expression he couldn't quite read playing over her face. "And, on top of that, she's already got one failed in-house relationship."

"Yeah, but that's because Walker was an ass. And are you really going there, Severide?" Shay replied frustratedly, Kelly huffing out a breath. "He was a dick who only cared about himself, and Gabby just-"

"I'm not saying it was her fault." Severide clarified, Shay reluctantly backing down. "Everything that was going on in that relationship, I don't know how she wasn't the one to break up with him. I never really knew what all was happening at the time, hell I'm sure there's still things we don't know anything about, but I just believed everything Walker told me about her, which, clearly, I shouldn't have, because it was all bullshit. But, from just a house standpoint, her and Walker didn't work out and it's still causing problems-"

"Maybe that's cause Walker's causing them." Shay cut him off, Kelly tapping his hand against the table.

"All I'm saying is that I don't want the house to go through that again, that's it." Severide finished, Matt nodding slowly.

"I get that, and that's exactly why we're not making a big deal out of this. Gabby and I don't want this becoming a big thing, that's why we didn't tell anyone. That's why we're not telling anyone. We don't want to cause problems in the house or anything like that, this is just something for us." Casey told him, Kelly thinking over his friend's words before nodding.

"Alright, well I hope you two are at least using protection."

"Jesus Christ." Casey muttered, pushing himself up from the chair, heading for the double doors.

"Way to go, you ran him off." Shay responded, Matt not hearing anything else of their conversation as he got into the firehouse.

Putting his conversation with Severide aside, Matt began roaming the halls of the 51, going in search of one person in particular. After hearing about what happened earlier, he wanted to see her, and make sure she was alright, that Walker hadn't done anything to upset her.

Casey soon found who he was looking for when he walked into the bathroom, seeing her standing hunched over at the counter. Gabby looked up at the noise, glancing to him through the mirror, Dawson smiling softly when she saw him.

"Hi."

"Hey." He responded, walking towards her as she turned around to face him. Matt kept enough space between them so it could be passed off as a friendly conversation should someone come in, but he got close enough so he could really see her. "You doing okay?"

"I'm fine." She replied simply, Casey's head tilting to the side.

"Are you sure?" He pressed, Gabby's eyebrows raising.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because of Walker." He replied, Gabby face falling as she bit down on her bottom lip, Matt frowning when he saw her demeanor falter. "Did he say something? Or do something?"

"I'm fine, Matt." She told him, Casey drawing in a deep breath.

"Gabby-"

"Really, I am." She responded quickly, smiling softly. "I promise, I'm fine."

"Okay." He gave in, not sure if he believed her, but this wasn't the place to press it. "But it's okay if you're not, you know? I don't know what you two were talking about, but Severide thought you looked upset." He told her, Gabby watching him closely. "I just want to make sure you remember what I said, that you can talk about it with me… I want you to, if that's what you need."

"I know, Matt." She replied, their conversation getting cut short by the bells ringing, signaling ambo to their second call of the morning. "That's my cue." She told him, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to his cheek, Matt smiling softly.

"Be safe."

"I will." She promised, rubbing over his opposite cheek with her palm before sliding past him, hurrying out the door as she left him alone in the bathroom, leaving the firefighter more concerned than he'd been before he spoke to her.

* * *

**And there's another one. You guys are slowly getting more and more insight into what all happened in Dawson and Walker's relationship, and it's not pretty. He definitely seems like he's not going to make things easy for Gabby. But now Severide knows about Casey and Dawson, who knows how much longer they'll be able to keep it from the rest of the house.**

**I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this one, thank you so much for reading! I'll see you next time!**


	22. Chapter Twenty Two

**Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for you guys. It's definitely an interesting one.**

**There is an M-rated scene in this. It's, uh, yeah.. Definitely M-rated. Like, very much so. I wasn't really expecting it, but as I was writing it just sort of happened, so I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

**TWENTY TWO**

* * *

Gabby huffed out a heavy breath as she juggled the bags of food in her grasp, trying to keep a strong hold on their lunch and their drinks, while trying to unlock his front door. Shoving the key into the lock, Gabby managed to get the door open, sighing as she stepped inside. She had been gone a little over an hour, the paramedic having left to run back to Antonio's place, Gabby now regretting her offer to pick up lunch for them while she was out.

"You know, maybe I should've made you come with me." She called into the apartment, kicking the door closed behind her, discarding her key ring onto his entryway table. "I didn't realize just how much food you ordered, did we really need three different types of chicken? I mean, yeah it's good, but we're never gonna finish all this. Maybe we should've-"

Gabby cut herself off as she stepped into the living room, surprise covering her features when she saw Matt wasn't alone. Before speaking up again, she caught Matt's gaze, seeing him just as surprised as she was, the firefighter standing up from the couch, the unfamiliar woman staying seated in her chair.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize someone was here." She replied quietly, heat rising to her cheeks as she thought over her previous rambling. Gabby's eyes flickered to the older woman sitting in the living room, her eyes never leaving Dawson's form, the intense stare making Gabby a little uncomfortable.

"It's fine." Matt replied as he came over to her, taking the drinks from her hands. "Uh, Gabby, this my mom, Nancy."

Realization settled over Dawson's face, Gabby shooting the woman a soft smile, moving the bags of food to one of her hands, walking towards her.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you. I'm Gabby." She greeted, the woman standing up, Gabby catching the weary look covering her features. But his mom smiled nonetheless, shaking Dawson's hand.

"It's nice to meet you too, dear. I'm Nancy Casey." She replied, Gabby's smile growing as she nodded, dropping his mother's hand after a few seconds. Glancing towards Matt, she saw an apprehensive look on his face, but when he saw Gabby watching him, he quickly masked it, giving her a reassuring smile. "Matt, you never mentioned you had a girlfriend."

Gabby's eyes widened involuntarily, catching the pleading look that instantly flashed over Casey's face, Gabby understanding this wasn't a conversation he wanted to get into. So she simply smiled at the woman, nodding in agreement before glancing back to Matt.

"Do you wanna go put the food in the kitchen? We're almost done here." He prompted, Gabby nodding understandingly.

"Yeah, of course. It was nice to meet you." She told his mom one last time, flashing both Caseys a soft smile before heading for the kitchen, Matt watching her until she was out of sight.

"I didn't know there was a Gabby." Nancy spoke softly, Matt sighing deeply as he looked back towards his mother. "She's pretty."

"Mom…"

"What? I see my son for the first time in awhile, and not only do I find out you and Hallie aren't together, I find out you're in a new serious relationship." She replied, Matt raising his eyebrows. "She has a key to your apartment, it seems pretty serious to me… I'm just surprised, considering I had no idea you had gotten a divorce."

"Yeah, well, I did. Everything with Hallie… that's been over for awhile now." He said vaguely, Nancy nodding as she glanced back towards the kitchen, knowing Gabby would probably be staying in there until she left. "So, how'd you two meet?"

"We work together." Although it wasn't the exact way they met, it was the easiest way to explain it.

"She's a firefighter?"

"Paramedic." He clarified, Nancy nodding as she reached down to grab her purse.

"Is she why you and Hallie split up?" The older Casey asked, Matt scoffing as he shook his head.

"No, mom. Hallie and I were broken up before we met." He responded sharply, Nancy nodding as she began moving to the door.

"It was just a question, Matthew. We haven't spoken in awhile, I'm just trying to learn more about my son."

"Well, I didn't even realize you were back in Chicago… I wasn't exactly expecting to get that call from you this morning."

"I know, I haven't really been around lately. But I wanted to check in, see how my only son is doing."

"I'm good, mom." He assured her, Nancy smiling warmly as she brought him in for a hug, Matt sighing before reciprocating. "Are you staying in town?" He asked as they pulled back, Nancy shrugging softly.

"I'm not sure, I've got some things to figure out." She responded lamely, Matt's eyes narrowing. But she changed the subject before he could question it. "Have you spoken to your sister lately?" She asked, Matt's face hardening.

"You know the answer to that." He responded sharply, Nancy sighing.

"You two haven't made any progress at all?"

"That's kind of hard to do when she won't talk to me." Matt sighed, Nancy frowning as she rubbed her hand over his arm.

"I'm sorry, honey." She replied, shaking her head. "I know things have never been easy for you two, and I know I'm to blame for that, but I wish things were different."

"I know." He responded, Nancy pulling him in for another hug. "It's okay, mom." He tried to assure her, Nancy rubbing his back before pulling away.

"Okay, well I'll get out of your hair, let you enjoy your lunch with _Gabby_."

"Mom…" He replied, Nancy smiling.

"I'm looking forward to learning more about her… Gabby, dear." Nancy raised her voice towards the end of her sentence, trying to get the attention of the other woman in the apartment, Dawson appearing in the doorway of the kitchen after a few seconds. "It was nice to meet you."

"You too." She responded softly, catching Matt's soft smile.

"Hopefully, we'll see each other soon." Nancy replied, Gabby simply nodding.

"That would be great." Gabby replied, Nancy flashing her another smile before heading for the door.

"I'll show you out, mom." Casey offered, shooting Gabby a grateful look before following his mother outside.

Gabby walked back into the kitchen, grabbing their bags of Chinese food and a few paper towels before heading back out into the living room, sitting down on the couch as she began to unpack their food. Dawson just finished getting everything set out when she heard Matt walk back in, Gabby glancing up as he came into view, seeing an almost apprehensive look on his face.

"Thanks for picking up lunch." He spoke, Gabby flashing him a smile as he moved towards her.

"It's no problem. Although I stand by what I said, we don't need all this food. They gave us like twenty fortune cookies, I'm not sure how many people they thought were eating this." She replied lightly, Matt chuckling as he sat down next to her, grabbing her drink and setting it down in front of her. "And, uh, I'm sorry about that… I guess I should've knocked." She said softly, Matt shaking his head.

"You have the key for a reason." He replied simply, matching his words with a shrug.

"Well, I had it for when I was staying here to help you, I should probably give it back to you." She spoke, Matt shaking his head.

"No, it's okay. Just keep it." He told her, Gabby looking up to meet his eyes. "I mean, you've pretty much still been staying here anyway, it's just easier for you to keep it."

Gabby knew there was a lot of truth to his words, even though it hadn't been intentional. She had ended up spending most of her time here, it happening without either of them realizing. They enjoyed each other's company, and Gabby found herself most at ease whenever she was with him.

It had been about a week since Matt was back on shift, which meant it had been a week since Walker threatened her in the locker room. After it first happened, she did what she could to ignore it. She wasn't planning on telling anyone what all had happened between them, whether Walker believed that or not, she just wanted him to leave her alone. Thankfully, for the most part, he had. She would sometimes catch him watching her, most times with a smirk or a smug look in his eyes, but she did what she could to not let it affect her. She knew he wouldn't do anything to her at the firehouse, he wasn't that stupid, but she still did what she could to not leave herself in any potentially vulnerable positions.

The thing with Walker had shaken her, there was no denying it, but Matt's presence made it easier. Even though she was sure he didn't realize it, just being around him kept her calm. It was something she hadn't been expecting, but it was something she had come to realize over the past month or so; Matt had a way of calming her like no one ever had. With one smile, or a hug, it was like nothing else mattered. His presence gave her a sense of peace, a sense of safety, and she found herself seeking that out more often than not.

Which led to her spending most of her time here. Over the last week, there'd only been one night she hadn't spent here. Her staying here was never planned, it was never a conscious decision on her part to not go home, it was just something that felt right. And he seemingly had no objections.

There were some nights it only made sense, the two having ended up in his bed before the evening was over, enjoying those moments only for them, Gabby finding no reason to leave the warmth that his embrace provided as they laid together after, the two eventually falling asleep in each other's arms. But there were other nights spent with the two of them just lounging around, whether in the living room or curled up together in his bed watching a movie, where she just found herself not wanting to leave. So she didn't.

"Okay, I will." She responded, Matt reaching for one of the containers holding their food. Seeing it was the beef and broccoli he knew Gabby loved, he wordlessly handed it to her before beginning the search for the food he ordered for himself. "So… that was your mom." She spoke softly before taking a bite of her food, Matt nodding slowly.

"Yeah, that's my mom."

"I didn't realize she lived here."

"She doesn't." He responded simply, Gabby giving him a nod. It was clear this wasn't exactly the most comfortable topic for him, so she stopped pressing the issue. To her surprise, Casey was the one to keep the conversation going. "I'm sorry for you walking in on all that, I didn't know until after you left she was coming by today, and I lost track of time."

"It's fine Matt, you don't have to apologize for your mom coming to visit you at your apartment." She replied, Matt chuckling softly as he heard her words, realizing how ridiculous his apology sounded.

"Yeah, when you put it like that… I guess I'm more sorry for you walking in unprepared." He clarified, Gabby shrugging.

"It's fine, she seems like a nice woman." Dawson spoke before taking another bite, Matt chewing on his food as he shrugged, soon shifting the topic.

"And, uh, I'm sorry about the whole girlfriend thing." He spoke, Gabby tensing slightly at his side. Thankfully, Matt didn't seem to notice. "I just didn't want to get into all of that, it's not really any of her business anyway, but it's easier than trying to explain what we are." He explained, Gabby shaking her head.

"It's fine, really." She assured him, Matt nodding.

"Okay, I just wanted to make sure. I know the last thing either of us are wanting is a relationship right now, I didn't want you to think I'd forgotten that. I didn't tell her you were my girlfriend or anything, she just assumed." He spoke casually, taking another bite of his food.

Gabby nodded slowly, gnawing on her bottom lip as she felt a stabbing pain in her chest, his words hitting her harder than she anticipated. Her heart sank into her stomach, Gabby focusing her attention down to her lap, a thick silence falling over them.

Over the past week she'd stuck to her plan of not telling Casey how she felt, she knew it was the best thing for them, and his words a second ago only solidified that.

He didn't want a relationship with her, he didn't have the same feelings for her that she was realizing she had for him, and even though it hurt each time she was reminded of that, she ignored it. Because at least right now, she still got to have Matt. Even if it wasn't in the way she wanted, for right now this was enough. It had to be, because it was either this or nothing at all.

"You okay?"

Casey's question snapped her from her thoughts, Gabby plastering a smile on her face before looking back to him, seeing his eyes on her.

"I'm good. All this talk of parents just reminded me that I'm having dinner with mine tonight." She spoke, trying to steer their conversation away from her, her words bringing a soft smile to his face.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. They've been hounding me and Antonio to come for dinner, so we're gonna go see them."

"That'll be nice." He commented, Gabby nodding as she took a sip of her drink.

"Yeah, it should be. It's been awhile since I've seen them."

"What time are you going?"

"We're supposed to be there at seven." She answered, Matt nodding slowly.

"Are you gonna come back here after, or go home?"

His question took her by surprise, Gabby swallowing a bite of her food as she thought over her answer. "Uh, I hadn't thought about it… I'll probably just go home. I mean, there's no reason for me to come back here." She spoke softly, missing the way Casey's face faltered before he quickly recovered, giving her a nod.

"Yeah, there's not." He replied quietly, shoveling another bite of food into his mouth, trying to ignore the weird feeling that had settled in the air around them, Gabby seemingly oblivious to it.

The two continued to eat their lunch in what had become an almost tense silence, both of them getting lost in their own heads as the sound of the television kept them from sitting in complete quiet.

* * *

Gabby took the bowl of potatoes Antonio was offering her, flashing him a thankful smile as the family of four sat around the table, getting ready to enjoy their meal.

"So, Gabriela, how's work been?" Ramon asked, Gabby meeting her father's gaze from across the table.

Her and Antonio had been here for less than half an hour, the entire time spent with her parents skirting around the questions she knew they wanted to ask her. Aside from the typical, polite 'how are you' that they'd ask any guest, they hadn't pressed any topics that came anywhere close to asking her about Bryan and how she was handling all of that, although she had a feeling that was about to change.

"It's been going pretty well." She responded, placing a small portion of pot roast onto her plate.

"And how's Shay?" He continued, Gabby nodding.

"She's doing well, we've had some busy shifts lately, but things are good." She replied, seeing her father glance to her mother before meeting her eyes again.

"And, uh, how have you been doing with everything? Having to work with Bryan?" He questioned, Gabby's tongue running over her bottom lip.

She had been expecting this question since before she showed up tonight, if anything she was surprised it took them longer to ask it. Since spending Christmas with her parents, and her subsequent breakdown to them over how much of a mess her life had become, she hadn't seen her mother or father that much. She wasn't avoiding them, even though she still felt some lingering embarrassment for completely falling apart in front of them, but they'd all been busy, and in the months that had passed since Christmas, she hadn't seen them much, at least not enough to have any heart to heart conversations.

"We're worried about you, mija." Ramon continued once she hadn't responded, Gabby looking towards her mother, seeing the same look of concern that her father wore. "After what happened at Christmas… we just want to know you're okay."

Gabby's gaze moved beside her, seeing Antonio watching her expectantly.

"They told you, didn't they?" She asked, Antonio sighing before giving her a nod.

"They did." He replied.

"Of course." She muttered, focusing on the napkin sitting over her lap.

"They were worried, Gabs. And they know I see you a lot, they wanted to make sure I knew so I could look out for you." He explained, Gabby nodding slowly.

"We still are worried about you, Gabriela." Camila spoke softly, Gabby meeting her mother's eyes. "But you seem to be doing alright."

"I am." She assured them, not missing the less than convinced glances her parents were sending one another. "I'm doing okay, I promise. I'm a lot better than I was then. That was a really bad day, I'm sorry for worrying you-"

"We don't want you to apologize for being upset, Gabriela." Ramon interjected, shaking his head. "You had every reason to be upset, we just want to make sure you're not putting on a brave face for us, mija."

"I'm not." She replied, taking a sip of her water to wet her dry throat. "I won't lie and say I love having to see Bryan all the time, but I'm doing okay. I've got Shay, and Casey, and Severide at work, I've got people looking out for me, I'm alright." She spoke.

"Casey?" Camila questioned, Gabby's eyebrows raising as she looked to Antonio, seeing her brother biting back a smirk.

"Huh?" Gabby questioned.

"You said Casey." Ramon elaborated, Gabby swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat, not even realizing she'd said his name until it was pointed out to her. "Who's Casey?"

"Oh, uh, Casey. Matt Casey, he's a firefighter at 51, he's our truck Lieutenant."

"Have I heard you mention him before?"

"No, probably not. He's only been here for a few months." She explained, both her parents nodding.

"And you two are close?" Ramon pressed, Gabby moving her food around her plate with her fork, practically able to feel Antonio's amused gaze on her.

"We're friends, yeah." She replied, taking a bite of her dinner.

"Her, Casey, Shay, and Severide are all good friends." Antonio added, Ramon nodding.

"Have you met Casey?" Ramon now addressed his son.

"Yeah, a few times. He's a nice guy, I can see why him and Gabby are close." He spoke with a grin, Gabby hiding the scowl desperate to show over her face.

"Well, good. I'm glad." Camila spoke, Ramon nodding in agreement as they went back to their food.

Their conversation remained light and easy, Gabby spending most of her time listening to her family talk instead of joining in, unless she was spoken to directly.

"So, are you still staying with Antonio?" Ramon questioned, Gabby lifting her head up from her plate, seeing both her mother's and her father's eyes on her.

"Yeah, I am."

"Except not much lately." Antonio muttered under her breath, Gabby shooting him a glare, punching his leg under the table as discreetly as possible.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." Antonio replied, Ramon eyeing him knowingly before moving on.

"Have you been looking for a place to live?" He asked carefully.

"Yeah, I have. I've seen a few places that look promising, but they're all too expensive for me right now, so I'm kind of stuck at Antonio's for the time being." She explained, earning understanding nods from her parents.

Ramon took a deep breath, Gabby keeping her eyes on her father as an apprehensive look covered his face, the man wiping his mouth with his napkin before speaking up. "You know mija… You could always come back home."

Gabby sighed deeply, straightening her back against her chair, biting down on the inside of her cheek. "I appreciate that, papa, I do. But, as long as Antonio doesn't mind, I think I'm gonna stay there." She replied, her father giving her a nod. "Between work and everything, I'm not around much anyway, and his place in really close to the firehouse, and to Molly's. It's much more convenient than being out here, but I really appreciate you offering."

"Of course, Gabriela. We just wanted you to know it was an option. As long as you're happy, and you and your brother aren't killing each other, that's all that matters." Ramon spoke with a grin, Antonio chuckling.

"No, we haven't killed each other yet. We really don't even see each other that much, with our schedules and everything." Antonio replied with a knowing look, Gabby narrowing her eyes at her brother slightly before turning back to her parents. "But, no, I love having Gabs around, she can stay as long as she wants." He said honestly, Gabby's glare fading as she smiled softly.

"Thanks Tonio." She responded quietly, placing her napkin on the table as she slid back her chair. "I'm gonna go to the bathroom, I'll be right back." Gabby told them, earning a few nods before she exited the room.

Ramon waited until he heard the bathroom door shut down the hall before looking towards his oldest, seeing Antonio shoveling food into his mouth.

"Tony," Ramon addressed his son, Antonio looking up from his plate, swallowing the food in his mouth. "What's really going on with her and this Casey?" He questioned, Antonio's face remaining blank.

"What do you mean?" He asked, earning a pointed stare from his mother.

"Gabby started acting all strange the second she realized she said his name, and you weren't exactly hiding it either… We're not oblivious." Camila responded with a grin, Antonio taking a sip of his beer. "Is she seeing him?"

"Uh…"

"We know you know what's going on." Ramon pressed, Antonio downing another sip of his drink, this one much bigger than the last.

"Yeah, I'm not getting in the middle of this." Antonio replied, glancing back down the hallway where Gabby had gone. "I don't know anything."

"My sweet Antonio, you always have been a very bad liar." Camila breathed out, Ramon shaking his head in amusement, resting his arm on the back of his wife's chair.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Alright, fine… But just tell us, he's a good man?" Ramon questioned. He knew what Antonio had said of him before, but now that Gabriela wasn't here, he wanted the confirmation. "Clearly, there's something going on between them, and after everything Bryan put her through… I just want to know my little girl is being taken care of, that she's not seeing someone who doesn't appreciate her." Ramon spoke firmly, Antonio's eyes staying locked on his father. "How she was at Christmas, I don't think I've ever seen my daughter so broken, and I never want to see her like that again."

"Casey's a good guy, dad." Antonio replied without hesitation.

"You're sure?"

"Positive. He's a really good guy, from what I can tell. He's been through a lot, he actually was in a past relationship sort of like Gabby's, his ex-wife cheated on him." Antonio explained quietly, missing the sympathetic look that flashed in his father's eyes as he checked again to make sure Gabby was nowhere in sight. "He, probably better than anyone, knows what Gabby's gone through, and since she met Matt, she's seemed happier than she's been in a long time… He's a good man, you don't need to worry about that." He finished just as they heard the bathroom door open.

"Good." Ramon replied quietly, Camila changing the subject just as Gabby got back into the room.

* * *

Matt sat on the couch in his living room, nursing the beer in his hand as he mindlessly watched the hockey game playing on the screen in front of him. It had been a rather uneventful evening for the firefighter, Matt not having done much except eat dinner and shower since Gabby left him a few hours ago.

He knew he probably should've spent his free time doing something more productive, but with having a 24-hour shift ahead of him tomorrow, he was more than content to spend his evening resting at home.

When the second yawn in less than a minute escaped his lips, Matt sat up straight on the couch, stretching out his limbs before standing up, realizing it was time to start thinking about going to bed. Slowly he moved towards the kitchen, discarding the rest of his beer, downing a small glass of water before leaving the room, turning the light off as he went.

He made his way back into the living room, turning off the TV and the lights before walking towards his front door to check the lock. Matt barely got into the entryway before he heard a knock on the door, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Glancing back to the clock by the TV, he saw it was well after ten, Casey unsure of who would be coming to his apartment this later.

Walking the rest of the way, Matt looked through the peephole in the door, a soft grin coming to his face when he saw who was standing on the other side. Things had been a little off between them since this afternoon, so he was glad to see her back at his door, even though he hadn't been expecting her, his hands moving to unlock the door before he pulled it open, being met by an equally exhausted Gabby.

"Forget your key?" He asked with a smirk, Gabby rolling her eyes as she adjusted her weight between her feet.

"I thought it might be a little rude to just barge in unannounced, I wasn't sure if you'd have another visitor like you did this morning."

"It's just me." He assured her, Gabby nodding as she took a step forward.

"Can I come in?"

"Of course." Matt replied, stepping to the side to let her in, Casey closing the door behind her, securing the locks. "I didn't think you were coming back here tonight?" He questioned, Gabby shedding her jacket, hanging it up on his coat rack, the paramedic sliding off her shoes.

"I can leave, if you'd like." She replied jokingly, Casey shaking his head.

"Definitely not." He responded, Gabby yawning as she moved her shoes towards the wall, stretching her arms over her head. "How'd your dinner go?"

"It was good, I'm glad I got to spend some time with my parents." She murmured, walking further into his apartment, Matt following after her.

"So, what exactly brought you back?" He rephrased his earlier question, Gabby stopping in the kitchen to get some water before heading for his bedroom.

"I don't know, I just wanted to." She replied quietly as she walked around to her side of the bed, Matt noticing how she wouldn't meet his eyes. "That's okay, right?"

"It's more than okay, I'm glad you're here." He assured her, Gabby finally lifting her head, seeing him watching her with a soft smile.

"Good. And plus, all my stuff for shift is here, which I'm gonna need anyway." She added, Casey nodding as he glanced at the bench sitting at the end of the bed, seeing both their shift bags resting there, exactly as they had been for the last week.

"Ah… so it wasn't so much me that brought you back." He commented with a grin, Gabby shrugging as she began unbuttoning her jeans, sliding the material down her legs.

"It was a little bit you." She replied lightly, pulling off her pants and resting them over the back of the chair in the corner, feeling Matt's stares on her as she continued to undress, pulling her shirt over her head.

"I think where this is headed." He spoke softly, Gabby chuckling as she shook her head, nodding towards his dresser.

"Actually, I have a feeling you're gonna be disappointed. Can you get me a shirt?" She questioned, Matt huffing out a breath before walking towards the dresser, grabbing one of his t-shirts and walking over to her, coming to stand a few inches in front of her, the paramedic clad only in her underwear.

"I can be quick." He reminded her, Gabby grinning as she reached behind her back, unhooking her bra and letting it fall from her chest, Matt's gaze moving down to look at her, Gabby taking the shirt from him.

"Yes, I know you can. But I'm too exhausted for anything tonight." She replied, throwing his shirt on over her body, shielding her from his wanting gaze.

"That's okay, sleeping is fine too." He spoke, somewhat defeatedly, his eyebrows raising as Gabby slid her underwear down her legs, leaving her in only his shirt. "...But you're definitely not playing fair." He murmured, Gabby smirking before leaning forward, pressing a quick kiss to his lips.

"Sorry." She mumbled against his lips, giving him another kiss before moving to the bed, Matt's eyes moving to her hips, his shirt not leaving much to the imagination. "You can always take care of it yourself," She spoke up again, her eyes flickering to his waist once she got in bed, Matt rolling his eyes. "I don't care." She shrugged before snuggling under his covers, Casey releasing a soft chuckle as he moved back towards his side of the bed. After turning off the lights, Matt stripped down to his boxers, knowing he always got a little warm when Gabby slept with him, before climbing into bed next to her.

"I think I'm good." He replied, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her into him, Gabby's head falling against his chest. "Now get some sleep." He whispered, Gabby pressing a kiss to his bare chest.

"Night Matt." She murmured into the darkness, feeling him give her body a gentle squeeze.

"Goodnight."

* * *

Casey's eyebrows furrowed as he grunted into consciousness, his sleepy mind clearing slowly as he tried to figure out what woke him up. Something felt different, there was a pressure against him that he couldn't quite place, but it sent a tingling sensation through his spine, a low moan escaping through his lips before he even realized what was happening.

Matt slowly registered what he was feeling, his breath catching in his throat as he felt the firm, rhythmic strokes against him, Gabby's hand reached into his boxers as she held onto him.

"Gabby…" He breathed out, unable to open his eyes as he felt her press a kiss to his bare chest, her pace picking up steadily.

"Good morning." She murmured against his skin, her palm tightening around him, Matt groaning involuntarily as she continued. Matt choked out a breath as his hips lifted to meet her movements, unable to focus on anything other than her hand as she worked him up, her lips attaching to his neck, leaving her mark on him.

Casey could feel his resolve fading, his free hand moving down to push his boxers out of the way, the material moving down to his thighs to give Gabby more room to work, Matt only now registering she'd pulled the covers down off them when he felt the cool air hit his exposed skin.

Keeping her movements steady, Gabby began slowly kissing her way down his body, her teeth grazing over his skin as she moved, stopping when she eyeline with his hips. Matt's eyes remained closed, his mind still unsure if this was even happening as he felt her place kisses around him, his breaths short and choppy. Before he even had to chance to prepare himself, he felt her mouth wrap around him, moving in sync with her fist as she took him in.

"Oh, God…" He moaned, his hands blindly finding her head as he helped encourage her movements, his muscles twitching as she picked up her pace.

Gabby was determined as she focused her attention on him, Matt's body flooding with pleasure as he focused on the feeling of her mouth around him. Gabby knew by now precisely what he liked, and she made sure to do exactly that as she felt him near his release, her movements persistent.

"Gabby." Her name left his lips barely above a whisper just before he gave in, his body releasing as he emptied himself into her mouth, Gabby continuing through his finish as he lifted his hips slightly.

When she was sure he was done, she slowly released him from her grip, Gabby placing kisses over his waist before slowly making her way back up to him, seeing his eyes still closed as he caught his breath.

Gabby placed a soft kiss against his heaving chest, a relaxed smile falling onto his lips as he felt her hand running over his stomach.

"What was that for?" He questioned quietly, not wanting to disturb the intimate air around them, Matt feeling her smile against his skin as he kicked his boxers down his legs the rest of the way, letting them fall from the bed.

"I know I kind of shut you down last night, I figured the least I could do was make up for it." She murmured, falling back into his side, Matt feeling the material of his shirt on her body resting against him.

"Well…" He breathed out, rubbing his hand up and down her side as her fingers traced his hip. "You should turn me down more often." He teased, Gabby chuckling as she relaxed into his hold.

"So you're saying you enjoy that more than sex?" She questioned in amusement, Matt thinking over her question before responding.

"Well, when you put it like that, no. But it's not a bad trade off." He murmured, sliding his hand under the shirt covering her body, raising it slightly so he could run his hand up and down her bare side.

The two fell into a comfortable quiet, the darkness in the room nearly lulling them back to sleep, Matt feeling Gabby's steady breath hitting his chest. Glancing at the clock, Matt saw it was still early, them having nearly two hours before they needed to be at the firehouse. Although he wasn't sure why Gabby had woken up so early to give him that little treat, he wasn't complaining, his body feeling much more relaxed than it had prior.

He knew he could go back to sleep, he had plenty of time and his alarm would wake them both back up, but there was another idea he had in mind that he couldn't shake, the thought slowly riling him back up.

"Gabby…" He murmured into the dark room, glancing down to her.

"Hmm?" She hummed, Matt smirking softly.

"Are you awake?" He questioned, feeling her nod against him.

"Mhmm."

"Are you trying to go back to sleep?"

"What's with all the questions?" She spoke, scrunching up her nose as she kept her eyes closed, Matt grinning.

Before responding to her question, he quickly turned an unexpecting Gabby onto her back, her eyes opening in surprise as Matt's face hovered over hers, the man pinning her to the bed. His shirt was bunched above her waist, leaving her lower half bare to him as Matt began peppering her neck with kisses, his hand roaming over her stomach.

"Matt…" She moaned, Matt smiling against her as he slid down to her stomach, pressing kisses into her skin as he pushed the shirt up under her breasts. Gabby let him take the lead, knowing she would thoroughly enjoy whatever repayment he had planned for her as his lips moved all over her skin. His hand moved up under her shirt, cupping her breast in his palm as his teeth moved across her ribcage, making sure to leave his marks on her before he pulled back completely. Grasping the shirt in his hand, he pulled the material towards himself, prompting Gabby to sit up before he forcefully yanked his shirt off of her, tossing it to the ground and gently pressing against her shoulder, encouraging her to lie back down.

Following his silent orders, Gabby rested on her back, Matt's lips reattaching to her skin as he slowly made his way to her chest, taking her breast into his mouth. Gabby moaned softly as he latched onto her, rolling her skin between his teeth as he took his time appreciating her, Gabby relishing in the feeling.

After a few moments he released her from his mouth, his hand moving along the inside of her thigh as he heard the occasional whimper escape her lips, Matt knowing just how much his actions were affecting her.

Without any warning, Matt pulled away from her, flipping Gabby onto her stomach before she could even register his movements, a gasp of surprise leaving her lips as she lay face down on the bed.

Matt positioned himself between her legs, spreading them apart to give him room before he leaned over her, pressing kisses along her shoulders.

"Matt." She gasped out his name as his hands moved over her thighs, the new position igniting something in her.

"Is this okay?" He whispered into her ear, Gabby feeling his body pressed into her back, clearly looking for approval before he went any further.

"Yes." She replied, Matt grinning before pressing another kiss against her skin, pulling back. He slid his hands from her legs up to her sides, running over her body as Gabby breathed deeply, letting her eyes fall closed as she focused on the feeling of his hands on her body.

He eventually landed back on her hips, Matt positioning himself as he held her legs open with the front of his thighs, Gabby's body flooding with want when she felt his hand ghost over her center, the action causing her legs to tremor. Matt took himself in his hand, lining up to her entrance before slowing sinking into her.

Gabby's entire body tensed as she felt him, a sharp gasp escaping through her lips as he slowly came to rest inside her, this new position letting her experience something with him she hadn't before. Gabby groaned when he leaned forward, the movement drawing him in deeper as his hands came to rest on the bed on either side of her body.

"You okay?" He questioned before he moved, Gabby sucking in a sharp breath as she nodded quickly, encouraging him to continue. Once he got the assurance he needed, he slowly began to move in and out of her, Gabby's whines and moans telling him he was already doing some right, her body feeling impossibly tight around him.

Once he found what was comfortable, Matt steadily increased his rhythm, thrusting deep into her each and every time. With each movement, Matt's pace became quicker, Gabby's body moving against the mattress as he pumped into her.

"God- Matt." She groaned, her teeth sinking into the pillow beneath her as he picked up his pace, Matt sitting himself back up, pausing his movements long enough to grab ahold of her hips. Pulling her back towards him, he lifted her up to her knees before continuing on, gripping her waist tightly while he picked up speed.

Gasps and moans came from the woman in front of him as he thrust into her, feeling her entire body trembling under his hold, Matt not letting up on his relentless pace while she grasped the bedsheets beneath her in her hands, Gabby fighting to hold onto some semblance of control.

A surprised shriek escaped her lips when her release hit her, her thighs shaking uncontrollably while Matt kept up his pace, his fingers digging into her hips. Her entire body felt numb, Gabby's eyes rolling into the back of her head as her legs collapsed. Matt followed her down to the bed as his own release hit him, Casey groaning heavily as he felt her body clenching around him while he moved through his finish.

When he was completely spent, Matt leaned down, pressing a lingering kiss to her spine before rolling off of her, Gabby staying on her stomach while she tried to gather herself. He could still visibly see her muscles trembling, her eyes closed as she faced him, her body covered in a thin layer of sweat.

They both caught their breaths, Gabby slowly regaining the feeling in her extremities as she opened her eyes, finding Matt watching her closely.

"That was…" He trailed off, Gabby seeing the clear apprehension in his features over what they'd just done. Despite the fair share of fun that they'd had together, up until now they had never done anything quite like that, and she could see he was searching for conformation that she was alright. Which she quickly gave him, a soft smile gracing her lips.

"Incredible." She breathed out, Matt's body relaxing as he matched her smile, placing his hand on her back, rubbing up and down gently over her skin. "I don't know what got into you, but we should definitely do that more often." She spoke softly, still trying to find her voice as Matt chuckled, leaning over to press a kiss to the side of her head, Gabby feeling a warmth spread through her chest.

No matter how rough and intense they'd been in the heat of the moment, Matt's tender side always came back soon after they finished. It was something she found so endearing, something she really enjoyed getting witness. It was something that made her feelings for him even clearer, Gabby unable to stop her smile from widening as he pulled away from her.

"That good, huh?" He questioned, Gabby digging her head into the pillow, focusing on the feeling of his hand running over her back.

"I don't want to inflate your ego, but yeah. It was." She admitted, Matt chuckling softly as they relaxed into the bed. "I'm not sure were that came from, but you won't hear any objections from me if it happens again."

"I'll keep that in mind." He responded, letting his eyes fall closed as they laid in the dark, both needing a few more minutes to recover from their early morning activities.

* * *

Gabby sat at the table in the common room with Shay at her side, her partner scrolling through apartment listings on her laptop while Dawson pretended to be interested. She knew the blonde was just trying to help, but Gabby wasn't really in any hurry to leave her brother's place. When she first moved in, she promised herself she wouldn't be there longer than necessary, that she didn't want to encroach on her brother's life. But, in all honesty, she enjoyed living with her brother. Even though she hadn't spent much time there lately, it was still nice to get to see him more than before. And, as an added bonus, with as much time as she was spending at Casey's, most of the time it was like Antonio still had the place to himself.

"What about this one, Dawson?" Shay asked, tilting the laptop towards her friend, Gabby glancing to the apartment Shay found. Gabby was expecting to just wave her off again, but the place she found actually looked promising. "Not bad, right?" Shay spoke with a grin, Gabby beginning to scroll through the specifics of the place.

"No, it actually looks pretty good. Price isn't bad, either." She replied, looking through the photos of the apartment.

Shay glanced up in time to see Casey come in through the conference room, the paramedic smiling softly before gaining his attention. "Hey Casey, come here." She called, Matt looking over to her, flashing her a smile as he continued towards their table, coming to stand across from them.

"What's up, Shay?"

"We're looking at new apartments for Dawson."

"You still haven't found a place to live yet, Gabby?" Walker asked from the couch, Shay's eyes narrowing as Gabby looked up from the computer.

"No one was talking to you, Walker." She shot back angrily, Walker shaking his head with a chuckle before turning back to the TV. "Anyway, Casey, what do you think?" Shay prompted, Matt coming around the table, standing behind the two as he leaned over Gabby's shoulder, looking through the pictures with her.

"Why would the Lieutenant care about some apartment she probably won't even get?" Walker spoke up again, Shay's glare focused on him once more.

"Why are you so concerned with what she's doing?" Shay bit back, Matt glancing towards his firefighter with a harsh stare.

"I'm not, but I don't think the Lieutenant is either."

"Walker, this doesn't concern you." Casey spoke firmly, Bryan's eyes focusing on his boss just as Matt looked away from him, turning his attention back to Gabby. "This looks great, Dawson." He spoke as he leaned over her once more, Gabby glancing up over her shoulder at him, flashing him a soft smile.

"You think?"

"Yeah, it looks like a great place."

Gabby's eyes stayed on him for a few seconds longer, catching his gaze as a gentle smile fell to his lips, neither one of them noticing Walker still staring at them with a scowl on his face, the man not liking seeing his Lieutenant and his ex so close to one another.

"I might go check it out sometime over the next few days, see what it looks like in person." She commented as she looked back to the photos.

"You'll have to let me know how it goes." He responded, discreetly rubbing his thumb against her back with his hand that was resting on the back of her chair, Gabby smiling up at him.

"I will." She replied, Matt nodding before standing up straight, clasping Shay's shoulder as he walked past her towards the kitchen.

Huffing out a breath, Walker pushed himself up from the couch, walking over towards the table.

"What do you want, Walker?" Shay asked roughly as the man came around the corner, taking up the position Casey just held.

"I'm just wanting to see where Dawson might be living, you know, since you're showing the house." He replied, Gabby's body tensing the second he got near her.

Before he could see much, Shay slammed the laptop closed, Walker scoffing as he glanced towards her.

"What's your problem, Shay?"

"You, for starters." She replied, the entire room watching on uncomfortably. "Why do you care so much what Dawson's doing?"

"I'm just curious, I didn't even realize she was still living with her brother." He fired back, Shay rolling her eyes.

"Why is that any of your business?" She responded angrily. The blonde glanced towards Gabby, her face softening when she saw how uncomfortable Dawson looked. "You wanna back up there, Walker?" Shay asked harshly, Bryan's eyes narrowing.

"Excuse me?"

"You're practically on top of Gabby, why don't you take a step back." Shay challenged again, Bryan smirking as he glanced down, seeing Gabby's body tensed up, her gaze on the table.

"Oh… sorry Dawson." He replied smugly, his arm grazing over her when he stood up straight, Gabby wincing slightly as he stepped away.

"You okay?" Shay asked quietly once Walker had moved back to the couch, Gabby nodding softly as she looked up, her eyes immediately finding Matt's from the kitchen, seeing the worried look on his face. Her body relaxed when she caught his gaze, the concern never leaving his eyes as she flashed him a soft smile before turning her attention back to Shay.

Gabby didn't notice how the strong look of concern never left Matt's eyes while he watched her, she didn't realize he'd seen the moment her entire body tensed when Walker got close to her.

And neither of them noticed Walker watching his Lieutenant while he was focused on Gabby.

* * *

**And there's another one. Looks like Walker has finally realized that Gabby and Casey are closer than he thought, which can only mean trouble. We got a little glimpse at the parents in this one, too, which is always fun. And although Gabby is still convinced she's doing the right thing by hiding her feelings, her and Matt are still managing to have some fun.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed this one, thank you all so much for reading! I'll see you next time!**


	23. Chapter Twenty Three

**Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for you guys, I hope you like it. Thank you for all the great feedback you all left me on the last chapter!**

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**TWENTY THREE**

* * *

Gabby stepped into the warm bar, her eyes dancing around the packed room, soon finding her friend behind the counter, seeing her serving a few customers. Shoving her hands into her pockets, Gabby moved towards the blonde, Shay seeing her as she came to a stop in front of the bar.

"Hey girl." Shay spoke with a grin, her eyes flickering behind Dawson before meeting her friend's eyes. "No Casey tonight?" Her voice dropped when she asked the question, Gabby shaking her head.

"No, just me." She responded, perching herself up onto the barstool. "Can I get a drink?" She asked, Shay nodding as she reached for a glass.

"The usual?" Shay questioned, earning her answer in the form of a nod before she made her friend's drink, Gabby resting her arms on the bar top. "So… How have you been?"

"You saw me this morning, Shay." Gabby responded, the blonde shrugging her shoulders as she placed the glass down in front of Dawson.

"Yeah, and things could have changed since then." She replied, Gabby sighing before she took a sip of her drink.

"Well, nothing's really changed." Gabby confirmed, Shay nodding slowly. "Why?"

"No reason, just wondering." Shay spoke, tossing the white rag over her shoulder. "Is, uh, everything with you and Casey still going alright?"

Gabby's eyes narrowed at her friend, Shay watching her expectantly. "We're fine, Shay. What's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're acting weird."

"It's nothing, I just wasn't sure if you'd figured anything out with all that.. With how you feel about him." Shay spoke quietly, Gabby drawing in a deep breath. "And I wasn't sure how to ask, because I know last time that conversation didn't go so well… But I just want to make sure you're doing okay."

"I'm alright, Shay." Gabby replied, the blonde eyeing her curiously, clearly wanting more information but not knowing how to ask. Blowing out a heavy sigh, Gabby moved her gaze down to her hands, fiddling with her fingers on the counter. "I'm still confused about everything, but I've decided to just leave it alone. Let things stay how they are."

Pursing her lips together, Shay ignored the second part of her friend's statement, choosing to focus on her first few words. "You're confused about how you feel?" She pressed, Gabby meeting her friend's eyes, shaking her head slowly side to side.

"No… I'm pretty sure I know how I feel." Her voice came out barely above a whisper, Shay's features softening. "I like him, Shay. A lot. But I'm confused _about_ him." She spoke, the soft smile on the blonde's face falling.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm pretty sure he doesn't like me like... _that_. I don't think he sees me as someone he'd want to be in a relationship with."

"Did he say that?" Shay questioned, Gabby shrugging.

"No, we haven't talked about it specifically, but it's just the way he acts when the topic comes up, he gets all tense. Like the other morning, his mom was at the apartment when I got there and she called me his girlfriend-"

"I didn't think Casey's parents lived in Chicago." Shay interjected, Gabby narrowing her eyes. "I've only ever heard him mention a sister- you know what," The blonde stopped herself when she saw the annoyed look covering Dawson's face, "it's not important right now, I'm sorry. Continue." Shay finished with a sheepish grin, Gabby rolling her eyes before continuing her thought.

"Anyway, he got all weird about that, and then once she left he made sure to clarify he didn't tell her that, that he knew that's not what we were and how that's not what we want. It's like he keeps reinforcing that we're not _that_, like he wants to make sure I'm not forgetting." She breathed out, Shay frowning slightly. "But then the way he acts with me, it's completely different. Like when we're spending time together, or when we're…" Gabby trailed off, giving the blonde a pointed stare which Shay returned with a nod, silently telling Dawson she understood. "It feels like there's something there, like he feels something for me too. But what he says is completely different and it's confusing."

Shay's tongue poked out between her teeth, running over her bottom lip while she thought over Dawson's words, trying to decide which part to address first. The blonde glanced around, making sure they were still out of earshot of anyone who shouldn't be hearing this conversation before continuing.

"Do you think maybe the reason he's saying those things is because of you?" Shay questioned, Gabby raising her eyebrow, silently telling her to elaborate. "That maybe he's only doing that for your benefit, because he doesn't think you're wanting something more with him, or maybe he knows how you feel but he's not sure if you're ready for this yet after everything with Walker… I mean, you're the one who proposed the idea, you're the one who set those rules for you two, maybe he's only saying that because he thinks that's what you need right now." She countered, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing as Shay's words filled her head. "Actions speak louder than words. I know it's cliche or whatever, but it's true."

"I don't think so, Shay." She muttered after a few seconds, shaking her head.

"You won't know until you talk to him." The blonde reasoned, watching as her friend's demeanor visibly deflated.

"Yeah, well I have a good feeling of how that conversation will go…" She breathed out, Shay tilting her head to the side, waiting for Gabby to continue. "Guys like Matt… I'm not the type of girl they wanna be with."

Shay's face fell as the words left Dawson's mouth, the blonde leaning into the bar. "Honey…"

"It's fine, Shay. Really, it is. I mean, when I first got with Walker, I thought he was a good guy… we all saw how that turned out." She admitted quietly, the frown covering Shay's face growing. "And even before Bryan, I never really had the best luck with guys, and clearly I still don't."

"All those guys were assholes." Shay cut in.

"Yeah, but it's a pattern with me. No genuinely good guy actually wants to be with me, Matt won't be any different. I don't know, I guess it just feels like I don't deserve a guy like Casey, a guy like who I thought Bryan was." She spoke softly, Shay shaking her head angrily, hating how Gabby was talking about herself.

"But you do, Gabby." Shay spoke firmly, bracing her hands against the countertop, Dawson meeting her partner's gaze. "And I wish you could see that. You deserve someone good, you deserve an amazing guy. You're an incredible person, Gabriela Dawson, and I swear to God if you don't start having a higher opinion of yourself I'm gonna smack you." Shay threatened, Gabby's eyebrows raising, the blonde matching her stare. "You deserve the best, Gabs. I'm not saying Casey is perfect, no one is, but he's a great guy. A guy who's worthy of someone as amazing as you. And he's a guy who I think likes you as much as you like him." She spoke pointedly, Gabby sighing deeply. "A guy who, as far as I can tell, sees just how wonderful you are. And I'm not just talking about in bed." She added, Gabby huffing out a breath, shaking her head as a small smile graced her lips.

"You just can't help yourself, can you?" Gabby questioned, the blonde shrugging.

"It's who I am." She responded, Gabby nodding as she sensed the air around them turn serious once again, Shay glancing down the bar. Gabby followed her gaze, seeing her looking at Bryan, Dawson quickly returning her attention to her friend. "I know Walker did a number on you." Shay spoke, meeting Gabby's gaze once again. "And I have a feeling he's the reason why you think you don't deserve guys like Casey…"

Gabby remained quiet, her gaze flickering back to Walker, seeing him enjoying the presence of the woman by his side, Dawson biting down on the inside of her cheek roughly.

"But you do, Gabby. And I know it's terrifying to open yourself up to that again. You completely gave yourself to Walker, and he took advantage of that. But he never deserved you anyway. You can do so much better than him, I need you to believe that." Shay spoke honestly, Gabby nodding slowly as she clenched her hands together. "Whether it ends up being with Casey or not, you don't need to settle. You, my friend, are a catch. Whatever Walker did to make you think otherwise, he's wrong."

"Maybe…" Gabby responded softly, Shay shaking her head. She knew Walker had left Gabby with a lot of emotional wounds, some deeper than others, wounds that Dawson clearly hadn't dealt with yet. And Shay knew there was only so much she could say to help, that if this was something that had been ingrained in her, it would be a hard thing to break. "But even all that aside, I just- I wish this never happened." She shifted the topic, Shay's eyebrows furrowing.

"What do you mean?"

"This would've been so much easier if I never started liking him, everything could've stayed simple and fun, and I wouldn't be reading into every single thing he says or does. I wouldn't be driving myself crazy over things that he probably doesn't even realize he's doing... I wouldn't be falling for him." She replied frustratedly, Shay's eyes softening.

"You really do like him a lot…" She mused, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip, unable to stop the next words spilling from her mouth.

"I do, I really like him." She admitted softly. "Even the things about him that are annoying, or that infuriate me, I still like. Like for as clean and tidy as he is at work, he can be a complete mess sometimes. And he hates to be wrong, especially over little dumb stuff that would only matter to him. He cares way too much about the Blackhawks, I think he cares more than the team does… I've never seen someone yell at the TV as much as he does when they're playing. And don't even get me started on how he always has to get the last word in, because he knows it drives me insane." She rambled, Shay biting back the smirk on her face as Gabby got lost in her thoughts about Casey. "But even with all that, I wouldn't change it, because it's just Matt. It's part of who he is… I don't think I've ever met anyone as kind as him, or as funny as him, even though I'd never tell him that to his face because he'd never let me live it down. But, even more than that, he's just a genuinely good person. He has this way with people where he just can make anyone feel comfortable... he makes me feel comfortable." She continued, Shay watching her friend closely with a soft smile. "And he respects me, he's patient with me, which we all know isn't an easy task. He just- I don't know, he treats me like I'm his equal? I know that sounds so stupid, like yeah, of course, you should be equals in a relationship, or whatever, but with Walker… I wasn't used to that, especially towards the end." She breathed out, Shay's expression morphing into one of anger. "It's not something I've really experienced before, but with Matt it's just second nature. He's always checking up on me, making sure I'm okay, but not in an annoying way. He's not trying to be overbearing, or controlling, he just genuinely wants to know how I am and, I don't know- God, this has to sound ridiculous…"

"It doesn't." Shay assured her, Gabby meeting her eyes. "And it's not stupid, either. You're finally with someone, or whatever you want to call it, that treats you right. It's not stupid to want that."

Gabby nodded, glancing down to her clasped hands, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I really like him, Shay. I just wish it was easier." She admitted, the blonde nodding as she reached out, rubbing her hand over her friend's arm.

"I know. But if you want to be with him, you've gotta talk to him. Nothing will happen if you keep lying to yourself, and to him, about how you feel. You need to try and talk to him... You need to tell him."

Releasing a heavy groan, Gabby leaned over, resting her head against her forearm that was resting on top of the bar, her frustration evident. Shay shook her head, patting Dawson on the shoulder.

"I know you're right." Gabby's voice was muffled against the counter, but Shay heard her nonetheless. "But I still don't know if I'm ready for that."

"Gabby…"

"What's got Dawson so down tonight?"

Shay rolled her eyes as she turned towards the unwelcome voice, seeing Walker coming up beside Gabby's stool, Dawson lifting her head up just as he stopped beside her. Instinctively she leaned away from him, Shay not missing her friend's movement.

"What do you want, Walker?" Shay bit out, Bryan smirking softly as his gaze moved in between the two paramedics before ultimately landing on Gabby.

"Just came to see if I could get another drink, the service is pretty bad tonight Shay."

"Bite me." She shot back, Walker cocking his head to the side as he looked towards her.

"I didn't think I was your type?"

"Yeah, you're right. I don't go for egotistical, cheating jackasses." She responded with a fake smile, Walker rolling his eyes before he straightened his back, his movements causing his arm to brush against Gabby's.

"Can I just get another beer, please." He spoke roughly, Shay narrowing her eyes before nodding, Bryan turning his attention back to Gabby. "So, Dawson…" He started, Gabby swallowing the lump in her throat before looking up to him. "Where's the Lieutenant tonight?"

Her eyes widened in surprise before she regained herself, Shay's gaze narrowed on the man as he stood there with a smug grin.

"What?" Gabby questioned, Walker chuckling.

"I asked you where Casey was, you know since you two have become best friends all of the sudden. I figured you might know."

"I don't know what he's doing." Gabby replied after a second. Even though it wasn't the truth, the last thing she was going to do was admit to Bryan he was right, especially when she didn't know why he was asking her about Casey. "But you could call him and ask him if it really means that much to you." She responded sharply, turning herself back towards Shay, the blonde speaking up before Walker could continue.

"I'll get you your beer in a minute, you can go back to- oh wait, that's a new one." Shay commented as she looked towards the woman Walker had left by the bar, missing the eye roll Bryan gave her. "What happened to- what was her name, Jessica? Jennifer? I don't remember, but has that run its course already?" Shay questioned sarcastically, Bryan's glare zeroing in on the blonde.

"Like that's any of your business." He responded, Shay raising her eyebrows.

"You're right, it's not my business. But that doesn't seem to stop you whenever you try and figure out what's going on with Gabby, now does it? You seem to think everything she's doing still somehow concerns you." She replied harshly, Bryan releasing a heavy scoff. "So, did you and Jennifer, I think, break things off? Although, knowing your track record you two might still be together, there's no way to tell."

"Watch it, Shay."

"Ahh, I guess I've got my answer. She was too nice for you, anyway. Hopefully that's over, she's better off without you."

"You would think that."

"Yeah, I would." She responded quickly, their argument catching the attention of some of the other patrons in the bar.

"Oh please, we both know what this is about. This is about Dawson, and considering that if I never dumped her we'd still be together, you should probably keep your mouth shut." He fired back, Shay crossing her arms over her chest.

"You dumping her is the only nice thing you've ever done for her."

"Shay." Gabby spoke, trying to stop her friend before things escalated any further, the PIC feeling eyes from all over the bar focused in on them. But her voice fell on deaf ears.

"Yeah, like Dawson's better off without me." He replied with a scoff.

"You're right, she is." Shay responded without missing a beat.

Understanding this wasn't going to stop unless she intervened, Gabby pushed her stool back, standing up beside Walker, trying to get her friend's attention. "Shay, just leave it. Please. Walker, go back to your date, we don't need to do this."

"Oh shut up, Gabby." He snapped, before moving back to Shay. "She's not better off without me, I'm not sure what she's doing where she thinks she's got it so good now, but I guarantee whoring herself out isn't any better than the life she had with me." Gabby's head turned towards Walker as the words left his mouth, her eyes narrowing.

"Excuse me?" Gabby questioned angrily, her rage talking over as Bryan turned towards her, that same stupid grin she'd seen from him lately covering his face. Out of the corner of her eye, Shay saw Herrmann walking up to them, probably intending to diffuse the situation, the blonde only now realizing most of the bar was watching them.

"I said you spreading your legs for any guy who gives you the slightest bit of attention isn't exactly you being 'better off' than you were with me, but whatever makes you feel better." He replied harshly, Gabby's body flooding with anger. "God, Ramon and Camila must be proud."

Before she even registered her own actions, Gabby grabbed ahold of her glass, throwing her drink in his face, the liquid covering his skin and splashing down onto his shirt, the room falling into a stunned silence.

Gabby could feel the rage radiating off his body as Walker wiped the drink from his eyes, his glare burning into her head as he opened his eyes. Gabby stood firmly in her place, not willing to show him any regret or fear, Bryan's muscles tensing in anger.

"You bitch." He spat, before bringing his hands up and shoving Gabby roughly into the bar. She managed to reach out and grab ahold of the counter, able to stop herself before she fell completely, her side slamming into the unforgiving surface as she knocked into the stool behind her, sending it tumbling to the ground.

Herrmann had ahold of Walker in seconds, the older firefighter pulling him back away from Dawson while Shay hurried out from behind the bar as Gabby stood up straight, ignoring the stinging pain in her side.

"That's enough." Herrmann spoke roughly, blocking Walker from Gabby, Dawson seeing hatred burning in Bryan's eyes. "Get out of here, now."

"Herrmann-"

"Out!" He shouted, the room in complete silence. Walker scoffed, shrugging his shoulders as he headed for the door.

"Whatever, keep on protecting her." He muttered, slamming the front door open before stomping outside, leaving a stunned group of people inside.

"Are you alright?" Shay asked quietly, Gabby biting down roughly on the inside of her cheek before nodding.

"Okay, show's over people, go back to what you were doing." Herrmann called throughout the bar, cautious noise slowly filling the room again. The firefighter walked over, his worried eyes locked on Gabby before he bent down, picking up the stool that had been knocked over.

"You okay, kid?" He asked quietly, Gabby plastering on a fake smile as she met his gaze, giving him a quick nod.

"I'm fine, Herrmann." She replied, seeing the man glance towards Shay. "Thanks… for stepping in."

"No thanks necessary." He responded without hesitation, his eyes darting down, noticing Gabby still had a hand holding over her side. "Did he hurt you?"

"No, I'm alright. I'm good." She answered quickly, clenching her teeth together as she glanced around the room, seeing a few pairs of lingering, curious eyes on her. "But, uh, I'm gonna get out of here."

"Gabby-"

"I'm fine." She assured Shay quickly, grabbing ahold of her bag. "I'm just tired. But I'll see you guys later." She responded, giving them both one last quick smile before heading for the door, needing to get out of here.

When the chilly night air hit her face, she felt a little more at ease, Gabby feeling thankful to be out of that bar. But she didn't dwell on the feeling, Gabby hurrying to her car before she did anything else, knowing that there was the chance Walker hadn't left yet, and the last thing she wanted was a confrontation with him. With what he'd just done in a bar full of people, there was no telling what he'd do if he got her alone.

Once she was safely inside her car with the doors locked, Gabby let herself relax, Dawson just now realizing her hands were shaking in her lap. Forcing herself to take a few long, deep breaths, Gabby felt herself slowly calming down, her eyes focused on the quiet street in front of her.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been sitting there, her mind pulling her in a hundred different directions when she felt her phone buzzing in her pocket. Sighing deeply, Gabby pulled out the device, seeing Casey had just texted her.

'_Hey, am I seeing you tonight?_'

Gabby's eyes fell closed as she leaned forward, letting her head rest against the steering wheel.

Part of her wanted to go to Matt. A big part of her wanted to go see him, and let him distract her from what had just happened. But the last thing she felt like she could do right now is talk about this. The second he saw her, he would know something was wrong, and she didn't want to explain all this. Because if she started, she wasn't so sure she'd be able to stop.

Blowing out a sigh, Gabby sat back up, blinking tightly as she typed out her response.

'_Hi. Sorry, I don't think so. I'm with Antonio, don't think I'll be able to get away._'

Casey read her message almost immediately, Gabby seeing he'd waited a few moments before responding.

'_That's fine, I just wanted to check. I'll see you soon, have fun with your brother._'

Gabby opted to not send anything back, tossing her phone down into her passenger seat as she leaned forward once more, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly, her mind consumed by the events of the last ten minutes.

This entire time, she'd held onto the belief that if she could just stay away from him alone, she'd be fine. That Walker wouldn't do anything to her if there were people around to see the man she'd known for the last three years. She held onto that, believing that the last thing Bryan would want would be for everyone to know exactly how angry he could get. But now, she wasn't so sure. He had no issue putting his hands on her in front of other people, in front of their coworkers. And that thought frightened her.

She had seen him like that more times than she'd like to remember, where there'd be flashes of anger that he couldn't control. But he'd never lost his cool to that extent around anyone else. But now, that had changed. He either slipped up, and didn't even realize what he was doing until it was too late to stop himself, or he didn't care anymore.

And it was the second one that scared her.

If he had no problem doing that with Shay and Herrmann around, there was no way to know how far he'd go when he got any time with her at all. All she did know was that she needed to be careful. She had to keep her guard up whenever he was around, and make sure to not put herself in any positions that might end badly for her. Because she couldn't handle being on the receiving end of his wrath another time. She just couldn't.

* * *

Matt closed his locker shut, securing the lock before stepping away and heading out of the room. With his hands in his pockets, he walked out into the hallway, making his way towards the kitchen, intent on getting some form of breakfast before shift got too hectic.

When he turned the corner, he saw Shay and Dawson walking towards him, a soft smile immediately falling onto his face. He wasn't sure what they were talking about, but it seemed important, and their conversation immediately halted when they noticed him.

"Hey Casey." Shay greeted first, all of them slowing their steps.

"Hey Shay, Dawson." He responded, his gaze staying on Gabby, watching as she gave him a soft smile that didn't really reach her eyes before she looked towards the ground, confusion flooding his body.

He hadn't seen Gabby since last shift. To most coworkers, that wouldn't be unusual, but for them, as of late, it was strange. For whatever reason, they usually spent most of their time together, but the same couldn't be said for the last two days. They hadn't even spoken since the night before last, and, at the time, Matt hadn't thought much of it, but seeing her now gave him some doubts.

"How are you guys?" He questioned, unable to keep his eyes off Gabby as she lifted her head.

"We're good." She responded softly, glancing to Shay, giving her a slight nod down the hall. Understanding the request, Shay flashed Casey a smile before continuing towards the locker room.

"I'll see you guys later." She spoke, patting Matt's shoulder as she passed, Casey waiting until she was around the corner before turning back to Gabby, seeing her eyes already on him.

"Hi." She spoke quietly.

"Hey… Is everything okay?" He couldn't help but ask, Gabby completely unfazed by the question.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Sorry I wasn't around much the last few days, I was busy."

"No, it's fine, it's not that. You just seem a little upset." He spoke quickly, Gabby shaking her head.

"I'm good." She repeated, giving him another smile, one he couldn't help but think seemed forced. "I'm just a little tired." She added, Matt nodding slowly, still unsure if he believed her.

"What, don't tell me you've found someone else to occupy your time?" He questioned teasingly, hoping to lift her dampened spirits a little, Casey relaxing slightly when he saw her laugh, Gabby shaking her head.

"Oh, definitely. Sorry, pal." She played along, Matt grinning softly, watching as she matched his smile.

The bells ringing throughout the house interrupted their conversation, Casey and Dawson listening on as they heard 61 being called out. Releasing a sigh, Gabby glanced back to Matt, seeing him holding out his hand.

"Want me to take that for you?" He asked, nodding to the shift bag slung over her shoulder.

"Yeah, sure. Thanks." She replied, seeing Shay come around the corner.

"Ready Dawson?" The blonde asked, Gabby nodding as she handed her bag over.

"Yup… Thanks Casey." Gabby spoke, Matt flashing her a smile before she rushed out to the garage, her and Shay soon disappearing out of sight.

Climbing up into the rig, Gabby winced as she twisted awkwardly, Shay not missing the look of discomfort covering her friend's face.

"Everything okay?" Shay questioned as she pulled out of the garage, Gabby giving her a nod.

"I'm alright, just a little sore."

"From Walker." Shay clarified, Gabby giving her a reluctant nod after a few long seconds. "That fucking asshole, I'm gonna kill him."

"It's not worth it, Shay." Gabby breathed out, focusing her gaze out the window.

"He hurt you."

"Yeah, I know. But he was drunk, or at the very least he was being stupid. Whatever it was, it doesn't matter. No need to dwell on it." Gabby responded softly, refusing to even look towards her friend.

Since the incident with Walker the night before last, Gabby hadn't done much else other than think over everything that happened, and she came to the decision that she wanted to just ignore it. As long as Walker left her alone, she'd be fine pretending it never happened. Despite her nervousness at the thought of being around him, she couldn't let it consume her. She refused to. She'd lived that way for too long, she wouldn't do it now.

But the only way she knew how to do that was to ignore it.

"Dawson, he shoved you into bar, that's not just a little thing. That's assault." Shay challenged, Gabby drawing in a deep breath.

"Can we please not talk about this." Gabby spoke quietly, her eyes still peeled out the window.

"But Gabby-"

"Shay." She pleaded, her voice much firmer as she looked towards her friend. "Please, can we not talk about this right now."

The desperation in Dawson's voice caused Shay to quickly glance towards the PIC, catching a quick glimpse of the distressed look in her eyes. It wasn't a look the blonde saw often from her best friend; she looked small, and defeated. And it was unnerving.

"Okay." Shay responded softly, focusing her attention back on the road. She didn't want to upset her anymore than she was already, especially not when they were almost to the call. She didn't want Dawson distracted, they both knew that could end badly. But she was worried.

This thing with Walker, Shay could see Gabby wasn't handling it well. Between Gabby doing what she could to avoid the topic when they walked into the firehouse this morning, and her behavior now, it was clear Dawson didn't want to think about it.

"Thank you." Gabby replied quietly, clenching her hands together in her lap as Shay pulled up to the scene.

Knowing she didn't have time to get anything else out of Dawson right now, Shay put the rig in park, glancing to her partner. "Are you okay to do this?"

Her question was met by a clearly forced smile, Gabby nodding before opening the door. "I'm fine, Shay. The thing with Walker's just not a big deal, that's all. But I'm good." She spoke as surely as she could, Shay giving her a reluctant nod before climbing down from the rig, the two paramedics focusing on the task at hand.

* * *

Casey sat at the desk in his office, tapping his pen against the stack of papers in front of him as he did his best to plow through some of this paperwork. It was seemingly never ending, and he didn't exactly enjoy doing it, but he knew it was just a part of the job.

Soft tapping on his open door pulled his attention away from the paperwork, Casey glancing back to see Shay standing in his doorway, a soft smile falling onto his face.

"Hey Shay."

"Hey there Lieutenant." She greeted, taking a step inside. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"Nope, just working on a little bit of paperwork. What's up?" He questioned, seeing the blonde paramedic glance out into the bunkroom before she took another step into his office, closing the door behind her. "Is everything okay?" He pressed, Shay nodding as she moved towards his bed, sitting down on the end of it, facing him as Matt turned his chair around.

"Everything's fine, I just wanted to check in… see how you and Dawson are doing."

Casey's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, the firefighter leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "We're fine." He replied slowly, watching her closely.

"Good, that's good." She murmured. "So… this arrangement you two have, that hasn't been weird at all?"

"Shay, what is this about?" Matt straightened his back as he sat up in his seat, resting his hands on the arms of his chair, Shay catching his expectant gaze.

"I'm just curious." She responded with a shrug, Matt tilting his head to the side. "I mean, I know you two aren't together, or whatever, but I just want to make sure you two are still good."

"We're fine, as far as I know." He replied pointedly. "I haven't really seen her the last few days, so I mean, I think everything's good… Why? Did Gabby say something?" He questioned, Shay raising her eyebrows. "We haven't even spoken really, but last I saw her, we were fine."

"Calm down, lover boy." Shay cut in, shaking her head in amusement as he narrowed his eyes. "Gabby hasn't said anything to me, I'm just curious."

She saw him physically relax, the Lieutenant shrugging as he leaned back in his chair. "Oh, well yeah, her and I are good."

"And this is still just a casual thing?" She questioned, Matt meeting her eyes. Shay knew she had to be careful about how she spoke to him, knowing Gabby would absolutely kill her if she was the reason Matt found out about her feelings, but the blonde was curious to know where Matt was at with all this. She just wasn't sure how far she could question him before revealing too much.

"Yeah, it is." He replied slowly, his eyes narrowing curiously. "Why?"

"Just wondering." She responded casually, shrugging her shoulders. "I guess I just don't get how you all can do that... Be sleeping together and not have feelings for one another."

"Well, uh," Casey cleared his throat, trying to figure out how to respond to her. "We care about each other, we're friends-"

"Oh yeah, don't think I didn't hear about that, Casey." Shay cut in, Matt raising his eyebrows, waiting for her to elaborate. "You said Dawson was your best friend? After everything I've done for you." She replied jokingly, Matt releasing a soft chuckle.

"Sorry Shay." He replied with a laugh, shaking his head before moving back to her previous question. "But yeah, I don't know, I mean it's not that hard, I guess. We just like spending time together, and we're both happy not having to deal with the relationship part of things." He continued, Shay's face faltering slightly. "I guess I don't really have a better answer to your question, but her and I are both good, and we like where we're at right now."

Shay gave him a slow nod, Matt catching the strange shift in her demeanor. She had been so sure that Casey had the same feelings for Dawson that Gabby felt for him, but now there was a little bit of doubt in her mind. Maybe all this was for him was sex with one of his friends, and Shay didn't know what to do with that. After everything she told Dawson the other night at Molly's before the incident with Walker, she'd been sure Casey had feelings for her. But now, she wasn't as confident.

"What is it, Shay?" Matt questioned after a few seconds, Shay's gaze snapping back into focus.

"Hmm?"

"You look all confused, what is it?"

"Oh, nothing. Well, it's something I guess… I wanted to ask you-" Shay cut herself, debating whether or not to just come out and ask him. For Dawson's sake, she felt like she needed to know. But she knew Gabby would never forgive her if Casey figured out exactly why she was asking. Blowing out a breath, she shook her head, asking him the only other thing she could think of. "You said you hadn't talked to Dawson since last shift?"

Matt's eyebrows furrowed before he gave her a nod. "I mean, we texted some, but no we didn't really talk about anything. Why?"

"So you didn't hear what happened at Molly's the other night…" She spoke, Casey's confusion only growing, his body tensing slightly.

"No, what happened?" He questioned, Shay blowing out a heavy breath.

"Long story short, Gabby and I were talking at the bar, and Walker came over," Matt listened closely as Shay gave the details of what happened the other night at Molly's, his body flooding with anger as he heard what had been said to and about Gabby. "... he pretty much called her a whore, and said some other things and then she threw her drink at him." Matt's eyebrows raised in surprise, but they quickly fell. Knowing how feisty Gabby could be, he shouldn't have been that shocked. But he also knew Walker had always been a weak spot for her, he was just glad she stood up for herself.

But the grimace that soon covered Shay's face told him he wouldn't like what happened next. "But, uh, after she did that, he got really angry. He called her a bitch, and then shoved her into the bar."

Casey's hands clenched in rage, his entire body going rigid. "He what?"

"He kind of slammed her into the bar, she was able to catch herself, but her side hit the counter pretty hard. She said she was okay, but she left like right after it happened, and then I didn't hear from her at all, not until we got here this morning." Matt blew out a heavy breath, shaking his head. "She didn't really want to talk about it, at least not with me, but she seems a little shaken over the whole thing, I wasn't sure if she came to you."

"No, she didn't." He responded softly. "Is she hurt?"

"I think her side's hurting her, yeah. I've seen her wincing sometimes when she moves a certain way." Shay answered, Matt nodding before pushing himself up from his chair.

"Thanks for telling me, Shay." He spoke, the paramedic nodding as he stormed from the room, heading for the hallway as Shay followed after him.

Matt marched towards the common room, doing what he could to keep himself under control. He needed to keep a level head, he knew he did, but what Walker didn't wasn't acceptable, and he was going to make sure the firefighter knew that.

Stopping at the entrance to the room, Casey glanced around, soon finding the man he was looking for. "Walker!" All heads snapped up when they heard the angry voice of their Lieutenant, no one saying a word as Bryan met his gaze. "A word, outside. Now." He spoke roughly before turning on his heels, heading out into the garage.

Chuckling softly, Bryan pushed his chair back, walking around the table as he headed for the garage. "Ten bucks this is about Dawson." He joked, missing the scowl from Herrmann.

"Yeah, and if it is, you deserve whatever's coming." Herrmann shot back, Walker rolling his eyes as he moved into the hallway, his path being stopped as Shay stepped in front of him.

"What do you want?" He spat, the paramedic's eyes narrowing as she noticed Severide stand up from his seat in the common room, clearly unsure of what Walker would do.

"If you touch Dawson again, I swear to God I'll kill you." She spoke firmly, the room in a dead silence as her words filled the air.

"Oh, please. Like you-"

"If you lay another hand on her, I will kill you." She repeated harshly, her arms crossed over her chest, her intense gaze never faltering. Rolling his eyes, Walker scoffed before wordlessly bumping past Shay, disappearing into the garage.

"What's going on?" Capp asked cluelessly, but he never got a response.

Outside in the garage, Walker headed towards 81, shoving his hands into his pockets as he saw Casey standing by the rig, his arms crossed over his chest.

"You wanted to see me." He said, Casey's harsh glare finding him.

"I thought I made it very clear to you that you were to leave our paramedics alone." He spoke roughly, his voice dangerously quiet.

"Casey-"

"Lieutenant." Matt corrected, Walker clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

"_Lieutenant_, what happened between Dawson and I happened off shift, I don't see how it really concerns you. And I'm not sure what sob story you heard from her, but-"

"I don't care where it happened." Casey cut him off, his voice rising with each word. "You hurting one of our paramedics, it doesn't matter where that happens, that's not acceptable. You shoved her into a counter, and you don't seem to see any issue with that."

"Well, in my defense, she threw a drink in my face, she kind of had it coming."

Matt's body flooded with anger once more, the Lieutenant clenching his neck, willing himself to stay calm. "There is no defense here, nothing justifies you hurting one of our medics. It doesn't matter what she did, you don't put your hands on her. I know you're smart enough to know that."

"Lieutenant-"

"I want you to stay away from both Dawson and Shay." Casey interjected, Walker's eyes widening.

"I'm sorry?"

"You heard me. You need to leave them alone."

"You can't be serious, you don't get to control who I talk to-"

"On shift I do." He responded instantly, Walker's eyes narrowing. "And on shift, unless it's work-related, you leave them alone. Both of them. I know I can't control what you do off shift, but trust me when I say I can make you pay for it at work."

"This has got to be a joke…" He huffed out, Matt's face hardening.

"Does it look like I'm joking?" He asked, his rhetorical question not needing an answer. "I warned you to leave them alone before, and you ignored it. So now there's consequences for that. You going around assaulting one of our own isn't acceptable."

"Oh please, I didn't assault anyone. She's fine." Bryan replied exasperatedly, Casey shaking his head in disbelief.

"Walker, I'm done talking to you about this. You stay away from both of them. That's an order." Matt spoke roughly, beginning to walk away.

"Why do you care so much?" Walker bit back, Matt's eyes narrowing as he stopped beside the man. "Honestly, why do you give a shit what Dawson and I do outside of work?"

"Because what you're doing outside of work is hurting your coworkers." Casey snapped, Bryan stifling an eye roll. "And, considering Dawson wants nothing to do with you, what you and Dawson 'do outside of work' is you harassing her. So, I'll tell you again. Leave Dawson, and Shay, alone."

Without another word, Matt continued walking away, but was stopped yet again when he heard Walker mutter something under his breath.

"Yeah, did Dawson tell you that before or after she sucked you off."

"Excuse me?" Casey nearly shouted, turning back around to see Walker now facing him. "What did you just say?"

It was clear by the look on Walker's face that he hadn't intended for his Lieutenant to hear him, but he knew there was no backing down now, Bryan's eyes narrowing as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You heard me. That's the only way you'd care this much, is if she was spreading her legs for you."

"Walker-"

"I can guarantee anything you're doing to her, I've already done."

"Walker!" Casey shouted, silencing the firefighter across from him. "I don't know what you think you're going to gain from this, but if you had any sense at all you'd stop talking. Dawson and I are _friends_. And I don't need to be sleeping with her to know that you're a complete asshole." He bit out, Walker's harsh stare intensifying.

"Lieutenant-"

"I thought I told you to stop talking." Casey barked, silencing his firefighter. "Now, I'm done talking to you about this. You're on bathroom duty, go scrub it down, top to bottom. I want it spotless." Walker opened his mouth to protest, but Casey shook his head. "Once you're done, you can do it again. Now go."

Without another word, Bryan stomped off towards the firehouse, Matt's hand coming up to rub over his mouth, barely even able to process what had just happened.

He thought Walker was done being a problem, he thought they'd moved past that. But he was wrong. If anything, things would only get worse.

And the last thing Matt wanted was for Gabby to get caught in the middle of all of it.

* * *

Gabby released a slow breath as she moved towards the exit of the firehouse, her eyes peeled for anyone from second shift. It was nearly thirty minutes after shift change, the paramedic having been hiding out in the bathroom most of the morning. She didn't want to risk seeing Walker, or honestly Casey for the matter, and she found it best to hide until she was sure everyone was gone.

This entire shift had been exhausting, partially from the calls but mostly from Gabby trying to avoid certain people. Walker was the main one, Gabby doing what she could to keep from seeing him at all over the past twenty four hours. But she also found herself avoiding Casey. It wasn't because of him necessarily, she just knew she wasn't in the right place to talk to him yet. After a quick comment from Shay during one of their calls, Dawson knew Matt had been made aware of what happened at Molly's, and she knew he wanted to talk to her about it. She just wasn't sure she could. She knew it wasn't something she could deal with on shift, so she tried to keep her distance, something she knew Casey soon caught on to. She hoped he didn't take it personally, she just didn't feel ready to talk to him.

But there was a small part of her that wanted to. She wanted to talk to him, to confide in him and tell him what happened. Tell him _everything_ that happened. Not just at Molly's, not just the few times Walker had spoken to her over the last few weeks; she wanted to tell him everything. Everything Bryan did to her, everything she went through. Gabby felt like she needed to tell someone before she let it control her completely, and he was the person she wanted to tell. She felt like she could trust him, that she could lean on him and tell him what happened without judgement. But she was scared. She was scared to face it all again. She'd done everything in her power to push all those thoughts and feelings down for months, and if she touched all that again, she wasn't sure how she'd react.

The only thing she did know was that if she was going to tell anyone, it would probably be him. She just wasn't sure it was something she could face yet.

Sighing softly, Gabby walked down the driveway, flipping her keys in between her fingers as she moved towards her car, just wanting to get out of here. But her steps slowed when she got closer and saw someone leaning against her car, the man watching her with a smirk.

"I was wondering how much longer you'd be hiding out in there." Bryan spoke roughly, Gabby swallowing the lump in her throat while she kept walking, gripping her keys tightly, ignoring his comment as she continued towards her vehicle. "Oh, don't go all quiet on me now." He continued, stepping in front of her to block her path.

"What do you want?"

"I had a nice conversation with Casey yesterday." He ignored her question, Gabby's jaw clenching as she caught his gaze. "Any guesses as to what we talked about?"

"I don't care."

"He told me to stay away from you." He bit out, Gabby's eyebrows raising.

"Well, maybe you should listen to him." She responded roughly, stepping around him, moving towards her door. She quickly opened it, only for Walker to slam it shut, keeping his hand on it to prevent her from trying again. "Bryan-"

"He told me to stay away from both you and Shay, cause apparently I assaulted you." He continued, taking a step closer to her, Gabby's body tensing when she felt his chest touching her arm. "And, you know, I don't really remember it that way, but I guess that's what he got from whatever story you told him."

"I haven't even spoken to him. Whatever he heard, it wasn't from me."

"I'm sure." He replied, ducking his head down to speak softly into her ear. "You see, I know Casey thinks he can do whatever he wants, and he can order people to do whatever he wants them to do, and maybe on shift he can. But he's not here, we're not on shift anymore and he can't protect you right now. He's gone, and I don't give a damn what he wants me to do."

"Walker-" She started, but he cut her off, lifting his head back up as he spoke.

"Are you fucking him?" He asked bluntly, Gabby's spine straightening as she glanced towards him.

"What?"

"Answer the question." He spat, Gabby shaking her head.

"We're just friends, that's it." She replied as firmly as she could, Walker's eyes tracing over her face before nodding.

"Yeah, that better be all it is." He growled before taking a step back, dropping his hand from her car. Gabby quickly opened her door, throwing her things inside before sitting down. She reached for the door, but Walker held it open, leaning down to be eye level with her. "Because if I find out there's more going on between you two, you and I are going to have some real problems." He spoke roughly, Gabby shoving her keys into the ignition as he leaned back, Walker slamming the door closed. The force of it made Gabby flinch, Dawson hearing him smack the side of her car before she drove off quickly.

Her entire body was on edge as she drove, Gabby's mind running rampant while she moved through the streets of Chicago. Her hands were gripping the steering wheel impossibly tight, her mind hazy as she tried to focus on the road ahead of her, Gabby not even realizing where she was until she pulled up behind a light blue truck, her gaze moving towards his front door.

She wasn't sure how she ended up here, or what made her decide to come to him, but she did and she wasn't going to leave now. Even though she wasn't ready to talk, she couldn't shake the need in her gut to see him, Gabby not even bothering to grab her things as she ripped the keys from the ignition, climbing out of her car, barely remembering to lock it before she hurried to his front door.

Gabby knocked four times before shoving her trembling hands into her pockets, hearing movement on the other side of the door after a few moments.

He opened it quickly, an immediate look of concern mixed with surprise covering his features, Gabby blinking tightly.

"Hey Gabby." He replied carefully, clearly able to sense her distressed state.

"Hi… Uh, are you busy? I probably should've called, but I, uh-"

"No, it's fine, come in." He responded, stepping aside. "I've got a construction job but that's not for a few hours." He answered her first question, Gabby nodding slowly as he shut the door behind her.

Matt was shocked, to say the least, that Gabby had shown up here. After she spent practically their entire shift avoiding him, he didn't expect her to come here. In fact he didn't think he'd be hearing from her at all during their days off, especially not less than an hour after shift ended. But he could tell she was upset, he saw it the second he opened the door. And he knew _why_ she was upset. He just wished he knew how to help her, he hoped she would let him help her.

"I, uh… I know you know about what happened at the bar." She murmured, meeting his understanding eyes, Matt nodding sadly. "But, I'd rather not talk about it, if that's okay. I just- I don't want to think about any of that right now."

"Whatever you need, Gabby." He agreed softly, the paramedic nodding as she wrapped her arms over her chest. "Do you wanna sit down? We can watch a movie if you want."

"Can we just go lay down?" She asked, her request taking him by surprise but he nodded nonetheless. "I'm exhausted... I haven't slept well the last few nights."

"Yeah, of course." He responded without hesitation, Gabby nodding before walking the familiar path to his bedroom, Matt following close behind. He watched as she quietly went towards his dresser, pulling out one of his t-shirts before she walked back towards the bed. From the doorway he watched as she began shedding her shift clothes, leaving them in a pile on the floor, Matt's eyebrows furrowing when he caught a glimpse of the discolored skin over her side.

Wordlessly, he walked towards her, stopping her movements of putting his shirt over her body as he lifted her arm, his eyes focused on the large bruise. "Walker did this." He spoke quietly, his expression unreadable when Gabby glanced towards him. Giving him a nod in response, Matt sighed deeply, his fingers lightly dancing over the bruised skin. Before he could do much else, Gabby shrugged out of his hold, putting his shirt on to hide the bruising. "Sorry." He murmured, knowing he'd made her uncomfortable.

"It's okay." She replied, pulling back his covers before climbing into bed, Matt beginning to shed his shift clothes as well. He'd only been home for a few minutes before Gabby showed up on his doorstep, he hadn't had the chance to change, and after being in those clothes for over twenty four hours he didn't want to stay in them any longer.

Matt moved to his dresser, pulling out a pair of pajama pants and sliding them on before walking back towards the bed, climbing in behind her. Her body was facing away from him, and he didn't like it. She didn't want to talk, and he wouldn't pressure her, but he would do whatever else he could to try and comfort her.

"Hey." He spoke softly, resting his hand on her arm. "Come here." He prompted, Gabby hesitating for a moment before she adjusted her body, turning towards him. The second they locked eyes, his face fell, seeing the tears welling in her brown eyes, Matt frowning as he lifted his arm, encouraging her to come to him.

Gabby wordlessly fell against his chest, sniffling softly as he wrapped an arm around her, holding her body close to his.

"It's okay." He murmured, Gabby wrapping her arm around his waist as he felt her body tremble against his. "I'm right here." He whispered, feeling her silent tears hit his bare chest.

They laid in a peaceful silence, Matt rubbing his hand gently up and down her arm as she held onto him. Casey waited for her to breakdown, he waited for her emotions to boil over into something she couldn't control, but that never came. She only laid there, occasional tears escaping her eyes as she rested against his chest, Matt never loosening his grip on her.

He wasn't sure if he was helping, if he was doing anything to comfort her after what he knew had been a hard few days for her. But when he soon felt her breathing even out, Matt glancing down to see her fast asleep in his arms, he knew she'd calmed down enough to be able to relax. Drawing in a deep breath, Matt laid their quietly, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head as he listened to her breathing.

He wanted to do more, he wanted to help her more than this. But, whatever _this_ was, whether it was just what happened at the bar or there was more going on, he knew he had to let her come to him. From getting to know her over the last few months, he'd seen first hand that if anyone pushed her before she was ready, she'd shut them out. And he didn't want that. So for now, he'd take things at her pace, knowing all he could do right now was hold her and let her sleep.

* * *

**Well, how are we feeling? Walker is definitely escalating when it comes to Gabby, and Gabby is definitely not handling it well. What do you guys think, do you think she'll confide in Matt, or just continue to deal with this on her own? There's certainly a lot she needs to deal with, and she doesn't seem to be handling any of it right now. And there's a whole other part to this chapter, with Shay trying to get Gabby to talk to Matt. Shay's definitely starting to meddle a bit with them, we'll see how that goes.**

**As always, thank you guys so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this one! I've loved getting to write Dawsey like this, it's been so much fun for me, I'm happy you all are liking it. See you guys next time!**


	24. Chapter Twenty Four

**Hello hello hello. Here's the next chapter for you all. I hope you enjoy it, I had a lot of fun with this chapter. ****Hopefully you all are in the mood for some sweet Dawsey, cause there's quite a bit of it in this one.**

**Also, as I always do, I want to let you know there is an M-Rated scene in this one. It's been requested that I keep those going, so I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

**TWENTY FOUR**

* * *

An involuntary shiver coursed through Gabby's body as she was slowly pulled from her peaceful slumber, the paramedic quickly searching for the body of the person who she fell asleep next to, wanting his warmth to lull her back to sleep. But, to her disappointment, she found nothing but an empty bed next to her when she reached out for him, Gabby frowning as she slowly opened her eyes.

She first registered the empty bed next to her before she heard the sound of the shower running in his bathroom, Gabby needing a few moments to adjust to the light surrounding her before she gained complete control of her senses, Dawson sitting up slowly. Her hand came out to rest against the cold mattress, Gabby leaning her weight into her arm as she glanced at the clock, seeing it was a little before noon.

A soft yawn escaped her lips as she stretched out her neck, Gabby hearing the water abruptly shut off, telling her Matt was done with his shower. As she sat and listened to him moving around in the bathroom, she realized that for the first time in a few nights, she actually felt well rested. In the few hours she spent sleeping next to Matt, she felt more refreshed than she had after some of the entire nights of sleep she'd gotten recently.

Movement across the room got her attention, Gabby seeing Matt leave the bathroom, his body covered only by the towel tied around his waist, his eyes finding hers quickly as a bright smile fell onto his face. "Hey there."

"Hi." She responded, another yawn escaping her lips.

"How'd you sleep?" He questioned while he moved towards the dresser.

"Really good." She answered, missing the way his smile grew as his back was turned to her, Matt meeting her eyes through the mirror. "Thank you, by the way." She spoke, confusion filling his features.

"For what?"

"For letting me sleep, for helping me sleep, I guess." She responded with a shrug, Matt's face falling slightly.

"You never need to thank me for that." He replied without hesitation, Gabby watching as he began shuffling through his dresser, in search of clothes to wear.

She kept her eyes on him while he got dressed, Gabby waiting for the moment he tried to talk to her. She was waiting for him to try and get her to talk, for him to want her to tell him what had her so upset, but he never did. Anytime he caught her gaze, he simply flashed her a smile before going back to what he was doing.

Gabby wasn't sure why he hadn't asked her. She knew he had to be curious, that he knew what happened with Walker at the bar and he was bound to have some questions. But whatever questions he did have, he never asked them. He was acting like everything was fine, that she hadn't shown up at his door a few hours ago looking like a broken mess. It was like everything was normal, and she couldn't help but feel thankful for that.

Somehow he'd managed to show her that he was here for her, without him forcing her to open up about it. She knew if she wanted to talk, he was there to listen, but he hadn't uttered a single word about it. He was just… here. And it filled her with a sense of comfort she couldn't quite understand.

_He _was able to comfort her in ways she couldn't understand.

"I'm not sure how long I'll be gone." His voice broke her from her trance, Gabby's vision snapping into focus as she saw him fixing his belt, his eyes meeting hers for a second before he moved back to the task at hand. "But what do you say about us ordering in tonight?" He questioned, reaching down for the t-shirt he'd placed on the edge of the bed, sliding it over his bare torso. "We can get that Italian food you love." He offered, his smile widening when he saw one appear on her lips.

"I thought you hated that place." She replied, cocking her head to the side. "If my memory serves me correctly, every time we get it, you complain about how the food is not that good and it's 'too expensive for what we're getting'." She mocked, Casey narrowing his eyes playfully.

"Well, both of those things are true." He countered with a grin. "But I know how much you like it, I figured it would be a nice dinner." He replied softly, Gabby giving him a slow nod.

"Okay, yeah. I'd like that… If you're sure you don't mind."

"I just told you I didn't care-"

"No, not that." She spoke, Matt waiting for her to elaborate. "I meant if you're sure you don't mind me hanging around here all day.. I know I just kind of showed up-"

"I like having you here." He cut in, Gabby meeting his eyes. "It doesn't matter whether it's unannounced or not, you're always welcome." Casey thought about adding a joke about how he didn't think he needed to tell her that, to try and lighten the mood, but after she showed up here clearly upset, he wanted to make sure she knew he was serious. She was obviously going through something, and he didn't want there to be any confusion on her part, or have her second guessing whether or not she could come to him. She could always come to him, he didn't want her doubting that.

"Okay. Well then I think that sounds like a great plan." She told him, Matt smiling as he sat down on the edge of the bed, putting his shoes on.

"I'll text you when I'm done, I don't think it'll take all afternoon, but I'm not sure. If it gets too late, I might just pick up the food on the way home." He told her, Gabby giving him a nod as he stood up, turning his body to face her.

"Sounds good." She replied, Matt stepping towards her, Gabby watching him closely. Without another word, he leaned down, resting his hand against the mattress as he captured her lips with his, the action taking her by surprise.

It was soft, and gentle, Gabby melting into him as she began kissing him back, Matt bringing his other hand up to cradle her cheek.

When they eventually pulled away, Gabby's bottom lip fell between her teeth, Matt smiling softly as he watched her. "I'll see you later." He murmured, brushing a soft kiss over her cheek, his hand stroking the other side of her face before he pulled back, straightening his spine as he stood up.

The tenderness of his movements caught her off guard, Gabby nodding softly, watching as he grabbed his phone before heading for the door.

"See you later." She repeated, Casey flashing her smile before heading out the bedroom door. "And Matt?" She called, seeing him reappear seconds later, poking his head in through the doorway.

"Yeah?"

His eyebrows were raised as he waited for her to say something, Matt watching her curiously as she climbed out of bed, his t-shirt hanging over her hips as she silently walked towards him. He angled his body towards her just in time for her to wrap her arms around his neck, holding herself against him in a tight hug.

"Thank you." She murmured against his neck, Casey's body relaxing into her hold as he wrapped his arms around her body.

"I told you already, you don't need to thank me." He spoke softly, feeling her turn her head towards his neck, Matt running his hands over her back before he settled on her hips.

"Yeah, but I do." She responded, Matt sighing before pressing a kiss to the side of her head.

"I'm here for you, with whatever you need Gabby." He vocalized the thing he'd been trying to convey to her, not even just today, but for the last few months.

"I know you are." She murmured, pressing a kiss to his neck before reluctantly pulling away from him, Matt keeping his hands on her hips. "But you can't be right now, because you need to get to work." Her voice turned light, Matt releasing a soft chuckle as he nodded.

"You're right. Someone's gotta pay for that Italian food you want." He teased, rubbing his palm over her side as she grinned, Matt leaning forward, kissing the smirk off her lips. "So I'll see you later?" He questioned again after a few seconds, Gabby nodding.

"Yeah." She replied, Matt smiling before kissing her again, holding her hips against his as her hands came to rest on his chest. The shirt covering her body bunched up in his grip, rising above her hips as he held her to him, Gabby moaning softly against his lips.

"I need to go." He spoke softly, Gabby smiling against him before he kissed her again, a low groan leaving the back of his throat as his hand slid down past her waist, roaming the newly exposed skin.

Both panting, they pulled back from one another, Matt sucking in deep breaths as Gabby tapped her palm against his chest.

"What was that for?" Gabby breathed out, Matt matching her smile with a sheepish grin.

"Giving you something to look forward to, I guess." He responded, Gabby chuckling softly as she rubbed over his chest, gently pushing him out the door.

"Get out of here before I drag you back into bed." She spoke, Matt's eyebrows raising as he moved down the hallway, Gabby watching him from the doorway.

"Oh, so is that something that _I_ have to look forward to?" He asked, Gabby crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned against the door frame.

"Maybe. If you're lucky."

Casey grinned, giving her a wink before continuing down the hallway, gathering the rest of his belongings before leaving the apartment, the firefighter glad to see Dawson in better spirits than she'd been in when she got here.

* * *

Gabby took a long sip of the tea she'd made for herself as she walked back into the living room, placing the steaming mug down on the coffee table before taking up her previous position on the couch, going back to her task of folding laundry.

It had been a lazy afternoon around Casey's apartment for the paramedic, Gabby having taken it easy for the most part. After Casey had left for his construction job, Gabby had gotten back into bed for a little while longer before deciding to take a bath. When she finished, she decided to make herself comfortable, returning to her previous outfit as she grabbed a clean t-shirt of Matt's and a pair of her underwear that still remained in his dresser.

Since being here during his recovery, she'd ended up with quite a bit of her things that had just stayed at his place, and her clothes had become one of them. Somehow, she'd ended up with over half a dresser drawer full of clothes, Matt having pushed aside some of his things to give her room. It wasn't something they really talked about, it was more of a silent decision that she'd just keep some of her clothes at his place, considering she was here a lot of the time anyway. And, in times like this, it had proven to come in handy.

Once she'd gotten dressed after her shower, Gabby decided to clean up a little bit around the apartment. She'd made his bed, finished up cleaning some dishes that had been left in the sink, and had decided to do his laundry, which, admittedly, had some of her things tangled in as well.

She had started with their shift clothes, and once those were done she'd washed the rest of their stuff, Gabby now sitting on the couch folding them while she half watched a movie playing in the background.

It was nice to have a quiet afternoon to herself, especially after how hard the last few days had been. But as she sat here folding their clothes, she couldn't help but wish Casey was here sitting beside her, both of them doing this together. She found herself missing his presence, more than she expected, and as welcome as this relaxing afternoon was, she knew it would be better once he got back home.

Although, from the message he'd sent her a little under half an hour ago, Gabby knew it would be awhile until he got back, Matt having texted her saying the job was more intensive than he expected, and that it would probably be closer to dinner time before he'd be home.

She had just finished folding a pair of his sweatpants when she heard a knock at the door, Gabby placing the clothing down in one of the piles she'd created on the couch before glancing towards the sound, unsure of what to do.

She didn't know who'd be coming by this afternoon, but considering this was Matt's apartment, unless it was Shay, no one would be expecting her to open the door. Deciding to just leave it alone, Gabby stayed seated, hoping whoever had come here looking for Matt would assume he wasn't home. But instead, they knocked again, this time more persistent. Blowing out a soft sigh, Gabby stood up, intent on heading towards the door before she realized her current choice of dress, or lack thereof. Moving quickly, she grabbed the throw blanket off the back of his couch, wrapping it around herself before walking towards the door, Gabby making sure her lower half was covered.

The person knocked again as Gabby got into the entryway, Dawson huffing out a frustrated breath while she flipped the lock, not even bothering to look before quickly opening the door.

The person on the other side of the door was as surprised as Gabby was when they caught sight of one another, Gabby suddenly feeling self conscious under the gaze of the woman standing a few feet from her.

"Oh, hi Nancy. I wasn't expecting you today." Gabby spoke softly, clutching the blanket in her grip, watching as Matt's mother took in her choice of attire.

"Hi… Gabby, right?" She questioned, Dawson nodding. "I wanted to stop by and see Matthew, were you two asleep?" She asked with a raised brow, Gabby swallowing the lump in her throat as she shook her head.

"No, Matt's not here. He's at work. I was just getting some laundry done." She explained, Nancy nodding as she looked past Gabby into the apartment. "Um, would you like to come in?" Gabby offered, unsure of what else to do, the paramedic surprised when the woman actually took her up on her offer.

"Sure, thank you." She replied, Gabby stepping aside as Nancy walked in past her, Dawson closing the door behind her, drawing in a deep breath.

The two moved into the living room, Nancy seeing the stacks of folded clothes sitting on the couch, the older woman glancing back towards Gabby. "I'm going to go change real quick, I'll be right back. Make yourself comfortable." Gabby spoke, Nancy giving her a soft nod before Gabby disappeared down the hallway, making her way into Matt's room.

Closing the door behind her, Gabby discarded the blanket onto the bed before moving towards the dresser, pulling out some of her own clothes. She quickly slid on her jeans, peeling Matt's shirt from her body before putting on her bra and clasping it into place, slipping into a comfy shirt of her own. While she got dressed, Gabby tried to ignore the uncomfortable feeling in her gut, knowing she'd soon have to make small talk with Matt's mother. The woman seemed nice enough, but Gabby had no idea what type of relationship this woman had with her son, and she didn't want to reveal too much about Matt's life to her. She also didn't want his mom to dislike her, and she wasn't exactly sure where she stood with her right now.

Walking into the bathroom, Gabby quickly ran a brush through her hair, pulling it back into a messy bun before leaving the room, not wanting to leave Matt's mom waiting for much longer.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Gabby asked as she came down the hallway, seeing Nancy standing in the living room, glancing around the room. "I just made myself some tea, if you'd like some,"

"That'd be great."

Gabby nodded, flashing her a soft smile before moving towards the kitchen, Dawson beginning to heat up some water.

"Nancy, do you have a preference for what type of tea?" Gabby called as she stood at the stove.

"I'm right here."

Gabby jumped slightly, not having heard her enter the room, Gabby's hand coming up to rest across her chest as she turned around, Nancy wearing a soft frown.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, dear." She spoke, Gabby waving her off, taking a deep breath before responding.

"No, you're fine. I was just lost in own head, I guess." Gabby responded, flashing her a weak smile before turning back towards the stove, embarrassment flooding her body at how she'd just reacted in front of Matt's mother. "Um, I'm not sure what type of tea you like, Matt has a few different kinds." She spoke, Nancy coming up to stand beside her, choosing the type she liked.

"So, you said Matt was at work?" She asked, Gabby nodding as she pulled out a clean mug, setting it down on the counter.

"He is."

"But I thought you two worked together?"

"We do. We got off shift at the firehouse this morning, he's at a construction job right now." Gabby clarified, Nancy nodding.

"Ah yes, I'm glad to hear he's still doing that." She commented, Gabby nodding with a soft smile as they waited for the water to be ready. Once it was, Gabby filled up her mug, handing it to the woman before turning off the stovetop, the two walking back out into the living room.

While Nancy got situated in the chair, Gabby put the small piles of laundry back in Matt's hamper, knowing she could put them away later. Once she finished, she settled down into the couch, grabbing her tea and focusing her attention on the woman sitting across from her.

"Do you know how much longer Matthew will be working?" She questioned after a few silent moments, Gabby swallowing a sip of her drink before responding.

"It'll probably be a few more hours, he said he had more to do than he thought."

"What's he working on?"

"He's replacing a deck, I think." Gabby replied, Nancy nodding slowly before taking another sip of her tea, Gabby feeling the uncomfortable air settling around them.

"So… how long have you and Matt been living together?"

Gabby nearly choked on the liquid in her mouth, the paramedic clearing her throat as Nancy eyed her curiously.

"Sorry." Gabby spoke, shaking her head before answering her question. "We don't live together… I mean, I'm here a lot, but I don't live here. This is just Matt's place." She answered, Nancy nodding in understanding.

"And have you two been together long?"

"Um, a few months." Gabby answered, averting her eyes to her lap. Sensing the woman's uneasiness, Nancy placed her mug down on the coffee table, the action catching Gabby's attention.

"Gabby, you don't need to be nervous around me." Nancy spoke softly, the paramedic opening her mouth to protest, but she was cut off. "I can tell you're a little apprehensive of me being here, and I get it. I'm not sure how much Matthew has told you about me, but my son and I have a complicated history."

"He hasn't said much." Gabby replied softly, Nancy giving her a tight lipped smile before continuing.

"I know I came here to talk to him, but I'd also like to get to know you. You're obviously important to my son, and even though I don't know much about what's going on in Matthew's life these days, I'm not gonna try and figure that out through you. I wouldn't put you in that position. But I'd like to get to know you a little better, if that's alright."

Gabby nodded slowly, not expecting this woman to be able to read her so easily. A part of her assumed maybe it was something in the Casey genes, knowing Matt had been able to see through her essentially from the moment they met. Or maybe she was just incredibly transparent at times. Whatever it was, she didn't dwell on it.

Once she got confirmation from her son's girlfriend, Nancy relaxed back into her chair, resting her hands in her lap. "So, Gabby, have you always lived in Chicago?"

"I have, yeah. My parents are from the Dominican Republic, but they moved here before I was born with my brother."

"You have a brother?"

"An older brother, yeah. Antonio. He's a detective over at the 21st district."

"And you're a paramedic, yes? That's what Matthew said."

"Mhmm. I am." Gabby confirmed, a soft smile falling onto Nancy's face. "I have been for almost nine years, and I've been a PIC for five."

"PIC?"

"Paramedic in Charge." Gabby clarified. "Basically, I run my ambulance. It's kind of like Matt being a Lieutenant, how he's in charge of everyone on his truck. I mean, I'm only in charge of one other person, my partner Shay, so it's not exactly the same thing…"

"But still, that's impressive." Nancy spoke, her sincere words bringing a soft smile to Gabby's face. "And I'm sure your parents are proud, of both you and your brother. You both are in very noble professions."

"I hope they are." Gabby shrugged, pushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Do you have any other family in the area?" She questioned, Gabby shaking her head.

"There's a few of us kind of close by, but we're mostly spread all over the place. It's really just my parents and my brother, and then the firehouse where Matt and I work, we're essentially a family." Gabby spoke, Nancy smiling softly.

"That's nice to hear, I'm glad Matthew has that." She murmured, Dawson slowly nodding, unsure of what to say. But thankfully, Nancy kept talking. "That's how you two met, right? Through work?"

Gabby's tongue ran over her bottom lip, trying to figure out how to answer her. "We met briefly before that, but we didn't really get to know each other until he came to 51."

"51?"

"Oh, sorry. Firehouse 51, it's where we work." She clarified.

"And Matthew's fitting in there well?"

Gabby gave her another nod, pushing back the dozens of questions flooding her mind about Matt's relationship with his mother. "He is, everyone there loves him. He fit in well from the start, he's been a good addition to the house."

"Good, that's good. I'm glad he has that… I'm glad he has you." Gabby tilted her head to the side, not entirely sure what she meant. "I know I haven't been in my son's life a lot recently, and everything with Hallie- I don't know what happened there." Dawson swallowed thickly, Nancy clearing her throat. "And, while I'm sure you do, I'm not asking you to tell me, I meant what I said, I'm not trying to use you to get to Matthew, I'm just glad he has someone in his life who cares about him… I know how much he loved Hallie, and for that marriage to fail, I know that had to have destroyed him, no matter the reason. But he seems to be doing well, and I can only assume that's because of you."

"I don't think I've done anything." Gabby responded, Nancy's eyes locking with Gabby's. "Everything with Hallie, that had happened months before I met him… I really don't think I've done much, he got through it on his own."

"Well, maybe that's true. Although I have a feeling Matthew wouldn't say the same thing." Nancy commented with a soft smile, Gabby running her teeth over her bottom lip. "But, regardless, I'm just glad to see he has someone who cares about him. He needs that."

"He makes it easy." Gabby replied before she could stop herself, seeing Nancy's smile widen. "Your son is an amazing man."

"Yes, he is." Nancy agreed, the woman rubbing her hands over her legs before standing up. The action took Gabby by surprised, Dawson slowly standing up as well. "Well, I've taken up more than enough of your time, I'll get out of your hair."

"Oh no, you're fine. You don't have to leave."

"That's okay dear, I know I interrupted a relaxing day for you." She responded with a smile. "But it was really nice to get to know more about you, I'm glad you were here."

"Me too." Gabby replied, Nancy moving towards the door, Gabby following her path.

"If you could let Matthew know I stopped by, I'd appreciate it."

"Of course, yeah." She spoke, Nancy giving her another smile as she opened the front door.

"It was nice to see you again, Gabby."

"You too."

Dawson stood in the doorway while Nancy walked down the sidewalk, Gabby watching as she headed for a car parked across the street, someone clearly waiting on Matt's mom while she was here. With her curiosity getting the better of her, Gabby continued looking as Nancy got closer, Dawson seeing the driver's side window roll down, the paramedic catching a glimpse of an older man. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but Gabby saw Nancy tense up when she realized Dawson was still watching her, the older woman giving her a wave before heading for the passenger side door.

Gabby went back into the apartment, closing and locking the door behind her before heading for Matt's bedroom, intent on getting back in her comfy clothes. As she changed back into one of his shirts, she couldn't help but wonder who that man with Casey's mother was, and why he hadn't come in with her. He looked like he could be his father, the age seemed about right, but if that was the case, Gabby wasn't sure why he wouldn't have just come up with Nancy.

She definitely had a lot of questions, but she wasn't sure if it was her place to ask any of them. She, more than anyone, knew what it was like to have things you just couldn't talk about, and if the last time the topic of his family came up was any indication, that wasn't something he really wanted to discuss. And the last thing she would ever do was pressure him to talk about it.

* * *

Matt held the bag of food in one hand as he used his other to unlock his front door, Casey soon stepping inside his warm apartment, letting the door close behind him before locking it into place. Kicking his shoes off and ditching his keys by the front door, Matt stepped further inside, a soft smile forming over his face when he saw Gabby curled up on the couch. She was cuddled underneath the blanket, the material pulled up to under her chin, Matt seeing she was sound asleep as he got closer.

Drawing in a deep breath, Matt took their food into the kitchen, placing the bag down on the table before returning to the living room, glancing over to see some credits scrolling on the TV. Walking back towards the couch, Casey couldn't help the amused smile that rose to his face when he saw Gabby had done his laundry. He wasn't sure how she would've chosen to keep herself occupied while he was working, but her doing laundry wasn't exactly what he expected.

Sitting down on the coffee table, Matt placed his hand over her arm, gently rubbing her over the blanket.

"Gabby." He murmured, seeing her dig herself deeper into the couch, clearly trying to stay asleep.

Casey was a little surprised to see her this sound asleep, it wasn't that late, and, as far as he knew, she hadn't done much of anything today. But he also knew the last few days had been hard on her, harder than she would probably ever admit, and he knew she could use all the rest she could get. He didn't necessarily want to wake her up, but he wanted to make sure she ate. And he knew he'd face her wrath later if he let her sleep through food from one of her favorite places.

"Gabby." He raised his voice slightly, increasing the pressure he used to rub her arm, Matt seeing her begin to stir.

Out of nowhere, Gabby awoke with a start, Matt moving back as her body shot up, his eyebrows furrowing when he caught the look of panic that flashed in her eyes. Unsure of what was going on, Matt didn't touch her, not wanting to startle her anymore than she already was as she looked around the room. He saw the exact moment she remembered where she was, her face softening as she locked eyes with him.

"You okay?" He asked cautiously, still not entirely sure what just happened.

Slowly, she nodded, Gabby blinking tightly, running her hand over the side of her face before looking back towards Matt, seeing his concerned eyes locked on her. "I'm fine… sorry."

"It's alright, no need to be sorry." He replied, resting his hand over her covered leg, glad to see her respond with a soft smile, Gabby resting her hand over his. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"No, you didn't. I was just dreaming, I guess… I wasn't expecting to be woken up, but I'm okay." She told him, Matt nodding slowly, watching as she stretched her arms out above her head. "What time is it?"

"Almost seven."

"Did you just get home?" She questioned, Matt nodding as she took in his appearance, Gabby finally awake enough to notice his tired eyes.

"Yeah, it was a long day. But I brought food." Gabby's eyes lit up at the mention of dinner, Matt chuckling as he stood up. "We can eat in here, any drink preference?"

"Water's fine."

With a nod, Matt headed for the kitchen, Gabby adjusting her position on the couch. She pushed the blanket to the edge of the couch, giving Matt room to sit beside her, Gabby shivering involuntarily as the air hit her bare legs. Trying not to focus on the dream she'd abruptly been pulled out of, Gabby re-did her hair, pulling it back again. While she was glad Matt had woken her up, her unconscious thoughts not exactly pleasant, she hated how she'd reacted to him when he did. She felt that all too familiar embarrassment, the same she experienced when she got startled by his mother earlier today, and she hated the feeling.

"Alright, I got you your favorite." He spoke up, Gabby looking over to see him walking towards her, drinks and food in hand. "And I even got some of that cheesy bread, considering you ate almost all of it last time." He teased, Gabby rolling her eyes as she brought one leg up onto the couch, hooking it under her knee.

"Well, it was good." She muttered in defense.

Matt sat down beside her, placing the bag of food down before beginning to pull it out, handing Gabby hers.

"Thank you." She responded, Matt giving her a nod as he got the rest of the food set out, the two beginning to eat in a calm quiet.

Casey could tell there was a lot of her mind as they ate their dinner, he could practically hear her thoughts running laps in her head, but he didn't want to push her. Especially after what just happened when he woke her up, how she looked visibly frightened by his presence, there was clearly more going on with her than he knew about. And he didn't want to make it worse.

"Did you finish your job?" She spoke up after a few minutes, Matt glancing to her, Gabby chuckling when she saw his cheeks puffed up, almost like a chipmunk, from the amount of food in his mouth. "Why don't you take smaller bites?" She questioned with a laugh, bringing her napkin up to his mouth, wiping away the sauce he'd gotten on himself.

"I'm starving." He responded after swallowing his food, taking a sip of his beer. "And no, I didn't. I'm gonna head back over there tomorrow morning, I should be able to finish up then." He answered, Gabby nodding in response.

"What about you? You do anything fun today? Besides my laundry?" He asked teasingly, Gabby scoffing lightly.

"Hey, I thought I was being nice."

"It was very nice, I appreciate it. I just wasn't expecting it."

"Well, I was kind of bored. And also I had some clothes here, too. Figured it couldn't hurt." She spoke, Matt nodding as he took another bite of his food. "And I kind of just lounged around. I took a bath, took a nap… but uh, there was something." She told him, clearing her throat.

"What?"

"Your mom stopped by."

Matt sighed deeply, thoughtfully chewing the rest of his food before responding.

"What did she want?"

"I'm not sure, she said she just came to talk to you, but I told her you weren't here." She explained, Matt nodding slowly before going back to his meal. She waited to see if he was going to ask her any more questions, but when a few moments passed and he hadn't said anything, she spoke up again. "And, uh, she came in… her and I talked for a bit."

His ears perked up slightly, Matt glancing back towards her. "She didn't harass you about me, did she?"

Gabby shook her head, her tongue running over her bottom lip. "No, she didn't. She mostly just wanted to get to know me… you know, you're _girlfriend_." She spoke lightly, partially to tease him but also to see how he reacted to her referring to herself in that way, Gabby wanting to see if she could get any better read on him about how he felt. But he gave her next to nothing, Matt simply shaking his head as he chuckled.

"And how'd that conversation go?" He continued, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek before responding.

"It was fine, I told her about my family, and about the firehouse. It was all pretty basic, surface-level stuff, but I think she was just wanting to get to know me."

"She didn't ask about me?"

"No, not really. She even said she wasn't going to, because she didn't want to put me in that position. We mostly just talked about me, but, she uh-"

"What?"

"She did say how she's glad you have someone like me in your life…" Matt's eyebrows furrowed, Gabby suddenly feeling unsure under his stare. "Just, uh, someone that cares about you, I guess. After everything with Hallie, she said she was glad you had that." Matt's gaze softened, Gabby relaxing as he gave her a small smile.

"Well, I'm glad I have that, too." He responded, Gabby matching his grin before returning her attention to her food. "But I am sorry she stopped by, I know you needed a day to just kind of relax, I didn't know she was coming."

"It's okay, she didn't stay very long. And, as you can see, I think my nap more than made up for it." She responded, Matt chuckling before taking another bite.

They enjoyed the rest of their dinner in peace, occasionally talking about random topics here and there, the two just enjoying each other's company. By the time they finished, both of them were completely full, Matt telling Gabby to stay on the couch while he cleaned up their meal, Dawson happy to oblige as she curled up under the blanket once more, waiting for Matt to get back before making herself completely comfortable.

Casey reappeared within minutes, slowly making his way back over to the couch, collapsing down into it. He barely got seated before Gabby leaned into his side, Matt a little surprised when she immediately relaxed into him, but he wrapped his arm around her shoulders regardless, smiling when she nuzzled herself against his chest.

"You smell like wood." She murmured, Matt releasing a soft chuckle, reaching for the blanket and pulling part of it to rest over his lap.

"Yeah, I know, I need to shower." He responded, running his hand up and down her arm.

"Not right now, you don't. You're too comfy." She muttered, Casey grinning as he felt her arm slide over his waist.

They sat together on the couch in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, Matt steadily moving his hand up and down over her side in a comforting motion, feeling her chest rising and falling against his. After his long day at work, this was the perfect way to decompress and wind down, and he'd be lying if he said he hadn't been looking forward to getting home all day, because he knew who was waiting for him.

But he had also been thinking about getting home for a different reason, Casey knowing there was a conversation that needed to be had between the two of them. There was something she needed to know, he just wasn't sure how to approach the sensitive topic.

"Hey Gabby?" He spoke softly, hating to disturb their peaceful quiet, but he knew he had to. It was something that had been weighing on him since yesterday, but he hadn't gotten the chance to talk with her about it yet.

"Hmm?"

"There's something we need to talk about, or something I need to tell you I guess." He prefaced, feeling her tense in his grip before she pulled back slightly, lifting her head so she could see his face.

"What is it?"

"I, uh… I had a talk with Walker yesterday." He started, watching as Gabby bit down on her bottom lip, her body physically recoiling when he mentioned the name, Matt feeling his heart drop into his stomach when he saw her reaction to Bryan. He knew he really had no idea the extent of what happened in their relationship, but he had some pretty strong suspicions of some of the things she'd gone through, and the thought made him sick. "I know I probably should've left it alone, but after hearing what happened at Molly's, I just couldn't. So I told him to leave you, and Shay alone… I know it's not my place, and I know you can take care of yourself, but I wanted to help, if I even can." Gabby's face softened as he spoke, Matt unsure of what was going on in her head. "Whatever his problem is, you don't need to be dealing with his bullshit, with him harassing you… and hurting you." Matt saw a look he couldn't quite read flash in her eyes. "So I told him to leave you alone, but, I don't know, I feel like I might've only made things worse."

Gabby shook her head, leaning forward a placing a soft kiss to his lips. The action took him by surprise but he quickly found his footing, Matt kissing her back.

"It's okay." She breathed out when they separated. "I know you're just trying to help… I don't think he'll listen, but, still, I appreciate it." She murmured, Matt nodding as he pulled her back to him, Gabby falling against his chest.

"I told him I didn't want him talking to you on shift, unless it was work related." Matt continued, wanting her to know exactly what had been said, seeing as how it affected her. "And that even though I can't control what he does off shift, I can make up for it on shift."

"How'd he take that?" She questioned, rubbing her thumb over his side.

"Not well. But I'm hoping he listens…" Gabby's face fell, thankful she was hidden against his chest and he couldn't see it. "I'm not trying to be overbearing or anything, but he's the one who ended things, he has no reason to keep bothering you." Matt breathed out, Gabby tightening her hold over his waist, Matt bringing his other arm across the front of his body, wrapping around to her side. "I'm hoping since it's affecting his job, he'll leave you alone. Because I meant what I said, if he keeps messing with you, it's not gonna be fun for him at the firehouse." He breathed out.

Gabby merely nodded, keeping her head tucked into his chest, focusing on the warmth and security his embrace provided her. A part of her wanted to tell him about what happened today after shift, how Walker had confronted her outside the firehouse. But now she wasn't so sure she should. She didn't want him to feel guilty. Even though his intentions were in the right place, Walker had only come to her because of what he said. Or, at least it was the main contributing factor. And though she didn't blame him for it, she couldn't help but feel like he'd blame himself, and she didn't want that, not when she was okay.

This thing with Walker, Gabby was hoping it would all soon blow over like most of her and Bryan's fights and arguments had in the past. Dawson knew him well enough to know that once he got all his anger out and said what he felt like he needed to say, Bryan usually let things go. Granted there were times he'd quickly find other things to be upset about, he typically didn't hold onto things for too long. Gabby could only hope this was one of those times.

Although something in her gut told her it wasn't.

"I'm sorry." Matt's voice broke her through her trance, Gabby raising her head, the curious look across her features silently urging him to continue as Matt lifted his hand up, lightly tracing his fingers over the side of her face. "I shouldn't have brought him up, I didn't really want to, but I wanted you to know what happened." Her face softened, Gabby realizing he took her silence to mean he'd done something wrong. "I didn't want to keep it from you."

"It's okay, Matt." She spoke, Casey nodding slowly as he stroked his thumb over her cheek. "I just got lost in my own head for a second, but I'm not upset with you or anything." She assured him, sliding her hand up from his waist to his chest, rubbing gently over his shirt. "You're the last person who's done anything wrong here, trust me."

"You haven't either." He was quick to add, Gabby pursing her lips together as she looked down, focusing on her own movements over his chest. "I mean it," He continued, carefully lifting her chin, getting her to meet his eyes, "you haven't done anything to deserve him doing this to you."

Gabby was surprised by the firm tone to his voice, understanding that he completely believed what he was saying.

"You didn't deserve him cheating on you, you don't deserve him messing with you now. I don't know what happened between you two, but it doesn't matter. Nothing excuses what he's doing. You're not to blame here, Gabby." She slowly nodded, sliding her hand up behind his neck, pulling herself towards him, wrapping her arms around him as she hugged herself to his body.

Matt reciprocated the action, unsure of why his simple words elicited this type of reaction, but he held onto her regardless, helping her movements as she lifted herself into his lap, her body straddling his as they held one another. Her head was tucked into his neck, her body pressed into his as he slowly ran his hand up and down her back, hoping the action gave her at least a little bit of comfort.

To his surprise, he felt her start to kiss his neck, her soft kisses soon turning deeper as she gently bit down on his skin, Matt groaning as he felt her hands slide down from his neck, moving towards his waist.

"Gabby…" Her name left his lips softly, Gabby smiling against his skin before continuing on, no doubt leaving a fresh mark on his neck.

She carefully trailed her way to his lips, each movement precise until her lips connected with his, Gabby kissing him forcefully as her hands began to work on his belt buckle. His hands slid to her hips, his body reacting quicker than his head as he felt her hands brush against him through his jeans, a low moan escaping the back of his throat.

As she got his belt undone, Matt felt her begin to unzip his pants, her hands working quickly as she deepened the kiss, Casey having to force himself to pull away.

"Wait… wait." He panted, stopping her movements, a clear look of confusion covering her face. "Are you sure?" He asked, holding onto her hands in between them as she sat in his lap, Gabby still confused by his uncertainty. Sensing her uneasiness, he was quick to clarify. "I know it's been a hard few days for you, I don't… I don't want to take advantage of that."

Gabby's face softened, her chest filling with an unexplainable warmth as a gentle smile fell onto her lips, Matt matching her expression.

"I want to." She assured him, seeing his eyes trace over her face. "I promise."

Having gotten the reassurance he was looking for, Matt leaned forward, capturing her lips in his as he let go of her hands, letting her go back to work. She tugged at the waistband of his jeans, silently urging him to help her, Matt gripping her hips as he slowly lifted his. He pushed himself up enough for Gabby to pull them down to his thighs, their lips disconnecting long enough for her to complete the somewhat challenging task.

Once that was taken care of, he lowered himself back down on the couch, Gabby finding his lips again as he grabbed ahold of his shirt covering her body, letting it bunch up around her waist. His loose belt buckle dug into her thigh as she straddled his waist, Matt leaning forward when she began pulling at his shirt, giving her room to discard it from his body, tossing the object to the floor.

Not liking the amount of clothes she still had on, Matt slid his hands up under her shirt, feeling her body move as she took deep breaths, his hands gripping her warm skin before he slid the material up over her body, leaving her top half completely bare as he threw the clothing to the ground.

His eyes darkened when he saw her heaving chest, Matt sliding his hands up and down her sides before moving to her chest, cupping a breast in each palm as she ground her hips down into his, her lips finding his again.

She whimpered softly into his mouth, feeling his rough hands against her sensitive skin, the two fighting for dominance as he eventually dropped one of his hands, moving further south. Her breath hitched as she felt him push her underwear to the side, his fingers rubbing against her before slowly sinking one into her. Gabby whined at the movement, her head lulling to the side when he added another finger, his slow pace driving her crazy.

"Matt…" She panted, Casey grinning softly as he slowly removed his fingers from her after a few moments, Gabby groaning at the loss of contact as she lifted her head, capturing his lips in a quick, searing kiss before pushing herself up off the couch.

He was surprised by the movement at first, but when he saw her begin to remove her underwear, he knew she wasn't going very far, Matt taking the opportunity to slide his boxers and jeans down his legs, kicking them off just as she mounted him again. Her skin felt warm against his, her thighs on either side of his as she sat down in his lap.

"Enough teasing." She murmured against his lips, pressing a light kiss to him before trailing her lips over his jaw, her hand sneaking in between them to grab ahold of him. A gasp left his lips as she gripped him tightly, Gabby stroking him firmly as her lips danced across his skin.

"You just said no teasing." He groaned, Gabby smirking against his skin before lifting her hips up, Matt helping her stay steady while she lined him up to her entrance, his eyes falling closed as she slowly sunk down onto him. Her body felt impossibly tight around him as he filled her completely, Gabby needing a second to adjust before she slowly began moving.

Her lips found his, Matt's hold on her hips helping her movements as she bounced up and down in his lap. Her hands gripped the back of the couch behind his head, giving her support as they began to move faster. Casey was doing what he could to assist her, matching her stride as he thrust up into her every time she came down, the action causing a surprised squeal to leave her lips.

Her release was building within her, Gabby feeling that familiar warmth spread through her body when Matt picked up his speed, her head falling down to his shoulder as he pumped into her. His hands began roaming over her body, Gabby whining when she felt him stop at her center, his hand rubbing over her expertly in time with his movements.

She felt him start to tumble over the edge, his quick, frantic thrusts spurring her on as well as they slowly rode out their high together, Gabby's body clenching around him. Matt gradually slowed down his movements, waiting until he was sure they were both done before coming to a complete stop, his hands moving over her body until they came to rest low on her back.

The pair sat together on the couch in the afterglow of their evening fun, the air around them thick as her body melted into his, both panting as they enjoyed this quiet moment for the two of them. Neither one of them made any attempt to move just yet, Gabby's head tucked into his neck as he lightly ran his hands up and down her back, both content to make this moment last just a bit longer.

* * *

Gabby stared out into the dark living room as her head rested on Matt's bare chest, the only source of light in the apartment coming from the entryway light that never got turned off, the two of them never making it back to his room for the night. When they finally detached from one another earlier, Matt had left to go take a quick shower while Gabby stayed put, her body euphorically achy as she cuddled into the couch, waiting for him to return. And when he did, wearing nothing but a thin pair of boxers, it didn't take long for them to get lost in one another for a second time. What started with Gabby on her back pinned underneath him, ended with her on her knees, her face pressed into the cushions as Matt kneeled behind her, their night finishing similarly to how it started, the pair never quite making it back to the bedroom.

Despite it not being the most comfortable place to sleep, Gabby was glad they hadn't made their way off the couch. She was comforted by the feeling of their bare bodies pressed against one another as she laid on top of him, their combined body heat and the blanket off the back of the couch keeping them warm.

Matt had fallen asleep quickly after they finished, Gabby finding him fast asleep when she came back from the bathroom with the blanket wrapped around her bare form, his long day having finally caught up with him. She'd decided not to wake him, Gabby climbing on top of him and letting herself fall into him instead, Matt subconsciously wrapping his arms around her while he slept, the man never stirring as she got comfortable.

And now she had no intention of moving from this spot, with her arms resting on either side of his body, his hands wrapped around her back, keeping her pressed against him while she felt his chest rising and falling underneath her cheek.

Lifting her head slightly, she rested her chin against his chest, using the quiet moment to take him in, letting herself watch him sleep. He looked so relaxed, so peaceful, and Gabby wanted to take a second to commit it to memory.

She wasn't sure why she liked seeing him like this, but she did, in these quiet moments that no one other than her got to experience. She hoped it wasn't weird, that he wouldn't find it odd if he ever found out, but she enjoyed seeing him sleep. It was a nice shift from his usually tough exterior, and she loved the chances she got to see him like this. And part of her couldn't help but wonder if he did the same thing.

Blowing out a soft sigh, Gabby readjusted herself in his arms, her head falling back down against his chest as she let herself get comfortable, her body screaming at her to get some rest.

As she slowly dozed off, she pressed a soft kiss against his collarbone, Gabby smiling when she felt him kiss the top of her head, her movement clearly haven woken him up.

"Do you wanna go to bed?" His groggy voice filled the silent room, Gabby shaking her head as much as she could against his chest, feeling him tighten his grip on her.

"No… I'm perfect right here." She murmured, unable to see the soft grin that fell to his face, Gabby letting herself slowly drift off, Matt quickly consuming her thoughts.

She knew she was falling for him, that she had fallen for him. It was clear by the way she felt when he was around; how she'd long to be near him, how just a grin from him could cause her heart rate to speed up, how with one touch he could calm her down instantly. She knew she had feelings for him, deep feelings that only continued to grow day by day.

She was falling in love with him.

And it scared the hell out of her.

* * *

**Well, how are we feeling? I hope you all liked this one. Gabby's finally admitted to herself just how much Matt means to her, but will she tell him? Who knows. And then there's Matt in all this, we haven't really seen where he's at and what he's thinking. There's definitely a lot left to figure out there. But there was a lot of cute (and a little steamy) Dawsey in this one, which is always fun for me to write. We also got some one on one time with Nancy and Gabby, she's definitely still in the picture. Also, Gabby seems to be a little on edge here lately. Not sure how many of you picked up on that, but she's definitely a little jumpy. I'm sure you all have some guesses as to why… Speaking of, next chapter we're back at the firehouse, which means more Walker… Nothing good can come of that, can it? **

**Anyway, thank you all so much for reading, I can't wait to hear your thoughts! And thank you for all the love on the last chapter, it meant so much to me. I'll see you next time.**


	25. Chapter Twenty Five

**Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all, I can't believe we're on chapter twenty five of this story already, that's crazy. I hope you all like it!**

* * *

**TWENTY FIVE**

* * *

Gabby let out a yawn as she walked into the garage, covering her mouth with her hand as she moved past the ambulance, exhaustion filling her entire body.

"Casey keep you up late?"

Dawson's tired eyes narrowed as she glanced towards the voice, seeing her partner standing beside by the back of the ambulance, a smirk covering her face when Gabby let out an annoyed huff. The PIC rolled her eyes as the blonde walked towards her, Shay watching her with an amused grin.

"Well, good morning to you sunshine." Shay spoke sarcastically, Gabby continuing her path into the firehouse. "So, as I was saying, you and Casey have a fun night?" She asked again, keeping her voice low as they moved through the garage. "Although he managed to get here on time, so I'm not sure if that really counts as an excuse for you being ten minutes late."

"Casey did not keep me up late." She responded sharply, Shay's eyebrows raising as they got to the double doors. "I slept alone last night, thank you very much." Gabby gave her a challenging stare before walking inside, flashing smiles to the firefighters in the common room before turning the corner, Shay following close behind.

The blonde waited until there was some distance between them and the rest of the house before speaking up again, knowing this wasn't a conversation meant for the curious ears of the firehouse. "So, if it wasn't Casey, what was it?"

"I missed my alarm." Dawson replied lamely as the two got to the locker room.

"So you were at home?"

"Yes."

"Why weren't you at Casey's?" Gabby eyed her curiously as she began opening her locker.

"I'm not there all the time, Shay." She countered, the blonde looking around before turning back to Dawson, clearly unimpressed.

"Uh huh, sure…" She responded, taking a step closer to her friend. "You're not, uh-" Shay cut herself off, Gabby tilting her head to the side.

"Not what?"

"You're not distancing yourself from him, are you?" Shay asked, Gabby sighing deeply.

"What?" Gabby questioned, Shay raising her eyebrows expectantly. "Shay, I literally just spent a night in my own bed, why are you reading into this?"

"Because of everything with Walker, and then with how you feel about Casey... I don't want you to push him away before you even find out how he feels."

"I'm not pushing him away." She defended. "I left his place yesterday afternoon, after being with him since we got off last shift." She replied, Shay cocking her head to the side. "So, whatever you're worried about, don't be."

"Okay, snippy." Shay shot back, Gabby sighing as she rubbed over her forehead.

"Sorry, I'm sorry. I'm just tired." Gabby responded, Shay nodding as she gave her friend's arm a comforting squeeze.

"It's fine, Dawson. I'm just glad to know things are good. I'm gonna get back out to the rig, hurry up so you can come help me with inventory, won't ya?" She asked, smacking Gabby's butt before she walked away, Gabby scoffing lightly as she watched Shay leave, the PIC shaking her head before returning her attention back to her locker.

As she put away her things, Gabby couldn't help but ponder over what Shay had said, or more so how she said it. Her partner seemed genuinely concerned that Gabby would distance herself from Casey, and Gabby didn't know why. Sure, she didn't have the best track record in the past, but spending one night in her own home shouldn't mean anything. And she wasn't sure why Shay cared so much.

A hand sliding around her back took her by surprise, Gabby jumping in shock as she was abruptly pulled from her thoughts, her head slamming into the locker.

"Jesus Gabby, are you okay?"

Gabby brought her hand up to press against her throbbing forehead, the paramedic turning to see Casey standing by her side, his hand still around her waist. Slowly, she nodded, wincing slightly as she pressed down a little more against her head, blinking a few times before meeting his eyes.

"I'm fine, I just didn't know you were here." She replied, Matt frowning softly.

Casey felt terrible for scaring her, and he realized as soon as he'd gone up behind her that he shouldn't have greeted her like that. He should've known better. She'd been on edge a lot lately, Matt seeing her get startled on more than one occasion, and if he'd thought more about it, he never would've snuck up behind her.

He wasn't sure the reason for her behavior as of late, but he did know while she'd always been a little jumpy, it had gotten a lot worse since the issue with Walker at Mollys. The last few days, he'd notice her get spooked a few times, and the night he'd woken her up from her nap and she looked almost afraid of him, it had been things like that that had worried him. And if he'd thought anything past being excited to see her when he walked into the locker room, he never would've greeted her that way.

"Let me take a look." He prompted softly, his thoughts moving to her head, Gabby dropping her hand as she raised her eyebrows.

"You remember I'm the paramedic, right?" She questioned, Matt rolling his eyes before beginning to inspect her skin. Her forehead was already a little red, and although he didn't think she'd hit hard enough to leave a bruise, he knew they wouldn't know for certain for a few more hours. "See?" Her voice broke him from his trance, his gaze moving from her forehead towards her eyes. "I'm perfectly fine."

"Yeah, I don't know… I might need to keep a close eye on you just to be sure." He responded lightly, Gabby chuckling before turning away from him, Matt standing by her side as she faced her locker.

"Well, look all you want, I don't mind." She responded softly, Matt's head tilting to the side as he ran his tongue over his bottom lip, Gabby raising her eyebrows with a challenging grin as she quickly glanced to him.

Releasing a soft laugh, Matt shook his head, Gabby's smirk growing as he kept his eyes on her, Casey thankful to see her a lot more relaxed than she was when he first came in. That was another thing he had noticed over the last few days; no matter how uneasy she became whenever he'd inadvertently startle her, she always immediately relaxed when she registered it was just him. He wasn't sure what that meant, or what had her acting so strange, but he wanted to help her. He just didn't know how to.

"So…" He spoke up again, watching as she closed her locker, making sure to secure it in place. "How was your night at home?" Gabby turned her body towards him, seeing him lean his weight into the lockers.

"It was good, I got to spend some time with Antonio, he got sent home early so I was able to have dinner with him." She responded, Matt's eyebrows furrowing.

"Sent home early?" He repeated, Gabby hearing the concern in his voice. "Everything okay?"

"He's fine, they were chasing down a suspect and he got roughed up a little bit so he got sent home, but he's okay. He said it was unnecessary." She explained, Matt's body relaxing.

"Good, I'm glad he's alright. And I'm glad you had a nice night with your brother… I know I've been kind of taking up a lot of your time lately." He continued with a soft grin, Gabby tilting her head to the side, knowing there was some truth to his words. Aside from those days after the incident with Walker, most of her time had been spent with him, not that she was complaining.

"Well, you're awful needy." She teased, Matt raising his eyebrows, biting down on his bottom lip. "Though the time at home was nice, maybe I should do it more often."

"I don't think so." He responded quickly, Gabby scoffing lightly. "I like having you around."

"Yeah, well, sex whenever you want is a good incentive to let me keep that key to your apartment."

Matt's eyebrows furrowed as the words left her lips, watching as she averted her eyes. It wasn't even her words that left him a little uneasy, it was the way she said them. She sounded almost sad, and he didn't like it. But she spoke up again before he could figure out what to say.

"Oh, speaking of going home, remember that apartment I was looking at a few shifts ago?" Still a little stunned from her previous words, he simply nodded, trying to focus on her new topic. "Well, yesterday I called and set up a time to go and look at it." He could see the genuine excitement in her eyes, the look bringing a soft smile to his face.

"That's great, I know how much you like that place." He responded with the same level of enthusiasm, Gabby's grin widening when she heard how excited he sounded. "When are you going?"

"Tomorrow morning after shift."

"Is Antonio going with you?" He asked, Gabby shaking her head.

"Nah, he has to work. I thought about asking Shay, but I might just go by myself-"

"I'll go with you." He cut in, Gabby's eyebrows raising in surprise, Matt clearing his throat. "I mean, if you want someone to go with you, I will. I'd love to see the place." She smiled softly at his hesitant words, slowly nodding in agreement.

"That'd be great, actually. You don't have a construction job or anything?"

"Nope. I'm free all day. I'd love to go with you." He spoke again, Gabby's bottom lip falling between her teeth as she nodded, unable to stop the grin growing across her face.

"I'd love that." She responded softly, Matt nodding.

"Good, then uh- it's a date." He spoke quickly, Gabby feeling her chest tighten at his words, that combined with that Casey-grin she'd come to see a lot of the last few months flooding her body with a comforting warmth.

"It's a date." She repeated, her words barely audible, Gabby not trusting her own voice as she watched his smile widen.

Before he said another word, Matt glanced around the locker room, ensuring they were still alone, before leaning in and kissing her firmly. Gabby pulled away as quickly as he leaned in, her eyes widening as a surprised grin spread across her face.

"Not here, _Lieutenant_." She warned, her words only encouraging him.

"Come on, everyone's out in the common room." He prompted softly, grabbing a hold of her waist, pulling her towards him before kissing her again, Gabby unable to make herself pull back this time as she pressed into him, her hand coming up to rest over his cheek.

"How have you two not gotten caught yet?"

The sound of Severide's voice sent them into a panic, the pair pulling apart quickly as Gabby jumped at his unexpected presence, her head colliding with the row of lockers once more.

"Motherfuc-" She cut herself off with a sharp breath, her hand coming up to hold over her throbbing head, the second hit hurting worse than the first. Matt rested his hand over hers gently, still grimacing from the sound of her head smacking the locker.

"You kiss your Lieutenant with that mouth?" Severide questioned with a proud grin, Gabby narrowing her eyes as Matt stroked his thumb over her head, feeling how warm her red skin felt.

"She sure does." Shay's voice filtered into the room, Gabby rolling her eyes.

"Oh great." Dawson murmured, seeing her best friend come around the corner, stopping beside Severide, both standing with their arms crossed over their chests.

"You all are being so loud, by the way. It's a good thing everyone else is too busy shoving their faces to be, you know, walking around and hearing something they probably shouldn't. And Dawson, I thought I told you to hurry up, I'm not trying to spend all morning doing inventory- What happened to your head?"

Gabby could barely keep up with the blonde's sporadic thoughts, Matt rubbing over her head one last time before dropping his hand, glancing towards their friends with an unimpressed look covering his face.

"She was too busy making out with Casey to help you." Severide responded lowly with a chuckle, Shay raising her eyebrows.

"Oh good Lord." Shay breathed out, "Do you two ever stop trying to get into each other's pants?" She questioned, Gabby and Matt both wearing different guilty looks over their faces. "Of course you don't. You know, you two really suck at this 'keeping it between us' thing. Between the sex in his office, and boning in the back of the ambulance-"

"Shay!"

"I'm sorry, what did you do?" Severide asked with an amused smirk, Matt narrowing his eyes. "You two really fucked in the same place we treat patients?"

"Oh my God." Gabby breathed out.

"Easy, Sev."

"What? You two did it, not me." He laughed.

"We cleaned up afterwards." Gabby defended, Severide grimacing.

"Barely." Shay challenged, Kelly shaking his head.

"Okay, gross. That's too much information. I don't need to know all that."

"I don't know why we're talking about this at all." Matt huffed out, Shay flashing him a smirk.

"Because you and Dawson were making out in the middle of the locker room." She spoke quietly, Gabby gnawing on her bottom lip.

"Well, if Kelly wouldn't have opened his big mouth-"

"Hey, all I did was walk in here. You know, like anyone could've done. Which is why if you two really are trying to keep this," He paused, waving his hand back and forth between the two of them, "a secret, you should probably keep the making out behind closed doors."

"Thanks for your advice." Matt responded sarcastically, glancing to Gabby, seeing her watching him with an almost amused grin. "What?"

"Well, I mean Severide kind of has a point." She responded lighty, Matt's playful glare zeroing in on her. "I said not to do that here."

"See? Even your woman agrees with me." Kelly defended, Matt taking a deep breath.

Before he or Gabby could respond, the bells rang throughout the house, calling 61 out for their first call of the day.

"That's our cue, let's hit it Dawson." Shay spoke, turning to leave.

"I thought that was Casey's job?" Severide asked with a grin, Shay chuckling.

"That was a good one." Shay responded proudly, patting his shoulder while Casey purposefully ignored his comment, turning back towards Gabby.

"You sure your head's okay?" Matt asked softly, Gabby meeting his eyes before nodding slowly, reaching out for his hand that hung by his side beside the lockers.

"I'm fine, I promise." She assured him, giving his hand a firm squeeze before dropping it, following Shay out of the locker room.

"Ah young love." Severide joked, Matt narrowing his eyes before stepping away from the lockers, heading out of the room.

Out in the firehouse, Shay and Gabby quickly moved through the hallways to get towards the garage, Shay waiting until they were close to the rig to speak up. "What did happen to your head, anyway?"

"I smacked it against the lockers, twice." She responded, the blonde grimacing as they climbed into the ambulance, preparing to head out for the call. "The first time Matt came up behind me, I wasn't expecting him and I jumped. The second time was Kelly's doing."

Shay nodded, pulling out of the garage into the driveway, sirens blaring as she moved out into the street, driving towards their destination.

"What were you and Matt doing in there anyway? Before Severide interrupted?"

"What do you mean?" Gabby questioned, Shay having to slow down while she waited for traffic to clear.

"You and Matt are usually pretty good about keeping things professional, at least where people can see you. I wasn't sure what changed."

"Oh, well he was just excited. I am, too, I guess." Gabby responded, Shay waiting for more of an explanation. "I'm going to go see that apartment we were looking at, the one you found. And Matt said he'd go with me to check it out."

"Did you ask him or he did offer?" Shay pressed, Gabby glancing towards her friends with a curious look on her face.

"He offered." Dawson replied, waiting to see if her partner had anything else to say, but she didn't respond. "Why?"

"No reason. Did he say anything else?" She questioned, Gabby feeling her cheeks get hot instantly, her eyes darting down to her lap. With one quick glance from the road, Shay noticed the change in her friend's demeanor, seeing her soft smile. "What?"

"He, uh- he called it a date."

Shay's mouth curled up into a grin, the blonde shaking her head as she chuckled. "Smooth Casey, real smooth."

"But then after that is when he kissed me, and that's when Severide walked in." Gabby finished, Shay nodding as she kept weaving her way through traffic.

"What did you say?"

"Hmm?"

"When Casey said it's a date, what'd you say?"

"Oh, well… I didn't really say anything."

"Casey not give you any time?" Shay asked with a smirk, Gabby scoffing lightly as she shook her head.

"No, it wasn't that, I just didn't really know what _to_ say." She replied, Shay glancing to her with a questioning look, silently urging her to elaborate. "I mean… I'm not even sure he was serious, for all I know he could've just been messing around."

"Oh, not this again." Shay breathed out, Gabby narrowing her eyes.

"What does that mean?"

"It means you keep overthinking everything when it comes to him." She answered sharply, Gabby releasing a heavy sigh.

"Shay, this isn't as simple as you want it to be. Believe me, I wish it was. But I still don't know where him and I stand. It's like every time I think we've gotten somewhere, we take a step back. He confuses the hell out of me sometimes and I never know what he's thinking."

"Which is why you need to talk to him." Shay responded without missing a beat, Gabby clenching her jaw before turning her body, her gaze focused out the window. "You're killing yourself over this, sitting there falling for him more and more each day, but you're not even willing to talk to him about it. If you want to be with him, you can't be afraid to talk to him."

"I'm not afraid." Gabby defended, Shay shaking her head.

"Afraid, scared, worried, apprehensive… whatever you wanna call it, it's keeping you from letting him in. And it's not fair to either of you."

Gabby breathed deeply, biting down on her bottom lip roughly, her eyes moving forward, focusing on the cars around them as they drove through the city, nearing their destination.

"I'm trying, Shay." She breathed out softly, refusing to look towards her partner. "I'm trying to trust myself with him. I want to, but- it's hard." She admitted, shaking her head as Shay pulled up the scene. "After everything with Bryan-... I promise I'm trying."

"I know you are, honey." She responded sympathetically, rubbing Gabby's leg, trying to give her some source of comfort before they climbed down from the rigs, knowing their personal lives were now put on hold.

* * *

Matt returned to his seat at the table in the common room, fresh cup of coffee in hand as he sat down next to Severide, the room filled to the brim with second shift's firefighters. Everyone, aside from 51's paramedics, was in here, everyone broken off into their own groups as they waited around for them to be needed. It had been a slow morning so far at the firehouse, Shay and Dawson being the only ones who'd been called out so far, the two of them still out from their first call. But other than that, it had been a pretty slow morning, though Casey would never voice that out loud, knowing how superstitious a few of his fellow firefighters were.

"Do we know what we're doing for lunch?" Mouch spoke up, Casey glancing to man across the room, hearing Herrmann scoff.

"It's still morning."

"I know, I'm just preparing." He responded quickly. "Dawson hasn't cooked for us in awhile, do you think maybe she'd make us something? Her food is the best."

"I don't know, you'd have to ask her." Herrmann replied, the telltale sign of the ambulance backing up into the garage faintly being heard throughout the room. "Looks like the girls are back, so you'll find out here soon."

It took them a few minutes to appear, Casey keeping his eyes peeled to the door, ignoring the snickers from Severide as he did so, Matt seeing Shay come in first, Dawson following close behind. The second he laid eyes on her, he grimaced, seeing her previously clean paramedic uniform now soiled in what he could only assume to be the remains of vomit, and a lot of it.

"Damn Dawson, what happened to you, kid?" Herrmann spoke up, everyone glancing towards the paramedic, seeing her shaking her head in disgust.

"Combative drunk." She replied shortly, the paramedic nearly gagging as the smell hit her nostrils again.

"At ten in the morning?" Herrmann asked, partly impressed and partly horrified.

"He had a good night, apparently." She said before turning towards her partner. "I'm gonna go ahead and jump in the shower." She told the blonde, Shay giving her a supportive nod.

"I'm sorry again, Dawson." She called after her friend, Gabby waving her off.

"It's not your fault." She responded before continuing down the hallway, Shay shaking her head before walking into the common room.

"What happened, Shay?" Severide asked, all eyes moving towards the paramedic.

"Guy was drunk off his ass," She answered, walking towards the table, collapsing into the seat beside Kelly. "And yet he was also somehow hungover, I still don't know how long he'd been drinking, but he was stumbling around the street. We were trying to calm him down, and he wasn't a fan."

"He didn't hurt you guys, did he?" Casey questioned, Shay shooting him a knowing look before shaking her head.

"Nah, I mean he was hurling insults left and right, but nothing worse than what I hear from Kelly every day." She responded with a smirk, earning a few laughs from around the room. "He was screaming and yelling, Dawson and I were about to give up and just let CPD handle it, but then his screaming turned into vomiting, and Dawson got caught in the crossfire." She explained, Matt shaking his head in disgust.

"Poor Dawson." Herrmann spoke from the couch.

"Yeah, it was gross. I don't know how she didn't puke, I almost did just seeing it. If I were her, I'd be showering for the next week."

Matt pushed back his chair as Shay was talking, the paramedic cocking her head to the side as he glanced to her.

"Where are you going?" She asked, Kelly wearing a soft smirk.

"I'm gonna go get some paperwork done." He answered, Kelly's grin widening as Shay gave him a knowing look.

"You haven't had any calls yet." She pointed out, biting back a laugh.

"It's from last shift." He replied without missing a beat. "I wanna try and get some of it out of the way before we get called out."

"Have fun." She replied, Matt glaring as she released a soft laugh, Casey beginning to walk away from the table. Luckily, it didn't seem like anyone else had picked up on Shay's questioning of what he was doing, everyone having gone back to their own conversations as Matt pushed his chair in.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Matt began walking towards the conference room door, choosing that path to take towards his destination, Casey not missing the curious stare he was getting from Walker.

The man hadn't said another word to him after Casey chewed him out last shift, and the second Bryan realized his Lieutenant was watching, he quickly looked away, returning his attention to the newspaper in his hands

Casey could only hope he'd gotten through to the firefighter, and that Bryan would listen to his new orders. In Matt's short time at 51, Walker had been the cause of more than enough problems, and the last thing any of them needed were more issues.

Blowing out a sigh, Casey shifted his focus back to Gabby as he walked through the firehouse, heading towards the bunkroom just in case any of his men came after him for something. When he got to his office, he placed his coffee down on his desk before heading for the bathroom. He knew, aside from Shay, no one should be coming in, everyone in the house having heard that Gabby was showering.

Slowly slipping in through the locker room, Matt quietly walked towards the showers, hearing the sound of the water running filling the room. As he came around the corner, he saw Gabby standing outside the shower, still clothed as she waited for the water to warm up.

"Hey." Matt called softly from his position a few feet away from her, not wanting to risk startling her for a second time that day. He learned from his mistake last time, and it was something he would definitely continue to be mindful of.

Gabby turned towards the voice, a soft smile forming over her face when she saw him, Matt taking that as a signal to come closer. "Hi."

"So that call sounded pretty rough." He commented as he came to a stop beside her, Gabby grimacing as she nodded, sticking her hand into the shower to test the temperature.

"It wasn't fun, that's for sure." She replied, turning towards him. "Also, you might want to stay back, I'm kind of vomit-y." She warned, Matt shrugging as he took a step closer.

"Nothing I can't handle." He spoke, Gabby's eyes tracing over his face before she nodded in response. "But I don't want to keep you too long, I know you want to shower… I just wanted to come check in on you, make sure you're alright."

"I'm fine." She told him, brushing her hair behind her ear. "I'll be better once I'm cleaned off, but I'm good."

"Good." He spoke, flashing her a soft smile before glancing back. "Well, I'll get out of your way… but, uh, do you want me to go ahead and throw those in the wash?" He offered, eyeing her stained shirt and pants. Gabby followed his line of sight, wincing when the intense smell filled her nostrils again, Gabby lifting her head back up and nodding.

"If you don't mind, that'd be great."

"Of course not." He replied with a grin.

Gabby checked the temperature one last time, making sure it was suitable before she carefully began peeling the puke-covered clothes from her body, Matt taking the items carefully.

"I'll get these started for you." He told her, trying not to focus on the fact that she was standing in front of him nearly naked, knowing the effect she had on him in the past. Just the sight of her was enough to get him all riled up, but he knew this wasn't the time for that.

"Thank you." She responded, Matt giving her a nod.

"I'll see you out there." He spoke, leaning forward and placing a soft kiss against the side of her head, his lips lingering there for a moment before he pulled back. Without another word, he flashed her a soft grin, one Gabby matched, before he left the locker room, leaving her to shower in peace.

* * *

Gabby turned off the faucet, effectively stopping the stream of water falling over her body, a slight chill running through her spine at the immediate change of temperature. Surprisingly, Gabby had managed to have a relatively long shower, the twenty minutes spent in this small cubicle being exactly what she needed after the way this morning had gone.

Luckily, the drunken man's vomit had only covered her clothes, none had got on her person, so the shower was more so for her peace of mind than it was out of necessity, but she felt much better nonetheless.

Knowing she was more than likely on borrowed time, Gabby knew she needed to speed up the rest of this process, the paramedic sticking her hand out past the shower curtain, reaching for her towel. But her eyebrows furrowed when she was met with nothing but the cold tile wall, Gabby blindly feeling around until she was completely certain her towel wasn't where she'd left it.

Grabbing ahold of the curtain, she used it to shield her body as she slowly stuck her head out, her eyes immediately moving towards the floor beside her shower, assuming her towel had fallen off its hook, but it was nowhere in sight.

"Looking for something?"

Gabby felt her muscles tense up at the sound of the unwelcome voice, her grip on the shower curtain tightening as she looked up, seeing Walker standing across from the row of showers. His body was leaned up against the wall, Gabby seeing her towel clutched in his grip, the firefighter wearing a smug grin.

"What do you want, Walker?"

"Just came to say hi." He spoke, his smirk never faltering as he held out her towel. "Here's this, by the way."

He was too far away for her to be able to reach it without leaving the shower, and he knew that. He had come in here just to mess with her, just to assert some kind of power over her, and he knew he had her in a vulnerable position. Walker was aware she didn't want to be around him, he knew he made her uncomfortable, and he was using that to his advantage. He'd cornered her in the most vulnerable place possible, with no way for her to get out.

And as she slowly came to grips with the position she'd found herself in, she couldn't help but think back to last time Walker had cornered her in a shower, and the nightmare that had become.

"Can you please go?" She asked, her eyes narrowing on him. She knew she didn't have a lot of options here, in fact she really had none, but the last thing she would do is show him fear.

"Why don't you just come out?" He asked with a grin, Gabby suddenly feeling like she needed another shower just by how he was looking at her. "It's nothing I haven't seen before."

Gabby swallowed the lump in her throat, her mind racing as she tried to find some way out of here. Aside from jump making a mad dash out of the room, she was coming up blank. For one, she knew she had limited options once she actually got out of the shower, and two, she had no idea what Walker would do if he tried to stop her.

"Get out. Now." She nearly shouted, hoping that if he wouldn't leave, maybe at least someone would hear her.

"You know, I don't think I will. I've been standing here for over ten minutes waiting for you to be done, I can wait a little longer."

Gabby swallowed the lump in her throat, knowing she'd have to make a decision sooner or later. But suddenly her prayers were answered when she heard the door swing open in the bathroom, Gabby seeing Bryan's body tense up.

"Hello?" Gabby called immediately.

"Dawson?" She heard Severide's voice, relief filling her entire body. "Oh shit, are you still in the shower? I thought you were done, I'll get out of here-"

"No." She spoke quickly, Walker's eyes narrowing.

"Is everything okay?"

"Can you come here?" She asked, hearing his footsteps cautiously approaching.

"What's going on, are you- what the hell are you doing?" Severide's eyes narrowed angrily when he caught sight of Walker, seeing the man holding onto Gabby's towel, his body tensing with rage. "Why do you have that?"

"Severide, look-"

"Get out of here." He growled, stomping towards the man, ripping her towel from his grasp.

"Sev-"

"It's Lieutenant!" He barked. "Now get the fuck out of here."

"I was just joking around, jeez lighten up." He spoke with a chuckle, putting his hands up in defense before beginning to walk away.

"Yeah, I know exactly what you were doing." Severide replied angrily, hearing Walker laugh again before leaving the room. Severide ran his hand over his mouth, releasing a heavy sigh as he waited to make sure Walker was gone before turning back to Gabby. "You alright Dawson?" He questioned, slowly taking a few steps towards her shower, only getting as close as he had to to be able to hand her the towel, a frown forming over his face when he saw how small she looked. Severide had known Dawson for a long time, he'd seen her in some of her worst moments, but he'd never seen her looked as afraid as she did right now.

Nodding slowly, Gabby reached out for the towel, Kelly immediately putting more distance between them, unable to imagine how uncomfortable she felt right now. "I'm good, thank you."

"Of course, yeah." He told her, heading for the exit. "I'll make sure no one comes in until you're done."

"Thanks Severide." She responded before bringing the towel into the shower with her, quickly drying off before tying the material around her body tightly, Gabby not feeling secure until her body was covered.

She didn't want to let Walker get to her, she knew he only did this because he knew he got a reaction out of her; he knew he frightened her, especially in a position like this. She knew he was only messing with her because he could.

But what really worried her was she wasn't sure what he would've done had Severide not come in when he did.

* * *

Severide had his hands clenched at his sides as he paced back and forth in the hallway, his mind running all over the place. Gabby had left the bathroom a few minutes prior, giving him one last quick thank you before heading off towards the garage, Kelly having yet to leave his spot outside the door.

He was angry, beyond it actually, but he also felt so incredibly stupid.

He felt stupid for not seeing what kind of man Walker was from the beginning. Bryan had played him, he'd played everyone, and Kelly was so angry at himself for not seeing it earlier. He had no idea how he never noticed Walker's controlling behavior, how he never noticed how Gabby acted around the firefighter.

For years, Severide believed every lie he told him. Every time Walker placed blame on Dawson, every time he talked bad about her behind her back, every time he'd play off his actions as a joke; Kelly was blind to it all, and Gabby was the one who suffered.

She put up with him for years, all the while Kelly thinking Gabby was the one causing the issues between them. He'd been led to believe that she was the one causing problems. But if the last few months were any indication, Walker was the one to blame.

He knew relationships were messy, that Gabby was most likely not completely innocent in all this, but from what little he knew about some of the things Bryan had done, nothing she could've done would have warranted that. She couldn't have done anything to deserve being cheated on for over a year. And nothing would excuse him harassing her outside her own shower.

And the thing that really made his stomach sink was that for everything he did know about that Walker had done to her, he was sure there were a hundred things he had no idea of.

Shay had been right about Walker all along, and instead of trusting her instincts, he went along with Bryan because they were friends. Because he thought Shay was just being too protective. But he was wrong. Walker was an asshole, an asshole who had managed to break Gabby Dawson down, and that was something he didn't even think was possible.

The woman he just saw in the bathroom, that wasn't the Gabby he'd known since she came to 51. That wasn't the stubborn, hard-headed woman Bryan had always painted her out to be. She was timid, and unsure. That was someone who was scared of the man in front of her, someone who had every right to be scared of the man in front of her. Severide just hates that it took something like this for him to completely see that.

"Hey, you okay?" Kelly stopped his pacing, looking up to see Shay walking towards him, a look of concern covering her face. "What's going on?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, nothing." He responded, clearing his throat. "What's up?"

Shay eyed him curiously for a moment before ultimately dropping it, crossing her arms over her chest as she met his gaze. "I need you to do me a favor."

"What is it?"

"I need you to talk to Matt."

Kelly's eyebrows furrowed, his stance mimicking the blondes. "About what?" He questioned, Shay looking around before she took a step closer to her best friend, dropping her voice.

"I need you to find out if he has feelings for Gabby."

"Shay…" Severide sighed, shaking his head. "I'm not getting involved in this."

"Please Kelly, I need to know."

"Why? Wasn't that the whole point of their… whatever you want to call it. That there were no feelings involved, it was just sex? Why are you wanting to know now if he- oh don't tell me." Shay saw the second realization settled over his face, the blonde biting down on the inside of her cheek roughly as she narrowed her eyes.

"What?"

"Dawson's falling for him, isn't she?"

"Severide-" She tried to interject, but he cut her off, shaking his head.

"I fucking knew it, I tried to tell you all that this would happen, and that it was a bad idea."

"Can you just find out, please?" She snapped, Severide's eyes narrowing in on his friend.

"What do you want me to do? Say 'Hey, Dawson's in love with you, do you love her too?'." His words caused her glare to deepen, the blonde smacking his arm roughly.

"You're not gonna say a word to him about Gabby's feelings-"

"So she does have feelings for him." He replied, Shay sucking in a frustrated breath, giving Kelly a pointed stare.

"If she finds out you know…" Shay spoke, shaking her head, Kelly watching her closely, waiting for her to continue. "Look, I'm trying to get her to talk to him, to let him know how she's feeling and what's going on, I've been trying… but she's scared." Kelly's face softened, his thoughts immediately going back to what had him so angry moments ago. "She's scared to let him in after everything Walker put her through, so I need to know if he feels the same way. Before I keep encouraging her to put herself out there, I have to know, because I won't let her get her heart broken again, Sev. She can't get her heart broken again."

Kelly sighed softly, his hand coming up to run over his mouth, the firefighter thinking over her words before eventually nodding. "Fine."

"You'll do it?"

"I'll do it." He confirmed reluctantly, Shay grinning from ear to ear as she pulled him in for a hug.

"Thank you."

"I'm not doing it for you, I'm doing it for Dawson." He clarified as she squeezed him tightly, Shay scoffing in his ear before they pulled back.

"Like I care about the reason." She responded quickly, Severide rolling his eyes as they heard the bells ring out, calling 61 out again. "I gotta go, but thank you. You're a saint." She told him, beginning to jog down the hallway.

"Yeah, I know." He called after her, shaking his head as he watched her disappear around the corner, Severide feeling that familiar tightness form in his chest.

His brief conversation with Shay had distracted him from everything with Walker, but only for a moment, and it was like his uneasiness had come back with a vengeance. Blowing out a heavy breath, Severide made his way towards the bunkroom, needing to talk to Casey. He had every intention of trying to figure out where he stood with Dawson, but that wasn't what he needed to discuss with him right now.

Whipping the door open, Kelly stepped into the bunk room, seeing Matt walking back from the laundry room, the man unaware of his presence.

"Hey Casey." He spoke, gaining the Lieutenant's attention before he got to his office, Matt's steps slowing as he flashed Severide a smile.

"Hey man." He greeted, his smile soon fading when he saw the tense look on Severide's face. "What's wrong?"

"I need to tell you something." He spoke, Matt's eyebrows furrowing as he turned his body towards his friend, giving him a nod, urging him to continue. "And I'm not just telling you this because Dawson's your… whatever," Matt's confusion only grew, the man unsure of where this was going, "but I'm telling you because Walker is your firefighter, and you need to know." Severide saw Casey's entire body tense at the mention of Walker, Matt clenching his jaw tightly.

"What did he do?" He asked roughly.

Sighing heavily, Kelly took a step closer to Casey, Matt's worry only growing. "I went into the bathroom, and found Walker outside Dawson's shower." Matt's body went rigid, anger coursing through his system. "I didn't see the whole thing, I don't know what all happened, but Dawson called me over, she sounded upset, and when I came around the corner Walker was standing there… he was holding her towel and wouldn't give it to her."

Matt's throat tightened, his fists clenching as he tried to control his anger while Kelly continued. "I got him to leave, and I tried not to stay too long after that, cause... you know, but when I handed her towel to her, she looked scared, or she looked like she had been scared, I guess. But I thought you should know."

Drawing in a deep breath, Casey nodded, Severide able to feel the anger radiating off his body. "Thank you for letting me know." He responded sharply, shaking his head. "Ambo got called out, right?" He asked, searching for conformation, which Severide soon gave in the form of a nod. "Okay… I'm gonna go deal with this." He spoke firmly, straightening out his back before heading for the door, Kelly following close behind.

Casey walked with a purpose as he stomped down the hallway, his eyes peeled for one man in particular as he moved through the firehouse, soon finding the man in question sitting at the round table in the common room, surrounded by firefighters.

"Walker!"

Matt's booming voice startled the room, some of the men flinching at unexpected noise. Standing in the middle of the entrance, all eyes fell onto the Lieutenant, seeing anger rolling off him in waves as he stood there, all the firefighters looking at him except for one. "With me. Now."

His tone left no room for discussion, but that didn't deter Walker from trying. "I'm kind of busy, Lieutenant." He responded, unfazed by the anger directed towards him.

Narrowing his eyes, Matt stormed into the room, everyone following his movements as he came up behind Walker, forcefully grabbing him by the back of his collar and pulling him from his chair.

"Jesus Christ." Walker responded quickly, caught off guard by the firm grip of his Lieutenant. "You trying to assault another one of your firefighters? Let go of me." He spat, shrugging out of Casey's grip when he got to his feet.

"If you're going to act like a fucking child, you're going to be treated like one." Casey fired back, ignoring the wide-eyed stares from the other men in the room. "Now come on." He growled, gripping Walkers arm tightly before dragging him out of the room.

"...What just happened?" Herrmann spoke up first, Severide shaking his head before leaving the room.

In the hallway, Bryan ripped himself from Casey's hold once again as they approached Boden's office, Matt practically pushing him through the open door.

"What's going on?" Chief stood up from his desk the second Walker barreled through the doorway, Boden seeing the anger etched into his Lieutenant's face as he came in behind him.

"You wanna tell him or should I?" Casey questioned roughly, his arms crossed over his chest. Walker gave nothing but a scoff in response, Matt's eyes narrowing before he looked to Boden, seeing their Chief waiting for some explanation. "Walker was harassing Dawson-"

"Oh please." Bryan interrupted, Boden's eyes turning to his firefighter. "I wasn't harassing her, I didn't-"

"He was standing outside her shower." Matt cut in, Boden's eyes narrowing into a glare. "He had grabbed her towel and wouldn't give it to her. It took Severide kicking him out for him to leave."

"Is this true?" Boden's rough voice filled the thick air, although he already knew the answer.

Huffing out a breath, Walker straightened his spine, glancing between his two bosses. "I was just messing around, it was a joke."

Boden's eyes fell closed, the older man shaking his head as he ran his hand over his mouth.

"You think harassing people in the shower is funny?" Casey asked in disbelief, Walker rolling his eyes.

"You're not mad at me because of what I did, you're mad because of who I did it to."

"Walker." Boden warned, but the man ignored him.

"You and Dawson have this weird friendship that I'll probably never understand, but her and I have a history. From long before you were ever in the picture, so I don't give a damn what-"

"Walker!" Boden's harsh voice cut him off, Bryan clenching his neck as he glanced towards his Chief. "You're dismissed the rest of shift."

"Chief-"

"You're dismissed." He nearly barked, Walker shaking his head angrily. "That kind of behavior is never warranted. Never. This is a place where people are supposed to feel safe, and now Dawson can't even shower without worrying about you coming in there and… what? What exactly were you trying to accomplish by this little stunt?"

"I was just messing around."

"Sexually harassing a coworker is not just messing around."

"Oh, come on Chief. I didn't sexually harass anyone, it was just a joke. It's not like I tried to get into the shower with her." He replied exasperatedly, Matt shaking his head in disgust.

"What you did is sexual harassment, there's no other way to describe your actions. And that is never tolerated here. I want you to go home, and maybe think about whether you still want to have a future here. Because if something like this happens again, I'm not so sure you will." He spoke firmly, Walker clenching his jaw. "Now go."

Without another word, Walker turned on his heels, storming out of the room, Matt watching him until he was out of sight. Drawing in a deep breath, Casey glanced back towards Boden, seeing the Chief already watching him.

"Is Dawson okay?"

"I haven't seen her since before it happened, I found out from Severide." He explained, Boden nodding slowly as he ran his hand over the side of his face. "But Kelly said she looked scared, and I don't blame her. I don't know what all was said between the two of them, but Severide didn't seem to think it was anything good." Casey continued quietly.

"I don't know what he was thinking." Boden breathed out, shaking his head as Matt took a step forward.

"I'm not sure he was thinking… Or I hope he wasn't. But I think we both know that's not what happened here, he knew exactly what he was doing."

"Yeah, I know." Boden answered, releasing a heavy sigh. "I need to talk to Dawson, hear from her what all happened." He spoke, Casey nodding in response, the Lieutenant wearing a pensive look on his face. "What is it?"

"I just… I don't know what to do with him, Chief." He responded, shaking his head, meeting Boden's concerned gaze. "And I don't think this is gonna stop anytime soon."

* * *

**Well… yikes. Walker's definitely pushing his luck, at Gabby's expense, and Matt seems to think things will only continue to get worse. I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens from here, if Walker will back off or only escalate things.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, I can't wait to hear your thoughts on everything! Thank you for reading!**


	26. Chapter Twenty Six

**And we're back with another one, I don't have much to say, so let's just get into it. I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

**TWENTY SIX**

* * *

Gabby's leg bounced up and down nervously as she sat in the spacious office, her eyes focused on her lap while her hands rested there, nerves radiating off her body. She did what she could to ignore the stare of the man seated across from her, but it was hard when she felt his eyes boring into her skull.

The second she'd gotten back from 61's last call almost ten minutes ago, Boden had been waiting for them in the garage, the man's arms crossed over his chest as he nodded her over, silently telling him to follow her. And in that moment, she knew Boden knew what happened.

Without a word, Dawson had followed Boden through the firehouse, ignoring the curious looks she got from everyone in the common room, Gabby sure she was leaving a confused Shay behind while she walked in step with Chief.

And now here they were, Gabby having not said a word since they sat down. Boden was patient with her, trying to let her take the lead, wanting to give her the time she needed to feel comfortable talking about what happened.

"Did Severide tell you?"

Gabby's voice was soft, barely audible as she lifted her eyes, seeing that all too familiar look of pity shining back at her as the Chief sat across from her, his hands folded together on top of his desk.

"Casey did." He answered, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip as she nodded. Truthfully, she hadn't thought about Casey hearing what had happened, but she should've assumed he would have. She figured Severide had gone and told him pretty soon after it happened, and she knew she shouldn't be surprised, given the circumstances. Her and Matt aside, Walker was one of his firefighters; Casey needed to know about this.

"So you know what happened…" She breathed out, crossing her arms over her stomach protectively, Boden noticing her almost shrink in her seat.

"I don't know the specifics, but I know Walker was standing outside your shower, waiting for you, and he was holding your towel and wouldn't give it to you."

"That's pretty much it." She murmured, running her tongue over her bottom lip.

"Dawson, I-" He cut himself off, releasing a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry this happened."

"It's okay, Chief."

"No, it's not." He replied firmly, shaking his head in disgust. "It's not okay, what Walker did today… I'm so sorry. I'm sorry he thought it was acceptable to do that, and I'm sorry he took advantage of you being in that position. I'm sorry, Dawson."

She gave him a slow nod, her jaw clenching tightly as she looked back down to her lap. "I appreciate that, Chief, I do. It's not your fault, but I appreciate it." She murmured, tapping her fingers against her side nervously. "Walker, he was just- I think he was messing around. He's always had a… twisted sense of humor."

"This isn't something that can be excused as a joke, Dawson."

"No, I know that, I just… I don't know, I guess I'm just trying to understand what he was thinking." She spoke quietly, Boden's face softening as he leaned forward against his desk, Chief waiting a moment before responding.

"What do you need me to do here, Gabby?" He asked, Gabby slowly lifting her head. "I'm going to write up a report about what happened, and I'd like your account of things, if you can." He spoke, Gabby swallowing thickly before nodding. "You can tell it to me, or if you'd rather not, you can write it up yourself, and I'll add it to the report."

"I'd rather do that." She responded, Boden nodding understandingly. She knew Boden would find out what happened, but she'd rather not have to sit here and go through everything again. What Walker did had upset her, she wouldn't pretend it didn't, but she didn't want to dwell on it. She didn't want to think about it at all, if she could help it.

"Okay, then that's what we'll do. If you could have that to me before the end of shift, that would be great, so I can get it sent in soon." He told her, keeping his voice soft as Gabby nodded. "Now, I'm not entirely sure what to do with Walker. I did send him home for the rest of shift, so you don't need to worry about that…" Gabby felt herself relax hearing that Bryan was no longer in the firehouse for the rest of shift. It wasn't even so much that she thought he'd try anything else after the stunt he'd pulled earlier, but the thought of even seeing him right now made her anxious. "I think I'll wait and see what headquarters is wanting to do here, and we'll go from there."

"That's fine, Chief." She responded, forcing a small smile as she nodded, Boden seeing the drained look in her eyes. "Do you need anything else?"

"No, you're dismissed." He replied, not wanting to keep her any longer. Giving a slow nod, she pushed herself up from the chair, her body feeling heavy as she moved. "But Dawson-" His words stopped her, Gabby turning back to face the Chief. "Are you okay?" He questioned softly, Gabby drawing in a deep breath. "Because if you need the rest of shift off, I completely understand."

"I'm fine, Chief." She responded, Boden's eyes tracing over her face.

"You sure?"

"Positive."

Without another word, she walked out of Boden's office, Gabby sighing heavily as she shut the door behind her. She barely got two steps out of the room before she noticed Shay pacing at the end of the hallway, the blonde wearing a look Gabby couldn't read from here, but based on her body language, she was angry.

Rubbing her hand over her face, Gabby slowly continued her steps, Shay catching her eye, Dawson seeing the concern shining in her gaze.

"Honey, I had no idea, are you okay?" She questioned worriedly as Dawson approached, Gabby pursing her lips together as she nodded. "Severide told me what happened, why didn't you tell me? We could've rerouted the call, I could've waterboarded Walker, I can't believe he did that to you, God I'm gonna kill him." She rambled out in anger, Gabby seeing the blonde's face soften when they met eyes, Shay frowning softly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Shay." She responded with a shrug, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Gabby-"

"Does everyone know?" Dawson cut her off, Shay breathing deeply before shaking her head.

"I don't think so. After Boden pulled you aside, I came in and could tell everyone was confused. I tried to figure out what was going on, no one knew what to say, then Kelly pulled me aside and told me." She explained, Gabby nodding in relief. "The guys said Casey told them Walker wouldn't be here the rest of shift."

"Yeah, uh, Boden sent him home." She replied, averting her eyes as she began walking down the hallway, Shay matching her stride.

"I can't believe he did that, like what was he thinking? What exactly happened, did he-"

"Shay, please." Gabby spoke, blinking tightly as she tried to alleviate the headache forming in her skull.

"But I-"

"Please, don't." Gabby spoke sharply, the women stopping in their tracks in the hallway. "I just- I need a minute." She breathed out, her throat tightening as she walked away from Shay, Gabby needing a second just to breathe.

Knowing anywhere in this firehouse was bound to be occupied by people she didn't feel like talking to, Gabby made her way out to the back of the firehouse, pushing the door open roughly as she sucked in a deep breath.

The silence was immediately comforting as Gabby walked away from the house, pacing back and forth as she focused on the sound of her boots hitting the pavement. She felt her hands shaking at her sides, Gabby doing what she could to push the thoughts of Walker from her mind.

She knew Shay was trying to help, that Boden was trying to help, but she didn't want to talk about it. She wanted to forget it, to pretend it didn't happen, but with the amount of people who already knew, she was sure it wouldn't stay quiet around the firehouse for long. And once everyone knew, it would be nearly impossible to ignore it. Everyone meant well, she knew they did, but she'd been dealing with Walker for a long time, it was just much easier to manage when he kept their problems out of the firehouse.

When he acted like everything was fine at work, which he always had before for the most part, it gave her a break. It gave her a place where she didn't have to worry about him doing something, when, aside from one incident, he'd never done anything to her here. But now, she didn't have that comfort. Whatever the cause, Bryan didn't care about keeping his true self out of the firehouse anymore, and she had no idea how far he'd take things.

And she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep on acting like things were fine if everyone kept trying to make sure she was alright.

She was handling it, she was handling everything the best way she knew how, but everyone constantly checking in on her only made things harder. She didn't want their pity, she didn't need their sympathy, she just wanted everything here to be normal, she needed it to be normal. But Bryan was seemingly doing everything in his power to make that impossible.

She just wanted him to leave her alone, that was all she wanted from him. But she knew he wouldn't. She'd known him long enough to know he never did anything unless he wanted to, and especially after Casey had warned him to leave her alone, she knew that would only encourage him.

Matt meant well, she knew he did, and honestly, she didn't mind his concern as much as everyone else. She wasn't sure why, she didn't know why it felt different with him, but it did. She didn't feel like she had to pretend with him. Even though she hadn't told him much about things between her and Bryan, she felt like a part of him knew there was much more to it. She felt like part of him knew, or he at least had an idea about what Walker had done to her, but, to his credit, he never asked her about it. He never pressed her to talk about anything she didn't want to, or couldn't talk about, and she couldn't help but think that's exactly _why_ she usually sought him out.

There was no pressure with him, there were no expectations. He was there for her, no questions asked, he had been from the moment they met, even when she had been receptive to it. And, in some ways, she thinks it's almost easier with him because he didn't know Walker before. He never knew her and Walker during their relationship, he was never friends with him. He was someone who was solely on her side, with this and with everything.

She knew she had Shay, that Shay was completely in her corner, and she always had been. But it was different with Matt. She couldn't explain it, she didn't understand it, but knowing she had Matt to lean on made things a little easier, and it filled her with a sense of comfort and security she hadn't felt in a long time.

The sound of the door opening slowed her pacing, Gabby stopping with her back turned towards the visitor, assuming Shay had come to check in on her. But when she turned around, she was caught off guard seeing Casey standing just outside the door, letting it softly close behind him. He kept his distance, Gabby meeting his gaze, feeling herself relax when he gave her a soft smile.

"Hi." He murmured, still not moving from his spot by the door, clearing not wanting to overcrowd her.

"Hey." She responded, her raspy voice sounding almost foreign to her ears.

From his position a few feet from her, Casey couldn't help but worry about her. He'd been worried the second he heard what happened, he was worried when he caught a quick glimpse of her before she'd gone to Boden's office, and he was even more worried now. He could tell she was upset, as she should be, and he wanted to do nothing more than comfort her. But he also didn't want to make things worse.

He could see the hesitation in her eyes, and he wasn't sure what the make of it. He couldn't imagine what today had been like for her, he couldn't imagine how violated she felt after what Walker had done. Casey knows it could've been worse, that had Severide not come in when he did, there's no telling how far Walker would've gone, but from the little Matt knew, he knew what had happened was unsettling, to say the least.

After the hard few days she'd had, Matt didn't know what was going on in her head. And he'd never forgive himself if he did anything to make this more difficult for her. He was weary to get closer, to touch her before he knew it was okay, especially with how skittish she'd been as of late. But, if she'd let him, he wanted to try and help.

"Do you want me to go?" He asked softly, watching as she blinked quickly for a few seconds, before ultimately shaking her head, Matt taking that as an invitation to get closer. He stopped with some space still in between them, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek firmly, their eyes locked on one another. Slowly, Dawson reached out for his hand, Matt giving it willingly as she gripped his hand tightly in hers, Gabby taking a step closer to her.

Taking that as a sign she was okay with his physical comfort, Matt lifted his hand slowly, feeling relieved when she didn't shy away from him as he cradled her cheek, Gabby leaning into the warmth that his touch provided. He stroked his thumb over her cheek gently, Gabby's eyes falling closed as she felt herself slowly begin to relax.

"Boden sent Walker home." Casey spoke up after a few minutes, unsure of where to start.

"He told me." She murmured, Matt nodding as he gently rubbed his hand over her cheek. "I'm guessing Severide told you what happened?" She questioned, Matt giving her another nod as they locked eyes.

"He did."

She saw the clear concern shining in his eyes, Gabby sucking a deep breath as she dropped his hand. Matt's hand fell from face, unsure of what was going on in her head. But she took him by surprise when stepped towards him, closing the distance between them as she slid her hands underneath his jacket, wrapping her arms around his waist. She pressed her body against his as she held onto him, Matt immediately wrapping her up in his embrace. He held onto her as tightly as he could, feeling her trembling slightly in his grasp.

They stood there for a few moments, Matt continuously moving one hand up and down her back while she dug herself into his neck, letting him comfort her as she focused on the feeling of his body heat filling her with warmth, Gabby calming down more and more with every second that passed.

"I don't really want to talk about it." She murmured after a couple minutes of complete quiet, Matt pressing a soft kiss to the side of her head.

"You don't have to." He was quick to respond, Gabby nodding against him as she turned her head to the side, looking towards the brick wall as she rested against his chest, the thumping of his steady heartbeat continuing to comfort her. "I just want you to know I'm so sorry he did that, I never saw him going in or I would've stopped him-"

"It's not your fault, and it's fine… I'm fine." She told him, Matt unable to figure out if she was trying to convince him, or herself. "He didn't really do anything, he was just being an ass. I don't want to make a bigger deal out of it than it is."

Matt bit his tongue, holding back what he wanted to say for Gabby's sake. Walker's actions were completely unacceptable, there was no gray area there. But he knew this wasn't the time or place to press her on it. He didn't want her thinking that was okay, or she had done something to warrant him harassing her in the shower, but the firehouse wasn't the place for this conversation. Especially when she'd made it clear she didn't want to discuss things right now.

"I honestly just want to forget it." She spoke up again, Matt bringing his hand up to cradle the back of her head. In this moment, Gabby wished they were off shift, that they were just back at Casey's place where he could distract her from everything for a little while. She wanted nothing more than to just be curled up on the couch with him and be away from everything and everyone else. But she knew she had a long time before that could happen.

"Well, I have a few methods of distraction." He spoke, Gabby smirking as she pulled back, not only because of his words, but because it was like he could just sense exactly what she needed. Keeping her arms around him, Gabby cocked her head to the side, realization quickly settling over Matt's face. "Wait- I didn't mean sex, that came out wrong." He was quick to clarify, Gabby chuckling softly. "I meant like watching a movie, or something. Also, let's not forget we're seeing what could be your new apartment tomorrow," He reminded her, seeing a small, excited smile grace her lips. "...As long as you're still up for it."

"I am." She responded, giving him a reassuring nod. "I'm really looking forward to that, actually."

"So am I." He replied gently, seeing her smile grow.

"...And maybe once we finish up looking at the apartment, we can try out some of your other distraction methods?" She questioned with a raised brow, Casey tilting his head to the side.

He knew exactly what she was doing, she was deflecting. She was trying to not think about earlier today, she was probably trying to not have him thinking about it either. She said herself, she didn't want to dwell on it, she wanted to ignore it. And, for now, he'd let her.

They had an entire shift to finish out, and if not focusing on it right now was what she needed to do, he'd go along with it. But that wouldn't stop him from continuing to check in on her throughout the day. In the short time he'd known her, he'd seen how she'd close herself off when things got hard, and he didn't want her to do that with him. He didn't want her to feel like she had to.

"Maybe." He breathed out with a soft smile, gripping her waist comfortingly. "But can you promise me one thing?" He asked, Gabby giving him a slow nod. "I know you're okay, and you're more than capable of handling yourself, but if at some point today, you need a little help dealing with this, promise me you'll come to me."

Gabby's face softened as the words left his lips, hearing how much worry he was carrying. Running her tongue over her bottom lip, she gave him another nod, seeing Casey relax slightly. "I will." She whispered, moving her hands up his back under his jacket, pulling him closer. "Promise."

"Thank you."

Gabby leaned forward, pressing her lips against his in a meaningful, tender kiss, Matt reciprocating her actions as they slowly moved together. Their actions were innocent, and gentle, Gabby needing the comforting contact more than she could verbally put into words.

This, right here, was exactly what she needed.

She just needed Matt.

She needed him, and he was here for her without any hesitation or expectation, like he always had been. He was just… here. And that meant more to her than she could ever fully express.

* * *

Casey drove down the road, his hand resting on Gabby's thigh as they sat in his truck, Dawson's eyes peeled out the window as they moved through the unfamiliar street, not wanting to miss their destination.

"Is this the right street?" Casey asked, Gabby nodding as she glanced down to the address before looking back out the window.

"Yeah it is, wait- I think that's it right there." Dawson spoke, Matt looking up in time to see the apartment they'd be looking at, Casey giving her a nod before going in search of a parking spot. He found one relatively quickly, Matt putting his truck in park, Gabby glancing towards the clock, surprised to see they had managed to get here on time.

It had been kind of a crazy morning for the pair, which seemed fitting after the shift they'd had at 51. The rest of shift hadn't been bad, per-say, but it had seemed to drag on, especially with everyone skirting around Dawson the rest of the day. No one else had been told what happened, but they knew Walker had done something, something that affected her, something bad enough to get him sent home. They were all curious, she could tell, but no one had asked her what happened. And if they asked Shay, Casey, or Severide, she never heard about it. But, thankfully, her and Shay had been called out quite frequently, leaving little time for her to deal with the constant looks from her concerned coworkers.

That fast pace continued through the morning, Dawson being out on call when shift ended, prompting her to get back to Casey's apartment later than planned. Originally, they had wanted to shower and change before heading to see her potential apartment, but they didn't have any time for that. As soon as Gabby got to his place, she quickly dropped her stuff off inside and the two left, getting into his truck before driving off towards this place. It had been a rushed morning, but Gabby was optimistic that this apartment had some potential, she was just eager to see it.

"You ready?" Casey asked, his voice pulling her from her thoughts. Looking over, she saw him standing outside of the truck, his head ducked down so he could see her, Matt clearly having been expecting her to get out when he did.

"Yeah, I'm ready." She responded, Matt giving her a soft smile as she got out of his truck, Casey locking up before coming around to her side. Before they started walking, Gabby reached for his hand, Matt glancing towards her as she laced her fingers in his, flashing her a warm smile before they crossed the street.

"It's a nice location." Casey mused, looking around as they got to the sidewalk, the two walking in stride as their hands stayed connected in between them, the somewhat foreign action feeling all too familiar as they walked towards the apartment.

"Yeah, it is."

"Not far from my apartment, either." He continued with a smirk, Gabby eyeing him with an amused grin when they got to the steps, the pair beginning the short climb as the front door opened, surprising both of them.

"Hi, sorry I didn't mean to startle you, I just saw you coming from the window." The older woman spoke with a gentle smile, Matt giving Gabby's hand a squeeze as they grinned back at the lady. "You must be Gabriela."

"I am, but Gabby's fine." She told her, the woman nodding. "And this is Matt." Gabby wasn't sure why she felt the need to introduce him, instead of letting him do it himself, but she did.

"It's nice to meet you both, I'm Lorraine, the realtor for this property. I'm excited to show you around." She told them, beginning to walk inside, Gabby and Matt following after her.

"We're excited to see it." Gabby responded, dropping Matt's hand as he held the door open for her to walk through, the three entering the apartment. From first glance, it looked as great as it had in the pictures, and Gabby was excited to see more of the place.

"So, how long have you two been in the market for an apartment?" She asked as they stepped further inside, giving them a perfect view of the open floor plan.

"Oh, uh-"

"Not long." Matt replied without missing a beat, Gabby glancing towards him. But he wasn't even looking at her, his attention was focused on Lorraine, Matt wearing a soft smile. "Just a couple of months, but we saw this listing online and wanted to check it out as soon as we could, to see if it was as great in person."

"Oh, it definitely is." Lorraine responded, Gabby smiling as she reached for Matt's hand again, their palms clasping together while Matt kept his focus on the realtor, Gabby's free hand coming up to hold onto his arm as she leaned into his side. "And this place is perfect for a young couple like yourselves."

Matt grinned, glancing down to Gabby before looking back up, his eyes moving around the open space. "We like what we're seeing so far, that's for sure." He responded before Lorraine began showing them the place.

As they walked through, Casey became more and more impressed with the place. It was modern, but not uncomfortably so, and it was a decent size with its two bedrooms and two and a half baths. The main part of the apartment was all open, with big windows on either side, Matt not having missed the smirk on Gabby's face when he asked if the glass in the windows was double-paned. For as much as he did like the place, he knew nothing about this neighborhood, and with a ground floor apartment, he wanted to know she was safe. But, from what he could tell, this place was great, and the longer they looked, the more he could see Gabby living here.

"So, what are we thinking?" She asked after they ended up back out in the kitchen, Matt and Gabby standing on one side of the island, while Lorraine stood across from them.

"We really like it, or I do at least. A lot." Gabby spoke with a grin, Matt nodding in agreement. "It's a great place."

"Isn't it? This is a newer building, there's only been one tenant before but he wasn't here very long. And I'm not sure how much you know about the area, but it's a good neighborhood."

"We're both from Chicago, we live close by but we'd never been over here until today, except we might've been in the area for work."

"What do you all do?"

"I'm a firefighter, Gabby is a paramedic." He spoke proudly, Lorraine grinning wide.

"Well, I can assure you, everything here is up to code." She joked, earning chuckles from the pair across from her. "Now, I know this is a big decision, and you all just saw the place, I don't want you two rushing into anything, but I think this would be a great home for you all. I can see you two here for a long time." She spoke, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip before glancing up to Matt, finding him already watching her, wearing a soft grin.

The look in his eyes filled her stomach with butterflies, Matt showing her that look she'd seen from him so many times before. The look that had made her fall in love with him.

"We'll have to talk about it." Casey spoke, breaking their eye contact, Gabby blinking quickly before looking down to the counter, trying to get her heart rate to steady. "But we're definitely interested."

* * *

Gabby focused on the steady rise and fall of Matt's chest against her back as they sat in his bathtub, bubbles surrounding them as they decompressed after the long twenty four hours they'd had. With his arms wrapped around her stomach, Gabby was secured against him as she sat in between his legs, her head resting back against his shoulder while they enjoyed the comfortable silence.

The second they got back from looking at the apartment nearly an hour ago, Gabby wanted nothing more than to get into a nice warm bath. Matt delayed those plans slightly, mentioning how they should probably eat something since neither of them had breakfast, Gabby reluctantly agreeing. After their quick lunch, she helped him clean up before the two headed for his bedroom.

Casey was prepared to wait until she was done before he'd hop into the shower, but Gabby surprised him when she came out from the bathroom wrapped in her towel, asking him to join her for her bath. He hadn't been expecting it, especially after everything that happened with Walker, but he agreed without hesitation, Matt getting up from the bed, shedding his clothes as he followed her into the bathroom.

And now they were sitting together in the confined space, the combined warmth of the water and their body heat relaxing both of them. They'd never done this before, taking a bath together. While they'd taken many showers together, and had plenty of fun while doing it, they'd never done this, but as they were sitting here Gabby couldn't help but think of how nice it felt. When they'd shower together, nine out of ten times they'd end up having sex, neither able to keep their hands off one another while they got cleaned up. But this, this was something different. It felt oddly innocent, like it wasn't something they were doing because they knew it would lead to them sleeping together, but they were doing it because they wanted to. Because she wanted to.

Sitting her with him right now made her feel safe. She felt secure in a way that only Matt had been able to provide her, and she longed for that feeling. Right now, she was completely content. And she knew that had everything to do with the man holding onto her.

"This is nice." Casey murmured, Gabby grinning as she felt him lean his head against hers, her eyes staying closed as she traced her finger over the inside of his knee.

"Get out of my head." She muttered with a light chuckle.

"Hmm?"

"Nothing." She replied, feeling him tighten his grip on her. "But you're right, it is… We should do this more often."

Gabby could practically feel the smile that formed on his face, Matt leaning forward to press a kiss against her shoulder, his lips lingering on her skin. "I'm all for it." He spoke quietly, turning his head towards her neck, his jaw resting on her shoulder. "So, how are you feeling about that apartment?" He asked, pressing his lips into her neck, Gabby's smile widening as he peppered gentle, slow kisses over her skin.

"I really loved it." She spoke, feeling him smile against her neck. "It was a great place, I think I could feel at home there." Gabby continued, keeping up her steady movements over his knee. "I know this isn't something I should rush into, but it's the best place I've seen so far… And I really want to get my own place again." She murmured, Matt brushing his thumb softly back and forth over her stomach. "After everything with Bryan… I'm just trying to continue moving forward, and as much as I love Antonio, I need to be on my own again. It's something I need to do for myself, I guess." She breathed out, Matt pressing another kiss to her skin. He was surprised she mentioned Walker at all, Gabby usually steering clear of that topic at all costs, but he was glad she felt comfortable enough to talk about him. Even though it wasn't much, it was still progress. "I don't even know if that makes sense…"

"It does." He responded immediately, Gabby releasing a soft breath. "I felt the same way after Hallie, I just needed to prove to myself I could be on my own again." Gabby nodded, bringing one hand up to rest over his, knowing him speaking of Hallie never really came with many pleasant memories. "I know exactly what you mean… And, if it helps, I think the place is great. I think you'd be happy there." He told her, a soft grin spreading over her face.

"Yeah… I do too." She replied, adjusting her positioning slightly as she leaned back into him, the water moving around them.

They had fallen back into that comfortable silence, Gabby nearly falling asleep a few times, only to quickly wake herself back up, Matt chuckling every time he felt her jostle awake.

"I think you might need a nap." He spoke, Gabby sighing softly.

"Yeah, you're probably right… But I don't wanna move."

"We can stay here a little longer. And you can sleep, if you want. I can wake you up when it's time to get out." He murmured, Gabby nodding as turned her head towards his neck, her forehead pressed against his skin.

"I like that idea." She responded quietly, letting herself relax into him. "You're still going out for drinks with Kelly tonight, right?"

"Yeah, I guess…" He breathed out. Yesterday night on shift, Severide had cornered him, saying he wanted to go out for drinks with him tonight, which Casey wasn't necessarily eager to do. After everything that happened with Walker and Gabby, he didn't really feel like going out for what Matt assumed was to get Kelly laid. But after he'd mentioned it to Gabby, and she encouraged him to go, he told Severide he would. Though he did make it clear that he might need to cancel last minute, depending on how things were going with Gabby.

He wasn't sure what to expect from her once they got off shift, but she seemed to be fine. The thing with Walker hadn't appeared to have her very rattled, at least not anymore, and he wasn't sure what to make of that. He didn't know if she actually was fine, or if she was simply masking her true feelings. Either way, he didn't necessarily like either option. If she was pushing down how much this was affecting her, he knew that at some point, she was bound to get overwhelmed and probably have some sort of breakdown. But if she actually was fine with what happened, that almost worried him more, because that told him Gabby was used to this kind of stuff from Walker, and that thought made him sick.

"Well, that'll be fun. Severide sure does know how to have a good time." Gabby responded, her tired voice filling his ears.

"Yeah, he does. Hopefully he'll find someone relatively quickly, so I won't have to be out all night." He spoke, his words eliciting a soft chuckle from the woman in his arms.

"You'll have fun, I know you will."

"Yeah, you're right… Are you gonna be here when I get back?" He asked, Gabby shrugging in his grasp.

"I hadn't thought about it, do you want me to be?"

"I'd like that, yeah." He responded, his words bringing a smile to her lips. "As long as you don't have anything else to do."

"No, I was just gonna start looking around for some things for my new place, just to get ideas, if I do decide to take that apartment. But I can do that anywhere, as long as you don't mind me borrowing your laptop."

"I don't mind, you know where it is." He responded, pressing a kiss to her head.

"Well then, I guess I'll stay." She murmured, Matt grinning as he slid his hand over her stomach.

"Good." He spoke just as quietly, the two falling back into their calming silence, both content to sit here for a little while longer.

* * *

"You ever been here before?" Casey asked as he pulled open the heavy door, Kelly shaking his head as he followed behind his friend.

"No, I don't get on this side of town much." He responded, earning a knowing nod from Casey.

"Well, it's a great place, I think you'll like it." He told him, Severide and Casey walking further into the busy bar, Matt heading straight for the counter.

"Are my eyes deceiving me? Matt Casey, as I live and breathe." The man behind the bar spoke, Casey grinning as he shook his hand.

"Hey Cal, it's good to see you again man." Matt greeted, the bartender smiling wide.

"It's been months since you've been here, I wasn't sure what happened to ya."

"Well, I got that new job, it's been keeping me busy. And some of my coworkers own a bar across town, so I've been going there. But it's good to be back, I didn't mean to be gone this long."

"How's the new job treating you?"

"It's good, it's been good. Everything there is great." Casey replied, glancing towards Severide. "This is actually one of my coworkers, Kelly Severide. He's the other Lieutenant at the firehouse. Thought I'd bring him by, show him where I used to spend most of my nights." Matt responded with a chuckle.

"It's nice to meet you man, I'm Cal."

"Nice to meet you, too." Severide spoke, flashing him a grin as he shook his hand.

"What can I get you two?"

"Just two beers." Casey replied, Cal giving him a nod before getting their drinks.

"So, you used to be at bars every night, huh?" Kelly asked with an amused grin, Casey shrugging as Cal handed them their drinks, Matt giving him a grateful nod before leading Severide towards a table.

"Yeah, used to. After everything with Hallie…" He trailed off, Severide's grin falling. "It was a nice distraction."

"I get that, man." Severide responded, patting him on the shoulder before the two sat down, Kelly looking around the bar. "This looks like a great place, though. Maybe Shay and Dawson could come with us sometime."

"That'd be fun, although Gabby's been here before." He commented, Kelly raising his eyebrows as he took a sip of his beer.

"Ah, you two have a date here or something?" Kelly asked, Matt cocking his head to the side.

"No, this is where we met." He replied, Kelly's eyebrows raising in surprise. Seeing his reaction, Matt waiting for his friend to say something. But when the man remained quiet, Casey spoke up. "What, Sev?"

"Nothing, it's just- I guess I never really heard how all that started anyway… you and Dawson." Severide replied, Matt's eyes narrowing in confusion. "I mean, I know you two said there was no overlap with her and Walker, and I believe you, but if my memory serves me correctly, your first shift was when Walker told everyone they'd broken up, so I guess that means…"

"We met the night before my first shift." Casey clarified, Kelly giving him an understanding nod.

"Ahh."

"Yeah. Walker ended things, and she came here, I guess cause it wasn't a place they ever went, I don't really know. But that's when we met."

"So you were her rebound." Severide spoke, Matt's face scrunching up at his terminology.

"I don't think I'd phrase it like that, but I guess, yeah." He responded, taking a drink. "We didn't know each other, I didn't know she'd just gotten broken up with, I only knew her first name. It wasn't until I saw her at 51 that I found out she was a paramedic, and we definitely never thought we'd end up working together. I didn't expect to ever see her again." Matt explained, Kelly giving him a nod.

"Did you guys start your… arrangement, after that?"

"Not immediately, no. She didn't like me at first, we barely even spoke. But then, I don't know, things changed. And here we are." Casey spoke vaguely, Kelly giving him a nod.

"And everything with you two still going well?" Severide asked, Matt raising his eyebrows.

"It's good." Casey responded, taking a long sip of his beer.

"...What's that like, anyway? Being with Dawson?"

Casey's eyes widened as he started coughing on his drink, Severide soon realizing his friend misunderstood him, Matt choking as his beer went down the wrong way.

"Jesus, I didn't mean it like that." Severide clarified, Matt clearing his throat. "I didn't realize how that sounded- I just meant what is it like being in a relationship with her, I guess without the relationship part." He spoke, Matt clearing his throat one last time before looking back towards Kelly, eyeing him curiously.

"It's good, Sev. I mean, you know Dawson, she's a great person. There was definitely a learning curve, there still is, but we're not dating or anything so it's been pretty easy. It's not the most conventional thing, but I've liked getting to know her. She's fun to be around, we're having fun."

"So it's still just fun for you two?" He questioned, Matt narrowing his eyes.

"Why do you care so much about what's going on with me and Gabby?" Casey answered his question with a question, Severide shrugging as he took another drink.

"I'm just trying to figure you two out. I mean, you're already sleeping together, clearly. According to Shay, you spend most of your time together-"

"You guys are talking about us?" Casey interjected, but Kelly ignored him.

"You two seem to _like_ spending all your time together, Shay says Gabby's at your place more than her own… I guess I don't get why you two don't actually just get together." He finished, Matt running his hand over his mouth, thinking over his next words carefully.

"Okay, for starters, you and Shay need more to do if Gabby and I are the main focus of your conversations." He responded, Kelly blowing out a sigh.

"Don't I know it." He mumbled, Matt rolling his eyes before continuing.

"And second, Gabby's not looking for a relationship, Sev."

"But you are?" He questioned quickly, Casey shaking his head.

"I didn't say that." Matt responded just as quickly, Kelly cocking his head to the side.

"So you two are just gonna keep sleeping together until one of you finds someone you actually wanna be with? Is that the plan?" He questioned, Matt's jaw clenching involuntarily. "Just continue with the meaningless sex until you find the woman of your dreams."

"It's not meaningless sex." Casey defended. Severide raising his eyebrows as he waited for Matt to elaborate. "We're not together, no, but I still care about her. She's my friend, I'm not just using her for sex." He spoke, Severide giving him a shrug.

"But you kind of are. Even though you're friends now, you're still using her for sex. Just like she's using you." Severide spoke, earning a hard look from Casey. "I mean that's how all this started, anyway" Kelly pointed out, Matt grimacing as he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

"It started out that way, I guess. But the way you make it sound, it's like you're saying I'm only spending time with her just to fuck her." He replied roughly.

"I thought that's _why_ you guys are doing this, though. For easy sex." He pressed, Matt blowing out a frustrated breath.

"Yeah, but that was before." Casey responded, Kelly's eyebrows raising in curiosity.

"Before what?"

"Before we became friends." Matt answered frustratedly, narrowing his eyes. "Seriously, Sev, what is this? Why are you so worried about me and Gabby? I swear, it's like I'm talking to Shay." Matt breathed out, Severide chuckling before he took another drink.

"I'm just curious, we haven't really talked about you and Dawson. I wasn't sure if anything had changed." He replied with a shrug, Matt keeping his curious glare locked on his friend.

"No, nothing's changed."

"Alright." Kelly backed off, Matt shaking his head as he began tapping his finger against his glass, unsure of why Kelly was pushing this so hard. He'd been used to Shay doing this, but he didn't expect it from Severide. Even with Shay, she was rarely ever this insistent. And if she was, she was most likely joking because she knew it annoyed him, and she would eventually drop it when he didn't answer. But Kelly seemed determined to get some sort of information out of him, Casey just didn't know what he was wanting.

"How is she doing, by the way?" Severide's voice snapped him from his thoughts, Matt looking up to see Kelly watching him expectantly. "After what happened with Walker… is she doing okay?"

"She is." Casey responded, unsure of how much to say. "Walker's a fucking asshole, but she's okay."

"I still can't believe he did that." Severide breathed out, shaking his head. "I mean, what did he think was gonna happen? Was he trying to intimidate her, or did he think that would actually be a way to get her to sleep with him," Matt winced at Kelly's words, but Severide missed it, "I don't know, I can't think of any reason that would make him believe that was a good idea."

"I don't think there was a lot of thinking involved." Casey responded quietly, Severide nodding in agreement.

"And what I really don't get is that he knows he's on thin ice at the house already. Everyone can tell Gabby wants nothing to do with him, hell no one else really wants anything to do with him right now either, and once everyone finds out about this? That'll only get worse… I really don't know what his big genius idea was."

"Yeah, I don't know. I doubt he had one." Casey spoke, shrugging softly. "But Boden's letting headquarters take care of it, so I guess we'll see what happens."

"I'll be surprised if he doesn't get suspended." Severide continued, his eyes locking on Casey. "How are _you_ gonna handle all that, though? With Walker?"

Sighing heavily, Matt slowly spun his glass on the table, trying to find an answer for his friend. "Honestly? I don't know. As his boss, he's definitely going to be on probation. I don't care what headquarters does, if he's still at 51 he's doing nothing but grunt work. I didn't really trust him before, but after this…" Casey trailed off, shaking his head as he ran his hand over his mouth. "But then as Gabby's friend, I really just want to beat some sense into him." He breathed out, getting an immediate nod from his fellow Lieutenant.

"Yeah, I understand the impulse." Severide replied, knowing now wasn't the time for a teasing comment about his and Gabby's relationship. "And so does Shay. I swear, I don't think I've ever seen her so angry. She can't even say his name without the words 'kill him' being in there somewhere."

"Yeah, I understand that impulse, too." Matt spoke softly before taking a long sip of his drink, seeing Kelly's eyes move across the bar, a smirk playing across his lips. "What is it?" Casey asked once he brought his drink down, following Kelly's line of sight, landing on two very perky blondes eyeing them both from across the bar. "Ahh, never mind." Matt chuckled, Severide grinning.

"I have a feeling I may have found my entertainment for the evening."

"Well, whatever you do, leave me out of it." Casey spoke with a laugh, Kelly waving him off, his grin widening when the women walked towards them.

"Yeah, I know you've got a girl at home, don't worry about it." Severide spoke, Matt's eyes narrowing as Kelly turned towards the women. "Hello there, ladies." He greeted with a wide smile, both women matching his grin.

"Hi. We noticed you and your friend from across the bar, we haven't seen you around here before."

"Well, my friend used to come here a lot, but not so much lately, so we decided to stop by, see what this place had to offer." Severide spoke with a wink, earning giggles from the women, Matt watching on at the amusing scene in front of him.

"It seems like you've got this under control, Sev. I'm gonna get out of here."

"Oh, you're leaving already?" The blonde closest to him asked with a pout, Kelly chuckling as he watched the woman place her hand on Casey's arm, Matt raising his eyebrows.

"Uh, yeah, I'm gonna get home."

"But the fun hasn't even started yet." She tried, Casey quickly glancing to Kelly, seeing his friend holding back a chuckle.

"My friend here is a taken man, ladies." Severide spoke, Matt seeing the woman beside him visibly deflate. "He's got a girl to get home to."

"Oh… well that's a shame." She muttered, Kelly releasing another laugh.

"Yeah, I'm not sure Gabby would agree with that." Severide joked, Matt rolling his eyes. "But I'd be more than happy to spend some time with you all." He continued, both women moving their attention solely to Kelly.

"You think you can handle us?"

"Only one way to find out." He responded smoothly, Matt shaking his head as he watched these women drool over Severide.

"I'll see you later, man." Casey spoke, flashing a polite smile to the women before sliding down off his seat, Kelly giving him a nod.

"Tell Gabby I said hi." He replied with a grin before looking away from Casey, Matt chuckling as he headed for the exit, the firefighter eager to get back home.

* * *

Casey shoved his key into the front door, turning the lock before pushing the heavy wood open, Matt surprised to be met by a completely quiet apartment. When he left an hour and a half ago, Gabby was perched on the couch in one of his t-shirts with his computer in her lap, but she was nowhere in sight now, Matt closing the door behind him, making sure to lock it before stepping further inside.

Dropping his keys on the table by the front door, Casey walked through his apartment, making a stop in the kitchen for a glass of water before walking blindly towards his bedroom. Stepping through the open doorway, Matt grinned when he saw Gabby sleeping soundly in the middle of the bed, her head resting on his pillow as she was tucked under the covers.

As he watched her sleep for a few moments, he couldn't help but think back to Kelly's words from tonight, about how he was just using her, Severide's words leaving a bitter taste in his mouth for the rest of the evening. He absolutely hated the implications of that, how that made it seem like he saw Gabby as nothing more than an object. Because that wasn't the case, not at all.

Kelly's words had also brought back something that Gabby said yesterday to the forefront of his mind; her comment about her giving him sex whenever he wanted being a good incentive to keep her around. Those weren't her exact words, but it was what she meant, and it hadn't sat well with him. The second she said it, he felt uneasy about it. This wasn't something he'd worried about before, but now he couldn't help but think Gabby might be feeling used by him, and the thought made him sick.

Technically, Kelly had been right. They started this for easy sex. But him and Gabby weren't those same people they were when they started this arrangement. They were friends now; best friends, if you asked him, and the thought that Gabby might feel like he was only using her left him with what felt like a heavy weight crushing his chest. And he didn't like it one bit. Matt knew they needed to clear the air, and make sure they were both on the same page. Because even though they weren't dating, he cared about her. He cared about her more than anyone else, and he didn't want to hurt her. He never wants her to feel like she's only some sort of an object for him.

The only problem was that he wasn't sure when would be a good time to have that conversation. With everything Gabby was dealing with right now, he didn't want to pile anything else on top of it. And he knew approaching her out of the blue with a conversation about the two of them would only overwhelm her. He wanted to talk with her, make sure they were both still okay with what they were doing, but he knew that wasn't a conversation to be had anytime soon, especially not tonight. Tonight, he just wanted her to sleep.

Moving as quietly as he could, Casey continued into the room, placing his cup down on the nightstand and putting his phone on the charger before he moved towards his dresser. Pulling out a pair of pajama pants, he made his way to the bathroom, turning on the light before he began his routine to get ready for bed.

He was just finishing up brushing his teeth when he felt arms wrap around his bare waist, Matt smiling once he finished rinsing out his mouth. Slowly, he stood up straight, feeling Gabby press her cheek against his back, his hand coming up to rest over hers, Matt returning his toothbrush to its home.

"Hi." He spoke softly, feeling Gabby tighten her grip.

"Hi." She repeated, Matt feeling her press a kiss in the middle of his back before he turned around in her embrace, seeing the exhaustion present in her features. He was glad to see her asleep when he'd gotten home, knowing she could use the rest, but clearly him getting ready for bed had woken her up. "You got home early." She continued, Matt wrapping his arms around her, his hands rubbing up and down over her back.

"Yes, well Severide found some blondes." He responded, Gabby's nose scrunching up in amusement, her finger tapping against the base of his spine, just above his pajama pants.

"Blondes, huh?"

"Yup. Kelly seemed very intrigued." He spoke, Gabby scoffing lightly.

"Can't say I'm surprised." She replied, leaning forward and resting her head against his chest, relaxing into his hold. "So, I guess the blondes didn't entice you like they did Kelly?" She questioned, Matt chuckling as he shook his head, his hands stopping on her lower back.

"Nah, not my type." He responded, practically able to picture the smile he knew was covering her face. "Although blondes are definitely _your _type, if present company is any indication." Matt teased, Gabby rolling her eyes even though he couldn't see her.

"Yeah, well, maybe they are." She spoke, feeling him laugh as his chest shook lightly against her cheek. "...I'm just glad my blonde came home." Gabby murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, Matt feeling an immediate warmth spread through his chest at her words as Gabby nuzzled herself deeper into his grip. A small smile formed over his lips, Matt turning his head to press a gentle kiss to the side of her head, unable to explain the feeling rushing through him.

"Yeah, I did." He whispered, his smile growing as they held onto one another.

"So you had fun with Kelly?" She asked after a few quiet moments, Matt hearing how exhausted she was, her voice heavy as he slowly leaned back into the counter, Gabby moving with him.

"Let's just say it was… interesting. Kelly was- well, being Kelly. But I had a nice time." He responded, feeling her body move as she laughed.

"Good, that's good." She spoke through a yawn, Matt pressing another kiss to her head.

"Let's go to bed, yeah?" He suggested, earning a nod from Gabby as she pulled back, sliding her hands around to his waist.

"Yeah." She agreed, leaning up to press a soft kiss to his lips, grabbing his hand in hers before she pulled away, wordlessly dragging him back towards the bedroom.

* * *

**And there's another one. I've gotta say, it's been kind of fun to keep Casey's actual feelings unclear. I know we all are well aware of Gabby's but we haven't really gotten to hear where Casey's head is at, and, even though I know some of you are eager to figure that out, it's been pretty fun for me I won't lie. It keeps things exciting and I enjoy writing it like this. I hope you all are liking it as well.**

**I've seen a lot of people expecting Walker to only continue to escalate things, which, I'm not gonna say anything about that, but he's definitely not happy right now. We'll just have to see what happens from here.**

**Also, I wanted to let you know, I've seen many of you requesting more M-rated scenes. I add them when I can, but I try not to put them unless I feel like it's warranted. I don't know, I don't want anything to come across as cheap I guess. But I definitely hear you guys, I don't want you to feel like I'm ignoring you, I'll try and put more in where I can!**

**I'm eager to hear your thoughts on this one, especially what you guys are thinking about Casey right now. Do you think he likes her? Do you think he just sees her as a friend? I'm interested to know your thoughts. Thank you all so much for reading this chapter, I hope you all liked it! Your all's support means the world.**


	27. Chapter Twenty Seven

**Hi everyone! Here's the next chapter for you guys.**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**TWENTY SEVEN**

* * *

Matt stretched out his tired limbs after he finished washing his hands, the man having woken up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, a yawn escaping his lips as he turned the bathroom light off, slowly walking back towards the bed in the dark. He almost felt like a zombie, Matt ready to fall right back into bed and get some more sleep before morning came. Soon finding his way back to the bed, Matt sat down, rolling his neck and lengthening his spine, hearing a few of his joints crack in relief before he slowly laid back down, not wanting to wake the sleeping woman beside him.

He had barely gotten back under the covers when he felt something move against his leg, Matt's eyebrows furrowing when he felt the movement again, his head turning to look towards Gabby. He wasn't able to make out much in the dark, but he could feel how tense she was beside him, Matt hearing what sounded like a soft groan escape her lips.

Unsure of what was happening, Casey sat back up, leaning over to turn the lamp on before turning back towards Gabby, Matt getting a clearer look at her. As he expected, her entire body was tensed up, Matt seeing her hands clenched at her sides on top of the covers, her eyebrows furrowed in distress, her legs occasionally kicking underneath the sheets.

Although he didn't know the cause, it was clear Gabby was in the midst of a bad dream, another soft whimper soon escaping her lips. Cautiously reaching out, Matt placed his hand over her arm, giving it a soft squeeze.

"Gabby." He murmured, rubbing over her arm, seeing her head turn away from him. He felt bad for waking her up, but he could tell the sleep she was getting wasn't peaceful anyway, Matt applying more pressure to her arm. "Gabby." He tried again, squeezing tighter.

"Gabby, wake up."

She immediately shot up in bed, Matt moving out of the way as he followed her up, staying close but not touching her, unsure of where her head was at. He saw her blinking furiously, her hand coming up to run over the side of her face, Matt seeing her suck in a deep breath.

"What happened?"

Her voice was barely above a whisper, Matt's concerned frown deepening when he heard the confusion in her words. Carefully, he reached out, placing his hand over her lower back, hoping to provide some source of comfort. He almost pulled away when he felt her tense up under his touch, but her body relaxed quickly, like she registered it was just him.

"Uh, I don't know… It looked like you were having a nightmare." He responded softly, Gabby nodding as she pushed some loose hair behind her ear, her eyes falling closed as she proceeded to take deep breaths. He could feel her relaxing more and more as the seconds passed, Matt moving in gentle motions across her back, hoping he was helping. "Are you alright?"

He kept his voice low, the sound filling the otherwise quiet apartment, Gabby glancing towards him, giving him a soft nod. "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry I woke you up."

"You didn't." He was quick to assure her, Gabby's hands falling down to rest in her lap, her eyes moving away from his intense stare. Matt couldn't read her, he couldn't tell what was going on in her head, and it worried him. "...Do you want to talk about it?" He asked softly, seeing Gabby's head lean forward slightly, her bottom lip falling in between her teeth as she sat there.

She didn't answer him at first, Matt unsure of which direction this would be heading; either he was about to get her to finally open up to him, or she'd shut him down again.

"It was, uh- it wasn't anything really." She responded after a few silent moments, Matt not giving much in the form of a reaction. He wasn't surprised by her response, she was doing the same thing she'd been doing since the incident with Walker. "I guess all this Bryan stuff-" Her voice caught in her throat, Matt glancing back towards her, not having expected her to continue talking, let alone mention the man who was no doubt the cause of her bad dream. "I'm just a little on edge, but I'm okay. I'll get over it." She added quickly, Matt sighing softly as he slid his hand around her waist, Gabby looking back towards him.

He could tell she was trying; she was trying to let him in and knock down the rest of those walls she'd placed around herself, but she was struggling to do so. Matt couldn't blame her, just from what little he knew about how Walker treated Gabby, the man was an asshole, and there was no telling what went on behind closed doors. He knew how hard this was for her, but he just wished she knew that she could trust him. He didn't want her doubting that.

"You don't have to just 'get over it'." He replied gently, Gabby blinking quickly a few times. "What he did wasn't okay, whatever else he's done-" He felt her tense underneath his touch, Matt backing away from the subject. "None of it's okay. He shouldn't be able to treat you like this." He kept his voice soft despite the aggravation he felt towards the man in question, not wanting Gabby to mistake that for anything aimed towards her.

"It is what it is." She responded with a soft shrug, Matt's face falling. "He's always kind of been like that."

"That's not okay, Gabby." He repeated, Gabby's eyes falling closed as she hunched forward. Matt knew this was make or break time, that he could either keep pushing or he could back off, and he wasn't sure which way to go. Having this conversation in the middle of the night really wasn't the best option, especially not when Gabby had been startled awake like she was. But they were making progress, and he didn't want that all to be gone in the morning. "You can talk to me... about whatever it is. Whatever Walker's done, you can come to me with anything." He continued after a few silent moments, Gabby lifting her head to meet his eyes, seeing the concern shining back at her.

"I know I can, I do." She whispered, placing her hand on his leg. "And I- I want to… I need you to know that."

"I do." He responded, bringing his hand up to cradle the side of her face, stroking his thumb over her cheek, Gabby's eyes falling closed momentarily as she leaned into the comforting contact. "I know this isn't easy… but when you're ready to talk, I'm right here."

Gabby nodded slowly, bringing her hand up to grasp his wrist, Matt's eyes tracing over her tired face. She was exhausted, way beyond it from what he could tell. And he was sure it was more than just a physical exhaustion.

"Let's go back to sleep, we can talk more tomorrow if you want." He murmured, Gabby giving him another nod, pulling from his grasp.

"I'm gonna go get some water first." She spoke, her voice raspy as she tossed the covers off of her, an involuntary chill running through her body when the air hit her bare legs.

"I brought some to bed last night, you can have that." He offered, Gabby flashing him a soft smile, shaking her head before she stood up.

"It's okay, I'll be right back." She told him, Matt giving her a slow nod as he fell back down onto the bed, Gabby walking around towards the exit. "Try and go back to sleep, I won't be gone long." She spoke softly, stopping to turn off the lamp, bathing the room in darkness once more before Gabby exited the bedroom, walking down the hallway.

Casey's tired body relaxed into the bed, listening to Gabby as she moved around in the kitchen. She wasn't being very loud, but in the dead of night he could hear her easily. He felt himself slowly fading, Matt not hearing her for a few moments, assuming she was drinking her water as he tried to keep himself awake. He wanted to be conscious when she came back, Matt unsure of where her head was at right now, but with each passing second he found it becoming more and more difficult. Before he could stop it, Casey succumbed to his exhaustion, not able to stay awake until Gabby came back to bed.

* * *

Casey awoke with a start, Matt blinking furiously as he rubbed his hand over his face, his mind instantly being flooded with memories of him and Gabby earlier in the night. He immediately looked towards the clock, seeing he'd only been asleep for about half an hour, Matt shaking his head as he registered the lack of body heat next to him, telling him that Gabby had never come back to bed.

Matt yawned as he sat up, mentally kicking himself for falling back asleep. He hadn't meant to, in fact he'd done what he could to wait for her to return, but he hadn't been able to fight his exhaustion. Truthfully, Casey wasn't even sure what caused him to wake up so abruptly, but he was glad he did, Matt wanting to go and figure out what was going on.

Slowly standing up, Matt felt his muscles pulling as his limbs slowly woke up, multiple parts of his body cracking as he moved. Rubbing his hand tiredly over his eyes, Casey walked towards the door, heading into the hallway as he went in search of Gabby. He shivered slightly as the air hit his bare chest, Matt waking up more with each step, registering the completely silent apartment.

When he got to the end of the hallway, he immediately found who he was looking for, his face softening when he saw Gabby curled up on the couch. Padding closer to her, he assumed she hadn't meant to fall asleep out here, her body taking up only half the couch, her head resting on the pillow. He saw the nearly empty glass of water sitting on the coffee table in front of her, her arm resting between her knees, involuntarily trying to keep herself warm as she'd fallen asleep without a blanket.

As he stood across from her, he could make out just enough of her in the dim apartment, the light from the kitchen only another sign that she hadn't meant to fall asleep. From his vantage point, he could tell she was sound asleep, her completely relaxed body telling him she was sleeping peacefully. He'd noticed it awhile ago, how there was a big difference between Gabby's demeanor when she was merely napping and when she was in a deep slumber, and this was definitely the second.

He didn't love the idea of her sleeping out here, especially after the tiring last few days she'd had, but that was exactly why he didn't have the heart to wake her. She was actually sleeping, he didn't want to disturb that. He briefly thought about carrying her to bed, he'd done it a few times before when she'd fallen asleep out here, but more often than not when he picked her up, she woke up. And he didn't want to risk that.

So he decided to leave her.

But that didn't mean he wouldn't be staying out here with her.

Blowing out a sigh, Matt stepped around the coffee table, pulling the throw blanket from the back of the couch, slowly unfolding it before placing it over her body. She immediately nuzzled into the material, Matt bringing it up to rest under her chin as he watched her for a moment, seeing her staying deep within her slumber, Matt softly brushing her hair from her eyes.

He couldn't help but stare at her for an extra few seconds, Matt shaking his head in worry as he saw the dark bags under her eyes. Even in her sleep, he could see how exhausted she was, how her body craved rest. Before the incident with Walker, he knew she hadn't been sleeping well. She'd been restless during a few of the nights they spent together recently, but it had never been this. It hadn't been her having an actual nightmare. And he couldn't help but assume that Walker caused this, that Walker had caused _all_ of her restlessness.

And he wanted nothing more than to help her through this, he desperately wanted to make this better; he just didn't know how to when he wasn't sure what all was going on, because clearly it was more than just what happened last shift. As terrible as that was, he knew there was more to it.

"What's going on with you, Gabby." He murmured, concern shining in his tired eyes as he kept his gaze on her, watching her chest rise up and down slowly.

Casey wasn't blind, he'd picked up on little things, and a few big things, over the months he'd been at 51 that gave him an idea of what type of relationship Walker and Gabby had. Walker was controlling, and assertive. He was the classic Type-A, alpha male personality; one with real anger issues, and Matt had his suspicions of what actually went on in that relationship. Even from the first conversation Matt had with the man, he'd taken shots at Gabby. It was as if he lived to assert his dominance over her, and Casey could only imagine what that had been like during their actual relationship.

He didn't want to assume the worst, but Matt was sure there had been at least some verbal abuse thrown Gabby's way. From the things he himself had heard Walker say to and about Dawson, he knew something along those lines had taken place. But what confirmed it to him wasn't even anything Walker had said or done, it was Gabby. She acted like a different person around Bryan, or whenever he'd be mentioned. And some of the things she'd said about herself, little off-handed comments and sentences, he had a strong feeling some of those words weren't her own.

For as strong-willed and determined as she was at work, and even with him, when it came to Walker, that was a completely different story. Bryan was a severe weak spot for Dawson, Matt found that out early on. And he could only imagine what had happened to cause that. Gabby Dawson was not one to shy away from things, Casey knew that for a fact. But she turned into a timid, almost scared person whenever Walker was around, and he hated it.

Because he'd seen it before. He'd seen it in his line of work, he'd seen it with his own mother; it was a classic sign of abuse.

And the thought of Gabby going through that made him sick.

He didn't like thinking of her being in pain at all, for any reason, but the thought of someone who had promised to love her doing that, it made his heart ache for her. And it made him so incredibly angry.

Of course, he didn't know for certain any of this had happened, all he had to go on is what he'd seen before, but his gut was telling him that Gabby had been an outlet for Walker's rage in the past. Casey just didn't know if that had extended past verbal abuse.

Matt had seen more the once the aftermath of Walker putting his hands on Gabby. From when he grabbed her arm so tight he left behind a mark, and when he pushed her into the bar at Molly's, Casey had seen bruises on her skin left behind by him. And something was telling him those weren't the first time that had happened.

Surely, had Walker abused her in the past, 51 would have known about it. Matt couldn't imagine Shay not knowing, or them not seeing suspicious bruises or marks. But he also knew Bryan wasn't stupid; _if_ he had hurt Gabby, Matt couldn't help but think he would've made sure to cover his tracks.

He didn't want to assume anything, he didn't want to make this out to be worse than it actually was, but Matt knew _something_ had to have happened. Walker had to have done something to cause this headstrong woman to become a shell of herself anytime he got close to her.

But when it came down to it, Matt knew next to nothing about Gabby's actual relationship with the man. She didn't tell him much, she didn't tell anyone much; whatever happened, she kept it mostly to herself. Really, the only thing he knew was that they had been together for about three years, and Walker had been cheating on her for longer than they'd been engaged. Other than that, he didn't know a whole lot. Gabby didn't tell him anything, and this could all just be him building something up in his head, or at least he hoped that's what it was. But he knew unless she wanted to confide in him, he'd probably never know for sure.

The only thing he did know was that Walker was an asshole. That Bryan knew how much he affected Gabby, and he used it to his advantage. That's what he did know, and it made him hate the man even more.

Matt wasn't sure if Bryan had always been like this, or if at some point he actually was a good person. Casey couldn't imagine Gabby putting up with his bullshit from the beginning, he couldn't help but think that, at least when they first got together, Walker wasn't a complete dick. That maybe things between them had been good at least for awhile. But he had no way to know. It wasn't even like he could ask Severide, or anyone else, because until recently, everyone in the house loved Walker. Before they saw what type of person he was, or at least the type of things he did to Gabby, aside from Shay, they all seemed to be enamored by the firefighter. So even if Walker had been this way from the beginning, no one in the house would be able to tell him, except Gabby.

But even if they could, he'd never ask them. He wouldn't go around trying to find things out about Gabby's history with Walker, he wouldn't pry into her life like that. He wanted to help her, more than anything he wanted to help her deal with this, but only if she wanted him to. Matt wouldn't insert himself into parts of her life she hadn't let him into; he wouldn't do what Walker had done. He knew he couldn't do anything more than just be here for her, and handle this at her pace.

Casey was pulled from his thoughts when he saw her moving around below him, Matt watching as she shifted around in her sleep, making herself comfortable before resuming her slumber. He waited for a few extra seconds, wanting to see if she had woken up or was just moving around in her unconscious state. If she had woken up, he was going to take her back to bed, Matt knowing they'd both sleep better there, but she never roused again, Gabby clearly back in her deep sleep.

Knowing he was in for the rest of the night out here on the couch, Matt quietly walked towards the kitchen, turning off the light that had been left on before blindly making his way back towards the couch. Being careful not to sit on her, he placed himself down on the cushions, his thigh up against her body as he slowly covered himself with the same blanket, Matt putting his feet up on the coffee table, slouching down into the couch.

He'd slept this way before, during the occasional nap whenever they'd be watching a movie or something, so he knew he could manage this position for the rest of the night. It wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world, but it would do, Matt resting his hand on her thigh underneath the blanket.

She hadn't moved an inch since he sat down, Matt grateful that his movement hadn't caused her to wake up. Despite him not exactly looking forward to being out here the remainder of the night, he knew she needed the rest. If she was sleeping peacefully, he didn't want to mess with that.

With one last glance to her, Matt closed his eyes, letting his exhaustion slowly take over as he held onto her bare thigh, Casey focusing on the sound of her breathing as he slowly faded off, the man not lasting very long before he was in as deep of a sleep as she was.

* * *

Gabby grimaced as she was pulled from her sleep for the third time since last night, her body immediately feeling sore and cramped, her look of discomfort deepening when she tried to straighten out her limbs and was met with resistance. Bringing her hand up to her face, she rubbed over her tired eyes before slowly opening them, surprised to find herself in Matt's living room.

With squinted eyes, she eventually regained her senses, Gabby pushing herself up, confused as to why she was out here on the couch. But after a few seconds, she remembered last night; Matt waking her up from her nightmare, her coming out here to get a drink, her sitting down on the couch to give herself a minute, and her apparently falling asleep.

A yawn escaped her lips as she rolled back her shoulders, hearing a few pops and cracks as her spine straightened for the first time in hours. She hadn't meant to fall asleep out here, and she definitely didn't remember putting the blanket over herself, Gabby assuming she grabbed it at some point during the night.

But when she heard the soft snores beside her, and registered the hand resting on her thigh, she realized she most likely hadn't been the one to put the blanket over herself at all. Glancing to her side, she found Matt sound asleep beside her, his mouth slightly parted. Her legs were curled against his side, Gabby now understanding why she hadn't been able to stretch out like she wanted, Matt resting with his legs propped on the coffee table, his arms crossed over his chest. The blanket was only partially covering him, Gabby frowning softly, knowing she was the reason for his uncomfortable position.

She imagined he came out here when she hadn't gone back to bed, and decided to stay here with her instead of going back to bed alone. She felt a flush of warmth spread through her body at him choosing her instead of his welcoming bed, but that was immediately replaced with guilt, Gabby knowing the position he was in couldn't have been the most comfortable.

Slowly, she brought her legs down off the couch, wincing as she stretched out her muscles, her limbs tingling as they woke up, Gabby seeing the blanket fall from Matt as she moved, but he had yet to stir. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was only a little after seven, another yawn escaping her lips as she refocused her attention on the man sleeping beside her.

Gabby shifted her position on the couch, getting the blanket out of the way before leaning her body into his side, resting her head on his shoulder. The weight against his body slowly woke him up, Matt lifting his arm from his chest, wrapping it around her body while his eyes stayed closed, Gabby wearing a content smile from his actions. Keeping her body pressed into his, Matt leaned his head down against hers, Gabby resting her hand over his stomach.

"You okay?" He questioned, his voice thick with sleep, Matt having yet to open his eyes. She gave a slow nod against his chest, Casey running his hand up and down her side, Gabby's finger lightly tracing the skin above the waistband of his pajamas.

"I'm alright." She responded, pressing a gentle kiss to his chest, Matt holding onto her tighter. "You didn't have to stay out here with me, I didn't mean to fall asleep…" She whispered, both of them keeping their voices low.

"It's okay, I don't mind." He murmured, sliding his hand up to cradle her head, moving his thumb back and forth gently across her hair. "You were sound asleep, I didn't want to move you." Matt continued, Gabby giving him another nod.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments, Gabby focusing on the feeling of him stroking her head, the movement nearly lulling her back to sleep. As far as she knew, neither of them had anything planned for today that would require them leaving this apartment, and she was perfectly happy doing nothing more than this.

Feeling Matt shiver slightly underneath her, Gabby lifted her head from his chest, opening her eyes to find him watching her closely, his warm blue eyes filling her with a strong sense of comfort.

"Do you wanna go back to bed?" She questioned softly, Matt running his hand down to her back, shrugging softly as her hand rested against his chest.

"I'm okay right here." He responded with a sleepy smile, Gabby matching his look. "If you are."

"I'm good." She answered, Matt giving her a nod as he tightened his hold on her, Gabby leaning forward to press a soft kiss to his lips. Smiling against her, Matt reciprocated the gesture, his hand rubbing over her back as they moved together slowly.

Pulling back, Matt brought his other hand up to her face, using his thumb to pull her bottom lip from between her teeth, his palm coming to rest over her cheek before she leaned back in, kissing him again.

She wasn't sure how long they sat here getting lost in one another's slow, sleepy kisses, Gabby sliding her hand across his waist, keeping him close to her. With him in this moment, it was like nothing else mattered. She wasn't thinking about anything other than Matt, the man holding onto her invading her every thought as their lips stayed connected. Each moment was gentle, neither one intensifying their movements as they sat on the couch, both completely content with the pace they'd set.

Slowly, only out of necessity, Gabby pulled back, her lips turning into a soft grin, her eyes staying closed for a few extra seconds as she relished in this feeling. This feeling of complete security.

It was a feeling that was foreign to her, it wasn't something she had experienced with anyone before, other than maybe her family. But this was something different. She'd never felt so at peace, or felt so safe with another person before. Not even at his best had Bryan ever been able to give her this sense of comfort. No one had ever been able to make her feel this way, no one until Matt.

"Did you sleep okay?" He questioned after a couple moments, Gabby opening her eyes to find him watching her, his gaze soft.

"Yeah, for the most part… But I could use a little more rest, though." She responded with a small smile, Gabby gently nudging his arm. Understanding her silent request, the pair maneuvered themselves down onto the couch, managing to get comfortable as Matt laid partially on his back, his side pressed into the back of the couch as Gabby laid mostly on top of him. Her leg was hooked up over his waist, his arm wrapped around her body, hand resting low on her hip to keep her in place as she covered them with the blanket.

She immediately felt much more comfortable in this position than in the one she was in when she first woke up, Gabby's head tucked into his neck as they cuddled on the couch, Matt's arms wrapped tightly around her.

"Thank you for being here." She whispered into the quiet air, her hand sliding across his chest.

Matt grinned softly, pressing a lingering kiss to the top of her head, his hand rubbing over her hip. "I told you, I'm always here… for whatever you need, Gabby."

His gentle words brought a smile to her face, Gabby securing herself deeper into his hold, craving his body heat as they laid together. "I know you are."

No more words were said between them, both knowing they didn't need to say anything else. It had been a long night, filled mostly with interrupted sleep, Gabby wanting nothing more than to get some more rest while in his arms. Which is exactly what she did, her hand moving down his chest until she reached his waist, her fingers sliding underneath his waistband as her hand settled on his hip, Gabby focused on the feeling of his arms wrapped around her while his steady breathing lulled her back to sleep.

* * *

Dawson blew out a breath as she slowly walked towards Boden's office, stopping her body in the open doorway and bringing her hand up to knock on the frame, the noise gaining his attention.

"You wanted to see me, Chief?" She questioned, the older man nodding.

When Gabby had arrived at 51 for shift this morning, she'd immediately been instructed that Boden wanted to speak with her before second shift's meeting. Once hearing that, she hurried through her routine of getting her things put away before she came to his office, curious to see what he wanted to speak with her about, although she already had some idea.

"Yes, come in, Dawson." He responded, Dawson stepping inside, quickly noticing a second presence in the room as she saw Casey over by the couch, Matt resting his body weight on the arm of the furniture. It wasn't the first time she'd seen him this morning, in fact she'd been with him until about half an hour ago when they left his place to get to work. She flashed him a soft smile, Matt returning the gesture, his gaze holding more than he could say with Boden in the room.

"What's going on, Chief?" She asked, returning her attention to Boden, seeing him release a deep breath.

"I wanted to let you know before everyone else, that Walker has been suspended." He told her, Gabby's neck clenching as she gave him a slow nod, unable to stop herself from glancing towards Casey, finding him already watching her, giving her a small, supportive smile.

"Okay." She murmured, unsure of what else to say.

"He's been suspended for five shifts, pending further review." Boden continued, Gabby wrapping her arms over her chest. "But, I do want you to know that Walker has appealed the suspension." Dawson blinked tightly, giving him another nod. She wasn't surprised to hear this, and based on the look on Matt's face, he'd been told this before she got here. "I'll let you know if anything comes of it, but I didn't want to blindside you with it if it is a shorter suspension." He told her, Gabby responding with another nod. "But, regardless of when he comes back, he will be on a very short leash, and he will be made aware of that. I'm going to make sure he knows to leave you alone, Casey will tell him as well, and he'll be keeping a close eye on him."

Gabby glanced back towards Matt, seeing him wearing that same small smile, her body immediately relaxing. "No matter if I have to stay on him the entire shift, I'll be making sure he doesn't bother you." Casey reiterated, giving her a strong nod. "Boden and I both want you to feel safe here, so whatever I need to do to make that happen, I'll do it." His voice was firm, their eyes locked on one another while he spoke.

"Thank you, Casey." She responded, her voice barely above a whisper, Gabby having to tear her eyes away from him, the paramedic looking back towards Boden. "But I really don't want you guys to have to be worrying about Walker every shift, it's not your problem to deal with-"

"Walker is my firefighter." Casey cut her off, Gabby looking back to him. "He's my firefighter, he's my responsibility, and the way he's acting is not okay. I can't stop him from acting like a child, but what I can do is make sure you're not put in that position again. And make sure he knows the consequences if he steps out of line." He said strongly, Gabby drawing in a deep breath. "You shouldn't have to worry about being harassed while at work, Dawson. Me keeping an eye on him isn't a problem, Walker is the only one causing any problems here." Matt continued, knowing this was his first chance to really talk with her about this. Even though they had spent the entirety of their days off together, they never talked more about what happened once he'd woken her up from her nightmare the night before last. The subject hadn't come up again yesterday while they spent most of the day on the couch, so he was taking the opportunity to tell her some of the things he'd been wanting to say since it happened. "This whole thing, it's entirely on Walker."

"Casey's right, Dawson." Boden added, Gabby's gaze lingering on Casey for a few extra moments before she looked towards the Chief. "Walker caused this, not you. Both Casey and I, and I mentioned it to Severide as well, we'll be keeping an eye on him. That's already been decided, we just wanted you to be in the loop with what was going on."

"Okay." She responded softly, giving them a slight nod. Gabby wasn't sure how to feel about this. She didn't necessarily like Casey, Boden, and Severide making a point out of making sure Walker stayed away from her. But she'd be lying if she said it didn't make her feel a little safer. Dawson wished it hadn't come to this, she wished Bryan would just leave her alone, but she knew that wasn't likely. Even though he'd gotten suspended, she wasn't sure if that was enough to stop him. If his stunt last shift was any indication, he didn't care about the consequences when it came to his actions, and that was a nerve wracking thought. But knowing there'd be other people keeping an eye on him did put her at ease. "Thank you, for doing all this."

"No thanks necessary." Boden responded, Matt nodding in agreement. "Now, I do want you to know that I'm not sharing the reason for Walker's suspension with everyone. I know we need to get out to roll call, but all I'm going to tell them is he's been suspended." Chief said, Gabby giving him another nod as her eyes flickered to Matt. "And I've already spoken with Severide and Shay, they've been told to not say anything as well."

"Alright." She replied, although Gabby already knew neither of them would say anything. That hadn't been on her radar at all, but she was glad for the confirmation that everyone was on the same page.

"Okay, well that's all we wanted to discuss with you." Boden spoke, pushing himself up from his seat. "We should get out there, I'm sure they're all waiting." Gabby and Matt both nodded, Casey moving from his spot at the side of the room as Chief came around from behind his desk. "But, I do just want to tell you again, I am so sorry that this ever happened. I truly am, Dawson."

"Thank you, Chief." She responded softly, Boden placing a comforting hand on her arm before he walked towards the door.

Dawson and Casey followed behind him, Matt slowing his pace when they got out of the office, Gabby mimicking his action, realizing he wanted to talk to her without Boden's presence. When Chief was far enough away, Matt looked to her, seeing her gaze already on him.

His eyes traced over her face, trying to get a read on her before he spoke up, Gabby's tongue poking out between her teeth, running over her bottom lip as she met his eyes.

"Are you alright?" He asked, his gaze moving forward, seeing Boden long gone, before he looked back to Gabby. Knowing she couldn't do all she wanted in this moment, she simply nodded, placing her hand on his arm, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"I'm okay." She replied quietly. "I just want to move past it."

Nodding slowly, Matt refrained from pushing any farther, knowing they needed to get to the conference room. They both began walking again, picking up their pace to try and catch up to Boden, but he had already made it to the room, Casey walking in first with Gabby trailing behind him.

Everyone's eyes were on them, or were at least on Gabby, the second they came into the room, but no one said a word as they walked to their spots, Boden giving Casey an understanding nod as Matt found his spot against the back wall, Gabby following to stand beside him. She could feel everyone staring at her, but luckily they couldn't be discreet about it with her being in the back of the room, so they were all forced to face forward.

"I'm sorry about the delay, there were some housekeeping matters to take care of."

"Is something going on, Chief?" Herrmann asked soon after Boden stopped talking, voicing the question everyone had been thinking, the older man breathing deeply.

"There is something I want to discuss with you all, yes. As you know, Walker got sent home last shift. But he also won't be joining us for the next few shifts, as well." Boden spoke, seeing confused glances come from around the room. "Walker has been suspended for the next five shifts here at 51."

Gabby felt a few pairs of eyes on her as some people turned back to glance at her, unable to hide their shock and confusion. It was obvious that even though no one knew exactly _what_ had happened, they knew it involved her.

"Why, Chief?" Cruz asked after a few silent moments, Boden shaking his head.

"It's nothing you need to worry about." He was quick to respond, earning more looks of confusion and curiosity. "The people who need to know do, the people this affects have the information. But it is not necessary for you all to know the details. All you need to know is that Walker will not be joining us. We do have a sub, but she didn't get the notice until this morning so she'll be a little late."

Knowing there would be no more answers to get out of Boden, a few firefighters merely nodded, a thick silence looming in the air. No one really knew what to say, and everyone had plenty of questions, but Boden quickly kept going.

"I know none of you were expecting this when you came in today, but it doesn't affect your work here today, so I know this will not be an issue. The floater covering for Walker, her name is Allison Jenkins, she was the top of her class a few years back at the academy, Casey's worked with her before as well, he says she's good."

"She is." Matt responded, Gabby glancing up to him, seeing his eyes focused on the room. "I worked with her for a few weeks, she was good. I think she'll fit in well here." He continued, earning more nods from his firefighters.

Before another word could be said, the bells rang throughout the house, calling truck out to a car accident, all conversation halting as the men of truck 81 got up.

Pushing himself from the wall, Matt flashed Gabby a soft, reassuring smile, silently reminding her that everything would be okay, before walking past her and heading out towards the garage.

* * *

Gabby sat at the table in the common room, Shay and Severide by her side as they drank their coffee, Kelly being the only firefighter in here with them, as truck was still out on their first call of the day and squad was outside in the garage.

"So…" Shay spoke, Gabby looking up from the newspaper she'd swiped from Casey's office this morning after their meeting. "I know you don't really want to talk about all this Walker stuff, and I get it, but I just need to know you're doing okay." The blonde spoke softly, having avoided the subject in all the time they'd been sitting here. Shay had been keeping an eye on her partner, and she seemed to be doing fine, but she needed the verbal confirmation before completely dropping it.

Glancing towards Severide, Gabby shrugged her shoulders. "I'm fine, Shay. Really. It's over, Walker's been suspended, although who knows how long he'll be gone-"

"What do you mean?" Shay interjected.

"He's appealing it." Gabby replied, Shay's eyes narrowing.

"...That son of a bitch."

"Shay-"

"What a fucking asshole, God I'm gonna kill him."

"Shay, it doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does. He got lucky only getting five shifts, and he's trying to shorten that? Bastard." She muttered, Severide shaking his head.

"It probably won't work." Kelly tried, Shay's narrowed gaze focusing in on him.

"Did you know Walker was trying to appeal it?" She questioned, Severide looking away from her.

"Boden mentioned it to me when I was in there with Casey." He replied, Shay rolling her eyes before looking back to Gabby.

"Anyway, Walker being an idiot aside, you're positive you're doing alright? You've got me worried, babe."

"I'm fine, Shay. I swear." Dawson spoke, the blonde eyeing her carefully. "I promise. I'm handling it, I'm okay."

"Okay, fine." She gave in, breaking out into a grin. "Although I bet going apartment shopping with your boyfriend helped you feel a little better." Shay teased, Gabby's eyes narrowing as Kelly's widened.

"What?"

"How did you find out about that?" Gabby asked, Shay ignoring Severide's question as she focused on Dawson.

"I've been checking in with Casey, making sure you were good." Shay responded with a grin, Gabby rolling her eyes.

"You could've just texted me."

"Yeah, but honey you usually never give the full story. I figured Casey would be the better bet."

"What are you guys talking about?" Severide questioned again, Shay chuckling as she patted Kelly's arm.

"Casey took Gabby apartment shopping after last shift." Shay responded, Gabby rolling her eyes as she stood up, grabbing her coffee cup.

"Aw, how domestic." Severide teased, Dawson flipping them off before heading for the coffee pot. Kelly kept his eyes on her for a minute, Gabby moving into the kitchen once she got some coffee, going in search of something to eat. "She seems to be doing okay." Severide commented softly, his voice only audible to Shay.

"She does… I think her spending the last two days with Casey helped." Shay murmured, taking one last look at Dawson before returning her gaze to Kelly.

"Well, not the entire two days." He corrected, Shay cocking her head to the side. "Casey was out with me for awhile."

"Yeah, and you were useless." She shot back, Severide glaring at his best friend.

"Hey, I tried. You should try getting information out of him, it's like pulling teeth." He fired back, making sure to keep his voice low. "He just kept saying they were friends, I don't know what you want me to do."

Blowing out a sigh, Shay glanced back to Gabby quickly before looking back at the firefighter. "I don't want you to do anything… I know I should just leave it alone, anyway."

"You should, but you won't." He countered, Shay narrowing her eyes.

"I don't want her to get hurt again." She responded, Kelly blowing out a sigh.

"You can't protect her from everything, Shay."

"What are you two whispering about?" Gabby spoke, Shay jumping in her seat as Dawson unexpectedly came up behind her.

"Jesus Gabs, we need to put a bell on you or something." Shay responded, holding her hand over her chest, Gabby smirking with a proud grin as she sat back down.

"Yeah, I'm not wearing a bell, Shay."

"If you keep doing that, I won't give you a choice." She grumbled, Gabby shaking her head in amusement as they heard the door open, the three turning to see an unfamiliar face walk in, the woman clearly Walker's replacement based on her uniform and the shift bag in her hand.

"Hi, I got directed in here, they said to ask for Severide?" She questioned, Kelly nodding as he stood up.

"Hey, yeah, I'm Lieutenant Severide, I work on squad. I'm assuming you're Jenkins?" He asked, the woman nodding as she shook his hand.

"Allison Jenkins, sir."

"And Casey said you've worked together before?"

"We have, yes. Not for very long, but he was a hell of a Lieutenant, I'm glad to work with him again. I saw 81 was out, are they on a call?" She asked, smiling brightly, the young girl obviously excited to be here.

"Yeah, but they should be back anytime now." Severide responded, feeling a swift smack on his back, Kelly rolling his eyes as he glanced to Shay. "Calm down, Shay." He bit out, the blonde smacking him again Severide turned back to Walker's fill in. "Jenkins, these are our paramedics, Leslie Shay and Gabriela Dawson, who's our PIC."

"It's nice to meet you." She greeted, her smile widening.

"It's nice to meet you, too. Welcome to 51." Dawson responded, shaking her hand, Shay following suit.

"Oh, there they are." Kelly interrupted, truck's firefighters beginning to filter in to the firehouse, the men quickly seeing the new face in the room. "Guys, I'll let you do your own introductions, but this is Allison Jenkins."

The female firefighter got swept into the chatter of the older men, Gabby keeping her eyes peeled on the door, waiting for one firefighter in particular who had yet to appear.

"She's… perky." Shay commented lowly, Gabby glancing towards her partner before looking at Jenkins, seeing her laughing with the guys as they stood in the middle of the room.

"Shay, stop it. She seems nice."

"Yes, she seems very nice. I bet she's looking forward to being all nice with the _Lieutenant_." Shay spoke in a teasing tone, Gabby rolling her eyes. "Speaking of, there's your boy- Oh, look, both your boys."

"What?" Gabby asked, turning to see Casey walking in with Antonio in tow, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing.

"Ah, there's Casey." Herrmann spoke up. "And Antonio, hey there detective, long time no see!" The older firefighter greeted, bringing Antonio in for a quick hug.

"Hello Jenkins." Casey spoke, shaking the woman's hand. "It's nice to have you here, I think the guys will be impressed." Shay raised her eyebrows as Matt spoke, sending Gabby a look which Dawson ignored, the PIC standing up from her seat.

"I'm happy to be here." She replied with that same bright grin, Matt nodding before glancing towards Gabby, seeing her walking towards them, coming to a stop by his side.

"Tonio." Gabby spoke softly, clearly confused by his presence.

"Hey sis." He greeted, Gabby seeing Jenkins watching the three of them intently.

"What brought you by, Antonio?" Herrmann spoke up again, all eyes in the room focused on the small group.

"Well, uh, I needed to come by and speak to Gabby. I haven't seen her much lately, figured work would be my best bet." He commented jokingly, Herrmann tilting his head to the side.

"Aren't you two still living together?"

Antonio's eyes widened slightly, Gabby mimicking his reaction as she felt Matt tense by her side, the three of them not realizing the implications of what Antonio said until Herrmann questioned it.

"Oh, uh yeah…" He replied, clearing his throat. "I've just been working a lot, we keep missing each other most of the time." He covered, Herrmann nodding in response before his attention got pulled elsewhere as Mouch tried to stake his claim at the TV, everyone else refocusing on Antonio.

"How's work been treating you?" Cruz asked, Antonio smiling softly.

"It's been going well, can't complain." He responded, glancing around until he found Gabby's gaze once more, Antonio lowering his voice slightly. "Gabs, can we go and talk? In private." He questioned pointedly, Gabby's eyes narrowing in confusion before she nodded.

"Yeah, sure, uh-" She began looking around, racking her brain thinking of where they could go where they wouldn't get interrupted, but Casey spoke up before she could come up with a suggestion.

"You two can use my office." Matt offered without hesitation, Antonio nodding.

"Thanks Casey." The detective replied, clasping the man's shoulder before walking to the hallway, Gabby releasing a soft breath as her eyes met Matt's, seeing the concern shining in his gaze.

"Thanks Matt." She murmured, her voice only audible to Matt, and maybe Jenkins, Casey giving her a slow nod, wearing that soft smile that always comforted her.

"Yeah, of course." He replied, Gabby giving him a small smile in return before slipping past him, following Antonio down the hallway.

The siblings were quiet as they moved through the firehouse, Gabby unsure of what he wanted to talk to her about, Antonio giving nothing away as they got to Matt's office. Antonio held open the door for her, Gabby walking in and going straight for the bed, sitting down on his bunk as Antonio walked in, closing the door behind him. Her brother moved towards the desk, leaning against it as Gabby eyed him curiously.

"Yeah, considering I have a pretty good idea of what you and Casey have done on that bed, I'm not sitting there." He responded to her silent question, Gabby rolling her eyes at her brother's words, biting back a comment about how if that was his issue, the desk he was leaning against wasn't a safe place to sit either.

"What do you want to talk about, Antonio?" She prompted, not wanting their conversation to dwell on his last words.

"Why didn't you tell me what Walker did?" He breathed out, Gabby's eyes falling closed as she looked down to her lap. The second he showed up here, part of her knew this thing with Bryan was what brought him to the firehouse, but she'd been hoping she was wrong.

"How did you find out?"

"You really think that matters? Why didn't you tell me what that piece of shit did?" He questioned angrily, Gabby knowing his rage wasn't at all directed towards her.

"Because it doesn't matter, he was just being an ass, he didn't even really do anything." She countered, Antonio narrowing his eyes. "And Boden and Casey handled it, headquarters handled it, there's nothing you could've done."

"Yeah, because him not doing 'anything' would warrant a suspension." He scoffed, shaking his head. "You should've told me, Gabs."

"I'm alright, Tonio." She replied softly, Antonio's face softening momentarily.

"And I'm grateful for that, but I told that asshole to leave you alone, and he hasn't. He's only kept messing with you." He spoke sharply, Gabby seeing anger rolling off his body in waves. "If you told me, I could've-"

"What?" She cut him off, Antonio catching her gaze. "What exactly would you have done to him?"

"Killed him, for starters." He responded without hesitation, Gabby rubbing over the side of her face.

"Antonio…"

"What? That's him getting off easy. What he did was so fucking far out of line." He spoke roughly, shaking his head in disgust. "He can't just get away with it."

"He didn't. He got suspended, he didn't get away with anything-"

"Five shifts is bullshit, he should've gotten fired." He snapped, Gabby taking a deep breath. "How he got away with sexually harassing you while you were in the shower is beyond me, but he deserves a hell of a lot more than two weeks off of work."

"I don't have any control over that."

"You could get a restraining order."

Gabby's eyes widened at his suggestion, her brother's face remaining unreadable. "You can't be serious." She replied, Antonio giving her next to nothing. "So that's why you came here? To try and get me to file a restraining order against him?" She questioned exasperatedly, earning a shrug from Antonio.

"It's not a bad idea, and it would get him out of the house."

"Or it would get me transferred." She fired back, Antonio shaking his head.

"Boden would go to the mat for you, you know that-"

"Yeah, but some things are out of his control." Gabby bit back. "If I did that, I could easily be the one getting transferred instead of him, it's not worth it."

"Gabs-"

"I'm done with this conversation, Antonio." She replied, pushing herself up from Matt's bunk. "I'm not gonna get a restraining order, I'm not gonna do anything to make this worse, I just want to forget it!" She nearly shouted, stomping her way towards Casey's door.

"Why are you always protecting him?" Antonio questioning sharply, Gabby stopping in her tracks as she turned to face him, her eyes narrowing at her brother.

"I'm not protecting him, Antonio." She answered roughly, her body trembling in fury. "If I were protecting him, I would've left my side of things out of the report. If I were protecting him, I would've never agreed to Boden filing a damn report to begin with." She spoke, Antonio's face softening as he watched his baby sister. "Me not wanting to dwell on this doesn't mean I'm protecting him, because I'm not. I'm just so fucking tired of his bullshit, I don't want to prolong this… I don't want to make him more angry, it's not worth it, Tony."

Antonio's eyes fell closed momentarily as he listened to his sister, the man drawing in a deep breath before looking back up at her, taking in her exhausted stare. He knew he pushed her too hard, that he'd come in here angry at Walker, and this hadn't really done anything to help her. It wasn't his intention, but he was so beyond furious with the man that almost married his sister, he could barely see straight.

"I'm sorry, Gabs." He breathed out, pushing himself off the desk. "I'm sorry, I didn't come in here trying to fight, I just- I really don't like the idea of you being around this prick."

"I know. Honestly, I don't either, but it is what it is. And I'm really not expecting him to be a problem for me anymore, not if Casey and Boden have anything to say about it." Gabby responded, Antonio's head tilting to the side.

"What do you mean?"

"Whenever Walker gets back, he essentially is going to be treated like a child. Boden's gonna be watching him, Casey's gonna be watching him, even Severide. He knows if he does anything else, he's gone. I don't really think he'll push it again." Gabby responded, hoping her words sounded believable.

She still wasn't sure how she thought Bryan would respond to everything that had happened, but she wasn't about to tell that to her brother.

"Ahh." He responded, unable to stop the small grin that formed over his face. "I'm assuming that was Casey's idea." He spoke, Gabby shrugging.

"I don't know who's idea it was, but he's gonna be watched from the beginning till the end of shift, so I'm not really anticipating him to be a problem anymore."

"Good." Antonio responded, crossing his arms over his chest. "And I guess that answers my next question."

"What's that?"

"I was wondering how Casey felt about all this, but after talking with him today, and hearing all this, I have a pretty good idea." Antonio elaborated, Gabby nodding slowly, unsure of what to say.

"Yeah, well, he wasn't happy. He still isn't… We haven't talked about it much, only when I've brought it up, but I can tell all this has upset him."

"Good man." Antonio muttered, Gabby biting back a grin as she nodded, the two being interrupted by a knock on the door, both Dawson's turning to see Matt on the other side of the glass. "Speaking of." Antonio spoke, nodding the man in, Casey opening the door.

"Hey… just wanted to make sure you guys were okay."

"We're good, Casey. I was actually just about to head out." Antonio replied, clasping his hand on Matt's shoulder. "But I want to thank you, by the way, for being there for Gabby. And watching out for her." He spoke, Matt giving him a strong nod.

"I'm right here, Antonio." Gabby reminded him, the older Dawson rolling his eyes before bringing her in for a hug.

"Trust me, I know." He replied, Gabby smacking his back before they pulled away. "...But you swear you're okay?"

"I'm okay." She promised, feeling like it was the thousandth time she'd said those words today. She knew it came from a good place, that everyone was just worried, but it was still tiring.

"Good." He responded, pressing a kiss to her cheek before stepping away from the two, walking through the door. "I'll see you at home sis… or I won't." He responded with a chuckle, Gabby rolling her eyes as she walked towards the door, closing it to separate herself from her brother. She saw Antonio laughing through the window, the detective waving before walking towards the exit.

Blowing out a sigh, Gabby turned back towards Casey, seeing his soft gaze on her, the man wearing a small, comforting smile.

Taking a step closer, Gabby wrapped her arms around his waist, holding her head to his chest as she held onto him. She knew his blinds were open, that anyone could walk in the bunk room and see them, but she didn't care. Without a word, Matt reciprocated the action, his arms wrapping around her body, keeping her in place.

He didn't need to say anything, they both knew it. She didn't need him to say anything, all she needed was this.

And he'd stay right here as long as he could.

* * *

**So, there's some things to unpack here. Matt's suspicions about what Gabby went through with Walker are only growing, although he, along with the rest of us, don't know what all went down there. Walker's been suspended, at least for now, and we've got a new firefighter at 51 until Bryan gets back. That's all a perfect recipe for some fun, right?**

**I know a lot of you are eager for Gabby and Matt to sit down and talk things through, for, Gabby at least, to tell him how she feels. Which I totally get, if I were you all I'd want that too, I understand. I won't say much with what'll happen there, but remember, Gabby's still in a place where she doesn't even think he likes her, and she's afraid to get hurt. And Matt, well who knows what's going on in his head.**

**Thank you so much for reading, I hope you guys liked it!**


	28. Chapter Twenty Eight

**Hello hello everyone. Here's the next chapter for you guys, I hope you all enjoy it!**

**There is a small little M-rated section to this chapter, just so you know. Happy reading!**

* * *

**TWENTY EIGHT**

* * *

Herrmann watched on curiously as Antonio slipped out of the firehouse, offering nothing more than a quick goodbye before he was out the door. Glancing around, no one else seemed intrigued by the detective's behavior, let alone his appearance in the firehouse, wanting to speak to his sister alone. No one else seemed curious as to what was going on, or if they were, they weren't acting like it.

The older firefighter waited a few moments, wanting to see if Dawson, and now Casey, would appear any time soon. But when neither of them had, he turned his attention back to the room.

"So, are we just gonna ignore the elephant in the room?" Herrmann spoke loudly, everyone stopping their individual conversations to look at him. He was getting a few curious stares, but he knew everyone was aware of what he was referring to. When he got no answer, he looked right at Severide and Shay, the two sitting next to one another at the long table. "What did Walker do to Dawson?"

Herrmann saw Shay tense momentarily, while Kelly's face remained blank.

"Cut it out." Severide spoke firmly, glancing back down to his phone, the older man shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, but clearly he did something." Herrmann pressed, watching as Kelly sighed heavily. "Between the way Gabby's been acting, and her having all these talks with Boden, and now Casey.. Then Antonio showing up here today needing to talk to her... what did he do?" He asked again, seeing the paramedic and squad Lieutenant glance towards one another. "I'm guessing you know too, Shay."

"It's none of your business, Herrmann." The paramedic spoke up, Herrmann blowing out a sigh.

"But he did do something." He responded, reading between the lines of her sentence, Shay running her hand over her mouth. "Look, if he did something, I just wanna know Dawson's okay. She's been through enough because of him lately."

"...What are we talking about?" Jenkins asked cautiously, most of the people in the room glancing towards her. No one said anything at first, unsure of how much to reveal to this woman who wouldn't be around very long, but Herrmann eventually spoke up.

"Bryan Walker, the guy you're covering for, he was suspended and I wanna know why."

"He did something to the other paramedic? Dawson?" She questioned, trying to understand, Herrmann shrugging before looking back towards Shay.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out."

"It doesn't matter, Herrmann." Severide replied frustratedly, shaking his head. "You heard Boden, you all don't need to know what happened. It's been handled, it's taken care of, you don't need to know any more than that. Now drop it." He spoke roughly, Herrmann releasing a deep breath before giving in, knowing he was pushing Severide to his limit.

"Fine." He responded reluctantly, Severide giving him a sharp nod before looking away from the man, Herrmann going back to watching TV.

A thick silence had covered the room, everyone unsure of what to say, so they said nothing at all, the firehouse sitting their uncomfortably as they gradually went back to their previous conversations.

Taking a deep breath, Shay cleared her throat, turning towards the newest addition to the firehouse. "So, uh, Jenkins, do you want me to show you around?" The blonde paramedic offered, seeing a bright smile form over the woman's face, Allison nodding.

"I would love that, yeah."

Shay responded with a soft smile of her own, pushing herself up from her chair. As she walked around Kelly, she ran her hand along his shoulder, giving him a gentle pat before his soft voice stopped her.

"I'm not sure where Dawson is, but…"

"I'll make sure she's good." Shay answered his silent thought, Kelly giving her a slow nod, squeezing the hand she had on his shoulder before Shay led Jenkins out of the room, beginning to walk down the hall.

"So, you and Lieutenant Severide are cute." Jenkins spoke up first, the paramedic glancing towards her with an amused grin. "How long have you been together?"

Shaking her head, Shay lead her around the corner. "No, uh, Kelly and I aren't dating." She clarified. "He's my best friend, well aside from Dawson, and Casey on his good days, but no, him and I aren't together. I'm gay, so he doesn't really do it for me." Shay explained, Jenkins' cheeks turning read.

"Oh, I'm so sorry I just assumed." She replied softly.

"Nothing to apologize for, it happens a lot. Kelly's like my brother, I love him, and we live together, but yeah, we're not dating." Shay spoke as they walked into the bunk room, the paramedic slowing her steps when she saw Casey and Dawson in his office, Jenkins soon seeing the same thing she was.

"Uh… I don't want to make the same mistake again, but are the Lieutenant and Dawson together?" She asked with wide eyes, seeing the two in the midst of a tight embrace in his office, neither having noticed their presence from across the room.

"No, they're not." Shay responded quickly, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She saw the look of doubt that flashed in Jenkins' eyes, the paramedic continuing. "I know you heard Herrmann questioning Severide and I out there… Dawson, she's- she's been going through a lot lately, a lot of personal things." Shay spoke vaguely, seeing a soft frown from over Jenkins' face. "And her and Casey are just really good friends, kind of like Severide and I." Shay inwardly grimaced at the comparison, but she needed Jenkins to believe her.

"I'm sorry to hear that… About Dawson, I mean." She replied. "I don't mean to pry, but I'm guessing it's about that Walker guy everyone's been talking about?" She asked, see Shay wince slightly. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

"No, it's fine, it's just… It's a lot." Shay spoke, Jenkins nodding in understanding, not wanting to press any further. "We should probably…" Shay nodded towards the entrance that lead to the locker room, not wanting to intrude on Dawson and Casey's moment more than they already had, Jenkins nodding as they began to quickly move through the bunk room.

As they passed the office, Matt caught a glimpse of them through the glass, Shay flashing him a small smile. Casey nodded slowly when he saw the look of concern in the paramedic's eyes, silently reassuring her that he had Dawson taken care of, Shay giving him a nod before her and Jenkins disappeared around the corner.

"Obviously, that was the bunk room. And this is the locker room, we have a few empty lockers you can choose from to use while you're here." Shay spoke, Jenkins nodding in response as Shay pointed out a few of the empty ones, Allison picking the first one she saw.

"So.. it seems like a really close group here." Jenkins spoke as she put her things away, Shay giving her a nod. Allison had seen the exchange between Shay and Casey as they were leaving the bunk room, Jenkins able to feel the concern not only from Shay, but from Casey; concern for the paramedic he was holding onto. She wasn't even sure he noticed her presence when they walked past, the man only silently assuring Shay before focusing back on the woman he was comforting.

"Yeah, we are… We all look out for each other, it's a great group." Shay responded, Jenkins nodding as she shut her locker.

"Ready to see the rest of the house?" Shay asked, Allison nodding as they headed for the bathroom, Shay showing her the location of the showers before they went back towards the hallway.

"So, how long has Lieutenant Casey been here?" Jenkins asked, Shay shoving her hands in her pockets as they continued out towards the garage.

"Around four months." Shay answered, seeing a slightly surprised look covering Allison's face.

"Wow.. so I guess he's found a place here." She responded, Shay's eyes narrowing slightly, confused by her statement. "When I worked with him, he was more of a floater. Just a little surprised he settled down, I guess." She added, Shay nodding skeptically.

"Yeah, well, this is his home." The paramedic replied. "I know he had some trouble in the past about finding a place that would stick, but he's here for the long haul. This is his house, that's his truck… 51's his home."

"Good, I'm happy for him." Jenkins said, looking at the rig, Shay keeping her eyes on the new firefighter.

"I'm not really equipped to show you around the rig, we can get one of the guys to do that, or Casey when he's free." Shay spoke, Allison walking closer towards the rig.

"The Lieutenant seemed a little busy, I can ask… Herrmann? I think." She spoke unsurely, Shay nodding to tell her she'd gotten the name right. "I don't want to bother Casey when he has his hands full."

Shay's eyebrows furrowed slightly, the paramedic crossing her arms over her chest while Allison had her back to her. "So, uh… how well do you and Casey know each other?"

Jenkins shrugged as she turned back towards Shay, surprised to see the woman watching her so intently. "Um, not that well, really. We didn't work together very long." She replied vaguely, wearing the same smile she'd had since she arrived, Shay picking up the nervous tone to her voice. "He's a great Lieutenant, though. I'm excited to work with him again… even if it is just for a few shifts."

Shay gave a nod, opening her mouth to respond until she saw Jenkins straighten her spine, the girl automatically becoming tense and nervous, the paramedic unsure of what had caused her sudden change in behavior.

"Hey Shay."

She understood Allison's reaction the second she heard Matt's voice, the blonde paramedic turning to see Casey walking towards them.

"Jenkins, sorry I haven't been able to give you the proper tour, I was taking care of something, but I take it Shay showed you around?" Casey asked as he came to a stop beside the paramedic, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Yes, she did Lieutenant." She responded, Matt nodding as he squeezed Shay's shoulder, the blonde placing her hand on top of his, watching how Jenkins' eyes flickered towards their contact before she looked back to her boss. "But I haven't been shown around the rig yet."

"Ah, well I can definitely do that." He responded with a soft smile, dropping his hand from Shay's shoulder as he began walking towards her.

"Wait, Casey-" Shay's voice stopped him, Matt turning back around to face her. "Can we talk for a second?" She asked, the firefighter nodding before facing Jenkins, finding her watching them closely.

"Can you give us a minute? I'll be over in a second." Casey told her, Allison nodding before walking towards the other side of the rig, Shay waiting until she was out of sight until refocusing on her friend.

"Is Gabby alright?" She asked softly, Matt giving her a slow nod.

"She is, she's okay." He responded just as quietly, Shay releasing a soft sigh.

"Good, good. She seemed alright while you guys were gone, but then I wasn't sure what Antonio was here for…"

"I think he was just talking to her about Walker, but she's okay. She's still in my office right now, I told her to stay there as long as she needed, but as far as I can tell she's fine." Matt spoke, Shay nodding softly. "I'm gonna talk to her more about it, just not here, you know." He added, lowering his voice even more, Shay giving him an understanding look.

"Yeah, no that's a good choice." She responded, catching a glimpse of Jenkins peeking out from behind the rig, clearly watching them. "Uh, you're little shadow is waiting for you, so I'm gonna let you go." Shay spoke, Matt furrowing his eyebrows in confusion before following the paramedic's gaze, finding Jenkins watching them. When her stares had been caught, she immediately tried to make herself look busy, Matt blowing out a sigh before taking a step away from Shay.

"Yeah, I'm gonna go finish this, if you could check in on Gabby again when you get the chance?"

"Where do you think I'm going, Casey?" She asked, Matt scoffing lightly as he took a few more steps away, putting his hands up in defense.

"Right, of course, that was a dumb question." He replied, earning a chuckle from his friend. "Well, thank you Shay." He replied, the paramedic giving him a salute before heading towards the firehouse, leaving Casey to finish showing around the new firefighter.

Expertly moving through the hallways, Shay made her way to Casey's office in no time, seeing Gabby the second she walked into the bunk room. Her friend was sitting on Casey's bed, Shay noticing her staring straight ahead as she got closer, the PIC clenching her hands in her lap as she sat at the head of the bunk.

"Hey there." Shay spoke softly as she came into the doorway, Gabby glancing over to her, flashing her friend a soft smile.

"Hi Shay."

"Casey wanted me to come check in on you, see if you were still good." Shay told her, Gabby leaning into the wall.

"I'm fine, I promise... And he knows that." She replied lightly, Shay shrugging as she stepped further inside.

"Yes, well, lover boy is worried about you." Shay responded, Gabby rolling her eyes, unable to stop the slight smile tugging on her lips, knowing her friend's words held a lot of truth. "We all are."

"I know, but you don't need to be. Trust me, I'm alright… I don't know how many more times I can say it, but I'm fine." Dawson breathed out, Shay giving her a nod as she leaned her body against the wall, her fingers tapping the concrete.

"You can't blame everyone for being concerned." Shay countered, Gabby blowing out a sharp breath. "I mean, even though they don't know _what_ happened, they know something did. That Walker did something to you that got him suspended… They're gonna be worried."

"I know, and I don't blame them." She responded, pushing herself up from Matt's bunk. "Walker, I blame. But them? No… Though I guess me hiding out hasn't really helped convince everyone I'm fine."

Shay shrugged, Gabby coming to a stop in front of her friend as they stood in Casey's office. "If that's what you need, then do it. Don't worry about what everyone else is thinking, just do what you need to do… for yourself." She responded softly, rubbing Gabby's arm, a devilish smile forming over Shay's face after Gabby gave her a nod. "Although I'm not sure it's so much you getting some alone time as it is you getting some alone time with _Casey_." She teased, Gabby ducking her head slightly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Shay…" Dawson started, but the blonde held her hands up in defense.

"All I'm gonna say is I'm glad you two have each other." She continued, Gabby tilting her head to the side, Shay taking a deep breath before elaborating. "I know things with you two are… undefined." She prefaced, Dawson pursing her lips together, "but you guys are so good for each other... You care about each other, _he_ cares about you. No matter what's going on with you two, there's no denying how much you mean to him."

Gabby's bottom lip fell between her teeth, Shay giving her a soft smile.

"And you deserve that. You both do." She added, Gabby's eyes falling to the ground. "You've both been through hell lately, you've both been betrayed by people you thought you could trust… You two deserve something good. You deserve each other."

Gabby hesitantly looked back up towards her friend, seeing Shay watching her closely, Dawson drawing in a deep breath. "I feel like you've given me this speech before." She replied, Shay smirking widely.

"Well, I guess I'm just hoping one of these days it'll stick." Shay responded quickly, Gabby shaking her head as she began walking out the office, the blonde following close behind. "Speaking of your boyfriend, I wonder if he's still showing the puppy around."

"Puppy?"

"Jenkins." Shay clarified, Gabby shaking her head as they walked out of the bunkroom.

"Shay, I thought I told you to be nice." Dawson scolded, the blonde rolling her eyes. "Casey said she's good, and she seems sweet."

"I'm plenty nice." Shay defended as they moved down the hallway, Shay following Dawson's lead. "I just think it's funny."

"What's funny?" Gabby questioned as they walked out into the garage, seeing Casey and Jenkins standing by the rig, the woman laughing at something he was saying.

"How she has a huge crush on the _Lieutenant_." She responded softly, Gabby shaking her head in amusement as she lightly hit Shay's side. "You should go over there, mark your territory so she backs off a bit."

"I'm not gonna mark anything." Dawson replied with a chuckle, beginning the walk towards the ambulance, Shay moving in step with her.

"Why? You've done it before... Everyone's seen those marks on his neck from time to time, although not everyone knows you're the one who gave them to him." She teased, Gabby elbowing her ribs as they walked past Casey and Jenkins, Matt eyeing her curiously as an amused expression covered his face. Gabby responded with a bright smile of her own, Casey giving her a wink before turning back towards Jenkins, the two continuing their conversation as Dawson and Shay walked towards the ambulance. "What are we doing out here, anyway?" Shay questioned as Gabby moved towards the rig.

"Inventory." She replied without missing a beat, the blonde groaning as Gabby climbed into the back of the rig, Shay reluctantly following. "But, in all seriousness, whether she has a crush on him or not, it doesn't matter."

"It doesn't?" She asked, but it wasn't so much a question, Dawson seeing the unimpressed look covering her friend's face.

"It doesn't." Dawson responded with a shrug, Shay narrowing her eyes.

"So if they slept together, you wouldn't care." She questioned, Gabby cocking her head to the side.

"How is that in any way the same thing?" Dawson asked exasperatedly, the blonde paramedic shaking her head.

"No, not them sleeping together now. If he had slept with her back when they worked together." She clarified, Gabby raising her eyebrows. "All I know is she worked with him post-Hallie, which, as I've heard a little from you, was kind of his bar-slut phase…" Gabby chuckling at the terminology.

"Are you calling me a slut, Shay?"

"Yes." She responded without hesitation, Gabby rolling her eyes as the blonde continued. "But anyway, she got all weird when I was asking her about Casey. Like something had happened there. So I'll ask you again, does that bother you?"

"Why would it?" She asked, ignoring the heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach. "I didn't even know him, in fact I was engaged when it would've happened, why would I care?" She questioned rhetorically, Shay giving her a shrug.

Dawson meant what she said, she didn't care if Matt had slept with her in the past. That didn't bother her. But what left her feeling a bit unsettled was what that would mean now. If Shay was right, and this woman had feelings for him, Gabby didn't care so much about that. But if they had slept together, that changed things. It meant Matt had, at some point, felt something for her, too. Even if it was purely lust, it was still something, and she couldn't help but feel a little weird about it.

"If you say so." Shay spoke up, pulling Gabby from her thoughts as they began doing inventory. "Although I bet if you acted like it bothered you, you'd get some good between-the-sheets action out of it." She said with a raised eyebrow, Gabby shaking her head.

"Shay…"

"What? He'd definitely show you that you had no reason to worry if you played it up a little bit. Although, knowing you two, you don't need sheets to get all down and dirty."

"Oh my God." Gabby breathed out, rubbing her hand over the side of her face.

"What? Don't get all shy on me now, I remember finding the aftermath of you and Casey doing the deed in here, don't think I forgot about that."

"Forgot about what?"

The blonde turned around to see Casey standing outside the back of the ambulance, his hands shoved into his pockets as he watched them both with a raised eyebrow. Peeking her head out slightly, Shay looked around, trying to see if Matt was alone.

"Where's the puppy?"

"Puppy?" Casey's voice mimicked the same confusion Gabby had earlier when she had asked the same question.

"Jenkins." Gabby spoke, Matt raising his eyebrows as he looked back to Shay.

"She went inside, what were you guys talking about?"

"Oh nothing, just the time you banged Dawson so hard in here that it looked like a tornado came through." She replied with a smug grin, Casey's eyes widening at Shay's bluntness, still not quite used to it even after all these months.

"Jesus Christ." He muttered, Gabby biting back a laugh, knowing that no matter how crass her friend's words might've been, she wasn't wrong.

"You both are so easy to mess with, it's not even fun." Shay breathed out, climbing down from the rig.

"Where are you going? We have to finish this." Gabby called out, Shay shaking her head as she began to walk past Casey.

"I'm hungry, and the good, ole Lieutenant can help you until I get back." She replied with a wave, the paramedic soon disappearing from view.

"Yeah, she's not coming back." Gabby muttered, picking back up where she'd left off as Casey climbed into the back of the ambulance, sitting down next to her on the stretcher, Gabby raising her eyebrows as he sat closer than he needed to. "Hi." She spoke softly, Matt flashing her a wide smile.

"Hello." He replied, leaning his shoulder into hers.

"Can I help you?" She asked, Matt's eyes flickering to her lips before he quickly leaned forward, kissing her swiftly, pulling away nearly as soon as he got there.

His action brought a smile to her face, Casey glad to see her looking a little more relaxed than she had this morning as he placed his hand on her leg, rubbing gently over her thigh.

"Just taking advantage of the moment alone." He responded, Gabby grinning as she copied his previous actions, giving him a quick, firm kiss.

"I like the way you think." She murmured against his lips, kissing him again before pulling back, Matt brushing her hair behind her ear.

"So… I have a proposition for you." Matt spoke, stroking his thumb across her cheek before dropping his hand, Gabby tilting her head to the side.

"Oh yeah?" She questioned, Matt giving her a nod. "Anything I'd like?"

"I think so. I was thinking it'd be nice if you and I went out for breakfast tomorrow after shift." He suggested, seeing a soft smile cover her face. "I figured we could go to that diner over by your brother's place, the one with those huge pancakes. I know how much you like it."

"Yeah, I do." She responded softly, Matt flashing her a wide grin.

"Yeah." He spoke, Gabby placing her hand over his. "I thought it would be nice for us to go and have breakfast, if you want. Give us a change of scenery, since we're usually only eating at my place."

"I'd like that." Gabby murmured, feeling Matt's thumb move against her thigh.

"Good. Me too." He replied, the sound of the bells ringing throughout the house pulling them from their intimate conversation, both listening as truck and squad got called out, Matt pulling away from Gabby as he climbed down from the rig.

She expected him to go straight to the truck, but he didn't, Casey stopping to turn and face her, Gabby watching him smile softly.

"It's a date." He spoke, repeating the same words he used when they decided to go look at her apartment, Gabby's bottom lip falling in between her teeth, Matt's smile widening when he saw her reaction to his words.

"It's a date." She repeated, Casey nodding before disappearing around the ambulance, Gabby leaning forward, resting her head in her hands as she took a deep breath, unable to stop the butterflies filling her stomach from her conversation with the man she was falling more and more in love with everyday.

* * *

Casey held the door open for Dawson as they walked into the cozy diner, the atmosphere welcoming as Gabby walked up to the counter, Matt following behind her.

"Just two?" The older lady asked, Gabby nodding as the woman grabbed two menus, leading them towards a table about halfway back.

"Thank you." Gabby spoke, the woman flashing them both warm smiles, placing their menus down before walking away. Sliding down into the booth, Gabby and Matt sat opposite one another, Casey handing her a menu before grabbing the other for himself, the pair beginning to look through their options.

"So, I already know you're getting pancakes," Matt spoke up, Gabby glancing up from the menu to see Matt intently staring at his, "but what else are you wanting?"

"Oh, so I can get more than just pancakes?" She questioned lightly, Matt chuckling as he finally looked up at her, his smile widening when they locked eyes.

"You can get whatever you want." He told her, Gabby nodding before tearing her eyes away from his piercing gaze, gnawing on her bottom lip as she continued looking over her food choices, feeling Casey's eyes stay on her for a few more seconds before he looked away.

Within ten minutes, they got their food ordered and their drinks brought to them, Matt and Gabby both fixing their coffee to their liking as they sat in the homey diner, keeping conversation light.

"So, how do you think Jenkins first shift went?" Gabby questioned, taking a small sip of her coffee to test the taste, the woman satisfied with her drink as she took another.

"It went well. She's a bit eager, always was, but I think she fits in well with everyone." He replied, taking a long drink of his beverage, watching Gabby nod in response. "What about you, how do you think it went?" He questioned, Gabby raising her eyebrow.

"I didn't think the opinions of paramedics mattered when it came to truck personnel." She responded lightly, Matt shrugging with a soft smile.

"It matters to me." He replied, Gabby blinking quickly as she moved her finger against the outside of her coffee mug, Matt's smile growing when he saw a grin appear on her face.

"Well, in that case, I think she fits in really well. She's really sweet, and all the guys seemed to love her." Gabby responded, Matt giving her a nod. "And that chicken she made for dinner was fantastic." She added, Casey chuckling as he nodded once more.

"Yeah, it was pretty good. I'm happy that everyone liked her. When I found out it was her who was filling in, I knew she'd be a good asset." Gabby gave him a nod, biting her tongue as she tried to refrain from prying more into his past with the firefighter. She didn't care, she truly didn't care if they had slept together, but ever since Shay had brought it up, she couldn't get the thought of her head. And she wanted to know.

"Here you all go." Their waitress spoke, Gabby looking up to see the woman suddenly standing there with arms full of food. "I hope you all enjoy." She added once she placed all the plates down, Matt adjusting his in front of him.

"I'm sure we will, thank you." Matt responded, the waitress nodding before walking away, leaving them to enjoy their meal.

The conversation shifted after the food got there, the two more focused on enjoying their delicious meal than going back to their ended conversation about the newest addition to 51.

"...Can I have some of your pancakes?" Casey asked with a sheepish grin on his face just as Gabby had taken a bite, the woman narrowing her eyes while she chewed, earning a chuckle from the man across from her. He waited patiently while as she swallowed her food, her glare never lifting.

"You always do this." She groaned, beginning to get another bite of pancakes on her fork. "Why don't you ever just order these for yourself?"

"Because I just want a little bit… Please?" He asked, Gabby's glare softening slightly when she saw the playfully pleading look on his face.

"Quit pouting." She muttered, unable to stop the smile that grew on her lips as she held her fork full of pancakes out to him, Matt leaning over to accept the bite.

"Thank you." He responded, Gabby grimacing as he talked with his mouth full.

From that point on, as it so often did when they ate together, the two ended up splitting their meals, each taking bites of the other's food while they sat and talked. When it was all said and done, Gabby had what was left of Matt's omelet sitting in front of her, the woman having eaten more of that than her own food, while Casey had finished up her pancakes and nearly all of her hash browns and bacon. Both of them were completely stuffed by the time they finished eating, neither wanting to move from their seats.

"What's on the agenda now?" Gabby asked, watching on in amusement as Matt rubbed over his stomach.

"How about a nap?" He suggested, Gabby tilting her head to the side as she thought over his offer.

"A nap sounds perfect." She agreed, Matt nodding as he grabbed the check from the table, slowly standing up.

"My place?" He looked for confirmation, Gabby nodding as she stood up as well, Matt waiting until she was out of the booth before he began walking towards the exit. Gabby waited out of the way while Matt paid for their meal, Casey soon walking over to her as he slid his wallet back into his pocket, following her out of the diner.

When they got to the sidewalk, they walked side by side as they began the trek back towards his truck, Gabby biting down on her lip as she hesitantly reached for his hand, lacing her fingers through his. Matt glanced towards her with a grin, Gabby smiling but refusing to look his way as he laughed softly, giving her hand a squeeze.

"So, what should we do for dinner?" He asked, Gabby looking at him in disbelief as they waited to cross the street.

"You can't be serious, how are you even thinking of food right now?"

"I'm just trying to plan my evening." He responded with a shrug, Gabby shaking her head as they began crossing the street, Dawson reaching across her body to hold onto his arm with her free hand.

"Ask me in a few hours, because right now I don't think I'll ever be eating again." She groaned, Matt raising his eyebrows as they got to the other side walk.

"Nah, I don't think that'll be a problem." He teased, Gabby narrowing her eyes before she pinched his side, Matt shying away from her touch. "Ouch." He chuckled, Gabby pinching him again before returning her hand to his arm, both of them smiling wide.

"Casey?"

Matt and Gabby both stopped at the voice from behind them, coming from the man they'd just passed on the street, neither of them noticing him as they were focused on the other, but the second Casey heard that voice he froze, his body turning rigid in anger. Gabby instantly felt the tension radiating from Matt's body, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion as she glanced back, seeing an unfamiliar man standing a few feet from them, Matt having yet to turn around.

"It's been a while, man." The guy continued, Casey releasing a heavy breath before turning to face him, dropping Gabby's hand in the process, Dawson seeing Matt's face hardened in anger. "How have you been?"

"Fine." Casey replied shortly, Gabby instinctively grabbing Matt's hand once more, feeling his body relax slightly when he felt her presence by his side. Even though she was unsure of who this man was, it was clear Casey didn't want to have this conversation, and as far as Gabby could tell, the unnamed man wasn't surprised by Matt's hostility either.

Taking a cautious step forward, the man wrung his hands together, Casey involuntarily tensing up at the movement. "So I see you're still on the job." He spoke lightly, taking in Matt's shift uniform that he hadn't changed out of since they got off shift. "What house are you at now?"

"I'm at 51, downtown." He answered, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek. Even in the few words he'd spoken, Gabby wasn't sure if she had ever heard Matt sound so angry. His voice was dripping with venom, his face showing a rage she didn't even think he was capable of. She didn't know Casey was able to show such anger, but she wasn't scared of it, or of him; she just wanted to help him.

"Oh yeah, I've heard that's a great house. You been there long?"

"A few months."

Nodding slowly, the man glanced towards Dawson, flashing her a bright smile. When he turned his attention to her, she felt Matt's body tense up more, which she didn't realize was possible, Casey taking a slight step forward, almost like he was wanting to be in between her and this man.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name." He spoke up, Gabby's gaze flickering towards Casey before she looked back to this man, Dawson straightening her spine.

"Gabby Dawson." She replied, earning a nod from him.

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Blake Jacobs." Gabby's body went rigid when she heard the name, the paramedic soon understanding Matt's reaction to seeing this man, and now she felt like she needed to be the one to stand in between him and Matt. "I used to work with Casey."

"Yes, I know all about you." Gabby replied sharply, watching as his face faltered slightly, Jacobs putting some distance back between them.

"Look…" Jacobs started, glancing back towards Matt. "I'm really sorry, Casey. I wish things never went down the way they did, and I'm sorry for everything Hallie and I did… But I can't apologize for it happening, because I love her and I love our son." Matt's face remained neutral, Gabby not hiding her reaction nearly as well as her eyes narrowed. "But we should've never gone about it the way we did, we shouldn't have done that behind your back… You never deserved that. And I'm sorry for everything that happened afterwards, how it all played out-"

"Played out?" Casey asked in frustration, his eyes focused in anger. "It didn't just play out, you spread lies about me to the entire department. You made it impossible for me to keep a job, it almost ruined my entire life, all because you two couldn't face the choices you made." He spat, Gabby tightening her grip on his hand, doing what she could to keep him calm. But she realized he needed to do this, that he needed to get this off his chest. "You and Hallie are in love, fine. You didn't need to keep fucking my wife behind my back, you didn't need to lie to everyone about what actually happened. I don't care about your apologies, I don't care if you feel bad. That means nothing to me anymore." He spoke roughly, Jacobs standing there silently.

"Let's go, Matt." Gabby murmured after a few tense moments, squeezing his hand again as she stroked her thumb over the back of his hand, her soft voice gaining his attention, relaxing him instantly. Glancing towards her, Casey's face softened when he met her eyes, Matt nodding as he gave her a soft smile.

"Yeah." He responded, the smile leaving his lips the second he turned back to Jacobs, the man looking slightly unsure and a little nervous. Taking a deep breath, Matt gave Gabby's hand one last squeeze before speaking up. "Congratulations on your son." Matt replied, seeing the look of surprise flash over Jacobs face before he and Gabby turned to leave without another word, neither looking back as they continued down the sidewalk towards Matt's truck.

Gabby stayed silent through the rest of the walk, the pair slowing their steps as they got to his truck, Matt unlocking it before beginning to pull open her door. Gabby stopped his movements, placing a gentle hand over his wrist, causing Matt to look up at her. "Are you alright?" She asked quietly, surprised to see a little smile come to his lips.

"I'm good." He responded, Gabby's eyes tracing over his face skeptically. Seeing her look, a soft chuckle escaped his lips, Matt shaking his head as he leaned forward, pressing a firm kiss to her lips. "I promise." He murmured as he pulled back, Gabby giving him a reluctant nod.

"Okay… But it's okay if you're not." She responded, bringing her hand up to his cheek, gently stroking her thumb over his skin. "I know I've had a lot going on lately, but I don't want you pretending to be okay if you're not because of me. I'm here for you, if you need me."

"I know." He replied, placing his hand on her hip, pulling her closer to him. "But I promise, I'm okay. I don't love the fact that we ran into him, but it is what it is. I swear, I'm alright Gabby." He assured her, waiting for her to give him a nod in acceptance before he leaned forward, kissing her once more. This one was slow, and deliberate, Matt kissing her gently as they stood outside his truck.

"You taste like syrup." She whispered against his lips, Matt laughing before he kissed her again, feeling her smiling against him.

"Well, your pancakes were very good." He replied, Gabby shaking her head in amusement as he kissed her one last time, Matt reluctantly pulling away. "Alright, let's get you home before this goes any further." He told her, Gabby scoffing lightly as he pulled the door open for her.

"Let's go." She responded with a raised eyebrow, Matt recognizing that challenging look in her eye instantly, giving her a knowing look as he ushered her into the passenger seat.

"Yeah, we need to get out of here." He breathed out, Gabby laughing as he shut her door quickly, the man eager to get back to his apartment as soon as possible.

* * *

"Oh, God Matt." Gabby gasped as his hips thrust up into her, moving deeper inside of her as he held her down against him, his movements perfectly in sync as moans of pleasure escaped through her lips. With his hands digging into her waist, he kept her close to him while he continuously lifted his hips off the bed, Gabby's thighs straddling his body as she sat on top of him.

Her hands were resting against his bare chest, keeping her balanced as she rode him, the sheets bunched down at Matt's knees as they moved in the perfect rhythm they'd long ago found with one another.

With one particularly deep thrust, Gabby's head fell backwards, her legs beginning to shake as Matt continued moving in and out of her while he laid on the bed underneath her, doing what he could to keep his pace steady. He'd been doing this long enough to know her body's signs, and she was definitely close, Matt wanting to bring her all the way over the edge.

Gabby moaned as he gripped her hips tighter, no doubt leaving bruises behind as his movements picked up to an impossible pace, the sound of their skin slapping together the main noise in the room, sometimes accompanied by moans and groans from the both of them. Matt had his bottom lip tucked in between his teeth, releasing a low groan when he felt her body clench around him, her trembling legs making her body's grip that much tighter.

"Jesus, Gabby." He breathed out as he did his best to hold on, wanting to make sure she got all that she possibly could out of this, Gabby beginning to pant as he helped her bounce up and down. "That's it." He encouraged, one of his hands sliding up towards her chest, gripping ahold of her breast as he felt her start to come undone. Gabby's body trembled as sharp gasps escaped her lips, her legs clenching around his hips as her release hit her, Matt doing all he could to keep up his stride.

Her release was enough to set him off, Matt pumping deep into her as he finished, Gabby collapsing down to her elbows on his chest, her deep breaths hitting his skin as he gradually slowed down his thrusts.

When he was sure they were both done, he slowly pulled out of her, Gabby trying to catch her breath as Matt mimicked her actions, bringing his hand up to brush the hair from her face. He could feel her body still shaking slightly, her breaths shorter than usual as her heart rate slowly returned to normal.

"You good?" He asked, Gabby nodding with a lazy smile, pressing a kiss to his bare chest.

"I'm great." She responded, moving her arms down to the bed on either side of him, pressing her cheek into his chest. Matt began moving his hands lightly up and down over her bare back, feeling goosebumps rise to her skin because of his movements.

"We should probably take a shower…" Matt suggested, Gabby nodding against his chest, but she made no effort to get up.

"Yeah… in a minute." She murmured, Matt nodding in agreement as he continued moving his hands over her back.

After a few minutes of laying in his arms, Gabby reluctantly got up, Matt following her towards the bathroom, both knowing they needed to clean up after their late morning activities. But, to neither one's surprise, their shower soon turned into round two, Matt and Gabby spending nearly an hour together under the water, most of that time spent doing things other than showering.

But now that it was all said and done, Gabby was sitting up in the middle of Matt's bed, her legs crossed in front of her as she waited for him to come back, her body covered by a pair of his boxers and one of his old, faded CFD shirts, her damp hair leaving a few trails of water down the grey material.

"You sure you don't want anything?" Matt asked as he stepped in through the doorway, taking one of the pieces of apple he'd cut up for himself off his plate, Gabby shaking her head.

"No, I'm okay. I'm not feeling great right now." She responded, Matt frowning softly as he walked towards the bed, placing his plate down on the nightstand, leaning down into the mattress on one of his knees. He put the back of his hand up to her forehead, leaving it there for a few seconds before feeling her cheeks.

"You could've said something, the shower and everything could've waited." He spoke with a frown, Gabby shaking her head.

"It's alright, I had fun." She replied with a soft smile, but Casey was focused on feeling the temperature of her skin.

"You don't feel warm, are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm good. I think I just ate too much at breakfast." She explained, Matt giving her a nod before sitting down on the bed.

"Do you need some medicine or anything?" He asked, grabbing another apple as she shook her head. Matt's phone buzzed on the nightstand right as he finished speaking, Matt reaching over to grab it, checking the message he'd just received.

Gabby watched as he typed out a response, her curiosity getting the better of her as she saw him put his phone back down once he was done. "Who was that?" She asked, Matt glancing back towards her.

"Jenkins." He answered, Gabby giving him a nod. "She wanted to know if I'd run through some drills with her next shift." Matt elaborated.

"Ahh." She responded, Casey tilting his head to the side, his eyebrows raised in amusement, Gabby catching the look on his face. "...What?"

"Is there something wrong with me talking to Jenkins?" He asked with a smug grin, Gabby narrowing her eyes.

"No. She's your firefighter, you can talk to her all you want." She replied, Matt running his tongue over his bottom lip, seeing her glare at him slightly. "Why are you making that face?" She asked in annoyance, Matt chuckling softly.

"Why don't you just tell me what's bothering you." He responded, Gabby's arms crossing over her chest.

"Nothing's bothering me."

"Gabby…" He pressed, earning a sigh from the woman sitting across from him.

"It's not… bothering me, I'm more just curious, I guess." She gave in, Matt raising his eyebrows.

"Okay, what are you curious about?" Matt questioned, Gabby pursing her lips together, her eyes moving down towards the bed. "Come on, Gabby." He spoke, pushing his leg against hers, getting her to look at him. "I can practically hear your thoughts running laps up there, what is it?"

"Did you sleep with her?"

Matt was immediately taken aback by the sudden question, watching Gabby bite down on her bottom lip nervously, waiting for his answer. He wasn't sure what he was expecting her to say, but that wasn't it, Matt caught off guard as they sat there. When the shock eventually cleared, a soft smile pulled at his lips, seeing Gabby confused, and a little annoyed, by his reaction.

"What?"

"Not this jealousy thing again…" He responded, Gabby feeling heat rise to her cheeks as she ducked her head.

"I'm not jealous."

"Gabby-"

"I'm not, it's not that." She was quick to respond. "I'm just curious… I mean, I know you knew her after Hallie, and clearly she likes you, so I wasn't sure if anything happened there." She explained, Matt's face softening slightly, Gabby waving her hand in the air. "You know what, I shouldn't have asked. It's none of my business."

"I didn't sleep with her." He cut in, Gabby meeting his eyes after the words left his lips, Casey not missing the look of relief that flashed over her face. "I know she has a crush on me, she had from when I worked with her the first time, but I never slept with her." Matt clarified, Gabby nodding.

"Alright." She responded, tapping her hand against her leg.

"...Would it have bothered you if I had?" He asked, Gabby shaking her head.

"No. I mean, we didn't even know each other, it doesn't matter, I was just curious… She looks at you like she wants to jump your bones, I wasn't sure if you ever took her up on the offer." Gabby replied lightly, Matt chuckling as he shook his head.

"She's a sweet girl, but no, I never thought about sleeping with her. I'm not sure how professional that would be, me sleeping with my firefighters."

"Yeah, probably not the best thing you could do." Gabby replied, scrunching her nose up, Matt smiling at the adorable look on her face. "Shay, she was, uh, really enjoying the fact that Jenkins likes you, she thought it was hilarious… kept telling me how I needed to go and mark my territory." She told him, earning a laugh from Casey.

"I mean, feel free to do so if you want, I won't object." He teased, moving his leg against hers. "But, you don't need to worry about that… I'm happy with what I've got."

Gabby's body filled entirely with warmth at his words, a soft smile tugging at her lips as they locked eyes. "Is that so?"

"Yeah, it is." Matt replied without missing a beat. "Very happy."

The smile on her face grew, Gabby reaching out to place her hand over his leg as it rested against her body. "Me too." She agreed, Matt nodding with a similar smile.

"But, uh, since we're already kind of discussing this… I've actually been wanting to talk to you about that, about us." Gabby's breath caught in her throat as he spoke, her body tensing as she waited for him to say more, unsure of where this was leading, and if she would like it. "I wasn't sure when the right moment to talk about this would be, with everything going on with Walker, but I feel like you and I need to talk, or at least I do."

"Alright…" She replied softly, swallowing the lump forming in her throat. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, it is- or, well I hope it is." He clarified, his words doing nothing to calm her nerves. "I want to talk about us, you and me… this thing we're doing."

"...Okay."

"I just…" Gabby held her breath, wincing slightly as she waited for his next words, having no idea what to expect. "How are you feeling about all this?" He asked suddenly, Gabby's tongue running over her bottom lip.

"What do you mean?" She questioned, not wanting to reveal too much until she knew what he was actually talking about.

"Are you still okay with everything? With this thing we're doing?" Confusion filled her features, Gabby unsure of what had caused him to doubt that as she gave him a strong nod. "You're not, like, feeling used by me or anything, right?" He saw the surprise cover her face, Gabby's eyes wide as his words sunk in. "Because if you are, please tell me. That's not what I want, at all. I know we're not together, but I don't want you feeling like I only spend time with you for sex, because that's not it. I mean, I guess we do spend a lot of our time sleeping together, but that's not _why_ I like us hanging out." He rambled, Gabby doing what she could to keep up with him, even though she still felt a little dazed by this conversation. "I like being with you, spending time with you… I don't want you thinking otherwise, or feeling like I'm just using you." He breathed out, wincing slightly as he gave her a few seconds before speaking up again. He hadn't started this conversation nearly as eloquently as he planned, the words falling from his mouth before he could gather his thoughts coherently.

"I guess I just want to know how you're doing in all this, and where your head's at." He spoke up again, finding Gabby's gaze. "I mean, we haven't really talked about all of this since we started, and I just want to make sure we're still good. That _you're_ good." He finished, releasing a heavy breath as he waited for her to speak up.

"Of course we are." Gabby responded with zero hesitation, Matt's body visibly relaxing as the words left her lips. "I'm still good with all this, I know what we agreed on. I know you're not using me… Well, I guess, technically, we kind of are using each other, or that's how it started anyway, but I don't feel used, if that's what you're worried about." She added, Matt nodding as he listened to her words. "I know this isn't very conventional, what we're doing, but, I don't know, I can't really explain it… but I don't feel like you're using me just for sex. I've never felt like you were."

"Okay, good." Matt responded with a soft smile, Gabby giving him a weak one in return.

Dawson wasn't sure where this came from, why he was suddenly worried about how she felt about all this. As far as she was concerned, nothing had happened to make either of them doubt what they were doing, but clearly for Matt, something had. She hadn't been expecting him to be thinking about their situation much at all, let alone him being worried about what she was thinking.

When he first brought it up, her initial reaction was fear; fear that he didn't want to do this anymore, fear that he wanted to go back to being friends, _regular_ friends. And that split second of panic made her stomach sink, and it made her realize that Shay was right. A part of her always knew she had been, but this only forced her to face it; she needed to tell Matt how she felt, and he had given her the perfect opening.

That quick moment where she thought he wanted to end things, her stomach turned and she nearly threw up her breakfast. The thought of not having this, of not having Matt like this, even though it was just for a second, it filled her with an unexplainable heaviness that she never wanted to feel again. Because every day she was beginning to realize more and more just how much she needed this… how much she needed him. And she couldn't stand the thought of losing it.

He made her happy, and helped her through the times she wasn't. He made her feel safe and secure, like nothing would keep him from protecting her if he thought the situation warranted it. But he also knew when to back off, he knew when she needed space and when she could handle things on her own. He just knew her. He understood her, more so than anyone else ever has, and she needed that.

She _wanted_ that. She wanted him.

And he needed to know.

She couldn't keep tiptoeing around her feelings, even if he didn't feel the same way, she at least needed to put it out there. It was driving her crazy, hiding this from him. And she didn't want to do it anymore.

All she could do was hope he felt the same way, and that she wouldn't end up losing him because of this.

Because, deep down, she knew if she kept lying to him about how she felt, she didn't really have him anyway.

She'd heard what he said time and time again, about how this was just for fun, and how he didn't want a relationship. And she hadn't either, at first. But all that had changed for her, and it was because of him. She wanted a relationship and she wanted it with Matt... And she was hoping there was a chance things had changed for him, too.

"Gabby?"

Matt's soft voice broke her from her thoughts, her eyes snapping into focus as she found his worried gaze on her.

"You okay?"

Nodding slowly, she gave him a gentle smile, seeing some of his concern fall away. "Yeah, yeah, I'm good." She responded softly, fiddling her fingers together in her lap. "But," Her word prompted his ears to perk up, Matt watching her closely, "there is something I want to talk to you about."

She saw his hesitation and his slight worry as he nodded, leaning his body forward slightly. "Okay, what is it?"

Gabby took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to voice exactly what was going on in her head. She wanted to make sure she did this right, that she let him know what she was feeling, but she knew she could sit here and make herself put this off for a long time if she tried. She just needed to say it. She'd deal with the consequences once it was out in the open, but right now she only needed to get the words out.

"I… I've been thinking a lot lately, about you and me." She started slowly, trying to swallow the lump that seemed to keep forming in her throat, Matt keeping his eyes on her. "And, uh, I-" She cut herself off when she felt her stomach turn, a grimace covering her face when she felt an intense pressure rising in her throat.

"Gabby?" Casey asked, seeing the immediate shift in her demeanor, Gabby shaking her head as she gagged.

Before he could react, she covered her mouth with her hand, practically lunging over his legs to get off the bed, Gabby running towards the bathroom. Matt followed after her quickly, getting there just in time to see her empty the contents of her stomach in the toilet, Gabby barely making it there as her knees hit the ground.

Hurrying to her, Matt grabbed her hair, doing what he could to keep it out of the way while she threw up, Casey rubbing up and down over her back soothingly, feeling her body shaking underneath his touch.

"It's okay." He murmured, grimacing as another wave of nausea hit her, Matt not even sure how she still had anything left in her stomach.

But soon, the storm passed, Gabby breathing heavily before she slowly sat up, Matt dropping her hair and reaching for a piece of toilet paper, Gabby taking it from him.

"Thank you." She spoke, her voice raspy as she wiped her mouth off, tossing the small piece of paper into the toilet before flushing it, Matt taking a step back as she rested her weight on her heels.

"You okay?" He asked softly, his hand cradling to back of her head as she looked up at him, giving him a slight nod before slowly pushing herself up off the ground, Matt reaching out to help her.

"I'm fine." She responded, Matt resting his hand on her waist, using his other to brush her hair behind her ear, his eyes tracing over her face. "Guess eating so much at breakfast came back to bite me in the ass." She added, Matt giving her a weak smile as he placed the back of his hand against her forehead again, wanting to see if anything had changed since the last time he checked for a fever. "I'm okay, Matt." She spoke again when he had yet to say anything, seeing the worry shining in his eyes.

Nodding slowly, he ran his palm across her side, moving his other down to her cheek. "Good… How about you brush your teeth and I'll go and get you some ginger ale, I'm pretty sure I have some. Then we can take that nap we were talking about, yeah? Maybe that'll make you feel better." He suggested, earning a slow nod from her. "Good, alright I'll be right back." He said, placing a soft kiss to the side of her head before pulling away. She missed his warmth the second he was gone, Gabby staying in her spot until he was out of sight before she slowly walked towards the sink, drawing in a shallow breath as some lingering nausea hit her, knowing their conversation about her feelings for him would have to wait.

* * *

**And there we have it, definitely a lot going on in this one. Gabby got so close to telling Matt how she was feeling, but obviously that didn't go as planned, and, knowing Gabby, who knows if she'll still have the courage to tell him or if she'll put it off again. We'll just have to wait and see, I guess.**

**I'm so excited to hear your alls thoughts on this chapter, I love reading all your reviews, they help me so much and keep me motivated to continue this story, so really, thank you to everyone who keeps on supporting me and this story. It means so much to me.**

**Until next time.**


	29. Chapter Twenty Nine

**Hello hello hello, here's the next chapter for you all.**

**But before we start, for those of you who read my other story, I do want to let you know I won't be getting the next chapter of I Won't Let You Go up today. It's been a hectic week, and I just didn't have enough time to devote the attention to it that I wanted, so just plan on the next update for that being on Monday, as usual. I am sorry about the delay, I hate to miss a day, but I just didn't have the time this week to complete it. I hope you understand.**

**But I hope you guys enjoy this one. There is an M-rated scene in this chapter, so be on the lookout for that. Happy reading!**

* * *

**TWENTY NINE**

* * *

"Dawson, get your pretty ass down here!" Shay called from the other end of the bar, Gabby raising her eyebrows as she caught the blonde's gaze. "I need some help."

Blowing out a sigh, Gabby tossed the white rag over her shoulder, glancing towards Casey and Severide as they sat at the bar, nursing their beers. "I'll be right back, boys." She told them, winking at Matt as a giggle escaped her lips, the paramedic sauntering down towards Shay. Casey knew she was putting a little more sway in her step because he was watching, but he wasn't complaining as his eyes stayed locked on her retreating figure, Matt blowing out a heavy breath before taking another sip of his beer.

"Is she drunk?" Severide asked in amusement, Matt glancing towards his friend, chuckling softly.

"As far as I know, she's completely sober." Casey replied with a shrug, Kelly shaking his head before taking another drink.

"Well, she's in a very good mood for being sober." Severide laughed, Matt looking further down the bar, seeing Gabby laugh at something Shay was telling her as they served the large group of customers, her demeanor bringing a smile to his face.

"Yeah, she is."

"How has she been doing, by the way?" Kelly asked, regaining Matt's focus. "Since this Walker stuff… she's seemed to be alright, from what I can tell."

"She is, she's doing good. Really good, actually." Casey responded, seeing a hesitantly pleased look cover Severide's face. "I don't know, I think Walker being out of the house has been good for her." Matt continued, looking back towards Gabby, a soft smile growing across his lips when he saw her maneuvering around behind the bar without a care in the world. "She's been a lot less tense this past week, a lot more carefree without him around."

"Yeah and I'm sure you've benefited from that." Severide joked, Matt rolling his eyes as he let out a slight scoff.

"No comment." He responded, taking a long sip of his beer. "But anyway, it's been nice seeing her like this… I'm not sure I've ever seen her so relaxed at work. And, aside from a few days in there when she was sick, she's been feeling great." He breathed out, his eyes locked on her form. "I just hope that doesn't all go away when Walker comes back."

Severide drew in a deep breath, following Casey's gaze as he looked at Dawson, his eyes moving back and forth between the two paramedics as they worked the bar, unable to keep his gaze from going back to Gabby. He knew Matt was right, he'd noticed it since Walker had been out of the house; Dawson had been acting like her old self. It wasn't sudden, but gradually she'd been reminding him of the Dawson he used to know, the Dawson he hadn't seen in a long time.

"Yeah, me too." Kelly responded, looking back towards Casey. "But you know everyone will be looking out for her… Even though they never found out what happened, they still know Walker did something, no one will let him near her." He added, Matt nodding as his head tilted to the side, knowing there was a lot of truth to Severide's words.

He was right, no one ever found out what Walker did, they had stopped asking after the first day of Bryan's suspension, but Casey had noticed the change in demeanor from some of the firefighters where Gabby was concerned, especially Herrmann. The man took every opportunity to check in with Dawson, and there were many times where Matt would find him watching her, just to make sure she was doing okay. If Gabby noticed the change in the man's actions, she never voiced it, but Casey knew everyone in the house was worried about her, especially Herrmann.

"And then with me, and you, and Shay all keeping an eye on him, and Dawson, I think she'll be fine." Severide added. "Walker may be a prick, but he's not stupid. He knows how close he came to losing his job, he won't mess with her again."

"I hope you're right." Casey breathed out, taking another sip of his beer.

From across the bar, Gabby stood next to Shay as they served the seemingly never ending customers coming up to them, Dawson filling up another glass of beer before handing it to the man waiting for it.

"Thanks beautiful." He spoke deeply, shoving a few bills into the tip jar, Gabby raising her eyebrows as he gave her a wink before walking away.

"God, that's like the tenth time you've gotten hit on tonight." Shay groaned, earning a chuckle from Dawson, the latter shaking her head.

"I can hit on you, if it would make you feel better."

"No, because I know you don't follow through." Shay responded quickly, smacking her towel against Gabby's ass, Dawson sending her a glare.

"Hey, no touching."

"Yes, yes I know. As it's been established, that's Casey's, not mine." She spoke, putting her hands up in defense, Gabby snatching the towel from her hands, tossing it down onto the bar.

"Yes, it is." Gabby responded, keeping her voice low as Shay's mouth parted open slightly, a scoff escaping her lips, her stunned reaction earning a laugh from Dawson as she slid past the blonde.

"Man, what has gotten into you lately?" Shay asked as she turned around, Gabby slowing her steps as she looked back to her friend. "I mean, besides Casey." She smirked, heat immediately filling Dawson's cheeks.

"Shay." Gabby spoke, but Shay shook her head.

"I'm not wrong." She added, Gabby rolling her eyes. "I mean it's nice, don't get me wrong, I love seeing you like this, but I guess I just wasn't really expecting you to be so happy after everything that happened."

"Well, I am." Gabby responded with a shrug. "Things with me are good, things with Matt and I are good, things at work are good. I'm just good."

"Uh huh." Shay replied, narrowing her eyes in amusement. "His dick must really be something, huh?" Her words earned an eye roll from Dawson, Gabby crossing her arms over her chest.

"Why is it always about sex with you?" She asked lightly, the blonde shrugging as she took a step closer to her friend.

"Because most things are… but fine, leave me hanging. Although I know Casey must have stepped up his game, you've been all lit up like a Christmas tree for the past few days." She responded with a chuckle, Gabby cocking her head to the side.

"Believe me, Casey doesn't need to step up his game." Gabby replied quickly, Shay smirking widely. "But really, it's not any one thing, I'm just feeling good, Shay… There's nothing more to it." She finished with a shrug, the blonde nodding as her eyes flickered past Gabby, a soft chuckle escaping her lips at whatever she was seeing.

"What?" Dawson asked, following her gaze.

"Poor Casey's not having nearly as good a time as you are." Shay responded in amusement, the paramedics seeing Jenkins standing over by the two Lieutenants, the woman practically hanging all over Casey. "Man, she's desperate." Shay spoke, Gabby glancing back towards her friend.

"She's harmless, Shay."

"She's also practically straddling him, jeez just get a room or something." She breathed out, seeing Gabby's eyebrows raise as Shay waved her off. "Oh please, I'm joking. But really, Matt looks so uncomfortable."

Gabby looked back over to Matt, seeing just how true Shay's words were, Casey clearly trying to be polite as Jenkins spoke with them. She bit back a chuckle as she watched him try and slide away from Jenkins' touch, Matt standing up from his seat and walking towards the back, Casey finding her gaze as he got closer to her and Shay.

"Looks like you have a fan, Case." Shay spoke when he got closer, the firefighter blowing out a heavy breath as he narrowed his eyes.

"Yes, we all know you've always had a thing for me, Shay." He shot back, the paramedic picking up her towel and throwing it at him over the bar, Casey laughing as he tossed it back, shooting Gabby a wink before he continued to the back towards the bathrooms.

"See? Even Casey's hitting on you. God, that makes eleven." Shay breathed out in fake annoyance, Gabby shooting her an unimpressed look. "Although Casey doesn't have to do much, you'll be going home with him regardless." She added, Gabby rolling her eyes before paying attention to another customer that had come up to them, Dawson beginning to make his drink while Shay's attention was elsewhere.

"She's really just waiting for him to come back." Shay commented, Gabby focused on the task at hand.

"What?"

"Jenkins. She's waiting for Casey." The blonde clarified, Gabby glancing over towards Matt's previous spot, seeing Allison sitting next to Severide, the two chatting while Casey was gone. Breathing slowly, Gabby flashed the patron a smile as she handed him the drink, turning back towards Shay once he was gone. "God, she really does follow him around like a puppy. It would kind of be endearing if it wasn't so sad." Shay spoke softly, crossing her arms over her chest.

Glancing back towards Jenkins, Gabby couldn't help but think over her past week at 51. She was a sweet girl, there was no doubt about it, but she had been fawning over Casey the entire time. It wasn't anything too obvious, at least until tonight, but she was attached to his hip during shift all the time except for when he was in his office. And Gabby knew Matt was getting a little frustrated. It hadn't interfered with the job, she was always professional on calls, and most of the time she was at the firehouse as well, but she definitely had a thing for her Lieutenant, and Gabby had seen how uncomfortable it made him.

But, Matt being Matt, hadn't said a word, Casey usually just trying to direct her attention elsewhere. It didn't impact the job, so he left it alone, not wanting to embarrass the girl or hurt her feelings.

"I don't know, I'm not sure if she realizes how obvious she's being. But really, she's harmless, Shay. And seeing Matt get all antsy is kind of cute." Gabby spoke, turning back to look at her friend, seeing Shay watching her with raised eyebrows.

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with Gabriela Dawson?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"What do you mean?"

"The old Gabby would've gone over there and set her straight the first time she did anything, and now you're just suddenly all zen about it…" She elaborated, Gabby shrugging softly.

"What's there to be upset about? I know Casey doesn't like her, and like you said, I'm the one going home with Matt, so what do I care?"

Shay narrowed her eyes, bringing her hand up to feel Gabby's forehead, Dawson rolling her eyes.

"Shay…"

"Just checking to make sure you're not still sick." She mused, Dawson swatting her hand away. "You're acting very un-Gabby like, it's weird."

"What are you wanting me to do? Casey doesn't like her, I have no reason to feel threatened by a crush." She reasoned, Shay cocking her head to the side. "And it'd be a little hypocritical of me to fault her for liking him, don't you think?"

"And yet I remember multiple times where if a woman would even look at Walker, you'd be all over him in a second, letting everyone know he was taken. Although it never stopped him, but still." Shay countered, Gabby sighing deeply as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You never had that approach then, so I just figured it would be the same now."

Gabby took a step away from the bar, Shay following her movement as they stood against the back counter, Dawson looking around to make sure no one from 51 was in earshot before continuing. "Do you think I liked being like that? Being so… insecure all the time? Because that's what that was." Gabby explained, Shay's face softening. "I never felt like I had him, even after we got engaged. Doing that was me trying to remind him of our relationship as much as it was me wanting other women to back off. Trust me, I don't miss that… feeling like I had to fight for my fiancé just to pay attention to me." She breathed out, not missing the look of sadness that flashed in Shay's eyes. "I hated the way I was when I was with him, and I'm not gonna be that person again... Matt doesn't give me any reason to feel like I need to be that person." She added, Shay wearing a sympathetic smile as her hand came out to run comfortingly over Gabby's arm. "With him… I don't know, I know I can trust him. When he tells me something, I know I can believe him, because even in times when he could've, he's never lied to me. I have no reason to doubt what he says." Gabby finished, Shay gnawing on her bottom lip as she thought over her friend's words.

"Speaking of Matt… did you ever bring it up again?" Shay asked softly, Gabby raising her eyebrows in question. "Telling him how you feel?"

Releasing a soft breath, Gabby shook her head, her eyes falling to the ground. After Gabby nearly confessing her feelings to Casey last week, it took no longer than five minutes into their next shift before she blurted everything out to Shay, walking her friend through what had happened. She hadn't even planned on telling her, but it was driving her crazy and she needed Shay to be her sounding board, to help her work through everything before she went back to try and talk to Matt.

But the second part never happened. Dawson never brought the subject up again, even though her and Matt had spent more days together than apart over the last week. She talked herself out of it every time, too afraid to mess up the comfortable relationship she and Casey had built.

"I don't know how to bring it up… I know that I need to, but it was a hell of a lot easier when he was the one who started the conversation." She breathed out, running her tongue along the inside of her cheek. "Me having to be the one to bring it up, I don't know, it's just a lot harder. I keep chickening out. I don't want to mess things up."

"You won't, honey."

"You don't know that." Gabby replied quickly. "Like I said, Matt's always been honest with me. Which means if he doesn't feel the same way, he'll tell me, and this will be over…"

"You don't know that-"

"Matt won't keep doing this if he knows how I'm feeling, we both know that. If it's just sex for him, but he knows that I like him, he'd never continue this."

"I meant you don't know how he feels." She clarified, Gabby taking a deep breath. "Which, as I've told you a hundred times, from an outsider's perspective, that boy is in love with you…" She spoke, Gabby giving little reaction to her words. "I'm not gonna give you my whole spiel, you don't listen to it anyway and I have nothing new to say… Except I think you should tell him soon. You'll always find excuses to put it off, you just need to rip off the bandaid, and deal with whatever happens. You need to talk to him."

"I will." Gabby responded, Shay eyeing her closely.

"Like tonight, soon." Shay pressed, Gabby narrowing her eyes.

"I'm closing tonight, Shay."

"You can do it once you get back to his place." She countered, Gabby rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, because having an in-depth conversation about our relationship at 2AM when we have shift the next morning just has all the makings for that to turn out well." She responded sarcastically, Shay chuckling lightly.

"Alright, fair point… But you'll do it soon?"

"I want to, yeah." Gabby told her, Shay shaking her head.

"That's not an answer." She responded almost immediately, Gabby's gaze flickering away from Shay, seeing Casey walking back towards them.

"Well, it's all the answer you're getting right now." She spoke quickly before stepping back to the bar just as Matt came to stand across from her. "Hey there." She told him, Matt's smile widening.

"Hello."

"You two are gross." Shay commented from behind Dawson, Gabby lifting her foot to give her a slight kick. "Ouch."

Casey chuckled softly, shaking his in amusement as his eyes flickered back and forth between the two paramedics before settling on Dawson once more.

"Can I get you another drink or anything?" She offered, Casey shaking his head.

"No, I'm good. Still got mine over there."

"Then what are you still doing here, besides checking out Dawson?" Shay asked with a grin, taking a step forward, wrapping her arm across Gabby's shoulders.

"Just wanted to say hi." He responded, Gabby's teeth running over her bottom lip as her eyes locked with Matt's, the two unable to look away from each other.

"You know, if you keep eye-fucking each other, I think people are gonna start to realize you two are more than just coworkers… So either pony up or get out of the way, Casey. We've got paying customers in here." Shay spoke, leaning forward to pat his cheek, effectively breaking his eye contact with Gabby.

"I'm a paying customer, Shay." He countered, the blonde glancing towards Gabby.

"Yeah, not so much lately. Don't think I didn't notice, Dawson." Shay spoke as she heard Herrmann calling her name, the older man signaling for her help, Shay tapping Gabby's ass before walking away. "Don't distract her, Casey." Shay warned, Matt flipping her off as she walked away.

"You two are children." Dawson spoke with a laugh, Matt grinning as he glanced back towards her, leaning his weight into the bar.

"Maybe…"

"Hey Dawson."

Both Gabby and Matt turned towards the deep voice, surprised to see Boden walking up towards the bar. Although he visited some, he wasn't a frequent patron at this establishment, so whenever he came out it was always a surprise.

"Hey Chief." She greeted, Boden giving her a nod as he clasped Casey's shoulder.

"Weren't expecting you here tonight." Casey added, Gabby grabbing a beer glass.

"You want a drink?" She offered, Boden holding up his hand, shaking his head.

"No, no I'm okay. I'm not staying long." He responded, Gabby nodding in understanding as she put the glass bar down. "I actually came here because I need to speak with you Dawson, if you have a minute."

Gabby's eyes flashed to Matt, seeing the same confusion in his gaze that she knew hers held before she looked back to the Chief, giving him a slow nod. "Yeah, of course."

Casey pushed himself away from the bar, flashing Gabby a supportive smile before beginning to walk away, not wanting to intrude on the conversation, but Boden's voice stopped him before he got more than a few steps away.

"Actually Casey, you stay. You're gonna need to hear this, too." He added, both Gabby and Matt's confusion only growing as the Lieutenant stepped back beside the bar, facing his Chief.

"What's going on?"

"I got the word from headquarters about an hour ago... the rest of Walker's suspension has been lifted."

Gabby's face fell the second the words left Boden's lips, Matt's gaze immediately moving towards her as he saw the blank look covering her features. Her finger tapped nervously against the bar top, Gabby blinking quickly as she pursed her lips together.

"He won his appeal." She stated, Boden sighing deeply as he nodded.

"He did, he won't have to serve out the last two shifts of his suspension."

"Which means he'll be back with us tomorrow." Matt clarified, Boden giving them another reluctant nod.

"He will." He verbally confirmed, Matt drawing in a deep breath as he looked back to Gabby, seeing she still hadn't reacted much, and he couldn't tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing. "I wanted to let you know tonight, I didn't want you coming in tomorrow and being blindsided by him being there, but Walker is back at 51."

"Okay." She responded softly, giving him a tight lipped smile.

"I know this isn't what any of us were expecting, I didn't think they'd actually decide to have him come back early. But I meant what I said to you, Dawson. He will be on a very short leash… He does anything to you again, he's gone. No matter what I have to do."

"I appreciate that, Chief." She murmured, giving him a nod as she avoided Matt's gaze. "Thank you for coming to tell me."

"Of course. I'm sorry headquarters saw it fit to shorten his suspension, I wish there was something I could've done."

"It is what it is." She responded with a gentle shrug, her tongue poking out between her lips. "It's fine, Chief. Really. I just appreciate the heads up." She repeated, Boden giving her another nod before he began stepping back.

"It was no problem, Dawson. I'm sorry I didn't have better news, but I'll let you get back to work… Casey." He spoke, giving his Lieutenant a nod goodbye before walking away, Matt watching as he headed straight for Jenkins, no doubt going to share the news that her services would no longer be needed at 51.

Clenching his jaw tightly, Casey glanced back to Gabby, watching as she busied herself with some of the glasses around her, Dawson having already turned her back to him while she worked.

"Gabby…"

"I'm fine, Casey." She responded before he could get another word out, Matt giving her a pointed stare even though she couldn't see it. Her voice was surprisingly steady, Matt not expecting her to be so calm after finding out Walker would be returning sooner than planned, but from what he could tell, she did seem to be alright.

But he also knew who he was dealing with, and Gabby made a habit of putting up a front around people. Matt had just gotten very good at seeing right through it.

"Gabby." He spoke again, keeping his voice gentle, seeing her shoulders rise and fall as she took a deep breath, Dawson turning around to face him, her eyes finding his instantly.

"Matt, I promise I'm fine." She tried again, watching as his eyes ran over her features, clearly looking for any signs of deception. But he found none. "Really, it's alright. We knew he'd be coming back eventually, and this was always a possibility. I swear, I'm okay." She assured him, taking a step towards the bar, leaning forward slightly. "You and Boden have both said you're gonna be keeping an eye on him, and I trust that you're gonna do that-"

"Of course I am." He responded without missing a beat, Gabby smiling softly.

"Exactly. So I have nothing to worry about. I'm good, Matt." She told him one last time, Casey releasing a deep breath before reluctantly nodding.

"Alright… But I'll be right down there if you need anything." He spoke, nodding off towards his seat.

"I know, thank you."

"Always." He responded, taking her in one last time before he walked away, Gabby going back to work.

The night wore on quickly, Casey and Severide having moved around the bar a few times while Shay, Herrmann, and Gabby all served the multiple patrons who'd come for some drinks tonight. The bar had been pretty busy all night, but the crowd was slowly thinning out as the evening continued.

Casey and Severide had made their way back to the bar, Shay and Dawson standing across from them as they all chatted during the lull, the four friends focused on each other as they enjoyed their evening. Things had gotten a little tense when Shay found out about Walker's suspension being lifted, but Dawson and Severide had managed to change the subject enough times to get her to let it go, and they ended up being able to talk about more enjoyable topics. But their conversation soon halted with a fifth person came up to them, the woman clearly a little tipsy.

After she'd been told she would no longer be needed at 51, Jenkins had consumed quite a bit of alcohol, taking to drowning her sorrows in booze. And she was clearly feeling the effects of it now. She wasn't plastered, Gabby could tell she still had at least some of her sense, but she was definitely under the influence.

"Well… I'm guessing you all heard the news." She spoke loudly, Matt and Severide both wincing when the high decibel of her voice hit their ears, Shay biting back a chuckle as Gabby watched the woman with wide eyes. "I'm done at 51, which is a shame because I was really looking forward to finishing my shifts out there." She breathed out, Matt clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

"Yeah, we all really liked having you around." Severide responded, Jenkins sliding her hand across Matt's shoulder, Casey's eyebrows raising, his eyes quickly moving towards Gabby, finding a nearly amused look on her face.

"I know, me too." She replied defeatedly, her hand sliding behind his neck, Matt's body tensing.

"Uh, Jenkins-"

"No, no it's okay. I've just always wanted to…" She trailed off, Matt unsure of what was happening until suddenly her lips were on his.

His eyes widened in shock, Casey pushing her away as gently yet quickly as he could, Shay, Severide, and Dawson all stunned to silence. Matt looked towards Allison, seeing realization settle over her features as she slowly understood what she'd just done, her face turning red while her eyes widened more so than Matt's.

"Oh my God." She murmured, taking a step away from him, Shay's mouth parted in shock as Severide's mind cleared from the unexpected action, Kelly trying to hold back his laughter. "Oh my God, I'm- I'm so sorry." She rambled out before practically running from the bar, Casey still stunned.

Matt's eyes immediately turned to Gabby, finding her watching him with an unreadable expression, Casey tuning out Severide's snickers at his side, Shay finally regaining herself as she closed her mouth.

"And you said she was harmless?" Shay asked Dawson, the latter having not yet reacted.

"Hey Dawson!" Herrmann called, Gabby's eyes snapping into focus as she turned towards the voice, seeing him waving her towards him. Without a word, Gabby set her rag down on the bar, walking towards Herrmann, leaving the group of three to process the events of the last few minutes.

"What the hell just happened?" Casey asked, shaking his head as he wiped the back of his hand over his lips.

"She really just went in for it, didn't she?" Kelly asked rhetorically, his laughs turning into cackles as Shay began laughing as well, Matt glaring between the two of them.

"What the hell was that?" Matt asked again, his words earning louder laughs from his friends, Casey waving them off. "You two are useless." He murmured, his eyes moving towards the back of the bar just in time to see Gabby disappear into the back room. Blowing out a sigh, he pushed himself up from his bar stool, ignoring Severide and Shay as they continued laughing at his expense.

Making his way across the bar, he waited until Herrmann was distracted before he slipped in through the swinging door, his eyes immediately finding Gabby, Dawson standing at the far wall with her back to him.

He waited to see if she would notice his presence, but she hadn't; or if she had, she was ignoring him. "...I'm sorry about that."

Matt's words got no reaction out of her, her body language telling him she knew he was there, but Gabby didn't turn around, or say a word. She just stood there, continuing to work.

Sighing softly, Casey took a few steps closer to her, his tongue running over his bottom lip as he tried to gather his thoughts. "I don't know what she was thinking… although by the amount of alcohol I could smell on her, I don't think there was much thinking involved." He spoke up, Gabby staying quiet. "I don't know if I encouraged her somehow, I tried to make it clear to her I wasn't interested…" He tried, but still, she gave him nothing. "Gabby…"

It wasn't until he saw her shoulders begin to shake that he felt truly concerned, Matt's eyebrows furrowing as he took another step towards her, placing his hand on her back. "Gabby, I'm sorry, I- I pushed her off, I didn't want her to kiss me, I'm-"

Matt was cut off when she turned around, his worry morphing into annoyance when he saw the grin on her face, Gabby doing what she could to keep her laughter at bay as she met his eyes. But her smile only grew when she saw the look on his face, Gabby shaking her head as her laughs got louder, her hand resting over her stomach.

"Oh, that was too good." She chuckled, wiping the tears brimming her eyes as Matt's gaze morphed into a glare, Casey crossing over his chest. "I was just fucking with you, God you should've seen your face."

Once her laughs calmed down, Gabby shook her head as she saw his glare still focused on her. "That was mean." He finally spoke up, his pout making her laugh some more as Gabby reached out, placing her hand on his chest, gently rubbing across his collarbone.

"I don't know, I thought it was pretty funny."

"Clearly." He responded quickly, trying to fight the smile pulling at his lips, but he was failing.

"...And that was quite a show out there." She continued, another chuckle escaping her lips, Matt playfully narrowing his eyes once more, bringing his hand up to rest over her hip.

"I was just kissed, without my consent, and then you go and make me think you were upset, and now you're making fun of me, that's not nice Dawson." He spoke lowly, Gabby biting down on her tongue to keep herself from laughing again.

"I'm sorry." She murmured, rubbing her thumb against his chest. "What can I do to apologize?" She questioned, her voice light as she tried to not tease him too much.

"Well…" He brought his other hand up around her waist, pulling her closer to him so there was no space left in between them, his hands gliding over her hips. "For starters, I'd take a kiss. You know, one from someone I actually want kissing me." He suggested, Gabby scoffing lightly as she slid her hand over his chest, leaning forward slightly, their faces inches apart.

"Would that really make you feel better?" She whispered, Matt nodding, his nose brushing against hers as his head moved.

"It would."

Smiling softly, Gabby closed the distance between them, her mouth on his in a second as their lips connected in a heated kiss. Casey was a bit stunned by the immediate force of her movements, but quickly caught up as his hands began roaming over her covered body, sliding down past her hips and landing in the back pockets of her jeans, cupping her tightly. Gabby let out a low moan against his lips, deepening the kiss as she opened her mouth, Matt gently backing her up until they were against the wall, a gasp escaping her lips as he pressed his hips into hers.

She felt herself getting lost in him, soft pants escaping her lips as his kisses moved across her jaw, moving down to neck her, Gabby gripping the back of his neck tightly. When she felt him ground his hips into hers again, it took all her willpower not to just have him finish what he started right here, but the sounds coming from the patrons just a few feet from them brought her back to reality, Gabby gently pushing against him.

Matt stopped immediately, his eyes wide with curiosity as his chest heaved up and down, Gabby chuckling as she noticed some of her lipstick smeared across his face. "What's wrong?" He asked in between breaths, Gabby's face softening as she brought her hand up to his face, wiping her thumb over his bottom lip.

"We can't do this here… anyone could walk in." She murmured, Matt nodding in understanding as he sucked in deep breaths, Gabby sliding her hand gently across his jaw.

"Yeah, no you're right… Guess I just got a little carried away." He replied, turning his hand to press a kiss to the inside of her palm, Gabby smiling softly, gently pulling him back towards her, Matt's head tilting to the side. "But you just said…"

"A couple more minutes can't hurt." She replied, silencing him with a kiss as her hands gripped onto him again, Matt quickly resuming his previous actions as his hands roamed her body, swallowing her moans as they made use of the time they had.

* * *

Gabby shut the door behind the last people to leave the once crowded bar, a heavy sigh escaping her lips as she slid her keys in the lock, securing the door in place ensuring that no one could get in. Turning back around to face the empty bar, Gabby slid her hands over her jeans as she saw Matt still working on putting the stools up on the tables.

"Thank you for helping me close up." She spoke softly, breaking the comfortable silence they had found themselves in, Matt flashing her a smile. "I know it's late and we have work tomorrow, but I really appreciate it."

"It's no problem. And plus we rode together, I wouldn't just leave you here stranded." He replied jokingly, Gabby returning his smile as he put the last chair up.

"Can you go and check the back door? Make sure it's locked? I'm pretty sure Herrmann mentioned he checked it before he left, but just to be sure."

"Yeah, of course." He answered, Gabby watching him until he was out of sight. Drawing in a deep breath, Gabby moved behind the bar, flipping the switch that turned off the bar sign outside as she glanced around, double checking that she had done everything she needed to before letting herself relax into the bar top. With her hands braced against the wood, her tired eyes fell closed, Gabby waiting for Matt to get back so they could leave.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed when she unexpectedly felt hands grip her waist, Gabby smiling when Matt began pressing kisses against her shoulder. "I didn't hear you." She murmured, feeling his breath against her skin as his kisses moved closer to her neck.

"Well, I'm stealthy." He responded back, gently kissing her skin while simultaneously moving her hair out of the way, Gabby relaxing her body back into his. His movements stayed innocent until she felt his teeth graze her skin, Gabby smirking as he captured her in between his lips, surely leaving a mark behind. A soft moan escaped her lips when he bite down on her again, his tongue soothing the area instantly before Matt used his leverage to turn her around, using his body to pin her against the bar.

Within seconds, he found her lips, the two battling for dominance as they grasped at whatever part of one another they could. Gabby felt his hands moving all along her waist and back, her hands quickly finding their way to his belt buckle, beginning to undo the item standing in their way. She had just gotten the belt undone and open when his hands found hers, Matt pulling her away from his waist.

"What is it?" She breathed out, Matt dropping the hold he had on her hands.

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" He questioned, Gabby's eyes narrowing in confusion as she placed her hands against the bar behind her, her curiosity and slight annoyance getting the best of her.

"Why do you always ask me that?" She asked, Matt's head tilting to the side.

"What do you mean?"

"Why do you always check to make sure I want to have sex, when I clearly do. I wouldn't be trying to get your pants off if I didn't." She elaborated, Matt taking a deep breath. "I guess I just don't get why you always question it."

Pursing his lips together, Matt brought his hand up to the side of her face, pushing back some of the hair that had fallen forward, Gabby's curious eyes waiting for him to answer her. "Do you remember that night a few months back…" He started, Gabby's eyes narrowing in confusion as she waited for him to elaborate, "it wasn't long after we started this, and you came to my place. You were upset, like really upset." He saw recognition flash in her eyes, Matt taking another breath before continuing. "Well, we slept together, and then as soon as we were done you burst into tears, cried yourself to sleep."

"I remember." She murmured, Matt sliding his hand up and down her arm.

"I never want to do that to you again." He spoke firmly, confusion settling back across her face.

"You didn't do anything, Matt... I was upset because of Bryan, not you." She tried, but he shook his head.

"I slept with you when I knew you were upset, and I shouldn't have. I took advantage of you being vulnerable." He replied, Gabby releasing a soft sigh. "After that night I promised myself I'd never do that to you again."

"Matt…" She started, but he shook his head.

"I should've never slept with you that night, and I knew it. You were about to break down before you even got there, I never should've done that."

"I didn't give you much of a choice, I practically threw myself at you."

"It doesn't matter." He responded without hesitation. "I could have stopped it… I should've… But that's why I always ask you, because I want us both to be sure. And after everything tonight with Walker, then the thing with Jenkins, I don't want to do this if you're upset. I never want to do anything to make you uncomfortable, or hurt you, or-"

"You haven't." She cut him off, Matt meeting her eyes. "I swear, you haven't." Gabby assured him, Matt nodding as he felt her hands move back towards his hips, using her position to pull him back towards him. "Every time we've done anything, I've wanted to. I promise."

Nodding again, Matt let Gabby lead him back to her, his lips finding hers as he pressed her body into the bar. Their movements started out much more slow and gentle than they'd been moments prior, Gabby gripping his button down shirt in her hands, keeping him close to her as they moved together.

Her hands slowly moved down his chest, Gabby landing back on his waist as she began to unbutton his jeans, Matt picking up their movements as she worked quickly on his pants. Within seconds, she'd gotten his pants halfway down his thighs, Matt groaning into her mouth as she gripped him through his boxers.

"Gabby…" He moaned against her, Gabby moving her kisses across his jaw, landing on his neck as he felt her slide her hand into his boxers, his breath catching in his throat when she grabbed ahold of him. Her hand moved at a painfully slow pace, Gabby taking her time as she occasionally ran her thumb over him, sending a jolt of pleasure through his core every time.

Gradually, she began picking up her pace, continuing to place kisses over his skin as she heard him panting in her ear, Gabby smirking against his neck. His hands had come out to rest against the bar on either side of her body, Gabby grazing her teeth over his skin while she did as much as she could being confined by his boxers, Matt's body tightening as she continued to move her wrist faster.

His hips involuntarily bucked against her, Matt reaching down to grab ahold of her arm, effectively stopping her speedy movements, Gabby chuckling as he tried to calm himself down.

"You stopped my fun." She murmured, Casey shaking his head as he leaned back, pulling her hand from his boxers.

"You were about to end all of our fun." He growled in her ear, earning another laugh from her as he dropped the hold he had on her arm, Matt's hands quickly finding their way to her pants.

"What exactly do you have in mind?" She asked, her bottom lip falling in between her teeth as she leaned back into the bar, Matt silently unbuttoning her jeans, pulling the zipper down slowly.

His dark eyes met hers, Gabby taking deep breaths as she felt an intense warmth pool in her stomach, seeing his complete lust and desire for her shining in his eyes. Without a word, he spun her around, pressing his chest up against her back as a gasp escaped her lips, Gabby feeling his hand grip her hips while his other arm slid around her front, teasing the skin right above her underwear.

"You'll see." His voice was deep, Gabby feeling a shiver run through her spine as he pulled himself back from her, his hands tugging her jeans down her legs roughly, only moving them enough to get them out of the way before he placed his hands back on her legs, Gabby's eyes falling closed when she felt his rough hands moving along her bare thighs.

"Matt…" She whispered, Casey shaking his head, pushing against her back until she was bending over the bar.

"Shh." He replied, using one hand to hold her in place while his other caressed her body, Gabby gnawing on her bottom lip roughly. "Stay here." He spoke, Gabby feeling him remove his hand from her back, hearing him shuffling around behind her, but she wasn't sure what he was doing. There was nothing keeping her bent over the bar, she was free to move however she wanted, but she didn't. She stayed put, the anticipation of what Matt was about to do driving her crazy.

She knew he hadn't left, he was still behind her, but she had no idea what he was doing. Gabby tensed when she suddenly felt his hand running along her inner thigh, Matt pushing her legs apart before he ghosted over her center, Gabby swallowing a moan as he barely touched her.

"Matt…" She pleaded, feeling him apply a bit more pressure before he'd pull back, his teasing nearly unbearable. "Please."

Before she even registered what was happening, Matt had pushed her underwear to the side, exposing her to him as she felt his length pressed against her entrance. Whatever he had been doing a few moments ago must have included ditching his boxers, Gabby's breath catching in her throat as he slowly teased her, whimpers occasionally her lips as he moved back and forth over her.

"Matt."

The second his name left her lips, Casey sunk into her, filling her completely as a long, loud moan escaped her lips, Gabby smacking her hand against the bar as she took all of him in.

"You good?" He asked gently, his hand moving in circles at the base of her spine, Gabby nodding, craving the painful pleasure her body was experiencing as her hips rested against his. "Just relax, you're okay." He spoke soothingly, moving his hands slowly over whatever skin he could find, Gabby's mind clearing as she listened to his words.

Matt didn't move an inch, giving her time to adjust, knowing that when they were in this position she usually needed some extra time before she was ready. But that moment came soon enough, Gabby suddenly pushing back against him as she began to lift herself up off the bar, but Matt pushed her back down, Gabby landing on her elbows.

With a hand on her back, Matt began moving steadily in and out of her, picking up his pace every few thrusts, feeling her body encouraging him on as whimpers and moans escaped her lips.

Within minutes, Casey was slamming in and out of her, her body pressed in between him and the bar, no doubt leaving bruises behind on her hips as Matt moved at a relentless pace. Sliding his hand down from her back, he used both to grip her waist, giving him more leverage while he moved as quickly as he could, the support of the bar aiding his movements.

"God, Matt-" She cut herself off, Gabby pressing her hands down into the unforgiving wood as she felt her body start to give in to the pleasure he was giving her. He refused to slow down when he felt her clench around him, Casey drilling into her repeatedly, focusing on the signals her body was giving him.

He knew she was close, Gabby pulling him right to that edge with her as he felt her legs start to give out, Matt using his grip to keep her upright as he thrust through her finish, a loud shriek escaping her lips as her release hit her full force.

Matt kept his movements steady as Gabby's body collapsed against the bar, Casey unable to hold off his own release any longer, a low groan coming from the back of his throat as he gave in, relishing in the feeling of Gabby's body trembling around him.

Releasing a heavy breath, Matt slowly pulled out after a few moments, Gabby trying to catch her breath and regain feeling in her extremities, Dawson slowly straightening her spine as she stood up. With her chest still heaving, Gabby began adjusting her clothes, doing what she could to work through her trembling muscles as she made herself presentable, turning around to see Matt fixing his belt.

"You good?" He asked as he met her eyes, a soft grin resting on his face, his demeanor a complete shift from the man who had her pinned to the bar moments ago.

"I'm good." She replied, flashing him a similar smile as he took a step back towards her, leaning in to place a soft, lingering kiss against her lips.

Casey pulled back after a few seconds, stroking his thumb over her cheek, Gabby letting her eyes stay closed for a few moments longer before she slowly opened them, finding his warm gaze waiting for her.

"Let's go home."

* * *

"Are you still feeling sick?" Casey asked as he walked into his apartment, Gabby's tired body following close behind, Matt seeing her give him a shrug.

"Yeah, a little." She responded, Matt frowning as he shut the door behind them, locking it into place. "I really thought I had gotten past whatever bug this was." She breathed out, Matt following her into the apartment.

On the way back to Casey's place, Gabby got hit when a sudden wave of nausea, the paramedic having to sit with her head between her knees at one point it had gotten so bad, Matt rubbing comfortingly over her back while she took deep breaths. He offered multiple times to pull over, but Gabby declined every time, knowing that a random street in the middle of the night in Chicago wasn't the safest place for them to stop. Luckily, after a few long minutes, the feeling passed, Gabby able to sit back up while Matt kept a hand on her thigh, doing what he could to comfort her while also paying attention to the road.

"Maybe you should go to the doctor." Casey spoke up as the got into his bedroom, a soft chuckle escaping his lips when she automatically began pulling her clothes off, her body reeking of exhaustion. "If you're not feeling better in the morning, it couldn't hurt." He suggested, Gabby giving him a shrug.

"Yeah, maybe."

Casey followed her lead, beginning to strip down to his boxers as Gabby pulled one of his t-shirts over her head, letting it fall over her body before she wordlessly moved towards his bathroom, continuing her routine before bed.

Matt joined Gabby in the bathroom a few moments later, seeing her standing at the counter, washing her hands. Quietly, he walked up behind her, sliding his hands across her waist, Gabby leaning up to see him directly behind her, her back running directly into his chest.

"Hi." She chuckled out, Matt grinning as his hands slid around to her stomach, resting dangerously low on her abdomen.

"Hi." He repeated, pressing a kiss against her neck.

"What? You didn't get enough earlier?" Gabby teased, relaxing into him as she felt his mouth move over her skin.

"Never." He murmured, hearing her release a soft sigh as her body pressed into his.

"We need to go to bed." She replied quietly, focusing on the feeling of his hands moving over her stomach. "And I don't think I'm up for any more tonight, especially after earlier."

Something about her words had him pulling back, Gabby looking at him through the mirror, surprised to see a frown on his face.

"What?"

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" He asked, worry laced in his voice, his concerned tone causing her face to soften.

"No, you didn't." She was quick to assure him, not liking how unsure he looked. Although their fun at Molly's had been a little rougher than usual, it was nothing she didn't want. If she was uncomfortable, she had every opportunity to stop him, and she knew he would've immediately. "I very much enjoyed _everything_ about tonight, I'm just tired." She told him, leaving out how she did feel a little sore, knowing he'd get caught up on that and not be able to focus on anything else.

Matt nodded, gently squeezing her stomach as he rested his chin on her shoulder while her eyes fell closed. "Okay, good." He murmured, leaning his head against hers. "But if there ever is a time it's too much, or you want me to stop, I want you to tell me. I don't want you to be uncomfortable, or I accidentally hurt you or something."

Her eyebrows furrowed as she opened her eyes, Gabby placing her hand over his on her stomach. "I know." She responded softly, rubbing her thumb across the back of his hand. "I'd tell you, don't worry." She assured him, Matt giving her a nod.

"Good, cause I know sometimes I can get a little carried away." He spoke lightly, earning a soft chuckle from her as she turned around in his embrace, Matt's hands settling on her lower back.

"Yeah, I know. But it's always wanted." She responded, rubbing against his bare chest. "But, speaking of all this, I do want to thank you…"

It was now Matt's turn to look confused, Gabby bringing her hand up to run her fingers through his short hair, lightly scratching his scalp as his head tilted to the side. "For what?"

"That thing you said earlier, about why you always ask me before we sleep together…" She elaborated, realization settling over his face. "I never got to thank you for that."

"You don't need to thank me." He responded quickly, earning a shrug from the woman in front of him.

"I do, though. No one's ever-" She cut herself off, a deep frown etched into his features as she spoke, Matt rubbing his hand over her back. "I'm just not used to it." She rephrased, rubbing her thumb over the side of his mouth, trying to wipe his frown away. "That's why I didn't really know why you always asked me, but I want you to know I appreciate it." She finished, Matt giving her a slow nod before he brought her into his body, Casey holding her to his chest for a few quiet moments.

"Well, I still don't think you need to thank me for that." He responded softly, Gabby sliding her hands across his back, both of them knowing there was nothing else that needed to be said.

The two stood together for a few more seconds, Gabby thoroughly enjoying the warmth his body gave her, his hand running over her back nearly lulling her to sleep.

"Gabby?"

"Mhmm?" She hummed, feeling his chest vibrate underneath her cheek as he chuckled softly.

"How about you finish up in here and we can get you into bed, it'll be a lot more comfortable than standing here for the rest of the night." He told her softly, feeling her nod against him before she pulled back.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." She murmured right before a yawn escaped her lips, Matt rubbing over her hip before he began walking towards the bedroom.

"And hopefully you'll feel better in the morning, maybe sleep off whatever this is." He referred to her nausea, Gabby giving him a nod before turning back towards the counter, beginning the process of brushing her teeth.

Within a few minutes she'd finished, Gabby reaching for his mouthwash, only to see the bottle was gone. "Hey Matt?" She called out into the bedroom, her hands resting against the counter.

"Yeah?" He answered back.

"Do you have any more mouthwash?"

"Oh yeah, sorry, I meant to put it out. There should be another bottle under the sink." He responded, his voice flowing into the bathroom.

"Thank you."

Gabby crouched down onto the ground as she opened the cabinet, her eyes moving around until she saw the familiar bottle. Reaching inside, she grabbed ahold of it and began pulling it out, misjudging the room she needed as the bottle hit into something, Gabby seeing her box of tampons that she kept here hit the ground, its contents spilling out onto the floor.

She immediately froze, her body going rigid as her eyes widened to twice their normal size, Gabby feeling her heart rate pick up in her chest.

She'd left this box here not long after they started their arrangement, Gabby not wanting to have to carry it around all the time, and Matt not caring that she kept it here. She had kept it under the sink so it was out of the way, there for whenever she'd need it. But when they spilled across the floor, she was reminded that she hadn't needed them. She hadn't needed them in a while, when she definitely should've.

She was late.

Very late. And she had no idea how she didn't realize sooner.

The weight of what this could mean felt like it was crushing her, Gabby's breath catching in her throat as she felt her legs begin to tremble underneath her, her chest heaving as she tried to steady herself, trying to get her mind to focus. But there was only thing she could think of right now, one thought that made her feel like she was suffocating.

She could be pregnant.

She could be pregnant with Matt Casey's baby.

And she didn't know what the hell she was gonna do.

* * *

**Now, before y'all get mad at me, I urge you to wait and see what happens in the next chapter. Remember, whenever I do something it's usually for a good reason. So.. what do you guys think, do you think she's actually pregnant? Obviously, I'm not gonna tell you, but I will say that you'll find out one way or the other in the next chapter. **

**Also, I have seen a lot of your reviews talking about how you want Matt and Gabby to talk to one another about what they're feeling, and I get it. I do. Unlike my other story, I've had this one mapped out for over a year, so there's things I've planned in this that need to happen in a certain order. Trust me, there are times it's frustrating for me as well, but I promise it's coming soon. Because I know there are some of you who are just waiting for them to admit whatever they're feeling, and others who are liking where the story is at right now. But that discussion will be coming up here soon. It won't be the next chapter, but it's not too far away. I promise.**

**Reminder: No new chapter of I Won't Let You Go today, but it'll be up on Monday. Thank you for your patience.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed this one. Next chapter, obviously we're dealing with what happened at the end of the chapter, but we've always got Walker back, which is always something to look forward to. I'm eager to hear what you think, thanks for reading!**


	30. Chapter Thirty

**Hello everyone, here's the next chapter for you all. It's time to find out if there's gonna be a little baby Casey or not.. I hope you all enjoy.**

* * *

**THIRTY**

* * *

Matt sat on the edge of the bed, stretching out his tired arms as he glanced at the clock, blowing out a heavy sigh when he saw it was already well after two in the morning. He knew it would be a late night for them, that Gabby closing up at Molly's meant they'd be out way later than he liked on nights before shift, but he didn't mind staying to help her out, and truthfully, he felt a little better being there with her while she was closing up. Not to say she couldn't take care of herself, because she absolutely could, but he also didn't like the idea of her being there alone so late, and having to get to her car by herself. He felt much better being there with her, and the fun they had once everyone had gone was just an added bonus.

But he knew they'd both pay the price on shift tomorrow, Casey knowing they'd need to be up in only a few hours. They wouldn't be able to get much sleep regardless, but hopefully once Gabby came to bed, the sleep they got would be peaceful.

Glancing towards the bathroom door, his eyebrows furrowed as he realized he hadn't heard any noise from her in a few minutes. Normally, he'd just leave it alone, not wanting to disrupt whatever part of her nighttime process she was in, but with the limited amount of time they had left for sleep, he didn't want either of them to be awake much longer if they could help it.

Using his hands against the mattress for leverage, Matt pushed himself up from the bed, beginning the short walk across the room towards the bathroom, rubbing his hand over his face as he came to stop in the doorway. His head tilted to the side in confusion when he saw her crouched on the ground, Gabby using one hand to hold onto the cabinet while they other had a near death grip on the bottle of mouthwash she'd asked him about moments ago. But what had him confused was the completely blank look covering her face, Gabby having not even noticed his presence.

"Hey." He spoke up, taking a step inside, the movement causing her to snap out of her headspace. "You okay?" He questioned, seeing the box of tampons spilled all over the floor, Matt crouching down beside her.

But Gabby didn't answer him, her nervous gaze finding his, Matt's eyebrows furrowing when he saw a look of panic flash in her eyes before she quickly tried to hide it.

"Gabby?"

"Huh?" She questioned, her voice barely audible, Matt watching as she began blinking quickly, like she was trying to focus.

"Did you hear me?" He questioned, Gabby shaking her head slightly. "I asked if you were okay." He repeated carefully, unsure of what had gotten her so spooked. She seemed fine a few minutes ago, he wasn't sure what changed in that time to have her acting this way.

But Gabby didn't give him much, she merely nodded before glancing around, Matt noticing the way her hands seemed to be shaking a little. "Yeah, I'm fine." She responded, refusing to meet his eyes. "I just, uh- I knocked the box over when I was getting the mouthwash."

Matt gave her a nod, beginning to pick up the tampons and put them back in the box. He felt Gabby's eyes on him, but she hadn't said anything as he completed his task, placing the box back under the sink. His eyes moved towards her, seeing the same worried look in her eye, Matt running his tongue over his bottom lip. Before he said anything, he took the mouthwash she had tightened in her grasp out of her hands, placing it on the counter before slowly standing up, grabbing Gabby's hand to bring her up with him.

"Thanks." She murmured, Matt nodding in response, confused as to why her skin felt so clammy.

"It's no problem.. You ready for bed?" He asked, resting his hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, uh-" Gabby cleared her throat, her eyes darting around nervously. "I was actually thinking I should probably go home."

Matt's eyebrows furrowed immediately, his confusion only growing as her soft voice hit his ears, Casey taking a slight step forward. "What do you mean?"

"I.. I don't want you to get sick." She replied softly, still refusing to meet his eyes.

"Gabby, if you're sick, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get sick regardless." He responded, rubbing his thumb over her arm, the movement causing her to look at him. "I think our evening at Molly's pretty much took care of that." Matt added, his face softening when he saw a smile tugging on her lips before it quickly fell again, Gabby shrugging her shoulders.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." She murmured, her head turning down to the ground. Tilting his head to the side, a soft sigh escaped his lips, Matt's eyes tracing over her form.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He questioned, moving his hand up towards her face, gently stroking his thumb over her jaw.

"Yeah, yeah I'm good." She replied quickly, forcing a smile onto her face. "I'm just still feeling a little sick, it's messed me all up."

Matt gave her a slow nod, flashing a sympathetic smile as he leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her forehead. Though he was sure she didn't feel good, he knew that wasn't the whole story, but now wasn't the time to press it. Not when it was the middle of the night and they needed to try and get some sleep. "Let's get you to bed." He spoke, Gabby giving him a nod as he took her hand, leading her out of the bathroom.

While Gabby got into bed, Matt turned off the light, soon joining her under the covers. When he climbed in, he immediately noticed how distant she was, Gabby practically hanging off her side of the bed, lying on her back but turned away from him. Drawing in a deep breath, Matt stretched out his arm, gently tapping his hand against her stomach, Gabby glancing to him.

He held his arm out, lifting it up, encouraging her to come closer. "If I'm gonna get sick, it's already happened." He spoke lightly, Gabby smiling softly before she adjusted the covers, scooting her body closer to him. As soon as she got close enough, Casey pulled her into his side, feeling her tense slightly before she relaxed into him, her arm resting over his waist as her head was tucked against his chest. Matt ran his hand up and down her back, his grip keeping her close to him. "Get some sleep." He murmured, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head, Gabby curling herself further into him as she nodded against his chest. Blowing out a soft breath, Gabby hiked her leg up over his, Matt grinning against her forehead as their legs get tangled together, glad to feel her body relaxing more and more each second.

It was obvious something was going on with her, something that had her on edge. He just didn't know what it was. His gut instinct was to assume it had something to do with Walker; after finding out about him coming back to work earlier than planned, it made sense that he would have something to do with it. But what was confusing him was that she was fine. After Boden told them, and the entire night at Molly's, she was okay. Whatever this was, he couldn't help but think it wasn't about Walker at all. But if that was the case, that meant he had no idea what was going on with her.

But now wasn't the time to think about, Matt feeling Gabby's deep breaths hitting his chest, the woman in his arms having already fallen asleep. Pressing another kiss to her head, Matt let himself relax, his eyes falling closed as his breathing slowed down, Casey soon falling into a similar deep sleep.

* * *

Casey tapped his foot against the ground as he stood in the Chief's office, his body leaned back into the book shelf behind the man's desk, both firefighters waiting for a certain man to get here. It was early, about half an hour before shift change, but there were discussions that needed to be had before going out for their briefing. They just couldn't be done until the final participant arrived.

But Matt was just lucky he made it on time.

After his and Gabby's late night, it wasn't that surprising to him that they had overslept, Matt not waking up until nearly half an hour after he planned, the Lieutenant quickly making sure Gabby was awake before he got ready for the day. The frantic start to the morning only seemed to snowball from there when Gabby still felt sick as soon as she woke up, the few hours of sleep not doing much of anything to make her feel better.

The second he saw her still visibly ill, he suggested she take the shift off, for her to call in and then just stay here for the day, giving her a full three days to get healthy before needing to work again, but she immediately dismissed the idea. In fact, considering the glares he kept getting whenever he'd even begin to bring it up, she was strongly against calling in, so he dropped it. But part of him couldn't help but think she was only not calling in because of who'd be returning to work today; that if she called in sick his first shift back, Walker would assume it was because of him. But there wasn't a lot of time for him to press the issue. After battling through trying, and failing, to get Gabby to call in, and having to get ready, Casey didn't get out the door until fifteen minutes later than he needed to leave, the Lieutenant knowing he'd be late.

Soon after he got to the firehouse, Casey stopped to throw his things in his office before he made his way to Boden's, spewing profuse apologies for being a few minutes late the second he walked through the door, the Chief waving him off before they began discussing the plan for Walker.

And now they could only wait, Matt checking the time on his watch before stretching out his neck, his lack of sleep already affecting him. But the second he saw Walker approaching Boden's office, he straightened his spine, his face dispelling all signs of exhaustion as the firefighter came to a stop in the doorway.

"You wanted to see me, Chief." He spoke, Boden nodding as he waved him in, Walker taking a hesitant step inside. His gaze flickered to Casey, being met with nothing but a harsh, blank stare from his Lieutenant, Matt's arms crossed over his chest.

"Close the door." Boden spoke roughly, Walker nodding as he took a step back, pushing the door closed before heading towards the desk, standing in between the two chairs with his hands clasped behind his back. Walker kept his eyes on Boden, waiting for his boss to start speaking, the man's neck clenching as they all stood in a tense, uncomfortable silence.

"I would ask you if you understand what you did was inexcusable, but I'm going to hope we're past that." The Chief started, Walker taking a deep breath but staying silent. "I'm not sure how you managed to get them to lift the rest of your suspension, truthfully I'm surprised you're back here at all."

"Chief-"

Boden lifted his hand up, signaling him to stop talking, Walker obliging immediately.

"What you did was unacceptable. Sexually harassing a coworker is unacceptable, and I know you're smart enough to know that. I don't care about your history with Dawson, that doesn't matter in the slightest. You cannot do that. Ever." Boden continued, his voice firm. "Not only have you created a hostile work environment for Dawson, you've made it so neither Shay nor Dawson can feel completely comfortable here. You have taken that sense of safety from them, and any woman who will walk through those doors in the future, who's here to help the citizens of Chicago and who deserves the basic right of feeling safe in their own workplace. You've not only tarnished your reputation as a firefighter, you've tarnished this house. All because of some stupid little stunt, because you wanted to mess with Dawson."

"Chief, I wasn't-"

"I'm not done." He barked, Walker biting his tongue before nodding. "Now, the only people in this house who know about what you've done are me, Casey, Severide, Shay, and, of course, Dawson. And it will stay that way. Obviously there are people outside the house who know, and I'm sure there are rumors floating around, but no one here knows what you did, and you are not going to change that. Is that understood?"

"...Yes sir."

"I know Casey is going to want to have a talk with you, him and I have already discussed this and he will be using you as he sees fit. So I'll let him handle those discussions, but you are not to go anywhere near Dawson." Boden spoke harshly, his voice unwavering. Casey saw the look of surprise flash in Walker's eyes, and it took everything in the Lieutenant to not respond. Walker had to have known that what he'd done would have consequences surpassing just getting suspended. But on the slight chance he hadn't understood that before, he would now. "You managed to get your suspension lifted, fine. But you will not bother her anymore. If _anything_ like this happens again, they'll be no more second chances. You'll be done. If I hear of you doing anything to her at all, you're out. You'll be gone from 51, without hesitation. I can promise you that." Walker swallowed thickly, not showing much of a reaction as his eyes stayed focused on the Chief. "There is no gray area here, you are ordered to leave Dawson alone. You do not go near her unless it's work related, and even then, only if necessary. You need a paramedic, find Shay. Or better yet, have some other firefighter take care of whatever it is. But you are not to speak to Dawson unless absolutely necessary. Do you understand?"

Walker's eyes flickered to Casey for the first time in awhile, finding nothing but a harsh stare waiting for him, the Lieutenant looking angrier than Boden. "Understood, Chief."

"Good." He responded, glancing back towards Casey, Matt giving him a nod as the Lieutenant pushed himself up off the furniture. "I would like to think that me telling you this is enough to make sure you'll follow orders, but if recent history is any indication, I'm not sure you can." Boden started, Matt seeing Walker's eyes narrow slightly before he recovered. "So I will be keeping an eye on you, as will Casey and Severide-"

"You're babysitting me?" Walker asked before he could stop himself, Boden's eyes tightening as he straightened his spine.

"Until you've proven to not need one, yes." Boden replied, Walker shaking his head as he blew out an exasperated breath.

"That's not necessary, Chief." He responded quickly, Matt seeing his muscles tightening in anger. "I'm not gonna do anything to her, I won't-"

"And I never expected this to be a problem in the first place." Boden cut in, his words slicing through the air, effectively stopping Walker's sentence. "Yet here we are. I never, not once, thought you would do something like this, but obviously I didn't know you as well as I once thought I did. But don't worry, I won't make that mistake again."

"Chief-"

"You're gonna have to earn back the trust of everyone here, Walker. Although I'm not entirely sure if that's even a possibility anymore." Boden continued, pushing himself up from his seat, rage radiating off his body as he stood up behind his desk. "Severide doesn't trust you, Shay doesn't trust you, Casey and I don't trust you. None of those firefighters out there trust you and they don't even know what you did. All they know is you did something bad enough to warrant a suspension, and that it was something involving Dawson. They have no clue you cornered one our paramedics in the shower, yet they still don't trust you. And Dawson sure as hell doesn't trust you, either." Boden's voice got louder and louder as he spoke, Walker standing there taking it despite the anger pumping through his veins. "No one here has any reason to trust you, as a firefighter or as a person. That is something you're going to have to try and fix, or you might not be able to stay here regardless."

"Chief, come on, that's not fair."

"What's not fair is you taking advantage of Dawson while she was in a vulnerable position." Boden replied, Walker clenching his jaw together tightly. "If this isn't fair to anyone, it's Dawson. Because now you've made it to where she has to worry if she's safe here."

"You've gotta be kidding me." He muttered, shaking his head. "Is that what she said, that she doesn't feel safe here? Come on, it was just a joke."

Casey's back tightened involuntarily as he heard the Walker's words, Matt shaking his head as he looked towards Boden, seeing the same disgust written across his face. "This… This is what I was afraid of. That you still don't understand what you did was wrong."

"I know I shouldn't have done it, Chief." He interrupted, Boden clenching his neck. "I do, it was stupid. But all this? That seems extreme to me."

"Considering you're lucky to still have a job here, no, it's not." The Chief replied, shaking his head. "The root of the problem is that you can't be trusted. Casey's had his issues trusting you in the past, and this only makes that worse. So you'll either earn that trust back, or you won't. There's nothing more to it."

Walker swallowed roughly, fighting every instinct in his body to retaliate, knowing that would only get him in more trouble, so the firefighter merely nodded, forcing a tight-lipped smile. "Understood, Chief."

"Good… You're dismissed."

Without so much as a nod, Walker left the room, stomping off down the hallway, both the Chief and Casey watching him until he was out of sight. WIthout a word, Boden glanced towards his Lieutenant, Matt shaking his head as he began walking towards the exit.

"I've got it handled, Chief." Casey told him, earning a nod from his boss before the Lieutenant was out the door.

Out in the hallway, Walker soon made it to the common room, his steps slowing when he came into view of the rest of the house, most of them sitting around having their own conversations, broken off into small groups. But the second he came into view, the room fell silent, an uncomfortable feeling settling over the air.

With his eyes bouncing around the room, it didn't take long for Walker to realize Gabby, nor Shay, were here, the paramedics elsewhere as Bryan slowly walked into the room, heading for the coffee pot.

Clearing his throat, Herrmann turned around from his spot on the couch, watching the man closely. "Uh, hey Walker… Good to have you back." He said apprehensively, more out of politeness than anything else. No one in the house was sure how to feel about the man who'd just returned from a suspension, the reason for which widely unknown. But, from what they did know, they were all a little wary to be around him.

"Thanks Herrmann, it's good to be back." He responded, turning around with his fresh cup of coffee in hand, seeing a few gazes dart away from him. Part of him felt like he should apologize to everyone, considering most of them refused to look at him, but he knew he couldn't say anything. Although he found it unfair, he didn't want to test Boden's limits, and the Chief had made it very clear that he was not to say anything about what happened. But he couldn't stand the way every one was looking at him, and if those looks continued he couldn't promise he wouldn't say something.

Everyone slowly went back to their own chatter, Herrmann staying rooted in his position as he faced Walker, trying to get a read on the firefighter. Bryan noticed the man staring at him, but before either could say anything, the door from the conference room opened, Dawson and Shay walking in, the latter chatting away loudly.

But when Dawson noticed the firefighter standing by the counter, she abruptly stopped in her path, wincing slightly when he made eye contact with her. Everyone had looked up when Shay stopped talking mid-sentence, seeing the moment Gabby shied away from the firefighter a few feet from her, no one missing how she took a step backwards while Shay simultaneously moved slightly in front of Gabby, like she was blocking her from Walker. The entire interaction was strange and unsettling, Walker's eyes locked on Dawson while the PIC did everything she could to avoid his gaze, Shay shooting daggers his way as her arms crossed over her chest.

"Walker."

Everyone was pulled from the uncomfortable encounter, looking towards the entrance to the common room, seeing Casey standing there with an unreadable expression.

"My office. Now."

He kept his words short, continuing to walk towards the bunk room as soon as he finished speaking, trying to control his anger towards the man. Not even a minute after the conversation with Boden, he was already messing with Gabby. And Matt didn't know what to do to get him to listen.

Although Casey wasn't exactly sure what the situation was, he knew Walker was staring at her, and he saw how unsure Gabby was with him around. It was exactly what he was worried about, that the second Walker was back in the house, Gabby was retreat back into herself. And before shift could even really start, it had already happened. Although Gabby had been a little off all morning, Walker's presence was only making it worse.

Casey got to his office, stopping a few feet short in the middle of the bunk room as he heard Walker come in behind him, Matt turning around to face him immediately. Walker slowed his steps, coming to stand in front of his Lieutenant, catching the man's tight gaze.

"How many times am I going to have to have this conversation with you?" Casey asked suddenly, Walker taking a deep breath. "Because I specifically remember telling you to leave Dawson alone."

"Lieutenant-"

"That day out in the garage, I made it very clear. I told you to leave Dawson alone, and you did the exact opposite... You will not be given a third chance, do you understand that?" Casey questioned, his voice loud and firm.

"The Chief already told me this, Lieutenant." Walker responded, Matt's eyes narrowing.

"And I'm telling you again." He barked, Bryan taking a deep breath, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "You need to understand, you are on a very short leash. You will not do anything, in this house or out on call, without my say-so."

"Can I say something?" Walker interjected when Matt paused to take a breath, Casey releasing a heavy sigh as he reluctantly nodded. "I know what I did was wrong, I shouldn't have done that and I won't do it again. But isn't all this a bit much? I already said I wasn't gonna do anything, so unless Dawson has asked you-"

"Dawson didn't ask us to do anything." Casey clarified, shaking his head. "And you don't really get a say in this, do you? You're lucky to still be here, I wouldn't lose sight of that if I were you. After that stunt you pulled, you'd do best to keep your head down, and do what we say."

"Okay, but how exactly am I supposed to avoid her?" He asked, clearly frustrated. "We work in the same house, we're together twenty four hours at a time? Like I had only been out in the common room for a minute before I saw her, there's no way to do this unless I'm not even in the house."

Casey held back the comment he really wanted to say, about how he shouldn't be here, shaking his head as he ran a hand over his mouth, trying to think of how to get through to his firefighter. "Everyone is aware that there's times you'll have to be in the same room, we all understand that. That's not what we're talking about and you know it." He answered, annoyance dripping from his voice. "We're talking about you going out of your way to talk to her, to make her uncomfortable and mess with her-"

"But I'm not going to." He tried, Casey shaking his head.

"You and I both know I have no reason to believe that." Casey replied firmly. "If you want to stay here, you leave Dawson alone. That's it." He spoke, turning around without another word and walking towards his office, shutting the door closed behind him, leaving a frustrated Walker alone in the bunk room.

* * *

Casey released a deep breath while he walked down the hallway, his hands shoved into his pockets as he moved through 51, trying to get a break from his office. It had been a relatively slow start to shift for truck 81, the firefighters only having been called out once, meaning it left them with a lot of downtime. Normally, Matt wouldn't mind the easy day so much, but with him running out of things to do to keep Walker busy, it was becoming a challenge. But what had helped was ambo having been out most of the morning, their shift not nearly as relaxed as the rest of 51's. With Gabby out of the house, Casey didn't need to worry about what Walker was doing, which had admittedly made his morning a little easier. Although he didn't necessarily love that Gabby was being run ragged all over Chicago when she wasn't feeling well, it took a weight off his mind, even if only for a few hours.

Matt continued down the hallway, his eyes looking around his familiar surroundings as he walked past the conference room, Casey intent on heading for the kitchen to get something to eat. But he stopped abruptly in the hallway when he caught sight of Gabby sitting alone in the conference room, her head hanging in her hands as she sat hunched over the table. Matt almost missed her, Dawson sitting at the far end of the table that was placed in the corner of the room, but the second he saw her, all that worry he'd been feeling for her over the last few weeks came back with a vengeance, her body language telling him something was wrong.

Without much thought, Matt changed his path, the man pulling open the door before stepping inside the room. Gabby's head snapped up at the unexpected noise, Casey's eyebrows furrowing when he saw her sad eyes shining back at him, the firefighter quickly becoming consumed with even more concern.

"Hey Matt." She responded softly, plastering a fake smile onto her face as a deep frown covered his.

"What's going on?" He ignored her greeting, seeing Gabby's demeanor falter slightly as he came closer to her.

He'd been worried about her since last night, and every time he saw her today that worry only increased. She seemed off, like something was bothering her. There was something about her demeanor in the quick glimpses he got of her today that left him concerned, but this was something different altogether. She looked to be on the verge of tears, like she was going to break down any second, and he hated seeing her like this, especially when he didn't know what was causing it.

"I was just wanting some quiet…" She murmured, seeing the clear concern shining in his eyes, Matt shaking his head.

"Gabby…"

"I'm fine, Matt." She tried, but Casey gave her an unimpressed look, moving around to her side of the table, leaning his weight into it as he stood beside her.

"Something's going on with you… you've been upset since last night." He commented, seeing the flash of panic flicker in her eyes, Matt releasing a heavy breath as he began putting the pieces together in his mind. "...Did I do something?" He questioned after she had yet to say anything, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing instantly. "Did I say something to upset you? Was it what happened at Molly's?"

Matt stopped himself from listing any more possibilities when Gabby started forcefully shaking her head, placing her hand on his leg. "You didn't do anything." She assured him, her voice raspy as Matt nodded in understanding, the man gnawing on his bottom lip.

"Is it Walker?" He asked, going to the only other explanation he could think of. "Is it him being back?"

"No, no it's not that… It's just-" She cut herself off, her eyes falling closed as she took shallow breaths.

"What's going on?" He questioned gently, Gabby slowly lifting her eyes as she met his gaze again, Matt seeing fresh tears filling her eyes as she clenched her jaw tightly.

"...I'm late."

Matt's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, his head tilting to the side slightly, unsure of what she was saying. "Late?" He asked, Gabby nodding slowly. "Late for-" Casey cut himself off as realization washed over him, his eyes widening as the meaning of her words hit him like a ton of bricks, his heart falling into his stomach. "...Oh." He voiced, barely audible.

"Yeah." She responded shakily, Matt doing what he could to control his breathing while he tried to comprehend the magnitude of this.

Gabby was late. She was late, and she could be pregnant. Pregnant with his baby…

Matt grimaced when an unsettling thought entered his mind, Casey finding her eyes again, seeing her watching him closely, nerves radiating from her body. "I, uh-" Matt cleared his throat, "I need to ask, but please don't hate me for this," Gabby's face hardened before he even finished his sentence, the paramedic removing her hand from his leg like she'd been burned, knowing exactly what he was about to ask her, "but, uh… Is it mine?"

Casey knew the answer already, he had no doubt in his mind what the answer would be, but with their situation, he had to know for certain. But the look that covered her face after the words left his lips didn't make him feel any better, Matt seeing the hurt and disbelief glaring back at him.

"Gabby…"

"You have got to be fucking kidding me." She breathed out, pushing herself up from her seat, trying to make a quick exit. But Casey was having none of it, the firefighter gently grabbing her arm as he stopped her from getting very far, Matt coming to stand in front of her.

"I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry, but this is all just… this wasn't supposed to happen. We're not together-"

"Yeah, I know we're not together." She snapped angrily, Matt taking as deep a breath as he could, gently squeezing her arm.

"I'm not asking this to hurt you...But with what our situation is, I need to know." He finished, Gabby blinking tightly as she wrapped her arms around herself protectively, her eyes darting around, desperate to look anywhere but him.

"I don't know about you, but when we said we weren't gonna sleep with other people, I meant it." She responded bitterly, Matt releasing a heavy breath.

"I meant it, too." He replied softly, Gabby biting down firmly on her bottom lip, blinking back the tears sitting in her eyes. "I am sorry, I already knew the answer, I just… I needed to hear it from you." He explained, Gabby giving him a slow nod.

"...It could only be yours." She murmured, Matt nodding as strongly as he could despite the thousands of conflicting emotions flooding his system.

"Have you... have you taken a test yet?" He asked hesitantly, Gabby immediately shaking her head, quickly wiping away a tear that slid down her cheek.

"No."

"Okay, alright- uh, first thing after shift tomorrow, we'll go and get a few.. start from there." He told her, doing what he could to keep his voice steady, seeing her exterior cracking more and more by the second. "It'll be okay, I promise."

"How Matt?" She questioned, her breath getting caught in her throat as she leaned her head down, pressing her hands into her skull. "This can't be- we can't… I can't do this."

"Hey hey, listen to me." He murmured, taking another step towards her, gently grabbing a hold of her forearms and pulling them down away from her face, waiting for her to look at him before he continued. He was scared, he absolutely was. But when she lifted her head, she looked completely terrified, and it broke his heart. "Whatever happens, I'm here, okay? We'll figure this out together, I promise you that." Matt told her, rubbing his thumb over her arm. "I'm right here, Gabby."

Fresh tears gathered in her eyes, Gabby nodding slowly as she let Matt's words sink in, Dawson doing what she could to take slow breaths, her jaw shaking slightly.

"We're gonna be okay." He assured her, Gabby's mouth parting open like she wanted to say something, but she was cut off by the bells ringing out, calling ambo to a car accident downtown. "Let me tell Boden to reroute the call-"

"No, no it's okay." She cut him off, Casey looking back to her with furrowed eyebrows. "I'm fine, I promise."

"Gabby-"

"I'm good. And honestly I need the distraction." She responded softly, pulling from his hold and walking towards the door.

"Okay…" He responded softly, turning to watch her leave. "But please, be careful."

Gabby stopped for a moment, forcing a smile that never reached her eyes as she nodded.

"I will."

* * *

"Okay, spit it out." Shay spoke the second Gabby closed her door, Dawson glancing to her with a confused expression as the paramedics had just finished dropping off their patient at Lakeshore.

"What?"

"You've barely said a word this entire time, and when we left the house you looked like you were about to cry." The blonde observed, Gabby drawing in a deep breath. "What happened? Did Walker do something?"

"No."

"Come on, Dawson. If he's already messing with you again-"

"This isn't- it's not about him." Dawson cut in, the blonde watching her closely.

"But it is something." She clarified, Gabby running her tongue along the inside of her cheek. "Gabby, what's going on?... Is it Casey?" Shay continued to question, Gabby raising her eyebrows. "Did Matt do something? Cause I know he's a nice guy, but I swear to God if he hurt you-"

"I think I'm pregnant."

Gabby blurted the words out quickly, effectively stopping Shay's rambling as she was stunned to silence, her mouth parted open in shock. Neither one of them said anything for a few seconds, Shay in near disbelief while Gabby did what she could to keep herself together.

Shay's mouth opened and closed multiple times, the paramedic trying to find any coherent thoughts to say as the weight of Gabby's words hit her. "You're… you're pregnant?"

"I think so." Gabby responded quietly, Shay forcing herself to take a deep breath. "I'm late, and I've been sick a lot lately… I've been feeling kind of a sore. I don't know, all the signs point to it."

"I… is it Matt's?"

The second the words left her lips, Gabby's eyes narrowed, her arms crossing over her chest defensively as she angled her body towards her partner. "Why does everyone keep asking me that? Of course it's Matt, I'm not just sleeping my way around Chicago-"

"Okay, okay I'm sorry." Shay cut in, shaking her head. "But, you know, you two aren't exactly together, it's a valid question."

"But it's not though." Gabby shot back quickly. "Why would I be sleeping with other people when I'm in love with-" She cut herself off, Shay's eyes softening as she reached out to place a comforting hand on Gabby's leg.

"Oh, honey…" She breathed out, Gabby blinking back the tears in her eyes. "Have you taken a test yet?"

"No, not yet." She responded, her throat feeling very dry all of the sudden.

"Well, what are you waiting for, let's go get one." She spoke, Gabby immediately shaking her head.

"No, no. I'm not taking it at the firehouse, are you kidding me? No." Dawson was quick to shoot down her idea, Shay pursing her lips together.

"We don't have to do it at the firehouse, we can find somewhere dignified… like a library, or a coffee shop, or, well, I don't know, a church seems like a bad idea. But we can find somewhere to go." She tried, Gabby staring at her with a blank look. "Or better yet, I'll call in to main right now and we can get you a blood test while we're here."

"No. No." Gabby shot her down again, shaking her head, Shay eyeing her curiously.

"Gabby, you can't put this off… if you're pregnant, you can't ignore that."

"I know, and I'm not, I just- I can't do it right now… Not yet." She murmured, rubbing her hand over her forehead. "Matt and I have already decided, I'm gonna wait and do it after shift tomorrow."

"So Casey knows…" Shay trailed off, Gabby giving her a nod. "How is he? If I were him, I'd be freaking out right about now." The blonde spoke lightly, trying to lift some of the heaviness in the air.

"That's the thing… he's not." Gabby responded, Shay's eyebrows raising. "When I told him, he just kept telling me that everything would be okay, that we'd be fine, whatever happened… I could tell he was shocked, but he was pretty calm about the whole thing."

"Yeah, I can see that, actually." Shay replied softly, Gabby glancing towards her friend. "He _would_ be a great father."

"Shay…" Gabby sighed, pressing her fingertips against her head, trying to dull the pounding headache that had hit her full force.

"What?" She countered, shifting in her seat. "I mean, obviously if you're pregnant, it's your choice for whatever you want to do, but he would be an incredible dad." Shay spoke, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek. "And you know he wouldn't abandon you, or the baby, or anything. He'd be there, you know he would."

"Yeah, of course he would. But I'm not trying to trap him into a kid."

"Okay, well for one, I'm pretty sure Casey not being able to pull out isn't you trapping him into a kid." Shay responded, Gabby releasing a light scoff as the blonde smiled. "But all I'm saying is that maybe it wouldn't be so bad…"

"This isn't the right time, Shay. I can't be pregnant."

"But you might be, and you need to accept that." She responded firmly, Gabby taking a deep breath. "If you won't take a test today, you at least need to be able to come to terms with the fact that there might be a little baby Casey growing inside you right now. I know it wasn't planned, and it's not the right time. But if you are pregnant, and you decide to keep it, then it becomes the right time… You and Casey made your unprotected bed, now you've gotta lie in it."

"How could you possibly think this is helping?" Gabby asked exasperatedly, Shay shaking her head.

"I'm not saying it's helping, I'm just being honest." Shay responded with a gentle shrug, Dawson blowing out a sharp breath. "...Maybe tell him to wear a condom next time." She added, Gabby rolling her eyes as she looked out the windshield.

"I'm on birth control, Shay. We weren't stupid."

"Yes, well, that's only ninety nine percent effective, maybe this is that one percent they keep talking about." She responded, Gabby biting down on the inside of her lip, shaking her head.

"I can't do this, Shay. I can't be pregnant- I can't." She stuttered out, Shay's eyes falling closed as she took a deep breath.

"Look Dawson, obviously whatever happens, it's up to you, and to Casey, to decide how you move forward. I know neither of you expected this, or wanted this… it may not have been planned, but for what it's worth you and Casey both would make great parents. That would be one lucky kid you two had." She spoke softly, Gabby clenching her eyes shut. "But all you can do is figure out whether or not you're pregnant, and then go from there."

Gabby gave her a slow nod, her hands clenched together in her lap as she thought over everything Shay was telling her, Dawson doing what she could to keep herself level-headed, even though the weight of all this uncertainty felt suffocating.

"It's be okay, Gabby. Whatever happens, you and Matt will be fine." Shay did what she could to comfort her friend, but the paramedic could only do so much, knowing it wasn't her comfort that Dawson needed right now.

* * *

Casey paced the confines of his office, his thoughts running laps in his head as he moved back and forth quickly, his hand pressed into the side of his skull.

He couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe this was happening, or that it might be happening. He couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that Gabby might be pregnant, that _they_ might be pregnant.

They had been careful, granted not as careful as they could've been, but he knew Gabby was on birth control. She took it religiously, and they'd both come to the decision together that was enough for them. But now it was looking like it might not have been.

Gabby might be pregnant. They might be expecting a child, and he didn't know what to do.

But he knew what he _would_ do. He would be there for Gabby and their child, for this little life they created by accident. It hadn't been planned, not at all had this been what either of them wanted, but he would do whatever he needed to do for Gabby and their baby. That was the only thing he was sure of.

And he knew he needed to make sure Gabby was sure of it, too.

"What is going on with you?"

Matt looked up, seeing Severide standing in his now open doorway, Casey not sure how long he'd been there, the man having been too caught up in his own head. But based on the look Kelly was giving him, he'd been there for awhile.

"What?"

"You've been pacing back and forth for like an hour, I'm not sure how you haven't burned a hole in the floor yet, what's going on?"

"Gabby thinks she's pregnant."

The words escaped his lips before he could stop them, Severide's eyes widening in complete and utter disbelief, the firefighter nearly stumbling backwards into the door.

"She what?"

"She thinks she's pregnant." He repeated, even though he knew he didn't need to. "She's late, and she hasn't taken a test yet, but she's been sick, feeling nauseous a lot, and she thinks she could be pregnant…" He elaborated, Severide shaking his head.

"Shit, I- I don't know what to say." He breathed out, Matt nodding as he began pacing again.

"I don't know what we're gonna do… I mean I know what we will do, or at least I think I do. Hell, I don't even know that. Because this wasn't supposed to happen. We were careful, this shouldn't have happened and I'm freaking out. But I can't freak out because Gabby's on the verge of a breakdown, which I can't blame her for because I feel the same way, but we just- I can't do this. I can't be a dad, not right now, not like this, this wasn't supposed to happen."

"Take a breath, Casey. Man, you're gonna pass out just calm down." Severide spoke, walking towards his friend and putting his hands on his shoulders.

"'Calm down'? Seriously? How am I supposed to calm down? If there is any scenario for me to be freaking out in, this is it-"

"Casey, stop!" Severide shouted, effectively shutting the man up. "Now take a breath." Kelly continued, Matt reluctantly taking a slow, deep breath. "Good, now just listen to me for a second… If Dawson is pregnant, you two are going to figure it out. It isn't what you planned, I understand that, but can you honestly stand here and say you won't love that baby?"

"No, of course not, but-"

"But nothing." Severide interjected, Matt releasing a heavy sigh. "If she's pregnant, you two will figure it out. There's nothing else you can do. Except maybe pull out next time… Although if she is pregnant, that won't matter for awhile." He joked, Matt narrowing his eyes, but he was unable to stop the slight smile pulling at his lips, Severide chuckling as he saw Matt relax a bit. "But really, you guys will be fine. And you'll have a firehouse full of people here to help you out. You two will make great parents, everything will be alright, man."

Taking another deep breath, Casey nodded slowly, Kelly patting him on the shoulder. "Thanks, Sev." Casey responded softly, Severide nodding.

"Of course… dad." He replied, Matt rolling his eyes as he began walking out of his office, Kelly following after him.

"That's not funny." Casey breathed out, the two men heading out of the bunk room.

* * *

Shay released a heavy breath as she walked into the firehouse, the door falling closed behind her when she stepped towards the common room, her eyes looking for one man in particular.

"Hey Shay, how was the call?" Herrmann asked from the couch, the blonde glancing towards him.

"Huh? Oh, it was fine, nothing too bad." She responded, her gaze landing on Walker, the man currently cleaning the kitchen, something Shay could only assume to be his latest task from Casey.

"Where's Dawson?" Herrmann spoke up again, noticing the other paramedic had yet to appear.

"She's out in the garage… Has anyone seen Casey?" She asked, her question gaining the attention from others in the room.

"Uh, last I knew he was in his office- oh, wait, there he is." Otis responded as Matt and Severide came into the common room through the conference room door, immediately understanding they walked in on the middle of a conversation.

"What?" Casey asked, his eyes moving around the room.

"Shay was asking where you were." Herrmann replied, the Lieutenant looking towards the entrance to the room, seeing a worried expression covering Shay's face, and in that moment Casey knew she knew; Gabby had told her what was going on.

Without a word, Matt walked through the room over to his friend, Shay biting down on her bottom lip, Casey coming to a stop in front of her. Knowing everyone in the room was watching them, Shay grabbed his arm, pulling him further away from everyone, the two standing by the double doors.

"What's going on?" He asked, keeping his voice low, Shay leaning towards him.

"You need to go talk to Dawson." She whispered, concern immediately filling his features, everyone in the room seeing the shift in his demeanor. "She's… she's having a hard time."

Without another word, Casey gave her a nod, placing a thankful hand on her shoulder before pulling open the double doors, disappearing into the garage. Blowing out a heavy sigh, Shay walked back towards the common room, seeing every pair of eyes on her. She caught a glimpse of Walker watching her closely, before his eyes flashed towards the doors out to the garage that Casey had just gone through. Quickly finding Kelly's gaze, Shay knew in an instant that Severide was told of what was going on, that Matt had confided in him similarly to how Dawson had with her.

"Is everything okay, Shay?" Herrmann asked cautiously, the blonde forcing a smile before nodding, doing what she could to alleviate the firefighter's concerns.

"Everything's fine, Herrmann." She replied shortly, giving Severide one last knowing look before heading off down the hallway.

Out in the garage, Casey walked straight for the ambulance, wiping his clammy hands off on his pants as he moved towards the rig. At first he didn't see her anywhere, not until he moved around to the far side of the ambulance, Matt's steps slowing as he caught sight of her, Gabby leaning her weight into the side of the rig with her head hanging in her hands. With a slight frown on his face, Matt walked closer to her, the noise of his boots on the ground causing her head to snap up.

When he saw the fresh tears sitting in her eyes, as well as the ones that had already escaped down her cheeks, he closed the distance between them, reaching his hand out towards her.

"Gabby…"

"I can't- I don't… I can't do this." Tears started slipping down her cheeks, her breath getting shallow as her emotions took over.

"I know.. I know. Come here." He murmured, gently pulling her off the ambulance and wrapping his arms around her, holding onto her as tightly as he could.

Gabby fell into his embrace easily, her arms circling around his waist as her head fell into his neck, her body trembling while silent tears fell from her eyes, down to his shirt.

The two of them stood there, covered from view by the large rig, Matt doing all he could to provide Gabby with at least a tiny bit of comfort, his hand moving up and down her lower back while his other arm stayed wrapped around her shoulders. Every few moments, he'd feel her give his torso a squeeze, like she was needing the reminder he was still here, Matt murmuring soft, soothing words to her as she finally allowed herself to feel everything she'd been holding in since last night.

"It'll be okay, Gabby." He whispered, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. "I promise… Whatever happens, I'm here, okay?"

He felt her nod slightly against his collarbone, Matt bringing his hand up to the back of her head, cradling her to his body.

Matt wasn't sure how long they stayed there, but their moment was interrupted when they heard the sound of boots hitting the ground moving towards them, Gabby practically ripping herself from Matt's embrace, her eyes widening slightly when she saw Walker come around the back of the ambulance. She saw his immediate confusion, before it morphed into anger, with a hint of curiosity and annoyance.

Gabby immediately turned her back to him, wiping her eyes as Casey turned to face the man, seeing Walker tighten his throat, his eyes moving back and forth between the two of them. Casey matched his look, the Lieutenant's face hardening as he took a step forward, doing what he could to block Gabby from Walker's view.

"What do you need, Walker?" He asked roughly, Bryan sparing one last glance to Dawson before focusing on Casey.

"I, uh- I wasn't sure what you wanted me to do next. I finished up the kitchen." He responded, swallowing thickly.

"Go clean the showers." Casey responded without missing a beat, Walker nodding before his gaze flicked back to Gabby, seeing her body trembling slightly as she stood behind the Lieutenant. Casey took another step forward, effectively gaining the firefighter's attention. "Go." He ordered, Walker sucking in a deep breath before nodding yet again, turning to walk away without another word.

Casey waited until he heard the far double doors open and then shut, ensuring the man had left, before he turned back to Gabby, seeing her back still to him with her head facing the ground, resting in her hands. Walking back towards her, he placed his hand on her back, his warm palm sliding over her shirt, coming to rest on her hip, seeing her wipe away some of the water resting on her skin.

"It's okay." He murmured, Gabby biting back a sob, the softness of his voice springing more tears to her eyes. "It's okay." He repeated, Gabby collapsing back into his embrace once more, pressing her body into his as her head rested against him, Matt keeping a tight grip on her as he continued whispering words of assurance, words he knew she needed.

"I'm right here… I'm not going anywhere. We'll be okay."

* * *

Walker stomped his way through the house, making his way towards the bathrooms as he let out an annoyed huff, pushing the swinging door open forcefully.

The man came to an immediate stop when he saw Shay and Severide standing at the counter, Bryan having stopped whatever conversation they were having the second he came in. When he met Shay's narrow gaze, he couldn't help but reciprocate it, Walker scoffing as he began walking past them.

"You know, if you could tell Dawson to stop being so dramatic, I'd really appreciate it." He shot, Shay turning her body towards him.

"Excuse me?" She asked incredulously, Walker stopping his path.

"I'm asking you to tell Dawson to get over herself, since I can't. I know I'm not allowed to talk to her, so I can't figure out what her problem is, but the tears are a bit much."

"What are you talking about?" Severide questioned from behind Shay, Walker rolling his eyes.

"Dawson, she's out there crying to Casey in the garage about me being back. I already got suspended, she can cool it. I mean I was gone for a week, wasn't that enough?"

"No, it wasn't enough actually." Severide responded.

"Oh, please."

"You're such a fucking asshole." Shay muttered, Walker narrowing his gaze as he took a step forward.

"What'd you just say?"

"I said you're an asshole." She spoke louder, Walker taking another step towards her.

"Hey, get the fuck away from her." Severide jumped in, pushing him back as he stood between him and Shay, Walker pushing his hand away.

"Look, can all of you just leave me the fuck alone? No one here can ever look at me anymore because of you two, and Dawson. And probably Casey at this point. I'm just trying to do my job, and you're making it nearly impossible."

"Are you seriously blaming us for your corning Dawson while she was in the shower? Are you insane? What they fuck is wrong with you, you bastard, this is no one's fault but you're own!" Shay shouted, pushing Kelly out of the way as she came up to meet Walker. "You caused all this, you're the one who treated Gabby like shit, you're the one who dumped her, and now you're the one who can't let it go. Just leave her alone, get your head out of your ass and realize everything isn't about you!"

She was practically screaming at this point, Severide sure others in the firehouse were hearing the commotion going on inside the bathroom.

"Oh, so you're telling me that little stunt out there with the tears, Gabby wasn't crying because of me?"

"No, she wasn't, in fact it has nothing to do with you so just leave it the fuck alone." Shay snapped. "Contrary to what you believe, not everything that goes on in Dawson's life is about you. This is in no way about you, so just do what you're supposed to do and leave her alone."

Without another word, Shay stormed out of the bathroom, bumping into Walker as she left, leaving the two firefighters by the counter.

"What is she talking about?" Walker asked, his voice much softer than it had been moments prior. "Is something wrong with Dawson?"

Severide let out a scoff, stepping away from the counter as he moved towards the exit.

"Severide, what's going on?" He asked, Kelly shaking his head as he pushed the door open.

"It doesn't concern you Walker, just let it go." Severide responded before heading out the door, leaving a very confused and frustrated Bryan alone in the bathroom.

* * *

Matt tossed his keys in the bowl on the table, shutting the door closed behind him before he walked further into his apartment, being met with nothing but silence in return. He knew Gabby was here, Casey having seen her car in its usual spot outside his apartment, but she wasn't anywhere in sight.

When shift had ended less than an hour ago, Matt quickly came to the decision for them that he would go out and get the tests while Gabby went back to the apartment. After her breakdown in the garage yesterday, things hadn't gotten much better for her. In fact, they had gotten worse, Gabby having a hard time managing her emotions as the weight of everything kept hitting her over and over again.

So by the time shift was done, and Matt saw her tired, red eyes, he told her to go back to his apartment, and he'd get what they needed. He didn't want her having to be out any longer than necessary, and considering the uncomfortable jokes the guy at the cash register was making when Casey went and bought the three different pregnancy tests, it was a good thing she hadn't come. Because if she had, Matt knew the man running his mouth would've either set her off, or had her bursting into tears.

"Gabby?" He called out, walking further into the apartment, heading straight towards his bedroom with the brown bag clutched tightly in his grip. Getting down to the end of the hall, Matt turned the corner into his bedroom, releasing a soft sigh when he saw Gabby laying in the middle of his bed. She was facing the door, her arm wrapped across her stomach as she rested on her side, Matt meeting her eyes as soon as she noticed his presence. "Hey." He greeted gently, stepping further into the room as Gabby sat up on the bed.

"Hi."

"I got the tests." He spoke, handing the bag towards her, Gabby reluctantly taking it from his grasp before she stood up.

"Thanks." She murmured, heading towards his bathroom.

"Should I just wait out here, or… I don't really know what to do." He breathed out, wanting to help her but not knowing how to.

"Just wait out here, I'll be right back." She told him, Matt nodding as he sat himself down on the bed, Gabby disappearing into his bathroom, leaving the door slightly ajar.

It felt like she was in there for an eternity, but that wait was nothing compared to the wait when she had finally come back out, placing all three tests in a line on his dresser before she came to sit beside him. Before she was even completely settled, Matt had his arm around her, pulling her into his side as she placed her head on his shoulder, her hand resting on his thigh.

They still had nearly two minutes left to wait, Matt continuously rubbing his hand over her arm.

"You know… maybe it wouldn't be so bad." He murmured, Gabby waiting for him to continue. "I mean, I know we didn't plan it, but I think having a kid, that would be pretty cool. They'd have some pretty awesome parents, at least." He continued, earning a soft laugh from Gabby as she wiped away some of her tears. "I've always wanted kids, but after awhile I just thought it wasn't meant to happen for me, but this… who knows, maybe this could be the best thing to ever happen to us. Obviously, this probably isn't the ideal time, but maybe it was meant to happen this way."

"Yeah, maybe." She murmured, sniffling as a slight smile pulled at her lips.

"I know this is a lot, and it'll be hard, but if you are pregnant… I don't know, it could end up being really great." He nearly whispered, his words soothing her as she held onto him tighter. "And we'd have one hell of a kid."

"Yeah, we would." She responded, squeezing his thigh gently as he continued running his hand over her arm.

The sound of the alarm on her phone going off startled them both, Gabby taking a deep breath as she pulled herself from Matt's embrace, both of them standing up from the bed. Without a word, they walked to his dresser, Gabby's unsteady hands reaching out to grab the tests.

Matt tried to get a read on her, but the blank look on her face didn't tell him much as she stared at the tests for what felt like forever, before she slowly lifted her head up, Matt waiting for her to give him some sort of answer.

"I'm not pregnant."

Casey released a heavy, shaky breath as Gabby blinking furiously, her eyes moving back and forth from him to the tests in her hands, her vision blurry.

"I'm not.. I'm not pregnant." She repeated, more to herself than to him, Matt carefully grabbing one of the tests from her, needing to see for himself.

Another unsteady breath fell from his lips, Matt watching her hands begin to shake as she held onto the tests with a death grip. Carefully, he pried them from her hands, Gabby's breathing becoming labored as he placed them back on the dresser.

"Gabby…"

Her breath caught in her throat as she slowly lifted her head, Matt placing his hands on her shoulders as her breaths became shallow. He had no idea what was going on in her head, or why she was so upset, but the reasons didn't matter when she broke down into tears for the second time in less than a day, Matt figuring the high emotions of the last twenty four hours finally caught up to her. Without a thought, he pulled her into his arms, cradling her body against his as they stood in his bedroom, the only sound in the room being Gabby's cries, while Matt did what he could to comfort her.

* * *

**Well, what are we thinking? Gabby's not pregnant, and that news seemed to bring a bunch of different emotions out of the both of them. We'll have to wait and see what this means for them moving forward.**

**In other news, Walker's back and he's still an asshole. Some things never change. But is he an asshole who will leave Gabby alone? Well, again, we'll have to wait and see.**

**Thank you all so much for all the love on the last chapter, it means so much to me. I hope you guys enjoyed this one as well, I can't wait to hear your thoughts. Thanks for reading!**


	31. Chapter Thirty One

**Hello hello hello everyone. Thank you all for your patience with this one, I'm sorry for no second update last week. I had literally written 15 pages of this chapter (my chapters usually end up around 20-23 pages) when I decided to scrap the entire thing and start over. The way I was taking it… I just wasn't feeling it, and I felt like it needed to be re-done. I'm glad I did it, I like this chapter much more than my first one, but I am sorry for the delay.**

**I wish I had a happy chapter for you guys to make it up to you, but I don't… I'm sorry for that.**

**But I still hope you guys enjoy this one. Happy reading.**

**P.S. the next update on this story will not be until next Monday. I've got a busy week ahead, and I already know I won't have time get a chapter up on Thursday, so I just wanted to go ahead and let you know.**

* * *

**THIRTY ONE**

* * *

"I'm not… I'm not pregnant."

His eyebrows furrowed as she repeated the words, Matt taking in her demeanor, his confusion only growing when he saw the tears forming in her eyes, and how her hands began to shake. He wasn't sure what was going through her head, but she looked… upset. And he wasn't sure why.

"Gabby…" He murmured, but it was like she didn't hear him, Matt carefully taking the remaining pregnancy tests from her hands and placing them on the dresser. His hands moved to her shoulders as she lifted her head, his frown deepening when he saw tears threatening to spill over.

He wasn't sure what was happening, he didn't know why she looked so upset, but she did. Matt didn't understand, all he knew was that neither of them necessarily wanted this baby. This wasn't planned, and based on how Gabby had been acting the last day and a half, he figured this should've been good news.

But if it was good news, he didn't know why tears had started to stream down her face. He didn't know why her shoulders began to shake, or why her breathing became shallow. And he didn't know why her tears soon turned into heavy cries.

Without a second thought, Matt pulled her into his arms, holding her to his chest as tightly as he could. She didn't fight it as Casey wrapped his arms around her back, Gabby slowly bringing her hands up to his waist, holding onto him as she broke down.

"It's okay." He murmured, moving his hand up to the back of her head, cradling her into his neck as he felt her tears hitting his skin. "It's alright."

Running his hand along her back, Casey continued to whisper comforting words in her ear as she cried, Matt not knowing what else to do. They needed to talk, he needed to know what was going on in her head, but right now that wasn't possible, not when she could barely breathe, let alone speak. But there was clearly a lot going on in her head right now, a lot he couldn't understand until she talked to him.

Slowly, he felt her beginning to calm down, her cries getting quieter, her body's shaking turning into trembling as she held onto him. But suddenly, he felt her grip on him loosen, Gabby pulling away from him without warning, almost reacting like his touch burned her by how quickly she backed away.

"Gabby…" He spoke carefully, watching as she turned her back to him, taking a few steps to distance herself as she faced the bed. He took a slight step closer to her, not wanting to push her, but something was clearly going on, and he wanted to help her. He wanted to understand.

"I, uh- I'm gonna go." She murmured, frantically wiping under her eyes, Matt's head tilting to the side in confusion.

"Gabby-"

"I'm gonna go home, I need to just- I need to go." She rambled, blinking quickly before she turned to face him, her eyes darting around to avoid his gaze. "I need to go home."

Gabby began walking towards the door, but Matt stopped her, blocking her path and gently grabbing her arms. "Wait, Gabby- Talk to me, what's going on?" He tried, but Gabby shook her head.

"It's nothing-" Her breath caught in her throat, Gabby shaking her head as she slid out of his grasp yet again. "I'm fine, I just… I'm gonna go home."

"You don't need to leave." He spoke, Gabby's steps slowing as she got to the door. "Whatever's going on, we don't have to discuss it right now… I know this has been a lot, the last day. We don't have to talk about it now, but you don't need to leave." He tried again, but her could feel her slipping away, and he couldn't stop her.

"I'm fine, Matt." She replied, plastering a fake smile on her face. It wasn't Gabby's smile, and he knew it. Even if he just saw that smile without knowing what was going on, he'd know she was upset just by the look on her face. And the tears still sitting in her eyes weren't helping things either. "I'm just… like you said, this has all been a lot, I'm sorry for… that." She spoke with a grimace, Matt knowing she was alluding to the breakdown she'd just had, Matt shaking his head, wanting to tell her it was okay but she kept talking before he could. "But I'm fine, I promise. I, uh- I'm glad that- that the tests were negative, we dodged a bullet there." She spoke, trying to keep her voice light, Matt's eyebrows furrowing as the frown stayed permanently etched into his face. "I'll see you later, Matt."

And with that, she was gone, Matt drawing in a deep breath as he listened to her leave his apartment, Casey not making a move until he heard the front door shut.

He was completely stunned, Matt still not entirely sure he had grasped what just happened.

This should've been good news, it should've been a relief, but Gabby's reaction was the exact opposite of that. And he didn't understand why.

Despite him hoping that they weren't pregnant, he had prepared himself for those tests coming back positive. With Gabby's symptoms, a pregnancy made sense. So he had prepared himself for them to be having a baby, and he wasn't sure if Gabby had done the same thing. He meant what he told her, they would've figured it out, and they would've been fine. But when those tests were negative, he felt nothing but relief.

But the same couldn't be said for Gabby, and he wanted to know why.

He knew he'd never be able to fully understand what all was going on in her head, but he wanted to try. He wanted to try and help if he could, but that would be impossible if she ran away every time he tried to talk to her. She had reverted back into the same thing she used to do when they first met, and he hated it, because he thought they were past that. He thought they were in a different place now than they were then, but apparently they hadn't made as much progress as he thought, if they'd made any at all.

He wasn't sure if part of her had wanted this child, or if she'd come to terms with it to the point that she'd just expected to be pregnant, and that had caused her reaction. But whatever it was, whatever the reason for her reaction, he wouldn't judge her for it. If she wanted this baby, that was a discussion they needed to have, but he just wanted to know what was going on. He couldn't help if she kept shutting him out.

If he couldn't get her to talk to him, he wasn't sure there was anything he could do.

* * *

Gabby haphazardly strapped her shift bag over her shoulder as she stood on the sidewalk, double checking to make sure she'd locked her car before slowly walking up the path towards the firehouse, trying to mentally prepare herself for the long twenty-four hours ahead. As she walked along the concrete, she caught a glimpse of some of her coworkers, Gabby keeping her head down towards the pavement as she walked to the garage, not wanting to invite any conversation if she could help it.

When she caught sight of a familiar blonde walking in with her roommate, Gabby picked up her pace, wanting to get somewhere with other people before her partner could catch up to her, Dawson knowing that the second Shay saw her, she'd immediately want to talk. And Gabby couldn't handle that right now.

Moving through the hallways skillfully, Gabby soon got to the locker room, flashing weak smiles to anyone she happened to walk past along the way, continuing her quick pace as to not invite any possible conversation. Things had been hard enough for her the last two days, and after another restless night last night, she wasn't really in the mood for chit chat.

With her head down, she made her way to her locker, quickly putting her things away, giving short greetings to anyone who spoke to her before she made her way through the locker room towards the bathroom, wanting to kill more time before she went out into the firehouse. She knew once shift officially started, she could spend mosts of her time out in the rig, but she knew she wouldn't be able to go and hide out in the ambulance until after second shift's morning meetings, so for now the bathroom would do.

Standing at the sink, Gabby looked at herself in the mirror for a second, grimacing as she took in the sight of the tired woman staring back at her. Anyone who saw her for more than a second would be able to see how exhausted the paramedic was, Gabby not doing much of anything to hide the dark circles under her eyes, accompanied by the prominent bags there, her usually bright eyes now dull, barely showing much sign of life.

In the past forty eight hours, she'd barely gotten any sleep, and her body was definitely paying the price for that.

Since leaving Casey's apartment the other morning, she hadn't spoken to him, or Shay, or anyone. He'd reached out, he'd tried to call her and text her, as well as showing up at Antonio's apartment once yesterday; but each time she ignored him. And she ignored Shay's calls as well.

A lone voicemail from her partner told Gabby that the paramedic knew about what happened, that she wasn't pregnant, and Gabby could only assume Shay had found that out from Casey after Dawson ignored her first few calls. And there had been a few calls and texts from her friend since then, but she didn't answer them. She didn't want to talk to her, she didn't want to talk to anyone.

But she knew she wouldn't be able to get away with that for much longer. Casey had been persistent these last few days, and she knew that would only continue on shift. He meant well, she knew he did, but she didn't want to talk about it right now. She didn't know if she _could_ talk about it right now, or ever. And she wasn't sure if Matt would understand that.

Glancing down at her watch, she saw it was almost officially time for shift change, Gabby making sure the back of her shirt was tucked in as she moved towards the exit. Just as she was about to push the door open, it began moving out towards her, Gabby stepping out of the way quickly as to not get hit by whoever was coming in, the person obviously unaware of her presence.

Her eyes widened slightly when she saw who was on the other side of the door, the firefighter matching her expression instantly, Casey stopping halfway through the doorway when he noticed her.

Neither of them knew what to say, Gabby blinking quickly as her eyes darted around, Matt keeping his gaze trained on her, the Lieutenant taking a deep breath.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were there." He eventually spoke up, Gabby meeting his eyes.

"It's fine, Casey." She murmured, Matt's eyebrows furrowing at her use of his last name, the firefighter's eyes trailing over her tired face, his concern only growing when he saw her exhausted demeanor.

"Gabby-"

"I gotta get out there." She cut him off, Matt's jaw tightening before he reluctantly nodded, the Lieutenant clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth before he stepped out of the way, Gabby slipping out of the bathroom without another word.

Doing what she could to push all thoughts of Casey out of her head, she walked the short distance to the conference room, swallowing the lump in her throat as she walked inside, seeing most of second shift already in there. With her eyes bouncing around the room, Gabby unintentionally met Walker's gaze, the man staring at her intently even though she quickly looked away. Seeing an open table across the room, Dawson stepped inside, moving to the empty table in the corner, placing herself down in the seat, clasping her hands together in her lap as she waited for Boden.

As the remaining few firefighters began flooding into the room, Gabby looked up to see Shay and Casey walk in together, the two wearing equally concerned looks as they spoke in hushed tones. She knew what they were talking about, or rather who they were talking about; they were talking about her. And her suspicions were proved correct when they immediately halted their conversation once they saw Dawson's eyes on them.

With a quick reassuring squeeze on his shoulder, Shay broke away from Casey, the paramedic walking towards her partner while Casey made his way to the back wall, taking up his usual position beside Severide.

Gabby focused her attention on her hands resting on the table as Shay came over to her, the blonde sitting down in the chair beside Dawson without saying anything. Gabby could feel her friend's gaze on her, Shay clearly thinking over her words before speaking up.

"Look, I know you don't want to talk." She started, her voice low, not wanting to attract the attention of anyone else in the room. "And I'll respect that… But I just need to know that you're okay."

Gabby lifted her head, looking towards her friend, finding a soft, reassuring smile waiting for her, Dawson biting down on the inside of her cheek as she responded with a slow nod.

"I'm good." She promised, Shay's worried eyes tracing over her friend's face before nodding.

"Alright, good." Shay responded simply, patting Gabby's arm just as Boden walked into the room, everyone giving the man their complete attention.

* * *

"I'm gonna go get some food, do you want anything?" Shay asked as she turned the rig off, Gabby shaking her head before the blonde stepped out of the ambulance, the pair having just returned to 51 after their first call of the day.

"No, I'm okay. I'm gonna get started on inventory." She replied, Shay giving her a knowing look before nodding. The blonde knew Gabby was avoiding the firehouse, or more accurately she was avoiding one person inside the firehouse. And while Shay didn't really agree with the way Gabby was handling this, she didn't question it. Dawson was clearly struggling, and even though she didn't understand why, Shay wouldn't do anything to make that worse.

"Alright, I won't be long."

"Take your time, it's fine." Dawson assured her, Shay giving her another nod before shutting her door, heading through the garage.

Once she was alone, Gabby blew out a heavy breath, leaning up off her seat slightly to pull her radio off her body, placing the item on the dashboard. Leaning forward, her elbows rested on her legs as her head fell into her hands, Dawson taking slow breaths as she took a moment to herself.

It was days like these she wished the house was busier than they were. It was lunch time, and 61 had only been called out once, while 81 and squad 3 hadn't been called out at all. It was unusual, and Gabby couldn't help but wonder what the universe was trying to tell her; a day where she was doing all she could to avoid certain people and certain conversations, she was not getting any help at all.

It wasn't that she wanted to avoid Matt, she truly didn't, but she didn't know how to explain what was going on in her head. She wasn't even sure what was going on, and she didn't know how to tell him that. But instead of just talking to him, she was avoiding it.

She hated that she did this, she wished she could just confront things head on, but it was hard to do that when she'd been forced to do otherwise the last three years. She wished she didn't shy away from these types of conversations, she didn't used to. She didn't used to run away when things got hard, but it was a defense mechanism that had been ingrained in her since things with Bryan started to go south, and it was hard to break the habit now.

She just didn't know how to explain any of that to Matt.

Gabby knew he had to have been frustrated, and probably confused, about her radio silence, and she couldn't blame him. She knew she needed to talk to him, that they needed to talk, but this went so much deeper than that negative pregnancy test, deeper into feelings she'd locked away long ago, feelings she still hadn't dealt with and that she didn't necessarily completely understand. And she wasn't sure she could face all that again.

Soft tapping on her window pulled Gabby from her thoughts, Dawson lifting her head up to find Casey standing on the other side of the door. She saw the frown already present on his face deepen when he took in her appearance, Gabby blowing out a heavy breath before she began opening the door, Matt stepping out of the way to give her room to get out.

There was an uncomfortable feeling in the air around them, Gabby leaning her body weight into the ambulance once she'd settled her feet on the ground, Matt keeping some space between them, his hands shoved into his pockets as his eyes traced over her body, getting his first good look at her in a couple days.

"You haven't been answering my calls." He spoke softly, Gabby blinking quickly as she glanced to the ground, her arms crossed over her chest. Her tongue poked out between her teeth, wetting her dry lips as she tried to figure out how to respond, suddenly feeling very vulnerable under his stare.

"Yeah, I uh… I'm sorry, I've just been…" Her voice trailed off, Gabby unsure of what to say as she shrugged her shoulders, refusing to look him in the eye.

Matt's face softened when he saw her clear hesitation, Casey releasing a heavy breath as he took a step towards her. "What's going on, Gabby?" His voice was barely audible, Gabby forcing herself to look up once she heard the slight desperation in his words. When she didn't say anything, Casey continued speaking, wringing his hands together in front of his body. "I just… I know you're ignoring me, but I don't know why. I want to help you, whatever caused you to…" He trailed off, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip roughly. "Whatever's going on, I want to understand, I want to help, but I can't if you won't talk to me."

Casey took a few deep breaths after he finished his thought, rambling out everything he'd been thinking over the last forty eight hours, Matt keeping his eyes locked on her while they stood in complete silence, his words hanging thickly in the air between them.

"I'm not ignoring you." She eventually spoke up, Casey responding with an unimpressed look as he mimicked her stance, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Gabby-"

"Okay, maybe I was… But it's just cause there's nothing to talk about." She breathed out, Matt's eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "I'm fine, there's nothing to discuss."

"You're not fine." He responded immediately, shaking his head as Gabby tightened her jaw. "You're obviously not fine, and that's okay. You don't have to be, but I just want to understand… I thought this was a good thing." He continued, glancing around before taking another step forward, his voice dropping. "I thought you not being pregnant was what you wanted…"

"Matt…"

"Is that what this is?" He questioned before she could say anything else, Gabby cocking her head to the side. "Are you upset because you're_ not_ pregnant?"

Her eyes widened the second the words left his lips, a look of near disbelief covering her face as he watched her with sympathetic eyes. "What?" She asked, a soft scoff escaping her lips. "Are you serious? You really think I wanted to be pregnant?"

"Well what exactly am I supposed to think?" He questioned back, seeing Gabby's defenses rising as she straightened her spine. "You were upset about just the thought of being pregnant, but then the second we found out you weren't, you broke down and then bolted." He continued, his words coming out stronger than he intended, Gabby's eyes narrowing slightly. "Now you won't talk to me, you'll barely look at me, what else am I supposed to think?" Matt breathed out, running his hand over his mouth, shaking his head slightly. "I just want to understand, Gabby. I want to know what happened. You were upset the second that test was negative, and I don't know why."

"Why does it matter?" She fired back, her mouth moving before she even really processed his words, seeing Matt visibly deflate as a look of what she could only describe to be annoyance covered his face.

"Not this again…" He muttered, Gabby's glare focusing on him as she pushed herself off the ambulance.

"Excuse me?" She questioned, anger beginning to flood her body as she registered his reaction.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do all this with you again, Gabby. I can't…"

"So don't." She replied sharply, Matt's eyes falling closed for a split second as he tried to keep himself calm. He knew what she was doing, it was the exact same thing she'd done from the moment they met, but he was really getting tired of it. "You've made it very clear, we're not together. And you didn't knock me up, so you have no obligation to me anymore. You have no reason to try and fix this."

"Can you stop? Just please stop!" He pleaded almost immediately, his voice raising as he spoke, Gabby clenching her throat tightly. "Please stop doing this."

"Stop doing what?" She asked roughly, clearing the emotion from her voice.

"Pushing me away!" He replied without hesitation, Gabby wincing slightly at the force of his voice, Dawson hearing his clear frustration. "Time and time again, I do everything I can to show you that I'm here for you, and every single fucking time you push me away."

"That's not true." She was quick to defend herself, Casey shaking his head slowly.

"Yes, it is… It's been that way since we started this thing. You shut down when things get hard, and I'm guessing it's probably been that way for awhile… with everything you went through with Walker," Gabby's entire body went rigid when he mentioned Bryan, but she said nothing, Matt continuing on, "And I don't know if that's what this is, but you don't trust me… And I don't know what else I can do to show you I'm here. Because me telling you over and over doesn't seem to do any good. You don't believe me no matter how many times I tell you." He breathed out in frustration, Gabby blinking back the few tears forming in her eyes.

"I know you're here for me, Matt." She responded after a few seconds, her voice soft as she tried to keep it together. "I get that, but you and I, we're not together." Gabby saw something flash in his eyes as the words left her lips, but she continued on. "You're not my boyfriend, so you don't need to constantly try and fix everything. I appreciate you wanting to look out for me, or whatever, but if we're not together, you don't need to…" She continued, Matt scoffing lightly as he shook his head. "It has nothing to do with me not trusting you, it's just that this isn't about you. I'm fine."

"Clearly." He muttered, Gabby's eyes returning back to her previous glare, Matt blowing out a sharp breath between his teeth. "I'm sorry, but that's bullshit and we both know it." He replied bitterly, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek roughly. "This is about me, this does involve me. You breaking down, sobbing when we found out you weren't pregnant, that doesn't sound very fine to me." The words left his lips before he could catch up with his brain, Gabby drawing in a shaky breath as her teeth clenched together tightly.

"...Weren't you the one who told me you'd never use how I felt against me?" She asked softly, her eyes glassy as Matt released a heavy sigh, the firefighter rubbing over his forehead tiredly.

"Is that really what you think I'm doing?" He questioned back, Gabby not giving much as a reaction. "After all this, after everything between us, that's what you think is happening? That I'm just trying to figure out how you're doing to… what? Use it against you?" He asked, Gabby swallowing thickly as Matt met her eyes. "Why would I ever do that? You know I wouldn't do that to you."

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time." She responded quietly, Matt's eyes falling closed as he let out a deep breath, Casey furrowing his eyebrows before he opened his eyes again.

"So that _is_ what this is about… It's because of him." He responded knowingly, Gabby clenching her neck as her eyes darted away from him. "You don't trust me because of him."

"I do trust you." She replied, but her voice was unsteady, Matt shaking his head as he took a slight step backwards.

"No you don't… You never have." He spoke immediately, Gabby breathing deeply. "And I don't think you can."

His words stunned her, Gabby's eyes widening slightly as Matt shook his head. "That's not true." She responded quickly, doing what she could to keep herself composed. "I do trust you, Matt. I just- I don't need you to always jump in and take care of me." She tried to explain, Casey's face unreadable. "Yeah, I know I was upset, but I'm a big girl. I can handle myself." She finished, Matt letting out a quiet scoff.

"Which is why every time you're upset, you end up in my bed."

Gabby's eyes widened in shock as his words hit her ears, Dawson seeing the immediate regret that covered his face when he realized what he said, like he himself hadn't even registered it until after the words left his lips. Matt's eyes fell closed, a slight grimace covering his face as he shook his head, Gabby feeling like she'd just gotten smacked across the face.

"Gabby…"

Shaking her head, Dawson stepped away from the ambulance, turning to walk towards the firehouse, needing to get away from him. But she barely took a step before she felt him grab ahold of her arm, the firefighter trying to stop her. His touch was light, she could barely feel it, Matt only holding on enough to keep her in place.

"Wait, Gabby, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that, I just-"

"Let me go, Matt."

The second those words left her lips, Casey dropped his hand from her arm, taking a step away from her. Without another word, she kept walking, Matt moving towards the ambulance as he released a heavy breath of frustration, slamming his hand against the side of the rig.

He never should've said that, it wasn't fair to her and he knew it. He was just so frustrated because it felt like he could never get through to her, he could never get her to believe him and the words just slipped out.

But now the problem was he'd given her a reason not to believe him. Because he'd done the one thing he swore he never would, the one thing she'd just wrongly accused him of.

He used her own feelings against her. And now she had no reason to trust him.

* * *

"God Kelly, if you take my food one more time." Shay chastised, smacking her best friend's hand as he reached for more of the crackers on her plate, Kelly rolling his eyes before tossing the food into his mouth. "Just get your own damn food, I swear."

"No." He replied with his mouth full, grabbing another cracker off her plate.

"I swear to God." She replied angrily, smacking the back of his head, her actions earning a chuckle from the firefighter.

She was about to yell at him again when one of the doors opened from the garage, everyone turning in surprise when it slammed against the wall, no one expecting the source of anger to be coming from Dawson as the paramedic stormed inside, turning the corner without another word.

"Oh no." Shay breathed out, sliding her plate in front of Kelly, everyone else in the room glancing around to one another, unsure of what just happened.

"Uh…" Herrmann spoke up first, turning to look back towards Shay. "Does anyone know what that was about?"

Severide shook his head, even though he knew at least part of it, the Lieutenant's gaze quickly finding Walker's, confusion filling Kelly's body when he saw the almost concerned look in Bryan's eyes. But he quickly moved on from it when Shay got up beside him, Severide looking up towards his best friend.

"I got her." Shay murmured, Kelly nodding before he turned his attention back to Shay's lunch that was now his, Severide taking a bite of her sandwich. The blonde paramedic left the room without another word, ignoring all the stares on her as she turned the corner, beginning the walk down the hallway, going in search of her partner.

"Severide." Herrmann spoke up, the firefighter looking up towards the older man, finding an expectant gaze waiting for him.

"What?" He questioned after swallowing his food, Herrmann glancing back towards the hallway before returning his gaze to Kelly.

"What's going on with Dawson?"

"She's fine." Kelly replied lamely, Herrmann narrowing his eyes.

"She doesn't seem fine… She's been acting a little off lately." He pressed, his gaze flickering towards Walker before looking back to Kelly.

"I don't know what you want me to tell you, she's fine. It's nothing you need to worry about." Severide spoke, effectively ending anymore questioning as he went back to his newspaper, taking another bite of the food in front of him.

Further inside the house, Shay was still in search of Dawson, having not found her friend inside the bunk room or in the bathroom. But when the blonde made her way into the locker room, she quickly found who she was looking for, seeing Dawson hunched over on the bench, her head resting in her hands, unaware of her best friends presence.

Taking a step closer, Shay sat down next to Dawson, the movement causing Gabby's head to snap up. A frown immediately covered Shay's face when she saw the tears sitting in Dawson's eyes, Gabby blinking furiously to try and compose herself, but she dropped the facade when realized it was only her partner.

"Hey." Gabby spoke quietly, sniffling softly as she ran her hands over her legs, moving her gaze forward.

"What happened?" She asked softly, rubbing her hand gently over Gabby's back, Dawson shrugging slightly. "I know you haven't really wanted to talk, but I know you're having a hard time, Gabs… What happened out there with Matt?" Shay had seen Casey go out into the garage while she was making her lunch, and while at the time she was glad they were going to talk, it seemed like that conversation didn't go too well. And if she couldn't get Gabby to talk to her about everything with the pregnancy test, she could at least try to get her to talk about Casey.

"I don't even know… Casey tried to talk to me, and I just- I couldn't deal with it, and we both said things and… Everything is just such a mess. This pregnancy scare ruined everything and now I don't know what to do." She breathed out, her voice shaky as she leaned forward, resting her head in her hands.

"Okay…" Shay replied carefully, running her tongue along her bottom lip as she tried to figure out where to start. "What did he say?"

"What?"

"I know you said that both of you said things, but he obviously said something that has you this upset… What'd he say?"

"It doesn't matter." Gabby replied quickly, shaking her head. "It's just exactly what I knew would happen, why I knew I couldn't tell him how I feel… because it always ends the same." The blondes eyebrows furrowed as she heard Dawson's words, confusion filling her body.

"Okay honey, you gotta give me more here, I don't know what you mean."

"He… He was mad because he doesn't think I trust him, but I do. It's just that I don't always need him to jump in and fix everything. But he doesn't get that, or he doesn't see it that way or whatever, and we were going back and forth… I said how I was fine, how I can handle myself, and he basically said that was a lie because every time I'm upset I end up in his bed."

Shay pursed her lips together, taking a deep breath as she thought over Gabby's words. Obviously, she didn't hear the entire conversation, she didn't hear what all was said, but she knew Dawson wouldn't lie about that. And for Casey to actually say that to her, she could only imagine how frustrated he was.

"Well… I'm not gonna excuse that, he shouldn't have said that to you, and I'm gonna kick his ass for it… but I think the basis of what he was saying, or what he was trying to say… there might be some truth to it."

Dawson looked up slowly, Shay shooting her a sympathetic look.

"I'm sorry honey. He shouldn't have said that, but it seems to me like you're wanting it both ways… Because you do go to him when you need help, which you should. I'm glad you have that, I'm glad you have him. But then you go and tell him that you don't need him to help you through things, what exactly is he supposed to think?" Gabby's eyes fell closed as she listened to her friend talk, Shay continuously rubbing Dawson's back. "Obviously, you can handle yourself. Everyone here knows that. But when you can't, you've gone to Casey, at least lately. There's nothing wrong with that, and it doesn't excuse what he said, but you can't pick and choose when he's allowed to worry about you… especially when it's about something like this. I mean, if there's ever a time for him to be worried, it's when you break down after finding out you're not pregnant…"

Gabby remained silent as she thought over her friend's words, Shay giving her a second to digest everything as they sat there quietly, Dawson looking straight ahead to the lockers in front of her.

"...I know he's right." She breathed out, shaking her head as she clenched her jaw. "I keep him at arm's length, I know I do, I just-..."

"You love him and you're scared." Shay supplemented, Gabby bringing her hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache creeping up into her system. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine.. Just a headache." She breathed out, Shay shaking her head as she angled her body towards her friend.

"Did you ever go to the doctor? Figure out what was causing all your symptoms?" The blonde shifted the subject momentarily, Gabby giving her a nod.

"I went yesterday."

"And?"

"I'm definitely not pregnant." She replied, Shay nodding slowly. "And I'm not sick, either. My guess is just stress, from everything with Bryan…" Gabby trailed off, shrugging softly. "But yeah, I'm fine… Now if only I could get some sleep."

"Well, fixing things with Casey could probably help that." Shay responded, Gabby blowing out a breath between her teeth, shaking her head.

"Shay…" Gabby started, the blonde shooting her a knowing look.

"I'm sorry, but it's true Dawson. This thing you and Casey are doing, it's not fair to either of you… And you know that. You all need to talk. Actually talk. Not him trying to talk and you shutting him out." She tried, Gabby remaining silent. "But if you won't… Look, Dawson, I've been holding off on saying this because I know you're trying to figure things out, and I know how much you like him and want to be with him, but I think it's time you either tell him how you feel, or you end this." Gabby's head snapped up at Shay's words, not expecting to hear that from her partner. "I know you love him, but if _he_ doesn't know that… this entire thing just keeps hurting you both. And pretty soon, words are gonna be said that can't be taken back... I love the both of you, I want you both to be happy, and I believe you two make each other happy. You know how I feel about you talking to him about everything… There's only so many times I can give you the same speech, I think you need to talk to him and you know that... But if you won't, or you can't, maybe it's best to just end this. Because you two are only gonna keep on getting hurt."

Dawson took a deep breath, rubbing her hand over the side of her face before she glanced towards the blonde, seeing a sympathetic look shining in her eyes. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Gabby nodded, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "Yeah… maybe you're right." She breathed out, straightening out her back. "Maybe Matt and I- maybe this isn't such a good idea anymore."

Shay remained silent, dropping her hand from Gabby's back, bringing her arm back towards her lap, releasing a soft sigh. "If that's what you want, or what you think is best, then fine… But I don't want you to regret it… I don't want you to regret giving up something with Matt because you're scared."

"Didn't you just say I needed to make a decision about this?" She questioned, cocking her head to the side. "Well, there you go, there's my decision."

"Yeah, but you made the wrong one... Or you're at least making it for the wrong reasons." Shay responded shortly, pushing herself up from the bench. "Look, if you really think it's best to end things, okay. But I know you Gabby, and whatever decision you make, I want you to do it for the right reasons, and right now I don't think you are."

Before Dawson could get another word in, the bells run out, signaling the entire house to an apartment fire, Shay blowing out a heavy breath as Gabby stood up, the paramedics beginning to head for the garage.

"You know I'll support you, Gabby. You know that… But just, don't do anything while you're upset, or angry at Matt, because I think you'll regret it."

Dawson merely nodded, knowing now wasn't the time for them to continue this conversation, and quite frankly she wasn't sure it was a conversation she wanted to continue anyway. She knew what Shay was trying to do. When she brought up the idea of her ending things with Matt, she knew the blonde was hoping to put things into perspective, and cause Gabby to realize she didn't want that. But if the last few days were any indication, Gabby couldn't help but think it might not be the worst thing in the world.

The way her and Matt started things, she was starting to realize it was never a matter of _if _things would crash and burn, it was always a matter of _when_.

And maybe that time had finally come.

* * *

Gabby wiped down the top of the bar while Herrmann stood a few feet to her left, serving the small group of customers who needed refills, Dawson lost in her thoughts as she moved her towel over the same spot repeatedly. It had been a relatively slow night at Molly's, Gabby still fighting off the same headache she'd had for days. Shift had been tiring, and without being able to get much rest last night, or this afternoon before she came to work, the last thing she really wanted to do right now was be here, but she didn't really have much of a choice.

"Hey kid, you okay?" Herrmann spoke, Gabby not hearing him as she continued moving the rag against the bar top, her eyes focused forward. "Dawson."

Gabby looked up quickly when she registered her last name, finding the older man watching her closely as she turned her head towards him, his eyebrows raised as he gained Dawson's attention.

"Did you hear me?" He asked when she hadn't said anything, Gabby shaking her head slowly. "I asked if you were okay…"

"Oh yeah, I'm good, Herrmann." She responded a little too quickly, flashing him a weak smile, one that he definitely didn't buy. "Just a little worn out, but I'm fine."

Herrmann kept his eyes on her for a moment, before ultimately nodding. He had been worried about the paramedic a lot recently, ever since whatever incident that happened with Walker, he'd been doing what he could to keep a close eye on her, and by doing that he'd only continued to notice how defeated she seemed lately. She would have good days and bad days, but from what he'd seen, there had been more bad lately. And then her behavior on shift yesterday left him more worried than ever.

He knew there was something going on with her, but it wasn't his place to pry. All he could do was try and make her life a little easier.

"Do you wanna get out of here?" He offered, Dawson glancing back towards him. "We're not too busy, I'm fine to finish out the night on my own. You look like you could use some rest."

"Such a sweet talker, Herrmann." She joked softly, the firefighter shaking his head as he let out a low chuckle.

"That's not what I meant, I can just tell you're tired." He clarified, Gabby nodding as she gave him another smile. This one was a lot smaller, but he could tell it seemed more genuine than the first.

"No, that's okay, I'm fine." She responded softly, Herrmann keeping a close eye on her as he nodded. "Like you said, we're not too busy, I don't mind staying."

"Alright kid, well if that changes just let me know." He told her, Gabby giving him another nod before he began walking further down the bar, going to check on one of the few patrons enjoying a drink tonight.

After sparing a glance around the sparse room, Gabby turned her back to the bar, making herself busy as she fixed some of the bar glasses, trying to do whatever she could to make time move faster. The sound of bar door opening caught Dawson's attention, Gabby placing the glass in her hand down before wiping her palms against her pants, mentally preparing herself to deal with whatever customer had just come through the door.

Turning around, her eyes flickered towards the door quickly before glancing back down to the bar, not really paying much attention to who had come through the door. But her brain soon caught up to her eyes, Gabby swallowing the lump in her throat when she registered exactly who had just walked in, Dawson slowly lifting her gaze to see him coming towards her.

Casey walked up to the bar with a pensive look covering his face, his eyes flickering down the bar, taking in the sight of Herrmann tending to some customers before he looked back to Gabby, seeing her body visibly straighten as they locked eyes. Matt slowed his steps when he got closer, Gabby drawing in a deep breath as he placed his hands against the counter, neither of them dropping the other's gaze.

"Hey." He murmured, Gabby giving him a slow nod as she bit down on the inside of her cheek.

"Hi." She responded softly, blinking furiously before dropping his gaze, her eyes moving down towards the bar top.

Matt's eyes bounced around the room, seeing how it was practically empty, Casey catching Herrmann's gaze before he looked back to Gabby. "Can we, uh… I need to talk to you."

Gabby's eyes widened slightly, the paramedic sensing Herrmann approaching them as he moved towards her behind the bar.

"I'm working, Casey." She nearly whispered, Matt's eyes narrowing slightly.

"Hey there, Lieutenant." Herrmann greeted, effectively ending their conversation as Matt flashed him a warm smile.

"Hey Herrmann." He replied, the older firefighter glancing back and forth between the two.

"I wasn't expecting you here tonight, can I get you something to drink?"

"No, uh, I'm not here for that. I'm actually here cause I need to speak with Dawson." Gabby narrowed her eyes at him the second the words left his lips, Matt holding his firm stare on her. "Do you mind if I borrow her for a second?"

"No, no of course not." Herrmann responded slowly, sensing the uneasiness between the two as they stared at one another. "We're not very busy, I got it covered."

"Thanks Herrmann." Casey spoke, his eyes flickering towards the firefighter before looking back to Gabby, seeing the unimpressed look covering her face. "We need to talk." He spoke again, Gabby releasing a heavy breath as she tossed her towel down on the bar top.

Without a word, Gabby nodded towards the back, silently signaling him to head to the stock room. Understanding her meaning, Casey pushed himself off the bar, beginning to walk that way, Gabby following his lead as she walked towards the back, flashing Herrmann a tight smile as she passed him.

"I'm sorry, this shouldn't take long."

"It's fine, kid. Take all the time you need." He told her, Gabby nodding before she continued towards the door to the back, seeing it still swinging slightly from Casey having walked through it. Her steps slowed when she got closer, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before she pushed the door open, finding him standing just inside the room, his eyes already on her.

"Was all that really necessary?" She asked, letting the door fall closed behind her, Matt scoffing lightly.

"Was all what necessary? Me asking you to talk?"

"Not asking me to talk, but _how_ you asked me. You didn't need to broadcast it to Herrmann." She challenged, Casey not bothering to stifle his eye roll as Gabby narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest defensively.

"I'm pretty sure he would've seen me come back here, there's like five people out there." He responded quickly, Gabby's glare zeroing in on him, Casey blowing out a heavy sigh as he shook his head, bringing his hand up to run over the side of his face. "I didn't really come here to fight with you again…"

"Then why are you here?" She asked quickly, keeping the distance between them as she moved towards the back, turning around to face him once there was a few feet in between them.

"You know why I'm here, Gabby." He responded with a pointed stare, Gabby biting down roughly on her tongue. "I'm here to talk, because we need to talk… And I need to apologize." He continued, clearing his throat as he took a slight step towards her. "That conversation earlier, that is not how I wanted it to go.. I just got frustrated, but what I said to you, that was wrong and I'm sorry." He breathed out, shaking his head. "I meant what I told you… I want you to be able to trust me, but I know I did the exact thing I promised I wouldn't and I'm sorry. I really am."

Gabby nodded slowly, dropping her eyes down to the ground as she ran her tongue along her bottom lip. "It's okay." She murmured, Matt releasing a deep breath before taking another step forward. "All that earlier, it really went bad pretty quickly…"

"Yeah, it did." He agreed, hesitantly reaching out and placing his hand on her arm, thankful when she didn't shy away from him. "I don't think I did a very good job of getting my point across, but I am always just trying to help, Gabby…"

"I know you are." She told him, Matt giving her a nod before continuing.

"And I do know you can handle yourself, I do… But I just want you to be able to trust me. Because right now it feels like you don't, and I don't think this thing between us… it can't work if you don't."

Gabby released a heavy sigh, shaking her head. She could feel the tides of this conversation turning already, and she knew it wouldn't end well. "I do trust you, Matt. I've told you over and over that I do, I don't know how to get you to believe me."

"Okay, but it doesn't feel like you do, Gabby." He murmured. "I believe you want to, or that you believe you do… but for whatever reason, you don't." Dawson's eyes fell closed as he spoke, Matt continuing on. "And I don't know how to do this if you won't talk to me… I'm not asking you to share your deepest, darkest secrets with me. I understand there's some things you just can't talk about, and I respect that, but I don't even know if that's what _this_ is. You won't even tell me that, you just shut me out and I don't know what to do with that. I'd never try and force you to talk to me, that's not what this is, but I feel like I can't say anything to you without worrying about you taking it the wrong way, or overstepping, because you don't tell me _anything_…" He vented, Gabby remaining silent as he got everything off his chest. "And then everything with that pregnancy test…" Matt started, Gabby's body tensing immediately, Casey noticing her reaction. "...That's exactly what I'm talking about. Whatever that was, it's affecting you, and you won't talk to me about it. And yeah, maybe whatever it is doesn't have anything to do with me, but that pregnancy test did, and ever since then you've shut me out… If I'm being honest, you've shut me out with most things since we started all this."

Gabby watched him closely as he spoke, seeing him draw in a deep breath, Dawson raising her eyebrows once he'd gone silent for a few moments. "...Are you done?" She questioned, Matt's face falling as he visibly deflated, realizing they were in no better place than they were five minutes ago.

"Gabby…"

"What? All of this has clearly been bothering you for awhile, if there's anything else, go ahead and get it off your chest now." She responded, Matt rubbing his hand over his forehead.

"I'm trying to communicate with you, Gabby. I'm talking to you… you know, like you refuse to do with me." He responded frustratedly, Dawson releasing a slight scoff.

"Matt, just stop. Please, stop." She spoke, watching as his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, clearly unsure of the actual meaning of her words. "From the moment we met, you were trying to fix me. And I've told you over and over that I don't need you to do that. I don't know why you feel so inclined to 'fix me', but please just stop."

"I'm not trying to fix you." He responded almost immediately, shaking his head. "Me caring about you doesn't mean I'm trying to fix you. You don't need fixing, I know that… I'm not trying to do anything except get you to trust me. Something is wrong, something is seriously bothering you, and it has to do with that pregnancy test, and that's not something that just affects you. All I'm asking here is that for once, you don't shut me out."

"And how about for once you quit trying to swoop in and pick up the pieces?" She fired back, crossing her arms over her chest defensively. "You say you've told me time and time again that you're here for me, well I've told you time and time again that I don't need you to fix everything in my life, I told you that the first time we met, and multiple times since, and yet you're still doing it! You won't stop, and I don't know why-"

"Because I care about you!" He nearly shouted.

"Well don't!" She responded with just as much force, both their chests heaving as they stood face to face, equally frustrated and angry with one another, Matt shaking his head as he took a steadying breath.

"I can't keep doing this, Gabby... " He eventually spoke up, Gabby clenching her jaw tightly. "I can't keep having this same fight over and over."

"What even is _this_, Matt?" She questioned back, Casey meeting her gaze, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

"I…" He started, but he wasn't sure what else to say, missing the look of devastation that flashed in her eyes.

"Exactly." She responded, blinking back the tears in her eyes. "I don't even know what we're doing anymore… And all this, all the headache, all the mess- is it really worth it? Just for some sex?" She questioned, Casey's neck tightening as he remained silent. "I mean, is it even worth it anymore?"

Casey blinked tightly, taking a slight step back from her as his eyes traced over her face. "...Are you saying this is over?" He asked, his voice barely audible, Gabby's bottom lip quivering slightly before she answered.

"I don't even know what this is." She responded just as quietly. "...What even were we in the first place?" She asked again, hoping for some sort of confirmation that she wasn't the only one who thought they had something more. Hoping for something, anything, that would give her a reason to completely give herself to the man in front of her.

But that confirmation never came, Matt's eyes darting around before he spoke. "I don't know, I just thought-" He cuts himself off, Gabby's face remaining blank as the words left his lips, Casey releasing a heavy sigh. "...I guess we were nothing."

Gabby's eyes fell closed momentarily, his words slicing through her like a knife as tears filled her eyes. But she quickly gathered herself, not willing to let him see the effect he had on her, Gabby forcing herself to look at him, seeing a look she couldn't read in his eyes.

"...I won't bother you anymore… I'm sorry for bothering you in the first place." He finished, turning around and exiting the back room without another word, leaving the broken women behind as her tears spilled over, both their hearts crumbling in their chests as Casey angrily left the bar.

* * *

**Well… I'm sorry. I really am. But I know many of you knew this was a possibility. Trust me, I struggled with this chapter a lot, hence it taking me a week, because I tried my hardest to take this the right way for the characters and where they are now. But I am sorry for this, hopefully you guys will wanna stick around with me to see how this plays out. You all remember how much I love Dawsey, right? ;)**

**I'm super eager to hear your feedback on this one, good and bad. Thank you so much for reading. Your continued support means the world to me.**

**Also, just a reminder, they'll be no update until next Monday. I hope you all have a fantastic week, and a great Thanksgiving to those who celebrate!**

**Until the next.**


	32. Chapter Thirty Two

**Hello everyone! I'm back with the next chapter for you guys. I hope you all had an amazing week last week, and I wanted to thank you all for the Happy Thanksgiving wishes, I hope you all had a great one as well, if you celebrate it. **

**I know a lot of you are eager to see what's going to happen now after the fallout of Dawson and Casey in the last chapter, so I hope you guys are ready for this. I'm really happy with this chapter, hopefully you all like it as well.**

**Happy reading.**

* * *

**THIRTY TWO**

* * *

"Mija, where do you want this one?" Ramon asked as he walked into the new apartment, Gabby glancing over to him from her position in the kitchen, currently sorting through the bags and bags of new essentials her and her mom had gotten for her apartment, in search of her new silverware.

"Uh, just over there in the living room is fine." She responded before returning her attention to the task at hand, Ramon following her directions before heading back outside, going to get another box.

"You know sis," Antonio started as he walked inside, "If I remember correctly, you didn't come with this much stuff when you were staying with me, when'd you accumulate all this?"

"Tony, it's like fifteen boxes, it's hardly anything." She shot back, her narrow eyes finding his before glancing down to the drawer she was currently working on, going back to putting the forks in their new home.

Today was a day she'd been looking forward to for awhile, essentially since she had to move in with her brother; she was finally back in her own place. Ever since coming to visit this apartment with Matt, she'd had her eye on it, and she finally decided to take the plunge. This was the last step she needed to take to completely move on with her life, she needed to get back out on her own, and now she had.

She had finished all the paperwork and gotten the keys a few days prior, and after some intense packing sessions with Antonio, and some shopping trips with her mom, she had managed to get most everything she needed to start the next chapter of her life. Admittedly, she needed a lot of things, more than she realized. When she moved in with Bryan, most of her essentials got thrown away, Walker claiming they didn't need two sets of everything and it was "easier to just keep his". Gabby, not expecting to ever be on her own again, agreed, but when that didn't go as planned, she wasn't left with much that was actually hers. Then living with her brother, she didn't need to purchase all those odds and ends that you needed for a home, so aside from the essentials for herself, she didn't have much. That reality led to a bunch of hefty purchases over the last few weeks, some of which her parents had helped with, which was something Gabby wasn't necessarily comfortable with, but at this time in her life she didn't have much of a choice.

"Gabriela, your bathroom is all set up." Camila spoke as she emerged from the hallway, Gabby flashing her mother an appreciative smile as the older woman walked towards her, stopping on the opposite side of the island. "You'll still need to personalize it how you want, but all the rugs and towels and everything are all set up."

"Thanks mom." She responded, Camila flashing her a warm smile.

"Of course… Your father said the mattress people called, they'll be delivering it later this afternoon, so once he and your brother finish getting the boxes inside, he said he's gonna start working on getting your bed frame together, along with your dresser… I figure between him and Antonio, they can manage to get it all put together without much issue. Although, knowing Ramon, Antonio will probably end up doing most of the work." Camila joked, Gabby nodding with a soft grin, knowing how true her mother's words were.

"Yeah, you're probably right… But I appreciate you guys helping me out with all this today. I know moving isn't the most fun thing to do."

"No thanks necessary, sweetheart." Camila was quick to respond, shaking her head as she walked around the island, coming to stand beside her daughter. "We're happy to help."

"And, uh-" Gabby cut herself off, glancing around to see if her brother was in earshot before she continued. "I'm gonna pay you guys back… for the furniture and everything." She spoke softly, Camila's face softening as she saw her daughter's meek demeanor.

When they had begun preparing for Gabby to move in a couple of weeks ago and they started purchasing the things she would need, it became apparent to both Camila and Ramon that their daughter was hesitant to get any of the bigger purchases. She hadn't come out and said the reason, but knowing that their daughter had the financial strain of this new apartment, along with having to buy almost all new essentials, they soon realized their youngest was a little strapped for cash, and it didn't take long for them to offer to help with some of her purchases.

And Gabby hated it. But she knew she didn't have much of a choice.

"No, you're not." Camila responded, Gabby releasing a heavy sigh.

"Mama-"

"No." She cut her off, shaking her head as she placed a soft hand on her daughter's back. "You will not be paying us back. You can think of it as a house-warming gift, or whatever you'd like, but your father and I want to help. You're having to start your life over, Gabriela, there's nothing wrong with needing a little help." Camila spoke softly, Gabby drawing in a slow breath before nodding, leaning slightly towards her mom, Camila wrapping her arm around her daughter. "And you know your father would never take the money, anyway. He'd give it right back to you." She finished with a laugh, Gabby smiling.

"Yeah, I know…"

"But really, Gabriela, I know you've never been the type to ask for help, but after all you've gone through recently, this is the least your father and I can do. Getting this wonderful apartment, that was all you. And I know if you had to, you could've gotten everything you needed on your own. But you _don't _have to, mija."

"Thank you, mama." She murmured, turning towards her mom and wrapping her arms around her, Camila reciprocating the action as her hand cradled her daughter's head, the Dawson women taking the quiet moment, only pulling apart when they heard Ramon and Antonio's voices filter into the apartment. Glancing back, Gabby saw her dad and brother walking in, carrying the last of the boxes as their steps slowed, both of them looking back and forth between Gabby and Camila.

"Everything alright, Gabriela?" Ramon asked with a concerned stare, Antonio matching his father's look, Gabby meeting her brother's worried eyes before looking back down towards the drawer she was organizing.

"Oh, everything's fine Ramon." Camila waved him off, effectively deflecting the attention off her daughter. "Are you two going to get to work on the bed, or just continue bickering?"

"It wasn't me, Ma." Antonio defended immediately, Camila flashing her son a soft smile as she shook her head.

"Of course it wasn't, Antonio." She replied, shooting Ramon a knowing look as the detective wore a proud smile. "But you two need to get to work, I want you two done with the furniture in the bedroom before lunch, now move." She ordered, both men nodding, dropping the boxes off in the living room before heading towards the bedroom, leaving Gabby and her mom alone yet again. "I honestly don't know how they ever get anything done." She breathed out, Gabby shaking her head in amusement as they went back to work.

Gabby and her mom had been working seamlessly as they finished putting away everything in the kitchen, the mid-morning sun streaming in through the big bay windows as they worked, the pair in a comfortable silence except for when Camila would ask from some direction as to where her daughter wanted certain things. Everything was coming together nicely, and, from the occasional banging and cursing they could hear from down the hallway in the bedroom, they assumed things were progressing, albeit slowly, with her bedroom furniture as well.

The mother and daughter had been working in the living room, getting boxes sorted and put in the appropriate room, Gabby having been running her boxes of clothes to the bedroom while her mother worked on getting things that belonged in the living room unpacked.

"So, I was thinking about running to the deli a few blocks over for lunch, maybe get a few of those sandwiches your father loves." Camila prompted when her daughter appeared in the living room, Gabby giving her a nod and a slight smile.

"Sounds good, I'd say Papa's earned it." She responded with a grin.

"Yes, I suppose he has… Uh, is it just gonna be us four?" She questioned, Gabby's head tilting to the side in curiosity, Camila elaborating when she sensed her daughter's confusion. "I wasn't sure if any of your friends would be stopping by…" Gabby's body tensed slightly, changing her path as she headed towards the kitchen. "I didn't know about Shay, Severide… or Matt," Gabby's eyes fell closed when the last name left her mom's lips, the youngest Dawson suddenly very thankful that her back was facing her mom, "I wasn't sure if they'd be coming to help, or if they were busy."

"Uh," Gabby cleared her throat, plastering a smile on her face before turning around, "it'll just be us. They were busy." She replied shortly, Camila pursing her lips together before merely giving a nod, knowing better than to push the topic.

"Well, that's a shame. But at least they'll be able to see your apartment once it's all finished." She replied, Gabby giving her a tight lipped smile before changing the subject.

"Dad had just finished up the bed and they were about to start on the dresser. I think really all that's left is getting my clothes put away, which I can do."

"Oh, I don't mind helping." Camila responded. "Plus I know your father wants to be here when the mattress delivery people get here, anyway."

"Okay, if you're sure. I don't want to take your whole day."

"That's why we're here, Gabriela." She spoke, Gabby nodding before walking over to the couch, sitting down next to her mom. "I can't speak for Antonio, but your father and I will be here until everything's done."

"Thanks Mama." She murmured, Camila patting her daughter's leg. "For everything." She added, the older Dawson pressing a kiss to the side of her daughter's head.

"You're welcome, mija." She replied, giving her another kiss before they refocused on the task ahead of them.

Many hours and petty disagreements later, Gabby's apartment had been finished, or as finished as it was going to be today. There was still some furniture she was waiting on that wouldn't arrive for a few days, but everything she had had been put away in its new home, the once bare apartment now full of life.

"It looks beautiful, Gabriela." Camila spoke, glancing to her husband who was checking one last time that the curtains he'd put up over her windows were sturdy, Ramon wanting to make sure his daughter had her privacy.

"Yeah, it all looks really good. Thank you all again, for all your help." She replied, Camila bringing her into a hug.

"You've got to stop thanking us, it was nothing. We're just glad everything got done." Camila spoke, rubbing her daughter's back before they pulled apart. "But once you get your dining table, your father and I would love to come over for dinner." She added with a grin, Gabby chuckling as she gave her mother a knowing nod.

"Of course, Mama." She responded before turning her attention to her dad, Ramon bringing her in for a tight hug.

"This is a wonderful apartment, mija. I think you'll be very happy here."

"Me too." She agreed, smiling when her dad kissed her head before they separated, Gabby glancing towards her brother who was still seated at the counter, the older Dawson giving her a nod, silently telling her he was sticking around a little later than her parents.

"Your father and I are gonna get home, let you enjoy your evening in your new place." Camila spoke, Gabby giving her a nod before leading her parents to the door. "We love you, sweetheart."

"I love you, too." She responded, giving her parents one last hug before they left the apartment, Gabby waiting until they had gotten down to the sidewalk and began towards their car before stepping back inside her home, closing the door and locking it in place.

Moving through the foyer, Gabby soon saw her brother right where she left him, the older Dawson downing another sip of his beer as Gabby moved towards her fridge, grabbing one for herself.

"You want another one, Tonio?" She offered, Antonio shaking his head in response, Gabby nodding before shutting the door, moving back towards the counter.

"I think everything came together nicely." He commented, Gabby's eyes moving around her new apartment. Her brother was right, compared to how empty the place had been when they arrived this morning, it looked very good. Her living room was almost completely done, her dad's and brother's last project of the night having been to mount her TV on the wall, while Gabby and her mother worked on the more personalized touches around her apartment. There were still a few odds and ends she needed to get, but she felt comfortable here already; it felt like home. Or it at least felt like it could become that.

"Yeah, I appreciate your alls help… it definitely would've taken me days to do on my own." She responded before cracking open her beer, knocking back a rather large gulp.

Antonio watched his sister closely for a moment, doing what he could to get a read on her. He knew something was going on with her, even though she'd done everything she could to hide it. Starting a few weeks ago, his sister had been acting different, and from the sheer amount of time she'd spent at his apartment in that time, he had a good idea the reason for the shift in her demeanor had to do with Casey.

But he never pushed it, Antonio knowing that if she wanted to talk about it, she would. Although, in typical Gabby fashion, she said nothing, and kept to herself.

Though he never questioned it, Antonio wasn't blind. It was easy enough to figure out her solemn attitude the last few weeks had directly to do with a certain Lieutenant, but what he didn't know was _why_. And he also didn't know what had happened to keep not only Matt from being here today, but Shay and Severide as well.

Up until recently, Antonio knew Casey would've been his sister's first call when she needed help moving, most likely followed by Shay, who would enlist the help of Severide. But neither of those calls had happened today, and he couldn't help but be curious as to what happened there.

But he knew it started with Casey. With the firefighter and his sister being… whatever they were, he knew it was a safe bet to assume something happened between them. But for his sister to be seemingly distancing herself from Shay, that was even more concerning.

"You good?"

Gabby's voice snapped him from his thoughts, Antonio's vision coming into focus as he found his sister watching him closely, the woman holding her beer up to her lips.

"Yeah, yeah I'm good." He responded after a few seconds, Gabby giving him an unconvinced nod before taking another sip of her drink.

"Alright, if you say so… You seemed to have spaced out a little bit there." She continued with a chuckle, Antonio giving her a soft shrug as a small smile formed over his lips.

"Yeah, well, I was just thinking about how I don't know what I'm gonna do now that I don't have my sister ten feet away anymore." He replied, Gabby's grin widening as she leaned her body weight into the counter.

"Oh, I think you'll be fine." She spoke, shaking her head in amusement. "Plus you know where I am if you get lonely."

"Yeah, I do… And the same goes for you, you know." He responded, his voice turning more serious than he intended, the tone in his words gaining her attention. Thinking over her behavior the last three weeks, Antonio hadn't seen her this upset in awhile, not since everything that happened with Walker. And he hated it. He hated seeing his baby sister so sad, especially considering she wouldn't be around for him to keep an eye on her anymore. But even though they weren't living together anymore, he could still make sure she knew she always had him to lean on.

"I know, Tony." She murmured, flashing him a small smile. "I always know where you are."

"Good." He responded quickly, taking a small sip of his drink. "Because you know I'm here for you, with _whatever_ it is." He added pointedly, Gabby drawing in a deep breath.

"...I really don't want to talk about it, Antonio." She replied, her soft voice meeting his ears.

"And I won't make you." He confirmed, seeing her body relax as she met his gaze yet again. "But as long as you know I'm here for you, if you need someone to talk to."

"I do know that, but I'm fine… Nothing I can't handle. But I'll let you know if that changes." She assured him, Antonio giving her a nod before taking another drink.

"Alright, that's good enough for me." He responded, Gabby tilting her beer bottle towards him before taking a sip. "So, what's on your agenda this evening? Mom really made sure we left you with nothing to put away on your own." He spoke jokingly, his words earning a soft chuckle from his sister.

"Yeah, she was determined to get this done. I'm glad, though, it makes this easier on me... But, uh, tonight I've gotta close Molly's, I actually need to get going here soon." She responded thoughtfully, glancing back towards the clock to check the time.

"Ah, so you've got a late night ahead." He responded, pushing himself up from the stool he was sitting on, finishing off his beer before walking around the counter.

"Yeah, I definitely do."

"Well, try and get some sleep tonight, sis. I know you work tomorrow." Antonio spoke, placing a quick kiss to her cheek before heading for her front door, Gabby following behind him.

"I will, thank you again for all your help today."

"You've gotta quit thanking everyone, Gabs." He replied, giving her a tight hug before turning towards the door. "We're family, using our days off to help you move is what we do." He spoke, Gabby chuckling softly as he stepped outside.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll see you later, Tonio."

"Bye sis." He responded, flashing her a warm smile before heading down the steps, leaving Gabby all alone in her brand new apartment.

* * *

Gabby moved around in the stock room, doing what she could to keep herself busy so she wouldn't have to go back out into the bar any time soon. Despite the large room, the air out there felt suffocating, there being a few too many people she didn't want to see, making it hard for her to focus on her job. So when Herrmann mentioned there was still a bit of their latest shipment that needed to be inventoried, she jumped at the chance to get away from not only the uncomfortable tension between her and a certain firefighter that had come to the bar tonight, but also between her and her partner.

Part of her knew she was being childish, she did. She was childish for avoiding her friends and keeping to herself, but it was the only way she knew how to deal with this. And it wasn't even working all that well. Despite her best efforts to avoid Casey over the last few weeks, there was only so much she could do when they spent twenty-four hours together at a time. But avoiding him was better than having to face him and deal with the fallout of their ended… whatever it actually was.

Which, according to Casey, they were nothing. And that hurt more than she would ever admit.

Hearing from the man she had fallen in love with that she meant nothing to him, that _they _were nothing, it was exactly what she was afraid of. It's why she could never find the courage to talk to him about what she was feeling, because deep down, a part of her always knew. She knew she didn't mean anything to him. It was just sex, he only saw her as an easy fuck. And a part of her couldn't even be mad at him for it. Because she's the one who started this, she's the one who approached him, she's the one who made their arrangement very clear… but she was also the one who fell in love with him. And she never should've let herself do that. Because she meant nothing to him, and he would never want to be with someone like her. He wanted a woman like Hallie, and that wasn't her. And she didn't need to have some long, drawn-out conversation with him just for him to tell her what she already knew.

She wasn't someone he wanted to be in a relationship with, she was someone he wanted to fuck. That was it. And she didn't need the humiliation of him telling her that to her face. The night in this very room three weeks ago had been bad enough, she didn't need a more in-depth version of that conversation.

Gabby was so caught up in her own head that she didn't hear the door open, or feel the presence of the blonde standing behind her as she worked. It wasn't until she turned around did she notice them standing there, Dawson jumping out of her skin as she brought her hand up over her chest.

"Jesus Shay." She breathed out, feeling her heart pound in her chest, the blonde cocking her head to the side.

"Sorry, I thought you heard me."

"No, I didn't. I would've said something had I known you were there." Gabby replied, Shay's eyebrows raising.

"Yeah, well after how you've been acting these last few weeks, I wasn't sure." She responded, Gabby's eyes falling closed as she drew in a deep breath.

"Shay… I really don't have the energy for a fight right now." Gabby spoke, turning back around, trying to make herself appear busy, even though there wasn't much left for her to do.

"I'm not trying to fight with you, I just wanna talk." She tried, Gabby huffing out a heavy breath.

"Yeah, I really don't have the energy for that, either." Dawson mumbled, Shay shaking her head as she took a step closer to her friend.

"I'm worried about you, Gabby." She spoke softly, watching as Dawson's shoulders deflated slightly. "And I know you keep saying you're fine, but you're not, you're clearly not fine. And you shouldn't be… But you shutting me out isn't helping anything."

"I'm not shutting you out." Gabby defended herself, even though she knew Shay was right. "I'm just… I don't wanna talk about it."

"Okay so you're not shutting me out, you don't wanna talk about it, but if that's all this is, how does what happened between you and Casey have anything to do with you moving into a new apartment?" She asked, Gabby able to hear the slight edge of hurt in her voice as she turned around.

"...How'd you find out about that?" Dawson asked, meeting her friend's gaze.

"I think the better question is why didn't I find out from you." Shay countered, Gabby drawing in another heavy breath, crossing her arms over her chest as her eyes flashed down towards the ground.

"Well, I know you're mad at me, so I didn't think it was worth mentioning."

"I'm not mad at you, Gabby." Shay responded without hesitation, taking another step closer to her distant friend. "I'm not mad, and you know that. I'm worried, and yeah, I think you're being a little stupid about all this-" Gabby's face hardened as the words left the blonde's lips, but Shay continued, "don't even give me that, ever since you and Casey ended things-"

"He ended things." Gabby clarified, Shay raising her eyebrows, clearly unconvinced.

"From what I've heard, if anything it was the both of you... and, regardless, how hard did you fight it?" She challenged, Gabby opening her mouth to defend herself but she quickly closed it. "You didn't even try to talk to him, you closed yourself off like you always do, instead of just talking to him."

"I don't wanna have this conversation." Gabby breathed out, shaking her head before turning back around, distancing herself from the blonde.

"I know... you haven't wanted to talk about _anything _since this happened. You've barely spoken to me at all except about work… Since you and Casey broke up, you've been pushing me away and I don't know why."

Gabby's back straightened at Shay's choice of words, Dawson clenching her jaw tightly as she gripped her hands together. "Matt and I were never together." She replied through gritted teeth, Shay blowing out a heavy sigh before she moved closer to Gabby, coming to stand by her side.

"No, you weren't together." She spoke softly, Gabby focusing her gaze down, refusing to look towards her friend. "But you loved him… you _are_ in love with him, it might as well have been a breakup to you."

Shay had hoped her words would break down some of the walls Gabby had placed so highly around herself, but they had seemed to only do the opposite as the blonde saw her friend's entire body tighten. When Dawson finally looked up again, Shay was shocked to see a darkness in her friend's gaze, Gabby staring at her with almost dead eyes, doing what she could to mask the pain she was in, although Shay could see right through it.

"I really don't want to talk about this." Gabby's voice was barely audible, Shay pursing her lips together before giving her a slight nod. "I know you mean well, I know you're trying to help, but I just- I can't. I can't talk about this right now." Shay's face softened when she heard the desperation in Dawson's voice, Gabby blinking tightly before continuing on. "I'm sorry I've been distant, I am… and I'm sorry I didn't tell you about getting the apartment. I started everything a while ago, and I didn't want to say anything in case it didn't happen, and then I found out after everything with Matt-" She cut herself off, shaking her head as a slight frown pulled on Shay's lips. "...But I'm sorry, for not telling you. I'd love for you to come see it sometime."

"Of course." Shay replied softly, gently placing her hand on Gabby's back, rubbing up and down soothingly, Dawson's hard gaze softening as she saw the worry in her friend's eyes. "...You know I just want you to be okay, right?" She questioned, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek. "I know things are hard, and I know you've mostly been dealing with everything on your own… And I also know you know this already, but I'm here if you need anything."

"I know, Shay." She responded softly, flashing her a weak smile before Shay brought her in for a quick hug.

"I love you, Dawson." She murmured, rubbing her arm. "Even when you're being a pain in my ass." She added with a chuckle, her grin widening when she heard Gabby laugh at her side.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know." She responded, smacking Shay's side before pulling away, the two women smiling as a lighter air filled the air around them.

Although Shay hadn't gotten her to really say much, she was definitely glad to see Dawson was at least talking to her. That hadn't so much been the case the last few weeks, Gabby so much as hiding out in the firehouse to avoid Shay some days, but at least she was acknowledging how she'd been acting now. It wasn't much, but it was a start. And if it was anyone other than Dawson, Shay probably wouldn't have put up with it for this long, but she figured after everything Gabby had been through, she deserved a little grace in this situation.

But no matter how much Shay tried to give her space, and wanted to let her work through things on her own, she wished Gabby would just talk to _someone_. Because if her friend's solemn demeanor and obvious signs of exhaustion recently were any indication, Gabby wasn't doing well. But if she wouldn't let anyone in, there wasn't much that could be done to help her.

"Alright, well I'll let you get back to work, wouldn't want Herrmann to come in here and give me shit for distracting you." Shay joked, Gabby shaking her head as she followed Shay towards the door.

"Don't worry, I finished already. You'd be off the hook." Gabby responded, Shay chuckling as the two women walked back out into the bar, immediately seeing that Herrmann needed some assistance as the line at the bar had started to back up.

As the night wore on, Gabby did what she could to keep her focus off of the firefighter sitting across the bar, even though she could feel his eyes on her multiple times throughout the evening. She wasn't even sure _how_ she could tell, she refused to look his way the entire night, but something in the air shifted whenever he looked at her; she could just sense his eyes on her and she wished he'd stop. But she figured she should be thankful he was only watching and hadn't approached her.

And Shay had been helping keep things light, too. Knowing Gabby was struggling, Shay did what she could to keep any and all conversation off of any heavy topics, the two friends opting to catch up after not having many chances to talk over the last few weeks.

But the air soon shifted when Gabby's gaze inadvertently found Casey's table. She hadn't meant to look his way, and when she saw the scene in front of her, she wished she'd never looked up from the bar as she took in the sight of a leggy blonde practically throwing herself at him, and Matt not doing much to send her away. Gabby tightened here grip on the glass in her hand, unable to tear her eyes away from Matt as the woman rubbed her hand over his arm, Casey flashing her a smile before he glanced to Severide.

Gabby couldn't see Kelly's face, she couldn't see what his reaction to this woman was, but based on how Matt was acting, neither of them had any problem with the blonde hanging off of Casey. Although she guessed she shouldn't be surprised; Gabby and Matt met at a bar, they slept together hours after they first met, there was no reason to think Matt hadn't continued that pattern once they went their separate ways. But that didn't mean the thought of him being with someone else didn't make her stomach turn, that the thought of him moving on made her heart drop.

_Moving on_.

The words sounded stupid even in her head, Gabby clenching her neck as she kept her gaze on Matt. While Gabby had to move on, she knew the same couldn't be said for him. He didn't feel anything for her, there was nothing to move on from, aside from having to find someone else to take home. Absolutely nothing had changed for him, and that reality never got any easier.

She had almost forced herself to look away, not wanting to see the middle of what was sure to end in Matt taking this woman home, when the unnamed blonde leaned in towards Matt, Gabby watching as she whispered in his ear while her hand ran over his arm.

Gabby wasn't sure what had been said, but by the wide-eyed look that covered his face she figured it was nothing appropriate, Gabby feeling a lump form in her throat as she watched the scene in front of her.

But it wasn't until she felt a hand on her arm that she finally snapped from her trance, Gabby flinching at the unexpected contact as she accidentally dropped the glass in her hands, the loud room quieting considerably as the sound of the glass shattering against the ground filled the air.

"Whoa, Gabby." Shay spoke, pulling her friend back away from glass, Gabby blinking tightly as she felt multiple pairs of eyes on them.

"Sorry, I'm sorry- I just… you scared me, the glass slipped." She responded quickly, Shay's eyebrows furrowing when she saw Gabby's unsteady demeanor.

"It's okay, nothing to worry about." Shay replied instantly, Gabby nodding before her gaze moved back across the bar, her eyes immediately locking on Matt's, seeing him watching her with concern. His eyebrows were furrowed, his lips turned down into a slight frown, Casey suddenly not even realizing the blonde was still next to him as he focused his gaze solely on her, Gabby blinking quickly before returning her attention back to Shay.

"I'm gonna get this cleaned up." Gabby spoke before crouching down, beginning to pick up the broken glass.

"Wait, Dawson- let me get a broom, you're gonna hurt yourself." Shay said quickly, Gabby shaking her head.

"No, no it's okay, I've got- shit." She hissed, immediately dropped all the glass in her hands as her palm began stinging, Gabby immediately pressing into her hand as she felt blood trickling down her skin.

"Dammit Gabby." Shay murmured before looking back, seeing Herrmann close by. "Herrmann, get me a new towel from the back." She ordered, the older man nodding, following her directions without question.

"I'm fine, Shay." She spoke through gritted teeth, Shay shaking her head as she crouched down beside her friend, gently grabbing her wrist to get a better look at her hand, grimacing instantly even though the cut was blocked by Gabby's other hand.

"That's a lot of blood." She said under her breath, wincing slightly.

"What happened?"

Shay and Dawson both looked up at the voice, seeing Casey leaning over the bar, glancing down at Gabby with that same look of concern shining in his eyes.

"Nothing, I'm fine." Gabby responded quickly, Shay shooting her an unimpressed look before looking up to Casey.

"She sliced her hand on the glass." Shay answered, Matt's frown deepening.

"How bad is it? Does it need stitches?" He questioned again, Gabby huffing out a breath.

"I'm fine."

"I'm not sure." Shay interrupted, both of them ignoring her words. "I'll need to get a better look at it."

"Are either of you listening to me?" Gabby interjected, Shay shooting her a look.

"Hush, you're not in charge here." Shay fired back, Herrmann coming up behind them, holding out the new towel to Shay. "Thanks Herrmann."

Shay grabbed the towel, prying Gabby's uninjured hand away from the cut, grimacing again when she took in the amount of blood pooling in her palm.

"Do you need anything, Shay? Dawson?" Herrmann asked, Shay shaking her head.

"No, I've got it, Herrmann, just take care of the customers." She responded, the man clasping her on the shoulder before walking away, deterring the customers away from the scene towards the end of the bar. "Well… it doesn't look like you'll need stitches, but you are bleeding an awful lot for a cut that small."

"I told you I was fine." Gabby murmured, her eyes cautiously looking up towards Matt, but he wasn't looking at her, his gaze was focused on her injured hand, the worry never lifting from his eyes.

"Okay, well you're not fine, but it's not as bad as it looks… I think you should go ahead and get out of here, Dawson. Herrmann and I have got this covered, why don't you just call it a night." Shay spoke, holding the towel to her palm.

"Are you sure? I don't mind staying." Gabby responded, Shay shaking her head before standing up, slowly pulling Gabby up with her.

"No, you go… As long as you're feeling okay." Shay spoke, eyeing her best friend carefully. "You're not feeling lightheaded or anything, are you?"

"No, no, I'm good." Dawson replied quickly, her gaze flashing to Matt, seeing him completely focused on her, Gabby suddenly feeling vulnerable under his stare. "But, uh, I think you're right… I think it'd be good for me to head home."

"Do you want me to drive you?" Matt offered immediately, both Shay and Dawson looking towards him.

"I'm fine, Casey." She answered softly, shaking her head as she stepped away from the bar.

"Are you sure? I don't mind." He tried again, but Gabby stood her ground.

"No, it's okay… go back to your date, I'm fine." She spoke, Matt's eyes falling closed as her words hit his ears.

"Gabby…"

"I'm gonna head out, Shay. I'll see you tomorrow." She cut him off, Gabby refusing to look his way again as she walked back to her friend, heading towards the back.

Casey kept his eyes on her until she was out of sight, a heavy sigh leaving his lips before he glanced back towards Shay, seeing her eyes already on him.

"She's not fine." Matt spoke up first, Shay narrowing her eyes.

"No shit, Sherlock." She bit back, Casey quickly matching her glare.

"Why are you mad at me? I tried to help, I've _tried_ to help, multiple times over the last few weeks, and she doesn't want to hear it. What else am I supposed to do?"

"Maybe stop flirting with women at Dawson's bar, that's a start." She snapped, Matt huffing out an annoyed breath.

"She came onto me." He defended, Casey wincing as the words left his lips, both of them knowing it wasn't much of a defense.

"And you didn't exactly stop it, did you?" She fired back quietly, doing a quick glance around to ensure no one they knew was hearing this conversation.

"Well, why should I?" He replied exasperatedly, Shay not bothering to stop herself from rolling her eyes, the action causing Casey's spine to straighten, Matt doing his own glance around the bar before leaning forward, lowering his voice. "Gabby made it very clear, she's done with all this. I know I fucked up, I said some things to her that I shouldn't have said, but ever since our fight here a few weeks ago, she's shut me out every time I've tried to talk to her, so eventually I took the hint and left her alone…"

"Yeah, well you're the one who told her you two were nothing."

"Because she was acting like we were!" He responded frustratedly, Shay shushing him almost immediately when a few pairs of eyes landed on them. Knowing this wasn't a conversation to be had here, Shay began walking around the bar, roughly grabbing Casey's arm, yanking him along behind her as they got outside, the paramedic walking a good distance away from the bar's entrance before stopping. "I'm sorry, but she was." Casey continued once they were alone, Shay crossing her arms over her chest. "I was doing what she wanted, you know how many times she reminded me that what we were doing was just sex? How many times she reminded me she didn't want a relationship? I was doing what she told me she wanted. And she's moved on from all this now, so what exactly am I supposed to do? Why should I wait around when she's made it clear she's done with all this?"

"God, you are so dense." Shay muttered in annoyance, Casey's eyes narrowing.

"Yeah, and why is that exactly? How does me doing what she wants make me 'dense'? Every day for a fucking week I tried to talk to her. That morning after everything happened at Molly's, I tried to get her to talk, I tried to apologize but she didn't wanna hear it. So, to me, that pretty much only means one thing… Unless you know something I don't, there's nothing for me to do here." He replied angrily, Shay biting down on her tongue roughly to keep herself from saying something she shouldn't. "I'm just-... her and I are done, Shay." His voice had softened, the paramedic hearing the almost defeated tone in his voice. "She completely avoids me, even when I'm not trying to talk to her… She won't even look at me, so as far as I can tell, her and I are over... Things just weren't meant to work out, I guess."

"What are 'things'?" Shay asked without missing a beat, Casey raising his eyebrows.

"What?" He questioned, the shorter blonde huffing out a breath.

"You said 'things weren't meant to work out', what does that mean? What are 'things'?" She clarified, Matt's tongue running along the inside of his cheek.

"I-..."

"This is exactly the problem." Shay cut in, shaking her head in frustration. "This is why Gabby is hesitant with you, because you never actually say anything."

"What are you talking about?"

"You say all this stuff to her, you make all these promises and assurances, but then whenever someone asks you the simplest question about what you two are actually are, you can't give an answer. Do you not see the problem here?" She questioned rhetorically, Matt releasing a heavy sigh. "How the hell is Gabby supposed to know what's going on in your head when you do that bullshit?" She asked, her words sharp as Casey narrowed his eyes.

"I've told her time and time again that I'm here for her, that I'm not going anywhere, and it never seems to stick-"

"But did you tell her that as her friend, or as the guy who's in love with her?" Shay cut in bluntly, Matt swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat. "Have you actually told her how you feel?" She rephrased the question, but still she got no answer. "...You're getting mad at her for not letting you in-"

"I'm not mad at her-" Casey interjected, finally finding his voice, but Shay gave him a pointed stare, telling him to be quiet.

"You're mad at her for not letting you in, but you're not letting her in, either." She repeated, Matt clenching his jaw. "As far as she can tell, this is just sex to you… And she's scared, Matt."

"I know she is." He responded almost immediately. "I know she's scared, but I don't know what she's scared _of_. And there's only so much I can do if she won't trust me."

"You really think she doesn't trust you?" Shay asked, shaking her head in disbelief. "God, you're more dense than I thought." She muttered under her breath before continuing. "Casey, I don't think there's anyone she trusts more than you. I know she's got walls up, but you and I both know trust really isn't the issue here… at least not with you." She spoke, Matt's face softening as he took a deep breath. "Trust has nothing to do with this, she's scared, Matt… She's scared because she doesn't know what she is to you. As far as I can tell, she has no idea what she actually means to you. For all she knows, you only see her as a good fuck."

"That's not what this is." He defended, Shay's words leaving a heavy feeling in his gut.

"Then what is it, Casey? Because you haven't made that clear to her… You've said all these things about how you tell her this and you tell her that, but have you actually told her how you feel? Have you sat down and told her what this means to you? What _she_ means to you?" She asked, even though she already knew the answer.

Shay's words hung in the air momentarily, Casey remaining silent, the paramedic giving him a second to wait and see if he had anything to say. But when he didn't speak up, she continued.

"Look, I know things between you two got all messed up, but that's not just on her. You want her to let you in, but it doesn't seem like you've really let her in, either… And after what you went through with Hallie, I get it. You're protecting yourself… But Gabby's been through hell, too. With everything Bryan put her through, I can understand why she's apprehensive-"

"I'm not him." He cut in quickly, his voice rigid, like he was offended at the possible accusation.

"I know you're not, I'm not saying you are." Shay clarified, shaking her head. "But after all he put her through, not to mention what he did that we have no idea about, I understand why she's scared… She doesn't know where you two stand, and she can't let herself get hurt again." She spoke softly, Matt drawing in a slow breath.

"But if that's what this is, why didn't she just tell me? Why does she keep pushing me away…"

"Because you haven't told her how you feel, either." Shay responded, Matt releasing a heavy breath. "Look Casey, I think this goes deeper than what you and I can really understand… everything with Walker, and then her reaction to not being pregnant, I think there's more to this that we'll probably never know about, and if she doesn't want to talk about that, you can't make her. But what you can do is let her know where you're at… That's what you can do for her, because right now she doesn't know. And if she means to you what I think she does, you need to tell her." Shay added knowingly, Casey running his tongue along his bottom lip, the paramedic's eyes narrowing slightly. "...But only if you _really_ mean it," She warned, "because I swear to God, Casey, I can't watch her get her heart broken again."

A thick silence filled the evening air around them, the sounds of the city in the distance the only noise to be heard as Matt thought over Shay's words, his mind racing as he tried to process the events of the last ten minutes.

"I've gotta get back in there," Shay spoke up, knowing she'd done all she could do. "But just so we're clear, me telling you all this, it wasn't to get you to go and fix things with Dawson just because you feel like you should… If you don't feel anything for her, don't make this worse by giving her empty promises, because you and I both know she's heard all that before…" She continued, Matt wincing slightly, "But if you _do_ want to fix this, you need to do it soon.. Because if both of you are just waiting around for the other to make the first move, this thing between you two really will be over."

Shay walked back towards the bar without another word, gripping his arm comfortingly as she passed him, leaving a stunned Casey out alone out on the sidewalk, knowing the firefighter had some important decisions to make.

Decisions he could only make on his own.

* * *

"How's the hand?"

Dawson looked up from the clipboard in her grasp as she stood at the back of the ambulance, finding Casey standing a few feet from her, his hands shoved in his pockets as he eyed the white bandage wrapped around her palm.

"...It's fine." She responded softly, Matt nodding before taking a hesitant step forward, Gabby refocusing her attention on the papers in her hands. "It wasn't as bad as it looked." She added, unsure of what to say, Dawson hating the awkward tension in the air.

"Good, that's good, I'm glad you're okay." He responded, Gabby giving a slight nod even though she wasn't facing him, the paramedic hearing him clear his throat before he spoke up again. "...So, uh, I guess congratulations are in order."

Dawson raised her eyebrows curiously as she glanced back over her shoulder, seeing a soft smile resting on his face, her eyes darting around as she waited for him to elaborate.

"I heard you and Shay in the locker room this morning… you moved into that apartment?... The one we looked at?" He questioned, Gabby swallowing thickly as she nodded.

"Yeah, I did."

"I'm glad." He responded with a gentle grin, "I know how much you loved that place, I'm sure you'll be happy there."

Unsure of how to respond, Gabby merely nodded, giving him a tight-lipped smile before turning away from him, her shoulders tensing slightly when she heard him take a step closer.

"So, uh, how have you been-"

"What are you doing, Matt?" She finally asked, placing the clipboard down in the back of the ambulance before turning around to face him, seeing a wary look in his eyes.

"I'm just checking in with you… these last few weeks, it's been a lot." He responded, Gabby's eyes falling closed as she brought her hand up to rub over the side of her face. "I know you've been avoiding me, and I know you want me to leave you alone, but we need to talk, Gabby."

"I think we've both said all we need to." She replied without hesitation, opening her eyes in time to see him shaking his head.

"No. We need to sit down and _actually_ talk. There's a lot of things I need to tell you, that we need to discuss…"

"Why? I've heard all you had to say already." She responded, Matt pursing his lips together. "I'm nothing to you, we were nothing… I'm pretty sure I don't need any more details on that, I got it."

"You're not nothing to me." He spoke, keeping his voice steady as Dawson clenched her jaw tightly. "You're not, and you need to know how sorry I am for saying that. Because it's not true." He continued, taking another step closer, Gabby forcing herself to meet his gaze. And when she did, she saw nothing but regret. "I thought I was doing what you wanted, I thought you wanted this- _us_, to be nothing. I thought that's what you needed, but I never meant for it to all get so messed up." He breathed out, frustration seeping through his words. "I never meant to hurt you."

"Matt…"

"I'm sorry, Gabby. I really am. I'm sorry for not being more open with you, and I'm sorry for expecting that of you when I wasn't doing it, either. I'm sorry for the things I said, you have to know that. I know I hurt you, and I know I haven't been completely transparent with everything, with how I feel, and what this means to me… and that's not fair to you. But you've gotta know, I-"

Casey's words were cut off when the bells rang throughout the house, calling all companies to a warehouse fire, Matt shaking his head as he stepped away from the ambulance. This wasn't a conversation he could finish now, and they both knew it.

"Can we finish this later?" He asked, Gabby giving a slow nod, too stunned to speak, before he moved towards his rig.

Dawson's throat felt dry as she slammed the back doors shut, her heart pounding in her chest as she tried to figure out exactly what Matt was about to tell her. Of course, there were words she was _hoping_ he'd tell her, but realistically she knew there were a thousand possibilities of what he was actually about to say, and the waiting made her anxious.

"You good, Dawson?" Shay asked as she got to the rig, seeing Gabby clearly lost in her own head.

"Yeah, yeah I'm good." She responded, Shay giving her a nod before they got in, Gabby knowing she needed to focus on the task at hand.

When they pulled up to the scene, Dawson could already tell it was a bad one, the building up in flames as people were filtering out, doing what they could to get out of the flames. By the time Gabby hopped out of her seat, she could already hear Boden yelling orders, watching on as 81 and squad 3 filtered inside, going in search of anyone who still trapped.

It was a tense few minutes, Gabby having fallen into the role of directing all the other paramedics as multiples ambos kept rolling up to the scene, companies from all over the city being brought out to help with the casualties.

"_Chief_." Casey's voice filtered through the radio, Gabby looking towards the building, watching as the flames got higher. "_We've got a victim in here, he's bleeding out. If we move him before we get the bleeding under control, he won't make it. I need a paramedic._"

"How's it looking in there?" Boden asked immediately, Chief's eyes finding Dawson's quickly, Gabby understanding she'd probably be sent inside here shortly.

"_We've got some time, nothing too bad, just a lot of smoke._"

Boden nodded towards Gabby, Dawson grabbing her jacket from the rig.

"Okay, Dawson's coming inside. Where's your location?"

"_Northeast stairwell, second floor._"

"You okay to do this, Dawson?" Boden asked, Gabby nodding as Cruz helped her mask up.

"I'm good, Chief."

"Alright. Cruz, lead her in there. Dawson, you stay on Cruz's hip until you get to Casey, and then you're with him until you get out. In and out, do what you can but when I say out, you get out. There's no room for error, here." He spoke sternly, his rough tone mixing with the slight worry he felt sending one of his paramedics into the fire. But he knew she was more than capable, and the firefighter's inside would keep an eye on her.

"Understood, Chief." She replied before rolling close behind Cruz, Shay and Boden watching on as Dawson disappeared into the blaze.

"She'll be okay." Shay breathed out, Boden nodding as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Casey's in there, he'll keep her safe." The Chief could tell she was talking more to herself than to him at this point, but he nodded regardless.

"She'll be fine."

Once they got inside, Gabby stayed close to Cruz as they maneuvered around the burning building. Luckily, it seemed like aside from a few random places, the blaze was mostly confined to the top floor, but the smoke in the air was thick, Gabby barely able to see a few feet in front of her.

"Lieutenant, I've got Dawson." Cruz spoke through his radio when they got close, Gabby soon seeing Matt come into view, his hand covering the unconscious man's neck, clearly doing what he could to stop the bleeding.

"What do we got, Casey?" She asked, shifting completely into paramedic mode as she crouched down beside him, opening her bag.

"Looks like he got sliced by a piece of metal, I've got my hand over it but he's bleeding a lot."

"Let me look." She responded, Casey lifting his hand, allowing Dawson to go to work.

"_Anyone on the second floor? I need help over here. Southeast corner, got a guy pinned._" Otis' voice flooded through the radio, Casey glancing up to Cruz.

"Go help Otis, we've got this."

"...Are you sure? Chief told me to stay with Dawson." Cruz responded, clearly hesitant and unsure of what orders to follow.

"I'm sure, I've got her. We don't have a lot of time." He spoke firmly, Cruz nodding before heading that way, Casey and Dawson both hearing Cruz telling Otis he was on his way.

"How is it looking, Dawson?" Casey asked, Gabby shaking her head as she felt for a pulse. Before she could answer, they heard the ceiling creaking, Casey looking up in time just as a few pieces of debris began falling down. Without even thinking, he grabbed Gabby, shielding her body with his. Unsure of what was happening, Dawson didn't fight it, a soft whimper escaping her lips as she heard the building continue to make noises any stable building wouldn't. She heard a sharp gasp of pain come from Matt, but she was unable to look up at him, his grip on her not allowing for much movement.

Casey didn't care if he got hurt, that didn't matter to him nearly as much as making sure Gabby didn't, but the heavy piece of wood that fell down and smacked him across his lower back definitely hurt more than he'd care to admit.

When the building finally seemed to settle, at least for a moment, Casey released his grip on her, groaning slightly when he stretched out his back, knowing he was bound to have a pretty nasty bruise for awhile.

"You okay?" Gabby asked quickly, Matt giving her a slow nod.

"I'm fine, how's this guy?" He asked again, Gabby wincing as she checked for a pulse one last time.

"We lost him, Casey... He lost too much blood."

"Dammit."

"_Casey, Dawson, you need to get out of there now._ _I'm calling it._" Boden's voice flooded through their radios, Casey nodding as Gabby quickly grabbed her ambo bag, the pair standing up. Dawson saw the way his body twinged at the movement, Gabby knowing he was more injured than he let on.

"We're coming." Casey replied, grabbing onto Gabby's arm before slowly leading her towards the steps. "Where are Cruz and Otis?" He asked through the radio, gritting his teeth to try and distract himself from the pain radiating in his lower back.

"_We're almost out, Lieutenant._"

"I'm checking you out when we get outside." Gabby spoke, Matt glancing towards her. "I know you hurt yourself back there."

"I'm fine, we just need to get out of here." He told her, Gabby giving him a nod before they continued walking.

But they only got a few more steps before they heard the building start to creak, the floor shifting beneath them as more of the ceiling around them caved in.

"_Casey! Dawson!_"

It was like time stood still, Gabby unable to register much of anything happening around her as fire fell through the ceiling, the foundation shaking beneath them. Before she could even fully understand what was going on, the ground beneath them suddenly ceased to exist, the floor completely giving out underneath their feet.

And the last thing she felt was Casey's arms reaching out for her, wrapping her into his body as they crashed to the floor beneath them, Matt desperate to break her fall as her entire world went black.

* * *

**Well, how are we feeling? We got so close to Matt finally saying… something. We'll have to wait and see how that plays out, but now we've got more immediate issues to deal with. I know you all are desperate for that talk to happen between Gabby and Matt, and although it hasn't happened yet, I promise you it's coming. Very, very soon.**

**Thank you all for the feedback on the last chapter, whether it was positive or negative, it's greatly appreciated and helps me figure out how to make this story more enjoyable for you all. For those of you who weren't happy after my last chapter, I hope maybe this one was a little easier. Thanks for sticking with me.**

**I'm eager to hear your feedback on this chapter, I hope you all enjoyed it. Thank you so much for reading.**

**Until the next.**


	33. Chapter Thirty Three

**Y'all ready to see what happened after that cliffhanger from the last chapter? Well, I hope so cause here we go.**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**THIRTY THREE**

* * *

A groan escaped Dawson's lips as she slowly came into consciousness, her entire body screaming in pain as her confused thoughts ran rampant. She didn't know where she was, or what was going on, or why she was in so much pain. And she couldn't understand why she couldn't move, her heart racing as she tried to piece together what was happening.

It took her a few seconds before she registered the oxygen mask covering her face, Gabby's vision impeded by a few spots of blood on the inside of the mask, another groan escaping her lips as a sharp pain moved through her leg, stopping at her pelvis. Releasing a heavy, ragged breath, Gabby tried to push herself up as she felt a bit of blood trickling down the side of her face, pressing her hand into the ground beneath her as she tried to get up. She felt an intense pain shoot through her arm when she first moved, the unexpected feeling stunning her momentarily as a soft cry escaped her lips, but she did what she could to ignore it, knowing she needed to move.

But when her hand pressed into what she thought was the ground, and the surface she pressed into had some give to it, her eyebrows furrowed, Gabby finally glancing to the side. When she caught sight of what she was pressing against, seeing the unconscious man partially underneath her, her breath caught in her throat, memories of how her and Casey got here flooding her mind.

She remembered speaking to Matt at the firehouse.

She remembered the call to the warehouse fire, and getting sent in by Boden.

She remembered trying to help the man who didn't make it, the ceiling falling around them while she worked.

And she remembered the ground suddenly collapsing beneath them, Matt grabbing ahold of her, using his body as a shield as he took the majority of the impact.

All these memories hit her at once, Gabby blinking back the tears in her eyes as she did what she could to get up, a gasp of pain escaping her lips as her arm hung limply by her side.

Something was definitely wrong with her shoulder, it didn't feel right at all, and the shooting pain moving down to her fingertips every few seconds only solidified that fact. But she didn't have time to focus on that, not with them both being trapped.

"Matt…" She whimpered, but her voice was barely audible, Gabby finally registering the sound of his pass alarm sounding off as he lay on top of some debris, the ringing in her ears slowly dying down enough for her to hear other noises going on around her. The building was still creaking, thick smoke filling the air around them as she got a better look at their surroundings. She didn't know how much time had passed since they fell through the floor, but as far as she knew, Matt had been unconscious the entire time, and that didn't sit well with her. "Matt." She tried again, but between her raspy voice and the mask covering her face, she knew that even if he was awake, he probably wouldn't have been able to hear her.

She needed to get a better look at him, but with the way they were positioned that was nearly impossible, Gabby's eyes moving down towards her legs, a grimace immediately covering her face when she saw what was causing the pressure she felt when she first woke up. One of the beams in the ceiling had fallen down on top of her legs, the heavy wood pressing down into her left thigh, digging into her skin and keeping her in place. Even with her distorted view through the mask, she could see blood, but she could also feel her legs, which was a good sign.

"_Casey!... -son!.. Dawson!_."

Distorted voices were coming through the radio, Gabby wincing as the loud noise filled her ears, the pounding in her head having yet to let up.

"_Casey!_"

"Chief." Dawson coughed out, holding down the button on the radio. "Chief."

"_Dawson!_" She heard the relief in his voice, Gabby wincing when a bit of blood trickling down her face reached her lips, the sharp metallic taste overwhelming her. "_Are you guys okay?_"

"I- I'm okay, I think… My shoulder, it's dislocated I think, or something-" She responded unsteadily. "I don't- I don't know, but Casey's unconscious."

"_We're trying to find a way to get to you, Severide, Walker, and Herrmann are on the way._"

"_We hear the alarm, Dawson._" Kelly's voice cut in, Gabby pressing into the side of her head as she listened. "_We've gotta be careful, but we're getting close. Are you able to move?_"

"My leg is pinned under part of the ceiling… Casey's not trapped under anything, as far as I can tell but he hasn't woken up." She rambled out, stumbling over her words. "But I-I think I can get the beam off my leg, I'm gonna try and move it."

"_No Dawson, don't._" Shay's voice came through, Gabby shaking her head even though no one could see her. "_Wait until they get there, there's no telling what kind of injuries you have from the fall._"

"I can't wait, I need to check on Casey, and I can't do that until I'm out from under this thing." She fought back, dropping the radio against her jacket before leaning forward, a sharp hiss escaping her lips at the movement as another jolt of pain shot through her arm.

"_Dawson_!" Shay tried again, but she ignored it, focusing on the task in front of her. She knew her right arm was practically useless, so with all the strength she had, she used her left arm to try and lift the heavy beam. A loud cry of pain escaped her lips as the wood shifted slightly, only to dig further into her leg when she couldn't get it off.

"Come on." She groaned, tears clouding her vision as she tried again, Gabby biting back a sob as pain flooded her entire body. But she kept on trying, even though it was useless.

A loud groan of frustration left her lips as she slowly started to understand she really was trapped. That, until Severide and the rest of them got here, she wasn't going anywhere.

Knowing she still needed to do whatever she could for Casey, she twisted her upper body towards him as much as possible, the movement jarring her beaten body as she bit down on her tongue, trying not to focus on the pain. It was nearly impossible to keep weight off her right arm as she leaned on her side to face Matt, but she knew she had no choice as she managed to get her left hand up to his neck, his mask making things difficult. It took a few seconds, but when she finally felt his pulse beating underneath her fingertips, a cry of relief escaped her lips. It was steady, and strong, and it was the confirmation she needed that he was at least alive.

"_Dawson, are you still there?_"

Gabby focused in on the voice coming through their radios, realizing they'd probably been trying to get a response from her for awhile, but she had been so focused on Matt she didn't hear it. "I'm here, I'm here." She responded, her voice breathy. "I wasn't able to move it, I'm still stuck.. But Casey's pulse is strong, and I can't see any major damage, at least externally."

"_We're almost there Dawson._" Severide spoke, Gabby nodding, her eyes widening when she heard groaning by her side.

"Matt! Matt!" She spoke loudly, contorting her body as much as she could, ignoring the pain as she got a good look at him, seeing his head beginning to move slightly side to side. "Hey, hey, don't move. Don't move." She instructed, placing her hand over his chest.

"Gabby?" He choked out, sucking in air as he tried to gain a sense of his surroundings. Unlike Gabby, he remembered exactly what happened the second he woke up, and he needed to know she was alright.

"Dawson!" Gabby vaguely heard Severide's voice, telling her they were close as Matt lifted his arm up, placing his hand over hers that was resting on his chest.

"Over here!" She called, before looking back to Matt.

"Are you okay?" He asked immediately, worry laced in his raspy voice as he squeezed her hand, Matt blinking quickly.

"I'm fine, I'm fine- Quit moving." She ordered, but Matt ignored her as slowly he pushed himself up into a sitting position, Gabby hissing in pain when his body bumped into her shoulder, Dawson grimacing as she used her left hand to grab her right arm, slowly pulling it to rest in her lap, Matt wincing as he saw her actions.

"What happened to your shoulder?" He asked, coughing loudly and shaking his head as he tried to get rid of the haze his mind was in. He was definitely in pain, and a lot of it, but he didn't care about himself right now. "...There's blood on your mask." He breathed out, gingerly wrapping his arm around her back, placing his hand on her hip to keep her supported while he tried to keep pressure off her right side, the task being nearly impossible with the position they were in.

"You were just unconscious, you don't need to worry about me." She deflected, Matt releasing a heavy breath, his mind slowly clearly.

"I think the worst thing wrong with me is a concussion, I'm okay." He replied, grimacing as he looked her over. He was doing what he could to ignore the flames around them, trying only to focus on her. Luckily, the fire was far enough away, for now at least, that they should have enough time to get out of here. He knew something with her arm, or shoulder, was messed up, that was obvious based on the way she was cradling it against her body. But when he saw the beam pinning her leg in place, he knew getting them both out of here just became all the more difficult, Casey realizing he wouldn't be able to get them out until help arrived.

Matt wasn't sure how she'd managed to get pinned, and he didn't. The beam was laying across him, but he could easily slide out from under it; he couldn't even feel it touching him. But Gabby, he could see from here that it was digging into her skin, blood soaking her pants and the wood, and the sight made his heart sink, Casey unsure of just how much damage had been caused.

He tried to protect her, he tried to keep her safe after _he_ was the one who brought her in here, but he didn't. If anything, he only caused her more injuries. He was fine, at most he had a few bruised ribs and a concussion, but Gabby… she was hurt. And it was his fault.

"You don't know that." Gabby's frantic voice pulled him from his thoughts, Matt's gaze moving back to her face. "You could have internal bleeding, or you could've hurt your back, or-"

"Gabby." He spoke gently, effectively stopping her rambling as they locked eyes. "I'm okay. I promise."

His calm voice filled her eyes, Gabby taking a deep breath before she nodded.

"...Why did you do you that?"

Her words were barely audible, confusion filling his features as he vaguely heard firefighters in the distance, Casey able to hear Severide barking orders as they tried to get to them.

"Why'd I do what?" He asked, just as he felt a flashlight shining on him, Matt turning to see three firefighters force their way through the debris.

"Casey! Dawson!" Severide called, but Gabby kept her eyes locked on Matt, not even registering their presence.

"Why did you grab me?" She asked, Casey's eyes flashing back towards her. "You could've gotten yourself killed… why did you do that?"

Casey opened his mouth, but he didn't get a chance to answer as the three firefighters surrounded them.

"Are you guys okay?" Walker asked as he came to stand behind them, placing a soft hand on Gabby's shoulder. But the second he did, Dawson cried out in pain, Bryan immediately backing off as all eyes moved to Gabby. "I'm sorry-"

"Gabby, what's wrong?" Severide asked, ignoring Walker entirely as Matt rubbed over her hip gently.

"My shoulder, it- I think it's dislocated." She answered, Casey's eyes falling closed as he heard the words leave her lips, guilt flooding his entire body. He figured it had been something like that, but hearing it from her directly caused his chest to tighten, Matt knowing he'd failed at the one thing he promised to do when she came in here; he was supposed to protect her, and he didn't. But they didn't have much time to dwell on it as more of the ceiling from across the room started to fall down, stray pieces of fiery wood hitting the ground.

"We need to get you guys out of here." Severide spoke, Matt nodding as he glanced back to them.

"Get her out first." He ordered, Kelly's gaze flickering towards the beam. From his angle above them, Severide could clearly see that Matt wasn't trapped. That if he slid to his right about six inches, he could easily get out from under it.

"Casey, if you can get out, you should go ahead. We don't know what we're dealing with here…" He spoke, his eyes flashing to the beam pressing into Gabby's leg. They could all see the blood, they just weren't sure how bad the injury was.

"I'm not moving until she can." He responded firmly, Kelly pursing his lips together.

"Matt… Please, get out of here." Gabby pleaded, but he shook his head, turning to face her.

"Not without you." He replied without hesitation, before glancing back to Severide, Kelly giving him a nod.

"Okay guys, let's get this beam off of her. Dawson, you gotta let us know if we need to stop. We're gonna have to slide you out from under there… I know with your shoulder, it's gonna hurt. There's no way it won't, but we don't have any other choice." He breathed out, Gabby nodding as she bit down on her lip. "Herrmann, get behind Dawson and get ready to pull her out. Casey, you get ready to move too because once she's out, they'll be nothing keeping this beam off of you."

"_Severide, what's happening in there?_" Chief asked, Casey picking up the radio.

"Chief-"

"_Casey, thank God._"

"I'm okay, Chief. We've just gotta get Gabby out and then we're headed out." He responded, giving Gabby's hip a reassuring squeeze before he dropped his arm from around her, knowing he'd just slow things down. He did what he could to distance himself from her, knowing they needed the space to get her out, but he could only do so much as Herrmann positioned himself behind her, the older firefighter shaking his head.

"I'm really sorry, kid. I know this is gonna hurt." He told her, Gabby shaking her head.

"It's okay, Herrmann. I'm alright." She assured him, despite the nerves coursing through her. No matter how much pain she was in right now, she knew it was about to get a lot worse before it got better. But she could handle a little pain, as long as her and Matt got out of here.

"_Keep your radio live, Casey. Just in case._"

"Got it, Chief." He responded, clicking the button before dropping the radio down against his jacket.

"Okay Dawson, we're gonna do this alright?" Severide told her, Gabby nodding as she felt Herrmann slowly slide his hands underneath her arms. A hiss of pain left her lips as her right shoulder moved, followed by a slight whimper as she bit down harshly on the inside of her cheek.

"I'm sorry, Dawson." Herrmann murmured again as Severide and Walker got positioned by the beam, making sure their feet were planted firmly on the ground before they grabbed onto it.

"Alright, on three, Walker and I are gonna lift and you two get out, okay?" Severide made sure everyone was on the same page, earning nods from the first responders before he continued. "Okay… one.. two.. three."

As they lifted the beam from her leg, a scream of pain left Gabby's mouth, the unsettling sound filling the ears of not just the firefighters inside, but all the first responders outside as they heard her cries through the radio.

"Get her out!" Severide ordered, Herrmann pulling her back as quickly as he could, another cry coming from her as her shoulder got jolted around, Gabby being pulled out from under the beam while Casey slid his way out, Severide and Walker dropping it as soon as they were clear. Herrmann released his hold on her as quickly as he could, whimpers leaving Gabby's lips as her arm hung limply against her body, her entire body feeling as if it was on fire.

"Gabby, Gabby, hey look at me." Casey spoke as soon as they were free, crawling to his knees as Gabby took deep breaths, trying to focus on anything other than the blinding pain coursing through her system. For just a second, she felt relief when she was no longer being crushed, her body thankful for the pressure being relieved from her leg. But that feeling was quickly replaced with an almost debilitating pain, her leg throbbing as her wound hit the open air. "We gotta get her out now- hey, Gabby, open your eyes. Look at me." Casey pleaded, Dawson doing what she could to keep her eyes open, fighting every instinct she had telling her to just go to sleep. Her body was trying to protect itself, trying to protect her from the immense pain she felt throughout her entire body, but she knew she needed to stay awake. Or at least try to, Gabby's eyes snapping open. "Yeah, there you are. Come on, I need you to stay awake, Gabby." Casey continued, doing what the could to keep a level head. "Guys, let's get her up." He spoke, scrambling to his feet.

"We got her, Casey. You need to take it easy." Severide tried, but Matt shook his head.

"I'm fine, we just need to get her out of here." He replied quickly, ignoring the stinging pain he felt in his lower back as he hunched beside her. He wasn't sure if it was the adrenaline, or maybe he just got incredibly lucky and didn't end up with that many injuries, but his pain felt like nothing right now. All he cared about was Gabby. "Okay Gabby, we're gonna get you out of here." He spoke softly, Dawson nodding as she brought her left arm across the front of her body, clutching onto his turnout coat with a near death-grip. "I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere." He promised, wrapping his arm around her back, Gabby giving him another nod as Matt gingerly lifted her right arm, securing it in her lap. Severide took up the position on her left side, being mindful of her leg as he grabbed ahold of her body.

"Shay, can you hear me?" Severide questioned.

"_Yeah, yeah, I'm here. Is she okay?_"

They could all hear the frantic tone in her voice, Kelly blowing out a sigh before responding. "I think she's in shock, but she's awake. We're headed out. She has a nasty cut on her leg from the beam, it might need stitches but we don't have anything to put pressure on it in here."

"_Got it. I'm ready out here… Just get her out of there, Kelly._"

"Working on it, Shay." He responded before looking back to Matt. "You sure you're okay to do this?"

"I'm fine, let's go." Casey replied without hesitation, Kelly nodding before they slowly lifted Gabby up, Matt hearing more whimpers of pain as she moved. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry." He murmured, biting back a groan as his sore body moved. "Chief, we're coming out." He spoke towards his radio, even though he knew everyone had been able to hear every word he said.

"_Be careful, you guys. The Southeast exit is clear, but I'm not sure how much more time you have. The fire on the top floor is getting worse._"

"Got it." Casey responded, hissing as he placed all his weight on his right leg, just now registering the searing pain coming from that area.

"You okay?" Severide asked, Gabby tiredly glancing towards Matt.

"I'm fine, yeah. Let's keep going." He responded before he and Kelly maneuvered through the debris, the two firefighters supporting all of Gabby's weight as Herrmann and Walker walked close behind, ready to help if need be.

The more they walked, the more Casey could feel his body slowing down, the Lieutenant ignoring what he knew to be blood trickling down his leg. He must've been more injured in the fall than he realized, but it wasn't anything that mattered right now. Gabby was what mattered, and getting her out of here and to the hospital was more important than a little cut on his leg.

With the exit in sight, the firefighters maneuvered around the flames, Walker having jumped ahead of them to clear a path as they slowly saw more and more daylight, Herrmann keeping his hands on Gabby's back as she was carried from the building.

"Shay!" Boden yelled when the five of them appeared through the doorway, Casey limping noticeably at this point as they continued away from the burning building.

With help from another ambulance, Shay raced towards the firefighters, pulling the gurney alongside her as they met them halfway, the blonde swallowing the lump in her throat as she got a closer look at Gabby. Severide and Casey placed her on the bed as gingerly as they could, another groan escaping her lips. "Gabby, honey, you're okay." Shay spoke, immediately eyeing the wound on her leg, shaking her head in horror. It wasn't terribly deep, but it was deep enough, and covered most of the width of her thigh. It would definitely need stitches, but Shay's main focus was to get it cleaned and covered, the paramedic knowing that's all she could do. "What all's hurting?"

"My shoulder…" Dawson responded weakly, Shay eyeing her right arm that was currently resting across her stomach, realizing she hadn't moved it much at all, if any. Gabby lifted her left hand, bringing it up towards the mask covering her face, pushing against it as she tried to remove it.

"Gabby, Gabby stop." Matt spoke, gently pushing her hand away. "I got it." He told her, Gabby nodding before he carefully removed the blood-covered mask, Dawson sucking in the fresh air as soon as she could, Casey handing the mask to Kelly.

Finally getting a closer look at her face, Matt grimaced, seeing multiple cuts and scratches covering her skin. He could see the outline of where her mask had been, a ring of soot covering her face, as well as a slight abrasion where the mask had seemingly been pressed into her skin too roughly. None of the injuries to her face were too bad, they wouldn't scar or anything, but they'd definitely need some time to heal.

"Shay…" Gabby spoke, the blonde ceasing work on her leg to move up towards Dawson's head.

"What is it?"

"Make sure Matt gets checked out." She spoke slowly, her voice tired as the paramedic eyed Casey. "He grabbed me and took most of the impact when we fell."

"Gabby, I'm fine-"

"Please, Shay." Dawson cut him off, coughing out the words as her throat felt very dry, Shay nodding before glancing to Boden, who was currently standing a few feet away, watching on in concern.

"We're gonna take Casey with us, Chief." Shay spoke, Boden immediately giving her a nod.

"Good."

"Chief, I'm alright." He tried again, but the older man shook his head.

"You fell through the floor, you're getting checked out. End of a discussion." Boden ordered, Casey reluctantly nodding as he handed his helmet and his mask over to Walker.

"Put these in the truck."

"Yes, Lieutenant." Walker responded, sparing one last glance to Dawson before heading towards 81.

"Alright, we need to get her to the hospital, get both of you there, actually." Shay spoke, Casey reluctantly nodding as they got Dawson loaded up into one of the ambulances, Shay climbing into the back with her before Casey got in as well.

"I'll drive your rig to the hospital, where are we taking them?" One of the paramedics asked as she stood at the back of the ambulance.

"Lakeshore, thank you." Shay responded gratefully, the woman nodding before closing up the doors, Shay hearing the sirens blaring before they pulled away from the scene. "Okay honey, besides your leg and your shoulder, does anything else hurt?" Shay asked, Gabby wincing slightly.

"Everything kind of hurts."

"Yeah, that's what I figured." Shay breathed out, shaking her head as she ran her tongue over her bottom lip, pushing herself up over the bed, searching around the drawers until she found what she was looking for. "Falling through a floor will do that, but I'm gonna get you on an IV, hopefully that'll help"

"Thanks Shay." She murmured, taking slow breaths as she felt her blood pumping through her ears.

"And you, mister," Shay started, eyeing Casey before going to work on the IV, "let me hear it, what's hurting you?"

"Nothing, I'm fine."

"Bullshit." She responded, taping the IV to Gabby's arm before turning towards Casey. "You were unconscious, that's not fine."

"I think I hit my head… I probably just have a concussion, but really, compared to her, I'm completely fine. Don't worry about me." He pressed, Shay sucking in a deep breath as she glanced to Dawson, seeing her PIC's eyes shining as her gaze was locked on Casey.

"Yeah you say that now…" Shay spoke up after a few seconds. "But you're running on adrenaline. Once that wears off, you're gonna be feeling a lot different."

"It doesn't matter." He responded softly, his bright blue eyes finding Gabby's warm brown ones. "I'm okay." He assured her, Gabby nodding slightly before relaxing back into the pillow, doing what she could to distract herself from the pain. Carefully, Matt reached for her hand, clasping it in his tightly, feeling her squeeze his immediately, both of them trying to come to terms with what happened today.

The ride to Lakeshore was short, but to Casey it felt like an eternity, the firefighter desperate to have Gabby looked at by doctors, needing to know that she was okay. Of course he trusted Shay, but he also knew there were things that could be wrong with her that the paramedic wouldn't be able to see. He just needed to know that, aside from the gash in her leg and her shoulder, she was okay. He needed to know he hadn't hurt her anymore than he had already, that his choice hadn't caused any more damage.

Casey stayed out of the way as Shay and the other paramedic got Gabby unloaded, Matt limping behind the stretcher as they got inside the emergency room. Everything that happened next went by in a blur, Gabby getting whisked away behind a curtain, while Shay and a rather large nurse had to practically force him into a bed, Shay relaying the information of what had happened, making it known he needed to be checked over.

Once they had finally got him settled and into a gown, and time began to tick by slowly, it was apparent to Matt that his injuries were more than he initially realized. He knew he'd hurt his back, the injury from beam falling on him before the collapse only being worsened by his fall through the floor. After spending the last few hours getting multiple scans done, it was confirmed that he had no internal bleeding or broken ribs, but he had bruised a few of them. And there was a pretty nasty cut on his leg that had been stitched up. There had been no muscle damage, but something had sliced him either during the fall or after, leaving him with a large, jagged slash on the side of his right calf. He did have a concussion, and he had sprained his shoulder in the fall, the doctor saying that between the force of the fall, and the added weight of Gabby landing on top of him, it had caused some damage to his shoulder, but he was lucky it was only sprained.

On top of all that, he was covered in scratches and scrapes, and he knew ugly bruises were sure to follow here in the next day or so, but he didn't care about that. He didn't care about any of it, he just wanted to know how Gabby was. He hadn't heard a word about her condition since they took her away, and that was closing in on three hours ago now. He just needed to know what was going on; this was his fault, he did this to her… He needed to know she'd be okay.

The rustling of his curtain caught this attention, Matt's ears perking up when he saw Boden and Shay walk into his room in the ER, Casey not having seen anyone from 51 since he got brought in here.

"Hey guys." He spoke, clearing his dry throat as they came to a stop beside his bed.

"Hello Casey."

"How are you feeling?" Shay asked, her hands shoved into her pockets as she looked him over. Without the turnout gear, his injuries were much more obvious as she took in the sight of his battered body.

"Not too bad, all things considered. They've got me on some pretty serious pain meds at the moment, and I know they're sending me home with some, too." He replied, earning nods from both of them.

"I talked a little with you doctor, he said you have a sprained shoulder and some bruised ribs? And a concussion..."

"Yeah, yeah I do… But it's nothing too bad, it could've been a lot worse." He spoke, a slight grimace covering his face as his thoughts immediately shifted to Gabby. "...How's Dawson doing?"

The second he saw it was them and not another nurse or doctor coming in to see him, he immediately wanted to ask about Gabby, but he had tried to let them get a word in first. But he couldn't wait any longer.

"She's alright." Shay responded, Matt's body visibly relaxing as he nodded slowly. "She did have a dislocated shoulder, but they got it popped back in there. And she needed stitches for her leg… It didn't get down to the muscle, which is good. But she's supposed to keep it easy for a few weeks. They said she'll probably be able to go home tonight, but they're not sure. They're mostly worried about her leg getting infected… but they flushed it with antibiotics, and they have her on medication just in case, so she should be alright."

"Was there anything else?" He asked quickly, Shay shrugging slightly.

"Mostly just cuts and scrapes. Her right ankle is a little swollen, she probably landed on it when you guys fell. But she's okay, she's sleeping right now." The paramedic responded, Matt giving a slight nod.

"Good, that's good…" He murmured in response, taking a deep breath, Boden and Shay sharing knowing glances before the Chief spoke up.

"Do you know when you can get out of here?"

"Uh, they want to monitor me for a few more hours, I think…" He started, Boden crossing his arms over his chest. "Because I was unconscious, and the concussion and everything, they just want to make sure I'm good before they let me leave." Matt finished, glancing down to the wires poking out from beneath his hospital gown. "...I kind of think it's unnecessary, but they already told me that, unless something changes, I'll be able to leave today, so that's good I guess… I don't really have a say, so."

"No, it's good they're keeping you here a little while longer. Best to be cautious in this situation." Boden replied, Matt giving him a slight nod. "But, when you are able to get out out of here, I'm gonna have Severide, or maybe Shay, take you home."

"Chief, I'm okay-"

"You're done this shift, and the next few as well." He continued, Casey opening his mouth to protest, but Boden spoke before he could. "It isn't up for discussion. I know you're feeling alright now, but you said yourself, they've got you on some pretty heavy pain medication… Here pretty soon you're going to be feeling the trauma your body went through. Your leg needs to heal, your shoulder needs to heal… you need to heal." He spoke firmly, his voice leaving no room for any arguments. "You're taking at least the next two shifts off, maybe more."

"Understood, Chief."

"Good… I'm gonna go let everyone know how you're doing." He spoke, Matt giving him a nod. "I'm glad you're okay, Casey."

"Thanks Chief." He responded, Boden flashing him a small smile before exiting the small space, leaving Casey and Shay alone.

"So how are you really?" She asked, Matt eyeing her closely.

"How many times do I have to tell you I'm fine."

"However many it takes before you stop giving me bullshit. Now, how are you?" She asked, stepping closer to him as he blew out a heavy sigh.

"...It hurts like hell, is that what you wanted to hear?"

"No, of course not. But you lying wasn't getting us anywhere. You sure nothing more serious is wrong? You didn't like, break a rib or anything did you?" She questioned, pursing her lips together tightly.

"Not unless the doctors missed it, then no. I just fell through a fucking building." He breathed out in frustration, Shay placing a gentle hand on his arm.

"Yeah, but you might've saved Dawson's life in the process." She responded, Matt scoffing as he shook his head, Shay's eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "...What?"

"I didn't save her, I almost got her killed." He spoke bitterly, the words leaving a grimace on his face as he looked down to his lap.

"Casey…" She spoke softly, Matt shaking his head.

"It's my fault, Shay." He replied, blinking quickly. "I'm the reason she was in there, I never should've called any paramedic inside. I should've known we couldn't help that man, I should've never brought her into that warehouse."

"Boden sent her inside, not you." She tried, but Matt shook his head again.

"Yeah, and no paramedic would've even gone in had it not been for me. Face it, she's in this hospital because of me. She should've never gone inside that building… And then I couldn't even keep her safe once we were in there." He spoke defeatedly, Shay hearing an anger in his voice she hadn't heard in a while. She knew he'd be worried, that until he saw Dawson, he probably wouldn't stop worrying, but she didn't expect him to be holding onto so much guilt; and she knew Gabby wouldn't want him to, either.

"You're not God, Casey." Shay replied, Matt lifting his head up to meet her gaze. "You were trying to save that guy, and you knew you needed a paramedic. Then, with Gabby, you did everything you could. You grabbed her as you two were falling through the damn floor, you took most of the impact-"

"Yeah, and she fucking dislocated her shoulder and was pinned under a beam." He spat, Shay knowing his anger wasn't directed at her, but at himself. "I hurt her, Shay. I'm the reason she got hurt."

"And imagine how much worse it would have been had she not had you there to break her fall." Shay replied without hesitation, Matt sucking in a deep breath as she continued. "She could've broken her neck, she could've hurt her spine, hell she'd could've died had she not had you there… You could've died, too. But you weren't thinking about that. You were thinking about _her_… and you did everything you could to keep her safe."

Casey drew in a deep breath, Shay squeezing his arm comfortingly.

"I know you're blaming yourself, but this wasn't your fault, Casey. You had no idea this was going to happen."

"Yeah, I guess you're right…" He breathed out, Shay lifting her hand up, patting against his cheek gently, being mindful of the cuts on his face.

"I'm always right."

"You probably shouldn't do that when I have a concussion." He responded, Shay rolling her eyes before she began to walk towards the exit.

"Oh, you're fine." She teased, Matt chuckling softly as she stopped at the curtain. "You good?"

"Yeah, I'm good." He assured her, Shay nodding before beginning to leave. "Are you, uh-" His voice stopped her, the paramedic turning back around. "Are you going to see Gabby again?" He asked, Shay nodding.

"I can go check on her, yeah." She responded, Matt swallowing thickly before speaking up again.

"...Can you tell her that I'm sorry?" He requested, Shay drawing in a deep breath.

"Matt-"

"Please." He cut her off, Shay releasing a heavy sigh. "I keep trying to get them to let me go see her, but they won't… I'm gonna talk to her about all this later, but can you please just tell her?"

"Fine." She agreed, Matt giving her a thankful nod. "I'll go tell her… But you know she doesn't blame you for this." She added, cocking her head to the side. "In fact, all she cared about was knowing you were okay." Shay smirked when she saw Matt duck his head, heat rising to his cheeks, his reaction causing her to laugh. "...So, I take it me kicking you in the ass at Molly's paid off." She spoke smugly, Matt rolling his eyes.

"Goodbye Shay." He prompted, the blonde emitting another laugh as she pulled back the curtain.

"Uh huh." She replied, flashing him a knowing smile before leaving the small room, walking back towards the waiting room.

When she got there, it didn't take her long to find everyone from the firehouse, the firefighters sitting exactly where they had been the last few hours, aside from when they'd been called away once earlier in the day. She gave a small smile to her coworkers who looked up at her, the paramedic assuming they had all already been filled in on Casey's condition, Shay heading straight for Severide who was seated towards the back, Walker a few seats to his left.

"Hey, how is he?" Kelly asked when she got to him, Shay crossing her arms over her chest.

"He's in some pain, but he's fine." She replied, her gaze flickering to Walker, seeing the firefighter watching her closely. "Didn't Boden talk to you guys?"

"He did." Severide responded. "But you know Casey, I figured he was putting on a front for Boden."

"Yeah, that was a good assumption." She breathed out, shaking her head. "But he's alright… gonna need some time off to heal, but he'll be fine."

"Good, that's good." He spoke, Shay giving him a nod, her eyes flashing to Walker again before speaking to Kelly.

"I'm gonna go check on Dawson, make sure she's still doing alright." She told her friend, Kelly giving her a nod before she began walking away, heading back into the ER.

"I'm glad the Lieutenant and Dawson are okay."

Severide looked over from the direction Shay went, glancing towards Walker, finding the firefighter already watching him.

"That was rough, the call today." He continued, Kelly giving him a nod.

"Yeah… it was. But luckily they'll be okay." Severide responded, Walker running his tongue over his bottom lip.

"Yeah, and uh-" Kelly raised his eyebrows, waiting for Bryan to continue. "Do you know what all that in the warehouse was about?" He asked, Severide's face filled with confusion. "...With Casey and Dawson."

"What are you talking about?" Severide asked, straightening his spine, Walker clenching his neck.

"Just the way Casey was acting, he seemed really upset. And him and Dawson, I don't know, they just seemed… close." He spoke, Severide letting out a dry scoff.

"Are you seriously doing this now?" Kelly asked, Walker narrowing his eyes.

"I'm just asking, Kelly." He responded firmly, Severide shaking his head.

"No, you're not just asking." He spoke sharply, Bryan's glare never lifting. "You know exactly what you're doing, but it doesn't matter. Dawson got hurt because she was inside that building, and Casey was the reason she was in there, of course he's upset about that." Severide replied with a pointed stare, Walker shrugging his shoulders before he collapsed back into his seat.

Even though Severide's explanation made sense, it still didn't sit well with him. When he'd confronted Gabby about the Lieutenant awhile ago, he didn't actually believe anything was going on there. He figured they were friends, but despite what he said, he never actually thought there was anything going on there. But the way they were both acting on that call, Bryan couldn't help but think there was _something_ between them, and he didn't like that.

He didn't like that one bit.

* * *

"Doc, please tell me I can get out of here." Casey breathed out when his doctor walked into the room, Matt glancing to the clock on the wall, seeing it was nearly 8PM. The rest of his afternoon had not gone according to plan, not at all, Casey being stuck in this hospital bed for much longer than he wanted. After speaking with Shay way earlier in the day, Casey had hoped that he wouldn't be around in the hospital for much longer, but when they got back unusual readings on his heart monitor, they forced him to stay for further testing. Casey thought it was unnecessary, and he put up quite the fight about it, but eventually he gave in once he was told he couldn't be cleared to return to work unless they ran the tests.

As a surprise to no one, everything came back clear, and Casey could only figure there had been a malfunction in the machine that caused the unusual readings. But it had turned what should've been just the early afternoon spent in the hospital into an all day affair, and Casey was not happy.

He just wanted to get out of here. He hadn't been able to see Gabby all day, or anyone really, and he hated it. He hated being in this hospital bed, especially when he was fine.

"Yes Mr. Casey, you're officially discharged." The doctor spoke, Matt blowing out a heavy breath.

"Thank God." He murmured, earning a laugh from the older man.

"I know, I know. Today definitely wasn't what you had planned on, but as far as all our tests show, you're fine. You'll need to take it easy, as I've told you, but you're fine to go home. You're gonna need rest, not only for your shoulder and your leg, but also your head. You have a pretty nasty bump already, just remember, if you have any persistent headaches, or any dizziness or blurry vision, either come in or call an ambulance. I'm not expecting there to be any issues, but concussions can be tricky and you'll need to be careful. And make sure you keep up with your pain medication, and finish out those antibiotics. I don't foresee any problems with your leg, but since we're not exactly sure what cut you, it's just a precaution."

"Understood, Doc."

"Alright, well, you're free Mr. Casey." He spoke, handing over his discharge papers. "I hope you have a good rest of your evening, and by that I mean go home and rest." He told him, Matt chuckling before giving him a nod.

"I will."

"Good. Goodbye, Mr. Casey." He said before heading out of the small room, Matt slowly standing up, the scrubs the hospital had given him to wear home rubbing uncomfortably against his skin.

"Wow, cute outfit Case."

Matt looked up to see Severide standing beside the ajar curtain, his arms crossed over his chest as he wore a smug grin on his face.

"What are you doing here?" Casey asked, ignoring his friend's comment as he slowly walked towards him, his sore body limiting his movement.

"I'm here to drop you off at home. We need to hurry, though. Cruz is currently in charge of squad and we all know that's not gonna go well." Severide spoke, taking the prescriptions and paperwork from Matt's hands.

"Okay, well you're relieved of your duties." Matt responded, Kelly furrowing his eyebrows. "I'm not going anyway until Gabby's discharged, so you can go."

"Dawson's not here." Severide replied quickly, Casey tilting his head to the side in confusion.

"What?" He questioned, "What do you mean, where is she?"

"She got discharged, Shay took her home." Kelly explained, Matt's face falling slightly.

"...Oh." He breathed out, Kelly shaking his head in amusement as he saw the immediate shift in Casey's demeanor.

"Easy there, lover boy." He chuckled, shaking his head. "She tried to stay, but she got discharged right after they took you for that last test about an hour ago, and Boden made her leave… Which she was not thrilled about." Kelly told him, Matt wincing slightly.

"Did you tell her I was alright?" He asked immediately, knowing from Shay's words earlier, Gabby had spent the majority of the afternoon worried about him, and then her finding out he was getting more tests done couldn't have made her feel much better.

"Yeah, I kept Shay updated, she was with Dawson until about half an hour ago, got her settled in at home and everything. But yeah, she knows you're alright."

"Good, good." He murmured, Kelly nodding as he glanced back towards the hallway.

"So… you ready to go home?" Severide questioned, Matt pursing his lips together as he shook his head.

"I need to make a stop somewhere first." He replied, Severide shooting him a knowing grin as he pushed the curtain all the way back.

"Yeah, I know you do." He responded with a smirk, Casey rolling his eyes before following Severide out into the hallway, the pair walking slowly through the ER.

"Matt…"

They had almost gotten to the exit when Casey heard that familiar voice, his body tensing involuntarily before he took a deep breath, slowly turning around, coming face to face with Hallie.

She looked a lot different from the last time he saw her, her baby belly long gone as she stood there a few feet across from him, a soft smile written across her face, one he didn't reciprocate. But her smile soon turned into a grimace when she looked at him, seeing the obvious trauma he'd sustained today.

"I… I heard about what happened to you and Dawson, that's awful." She continued when he hadn't said anything, taking a cautious step forward. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He replied, his voice rough.

"And Gabby?" Hallie asked, Matt clearing his throat before responding.

"She's fine, she already got discharged… Though I'm sure you know that." He answered, his eyes flashing to the tablet in her hands, knowing that if she'd known about them being here, she'd most definitely been keeping tabs on them throughout the day.

"I just wanted to know you guys were alright, I heard that a building collapsed while you two were in it…"

"The floor did, we fell through... but we're fine." He spoke, Hallie nodding with a small smile.

"Good, I'm glad. I'm glad you guys are alright." She responded genuinely, Matt staring at her blankly, Hallie unsure what else to say.

"Casey." Severide cleared his throat, Matt glancing back to him. "You ready to get to Gabby's?" He asked, Matt nodding immediately.

"Yeah, yeah let's go." He replied without hesitation, not bothering to glance back at Hallie before they continued to the exit, Matt's pace slowing every few steps.

"You good?" Severide asked, Matt giving him a nod.

"My body is just sore, and with my leg I can't move very fast, but I'm good." He responded, Kelly giving him a pointed stare.

"I wasn't really talking about that…" He replied, Matt clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

"Yeah, I know…" He spoke, blowing out a heavy breath. "Honestly? I'm fine. I've moved on with my life, she did what she did, and I can't change it… But just because I've moved on, that doesn't mean I want to make small talk with her."

"That's understandable." Severide replied, Matt nodding as he glanced up, a soft smirk resting over his face when he saw Boden's buggy parked against the curb.

"Does Chief know you have this?" He asked with a chuckle, Kelly waving him off.

"It was either this, or I drop you off at home- excuse me, I drop you off at Dawson's place, in the truck. And considering no one else knows about you and Gabby, that would be a little hard to explain."

"Fair point." Casey responded before they climbed in the rig.

It was a rather short drive, the streets uncharacteristically quiet as Matt gave directions towards Gabby's new apartment, Severide glancing around the road as they pulled down her street.

"So, this is where you and Dawson went apartment shopping." He spoke, Matt rolling his eyes before tapping the dashboard.

"That's hers." He instructed, Kelly nodding as he came to a stop outside her apartment.

"Alright. Do I need to stay just in case she slams the door in your face?" Severide asked with a smug grin, Matt shooting him a glare before slowly climbing out of the car, grimacing at the uncomfortable movement as he got to his feet.

"Goodbye, Severide." Casey spoke, hearing Kelly's laugh until he shut the door, Matt heading for the sidewalk.

It took him about twice as long as it normally would to climb the steps up to her front door, Matt taking in the changes he could see she'd already made to the apartment from when they came and saw it all those weeks ago. From his limited view, he could see she'd put up curtains over all the windows, the drapes drawn to give her privacy, and he could also see she'd put up a fitted curtain inside, covering the glass on her front door. Taking in the few changes, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt flood his system, knowing he should've been here to help her move in. He _wanted_ to be here to help her, but they hadn't exactly been in a good place when she moved in. And truthfully, he still didn't know exactly where they stood.

But he would find out tonight. Whatever it was, they were laying it all out in the open, and deciding how to move forward from there. He was tired of them holding back, he was tired of having to guess about what they were. There'd be no more of that, not after tonight. After everything that happened to them today, he needed to know where they stood, and what they meant to one another.

That was, as long as she'd talk to him.

Blowing out a heavy sigh, Matt brought his hand up to knock on the door, wincing slightly at the movement of his injured shoulder, Matt grasping his few belongings in his other hand.

It took a few minutes until he heard Gabby approaching, Matt able to see the change in brightness of her foyer through the curtain as she undoubtedly turned the light on, Casey not having knocked a second time, knowing she was moving slower than normal.

As he heard her turn the lock, he drew in a deep breath, watching closely as she pulled the door open, an immediate look of surprise covering her face when she saw who was standing outside her apartment.

"Hi." He murmured, Gabby's tongue poking out between her lips, nodding slightly.

"Hi." She repeated, Casey blowing out a sharp breath as he blinked quickly a few times.

"I, uh- I'm sorry for just dropping by like this but… we need to talk."

* * *

**We're so close… We're almost there, I promise. Honestly, when I first mapped out this chapter, I had every intention of including their talk, but by the time I got to it, it would've been so rushed, and I didn't want that. But you all get ready, because it's coming up in the next chapter.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed this one, thank you so much for reading! I'm eager to hear what you think!**


	34. Chapter Thirty Four

**Well, are you guys ready for this one? I know a lot of you have been looking forward to this chapter for awhile now, I hope you enjoy.**

**Happy reading.**

* * *

**THIRTY FOUR**

* * *

"_I, uh- I'm sorry for just dropping by like this but… we need to talk."_

Gabby drew in a deep breath, nodding slowly as she took a step backwards, giving him room to come inside her apartment, Matt flashing her an appreciative smile before stepping inside, Gabby noticing his slight limp instantly as she shut the door behind them.

"Is your leg hurt?" She questioned, Matt looking towards her, only to find her eyes looking down, her eyebrows furrowed as she focused on his leg.

"Yeah, uh, I got cut by something, they think it happened during the fall." He answered, Gabby giving a slight nod before meeting his eyes again, both of them taking a moment to take the other in, neither of them having seen each other since getting separated at the hospital.

Matt's eyes started on her face, grimacing when he saw the cuts and scratches along her skin, his eyebrows furrowing when he saw a much deeper cut along her hairline, one he could only assume came from her oxygen mask digging into her head. She already had some faint bruising on her face, Matt knowing those marks would only get worse over the next day or so. His eyes moved down to her shoulder, her injured arm being supported by the sling she was wearing, the object keeping her arm in place. He saw a few more scratches on her arms, and he was sure there were more, but the t-shirt covering her body blocked those from his view, his gaze trailing down to her leg. With the shorts she was wearing, he could see the thick white bandage wrapped around her upper thigh, covering what he was sure were a lot of stitches, his grimace deepening as he saw a few scratches and bruises peeking out from around the bandage. Moving further down, he saw an ace bandage wrapped around her ankle, hiding her swollen skin as he shook his head, his stomach sinking as he saw the full extent of the damage the fall had caused her.

While Casey was staring at her, Gabby followed his lead as she took a moment to look over his injuries, as well. With the scrubs he was wearing, she couldn't see much, but she could see how much of a beating he'd taken, the skin she could see covered in bruises and cuts. She saw what she was sure would turn into a pretty nasty bruise along the side of his face, Gabby already making out the yellow discoloration covering his cheek.

"Are you alright?" He blurted out, Gabby meeting his gaze again, Matt releasing a heavy breath. "Sorry, that was a dumb question."

"No, no it's not… Uh, yeah, I'm fine. Sore, but fine… Everything will heal. The medication they gave me at the hospital was like a miracle worker, I'm feeling a lot better than I was earlier." She replied with a soft grin, Matt giving her a nod as he looked away from her, his eyes moving around the apartment. He could only see the kitchen, and a bit of the living room, from where he was standing in the foyer, but even from his limited view, he could tell she'd gotten everything moved in, the apartment completely different from the last time he'd seen it. "Do you-" His eyes snapped back to her when she started speaking, Gabby's breath getting caught in her throat when they locked eyes. "Do you wanna sit?... It's a little hard for me to stand for too long." She said regretfully, Matt immediately nodding as he frowned softly.

"No, yeah, let's sit, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have made you stand here." He replied instantly, Gabby shaking her head.

"It's fine." She responded, Matt giving her a nod before she began walking further into her apartment, Casey turning back to lock the front door before following after her. Neither of them were moving very fast, Matt fighting every instinct in him to go and help her, the firefighter wincing when he noticed the serious limp she was walking with, Gabby clearly in a lot of discomfort. But he wasn't sure if she'd want his help, so he let her be, waiting until she was settled on the couch before he joined her, leaving some distance in between them. She propped her swollen ankle up on the coffee table, Matt watching as she placed it on a pillow sitting there, Casey assuming this is how she'd been resting before he made her get up.

A thick silence had formed between them, neither knowing what to say as they sat in her living room, Matt's eyes bouncing around the apartment while Gabby focused on her lap.

"The place looks great." He eventually spoke up, Gabby looking to him quickly before looking away again, her gaze moving around the apartment. "You did a really nice job."

"Thank you… Yeah, uh, I had my parents help, and Antonio. I'm still waiting on a few things, but I like it."

"I'm glad you got this place, I know how much you liked it, when we came to see it…" He trailed off, Dawson nodding as she stared ahead, pursing her lips together. "I, uh…" He cleared his throat, Gabby glancing towards him, "I'm sorry for making you walk all the way to the door, I just- I got discharged and I needed to come see you." He murmured, his tongue running over his bottom lip as he saw a slight smile form across her face.

"I'm glad you did…" She murmured, Casey soon matching her smile, a look of relief flickering in his eyes.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah… I was really worried about you." She continued, brushing her hair behind her ear. "Shay… she told me you have a concussion?" Gabby questioned, Matt giving her a slight nod. "And that you sprained your shoulder, and bruised some ribs…"

"I did, but I'm fine." He was quick to assure her, Gabby releasing a heavy breath.

"I know you were more hurt than you let on at the fire... even though I was a little out of it I could still tell…" She replied with a pointed stare, Matt smiling sheepishly. "And then Shay told me you were being taken for more tests… you really worried me today, Casey."

"I'm sorry." He murmured, Gabby shaking her head as he slid closer to her, his knee almost touching hers as he angled his body towards her.

"No, don't apologize, it's not your fault… I'm just glad you're okay." She replied, glancing down to her lap as Matt placed a soft hand over her knee, Gabby's neck clenching tightly as she tried to keep her emotions under control. "...When I woke up and you were unconscious…" She shook her head, her voice faltering as she blinked quickly, "I didn't know what to think, I thought you were gone." Her voice was barely audible, Matt's eyes falling closed as he listened to her. He could hear how much he'd scared her, Gabby unable to mask it when she spoke, and he hated that he'd worried her so much. He hated everything that had happened today, and he wasn't sure if he could ever forgive himself for it.

"I'm sorry." He said again, Gabby smiling weakly.

"You've gotta stop apologizing, it's not your fault… I just- I want you to know how glad I am that you're okay." She repeated, but Matt shook his head, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing when she saw his shoulders tense.

"It is my fault."

"Matt-"

"No, it is my fault." He said again, pulling his hand back from her knee, gripping his palms together in his lap. "Everything that happened today, that's my fault. You're hurt because of me." He spoke, his voice cracking as Gabby frowned, her eyes shining with sadness, Matt refusing to look at her. "I should've never brought you into that building, it was too dangerous."

"Matt…"

"You never should have been in there, you could've died, and I-"

"_You_ could've died." She interrupted him, Matt sucking in a deep breath as he finally looked up at her, finding her eyes already on him. "You were trying to save that man, you were doing what you thought was best… You grabbed me when we were falling through the floor, even though it was so stupid." She spoke with a light scoff, Matt unable to stop the slight smile pulling on his lips, Gabby taking a deep breath before continuing. "No one blames you for this, Matt. I don't blame you… So stop blaming yourself."

"It's not that easy…" He told her, Gabby releasing a soft sigh. "But Shay said the same thing you did-"

"Of course she did, because we're right." She cut in, Matt chuckling again as he returned his hand to her knee, Gabby smiling softly. "But seriously, I don't want you blaming yourself. You had no way of knowing what was going to happen, and everything's fine. We're both okay, all things considered... so please, for me, don't get hung up on this."

"Okay." He murmured, Gabby smiling softly. "I'll try."

"Thank you." She replied, Matt squeezing her knee gently, Gabby reaching her arm across her body to place her hand over his. "So, uh… you wanted to talk?" Gabby prompted, Matt tilting his head to the side. "Unless- you just wanted to talk about what happened today." She quickly added, swallowing the lump forming in her throat, Matt shaking his head.

"No, no, I, uh, I wanted to talk about-" He cleared his throat, drawing in a deep breath. "I want to talk about us, about what happened… if you're up for it." Gabby gave him a slow nod, her grip on his hand loosening slightly. "Okay, well, I-" He blew out a heavy sigh. "I don't even know where to start." He admitted, Gabby watching him closely. "Everything between us got so messed up, I never meant for any of this to happen…"

"Any of what?" She questioned quietly, pulling her hand away, unsure of what he meant.

"The fighting, the… split, or whatever you wanna call it." He answered, Gabby releasing a relieved breath. "It could've all been avoided, had I just been honest with you instead of… hiding, or- I don't even know what to call it." Matt shook his head. "But I'm sorry for not being honest with you… About how I feel, about how much you mean to me." He spoke, their eyes locking, Matt seeing a hesitance in her gaze. One he wished wasn't there, but one he couldn't say he was surprised to see. "But you need to know, you mean so much so me, Gabby… You have for awhile, if I'm being honest. I don't remember the exact moment, but I just remember it was like one day I realized that I what I felt for you- feel for you, it's more than just you being my friend… That I wanted more with you, but I didn't know what to do about it, so I never said anything." He breathed out, neither of them breaking their eye contact. "I knew, or I _thought_, that you weren't looking for a relationship. I knew you weren't at first, at least, and I didn't know if my feelings for you were something you could handle, especially so soon after what happened with Walker… And, truthfully, I wasn't sure I couldn't handle it either, after Hallie… I was just so afraid to change things." He admitted, shaking his head slowly as Gabby's face softened. "I was afraid to ruin what we had, so I figured it was best to just keep quiet. I didn't know what you were feeling, or what you were thinking… and if I'm being honest, I'm still a little lost with that one." He added with a chuckle, Gabby scoffing lightly in amusement. "But I am sorry for what I said to you, for hurting you like I did... I never wanted that. I never want to hurt you." He murmured, seeing her give him a slow nod. "I know we started this thing all backwards, but I really, really like you, Gabby." He told her, Gabby unable to fight to smile forming across her face, Matt matching her look. "I don't want to rush this… I refuse to rush this, because you mean more to me than anyone else, and I want this- I want us to last." He spoke sincerely, Gabby's eyes shining as she looked at him, Matt blowing out a heavy breath, his words hanging in the air. He remained silent for a moment, wanting to give her time to think over what he said, Matt not wanting to push her.

But she didn't say anything, Gabby using her good hand to grab onto his arm, gently pulling him towards her, a soft grin growing on his face before his lips pressed into hers, Gabby melting into him as he did what he could to keep pressure off her shoulder. Their movements were slow and gentle, Gabby resting her hand over his neck and Matt kept himself propped up, ignoring the discomfort in his shoulder.

When they finally pulled back, Matt had the same soft grin on his face, Gabby's bottom lip tucked in between her teeth as their foreheads pressed together, Matt opening his eyes to find her staring at him, her eyes soft and full of admiration.

"So… you feel the same way?" He asked lightly, Gabby rolling her eyes before he kissed her again, Gabby holding her close to him. This one was much shorter, Matt reluctantly pulling back when he couldn't handle keeping the pressure on his arm, Gabby taking deep breaths as he settled back beside her, Matt leaning against the couch while they sat in a comfortable silence.

"...I do." She spoke up after a few minutes, Matt glancing towards her with that signature Casey grin. "I do feel the same way." She elaborated, blinking quickly as she felt a familiar pressure rise within her chest. "This- talking about how I feel, letting people in… it's not easy for me."

"I know." He replied sympathetically, placing his hand on her leg. "And I know I pushed too hard, I was just- I was frustrated because I felt like you didn't trust me, or couldn't trust me."

"It wasn't because of you, or at least not anything you were doing. I just- I wish I didn't have a hard time letting people in… letting _you_ in. I wish I could just trust people, but…" She trailed off, shaking her head as she looked down to her lap.

"Walker." He finished for her, Gabby's eyes falling closed as she clenched her jaw, giving him a slow nod.

"I hate that I still let him get in my head." She whispered, Matt frowning softly. "I hate it, and I wish I didn't… But just- some of the things he used to say, or that he'd do-" She cut herself off, a mix of anger and sadness flooding his system. "It's just hard to completely forget it, but I'm trying."

"I know you are." He told her, Gabby lifting her head to meet his gaze, seeing nothing but concern and compassion looking back at her. "... But I'm not him, Gabby."

"I know you're not." She responded softly. "It has nothing to do with you, and everything to do with me… And him, I guess, but I need you to know that I do trust you, Matt." She told him, Matt giving her a soft nod. "And I know I made all of this a lot harder than it needed to be… If I would've just talked to you, all of this… well, maybe not the falling through the floor part, but everything with us- the fight, and the split, or whatever… none of it would've happened if I had just talked to you." She breathed out, frustration evident in her voice. "And there were times I wanted to, I really did… but, like you, I guess I was scared… Scared to change things, scared to give myself to you, I was just scared of all of it."

"I should've said something, too." He cut in, finding her gaze. "I didn't help things, either… I just wanted you to let me in, but I didn't realize that I hadn't really let you in, either. I was frustrated, and worried, and made things harder than they should've been, and said things I shouldn't have said. I never should've tried to have that conversation at the bar with you, anyway. I knew you were upset about… well, I just knew you were upset, and I pushed you too hard."

"I didn't exactly make it easy on you, Matt." She countered. "I'm just… I stopped letting myself rely on other people. You were trying to help me, you were trying to be there for me, and that scared me, the thought of letting me rely on you like that-" She stopped herself, shaking her head slowly. "Every time I let myself rely on Bryan, he'd use it against me." She admitted, her voice barely above a whisper as Matt watched her, his eyes mirroring the sadness he felt. "I know it always comes back to him, and I hate it… I'm trying to get over it, but it's hard."

"You never have to apologize for that." He spoke, Gabby looking back up at him, finding he had never taken his eyes off of her. "I should've known it wasn't about me, at least not completely. I should've backed off… I know it's hard for you, I know that, and I should've realized sooner that's what this was, or that he was at least part of it…" Matt trailed off, Gabby running her tongue along her bottom lip.

Casey knew Bryan had messed with her head. It had been obvious pretty much from the moment he met, even before he knew Bryan was the man who had caused her obvious emotional trauma. But Walker had left her with more scars than he originally realized, and he was sure there were still plenty he had no idea about. And, looking back on it, he hated that he'd pushed her so hard, when he hadn't even let her know how he felt. He hadn't been fair to her, they hadn't been fair to each other, but that was about to change.

"I know you know I'm not him, and that you trust me, but, as you've told me, sometimes those habits are hard to break," Matt started, Gabby watching him closely as she gave him a slow nod. "But, I swear to you, Gabby, I'll be right here, reminding you as often as I need to that you can depend on me… I know this isn't something that'll just go away overnight, but you mean so much to me, Gabby- you mean everything, and I'll always be right here, whenever you need me." He breathed out, Gabby blinking back the tears forming in her eyes as she gave him a nod.

"You mean a lot to me, too." She responded, her voice barely above a whisper. "And I think you're right, we shouldn't rush this. I don't want to mess this up by moving too fast, because I- I need you, Matt." She admitted, swallowing thickly, Casey giving her knee a reassuring squeeze. "I'm just still working on how to express that, but I do… But I'm still scared, of us changing what this is, and what it means. And I know I've been keeping you at arms length, and I that I've been shutting you out, but I don't want to do that anymore." She continued, gaining the courage to keep talking as she felt his quiet support by her side. "And I'm trying not to, but I'm gonna need a little patience sometimes…"

"I know." He replied without hesitation. "We're gonna have to figure some of this out as we go along, I know that… But I'm right here." He reminded her, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to the side of her head, Gabby relaxing into him slightly before she cleared her throat, needing to get the rest of the words out.

"I know you are… But, uh- just because I don't want to rush things, I, um- I still want us to be- God, this sounds so lame." She groaned, cutting herself off as Matt chuckled by her side, placing his hand on the back of her head, rubbing gently as he waited for her to continue. "I want us to be together, like an actual couple…" She spoke, hating how the words sounded leaving her mouth, but she didn't know how else to communicate to him what she was wanting aside from being direct, Gabby watching as Matt shook his head in amusement.

"Are you asking me to be your boyfriend, Gabriela Dawson?" He questioned teasingly, trying to alleviate some of the tension her body was holding as Gabby covered her face with her hand, Matt laughing again.

"If you don't stop, I'm gonna take it back." She threatened, her words slightly muffled by her hand as Casey emitted another laugh.

"You're cute." He spoke lightly under his breath, Gabby dropping her hand and looking towards him, glaring playfully as his smile widened, her glare disappearing when he leaned forward, capturing her lips in his, feeling her smile against him before reciprocating the action. Her hand slid across his cheek as he kissed her, Matt deepening their movements for a second before he pulled back slightly, his lips ghosting over hers. "But if that was what you were asking, then I accept." He murmured, feeling her smile widen before he kissed her again, Gabby's thumb running along his scratched skin. "...It did sound kind of lame, though." He added, Gabby scoffing as she began pulling back, but he didn't let her get very far, Matt pressing his lips into hers, using his hand on the back of her head as leverage to keep her close, Gabby giving into him instantly.

Matt got himself into a better position, shifting in his seat without disconnecting from Gabby, feeling her pull him closer as she deepened the kiss. Her hand rested right under his jaw, Matt smiling against her as they went as long as they could, Gabby having to pull back first when air became a priority.

Both of their chests were heaving as they sat on the couch, Matt gently rubbing his hand through her hair, scratching her scalp lightly, Gabby relaxing back into the couch. They sat there in the living room for a few minutes, Matt's breathing evening out as he stared at her. Her eyes were closed, Gabby wearing a soft smile on her face as she focused on the feeling of his fingers rubbing her head.

He knew they still had things to talk about, and there were still things to figure out, but as they sat here on her couch, he couldn't help but feel a sense of complete contentment. After everything that had happened with them, after all they'd gone through these last few weeks, and then today especially, he felt grateful to be here with her right now. To know that they were okay, and that they were finally on the same page... He knew _they'd_ be okay.

A soft yawn escaped Gabby's lips suddenly, the woman finally succumbing to the events of today as her body tried to tell her to get some rest. With a gentle smile, Matt pressed a kiss to the side of her head, Gabby's grin widening as she opened her eyes. "How about we get you to bed…" He suggested, stroking his thumb over the side of her head.

"Only if you stay with me." She murmured, Matt raising his eyebrows as his smile widened.

"I'd love to… And it works out because I have no way to get home. I don't have my car keys… Or anything." He spoke, realization washing over him as Gabby chuckled softly. "Now that I think about it, I really should've had Kelly take me to the station first. I don't even have any clothes." He continued as Gabby smiled sheepishly, Matt's head cocking to the side. "What?"

"I think I have something you can wear." She spoke, his eyebrows raising as Gabby shot him a smile. "Let's get you to the bedroom, you haven't even seen it yet." She told him, Matt wearing a goofy grin as he nodded, the two beginning to work on getting up.

It was quite the task, both of their beaten bodies taking longer than normal to perform simple movements, but after a few minutes they had both managed to get up. Matt had moved her leg down off the table, supporting her hips as she sat up, Casey pushing her until she was flat on her feet. Once she was steady, he pushed himself up, wincing as he put too much pressure on his injured shoulder, Gabby watching him closely as he moved.

Before she could even start to do it herself, Matt slowly limped towards the kitchen, finding her cups in the cabinet and grabbing one, getting her the glass of water he knew she always wanted before bed. Gabby kept her eyes on him the entire time, the simple gesture filling her chest with warmth as he left the kitchen, glass of water in hand while he turned off the lights as he went.

"I locked the door behind me when I came in- What?" He questioned with a grin when he saw the look on her face, Gabby shaking her head as she slowly walked away from the couch, meeting up with him at the entrance to the hallway.

"Nothing, just wondering if this is one of the perks of officially being your girlfriend?" She asked with a chuckle, Matt following her gaze down towards the water glass, a smirk forming on his lips as they began slowly walking down the hallway.

"Hey, I did this for you before we were together." He defended, Gabby raising her eyebrows as they got to her bedroom, Matt letting her walk in first.

"Well, considering you had feelings for me for awhile, you could've just been doing that to try and woo me." She countered, Matt scoffing lightly as he walked into the bedroom, his eyes moving around. She didn't have much when it came to decoration yet, but her room was really nice. It was warm and inviting, and he was glad she had a place like this to call home. And he was really glad he was able to be here to experience that with her.

"Oh please, I have much better moves than that." He replied, Gabby cocking her head to the side as she moved towards the dresser, Matt following her path, placing the glass of water down.

"Are you sure about that?" She questioned challengingly, Matt running his tongue across his lip. "I mean, I seem to remember that night at the bar where you were _really_ struggling to get any woman to give you the time of day." Gabby teased him, Matt raising his eyebrows as he took a step towards her, carefully placing his hand on her hip.

"Ah, well, if _I_ seem to remember correctly, I did get _one_ woman to give me the time of day." He spoke with a knowing grin, Gabby ducking her head as heat filled her cheeks. "Besides, that was an off night, I have plenty of moves you haven't seen yet." He whispered, Gabby lifting her head to find his face mere inches from hers, Matt grinning softly as he met her gaze.

"Is that so?" She questioned, earning a hum in response. "Well, I can't wait to see what those are." She whispered, her eyes flickering to his lips before meeting his gaze.

"I don't know, I already have you, I don't think I need to try and impress you." He replied, Gabby's eyes shining as she smiled softly.

"...You have me, huh?" She asked, her happy tone making his smile widen, Matt giving her a nod.

"I do." He responded, stroking his thumb over her cheek before leaning down, pressing a firm kiss to her lips. "...But now I'd also like to have some clothes, too." He murmured against her, Gabby chuckling before kissing him again quickly.

When they separated, Gabby pulled out her dresser drawer, Matt's eyebrows raising when he looked at the contents, Casey seeing a lot of familiar clothes. In fact, the closer he looked, the more he realized the entire drawer was full of only his clothes. Biting back a smirk, Matt looked up, finding Gabby watching him with a sheepish smile. "Care to explain yourself?" He asked with a laugh, Gabby glancing down towards the drawer.

"I have no idea how I ended up with so many of your clothes…" She spoke with a grin, Matt shaking his head.

"You steal them, that's how you have so many of them." He countered, Gabby tilting her head to the side.

"It's not my fault they're comfier than mine…" She muttered, Matt's smile widening as she began rustling through his clothes with her one good arm. When she was moving in, it was a shock to her as well, seeing just how many of his clothes she'd ended up with, some she'd taken intentionally and some she hadn't. But regardless, she kept them. Even though she knew she probably shouldn't have once they'd ended things, she couldn't bring herself to return them. But now, thankfully, she wouldn't have to. Except maybe she would when they stopped smelling like him, Gabby having found comfort in wearing his clothes more times than she'd care to admit.

"You can steal as many of my clothes as you want." He replied, pressing a kiss to the side of her head as he pulled Gabby from her thoughts. "But maybe I can have a few of them back? I'm running out of sweatpants." He added with a chuckle, Gabby wearing a smug smile.

"We'll see." She replied, pulling out a t-shirt and a pair of pajama pants, placing them on top of the dresser. As she shut the drawer, Matt slowly began peeling the hospital-gifted scrubs from his body, a grimace covering his face as he had to contort his arm to get the shirt off. As he slid the pants down his legs, Gabby was able to get a much better look at him and his injuries, a deep frown etching into her skin as she saw the scratches and cuts covering his skin. His body had been through hell, Gabby seeing bruises already forming on his skin from the fall today. He had a few yellow spots of discoloration on his upper chest, Gabby knowing those would probably worsen overnight, and she could only imagine they were from the impact of her body landing on top of his. But what really had her worried was the huge bruise that wrapped around his side, going around to his back. She couldn't see all of it, but based on how much of his skin the bruise covered over his side, she couldn't imagine it looked much prettier on his back, Gabby seeing the discoloration disappear underneath his boxers. The marks were a bit unnerving, as were the cuts on different parts of his body, but as her eyes moved back towards his chest, and she saw the steady rise and fall of his shoulders, she was reminded that he was fine. That even though today could've been much worse, he was okay. They both were. And that's what was important.

As he grabbed the pajama pants off the dresser, Gabby reached out to stop him, Matt glancing up at her as she took the clothing from his hands, letting it fall down to the carpet as his eyebrows raised.

"Gabby-"

He got cut off by her lips covering his, Matt initially stunned by the intensity of the action, but he quickly recovered as she gripped the back of his neck, keeping him close. His hands moved to her waist, Gabby carefully sliding her hand down his chest, being mindful of trauma his body had sustained today as she came to a stop at the waistband of his boxers, her fingers snapping the material against his skin.

Gabby suddenly pulled back, Matt panting as she took a slight step away from him, his eyes searching her face as she moved her arm up towards her sling. Slowly, she unclipped it, Matt immediately moving to help her as he carefully slid the sling down from her body, Gabby grimacing slightly as she stretched out her arm. As he placed the sling on top of the dresser, Gabby methodically began the process of removing her shirt, Matt quickly halting her movements, her eyes finding his.

"Are you sure?" He panted, his eyes flickering to her lips before meeting her eyes. "I don't… I don't wanna hurt you."

"I'm sure." She responded, Matt searching her gaze for any sign of deception, but he found none.

"We can wait, and do this another time if you need to." He tried again, Gabby shaking her head. "I'm not going anywhere."

"I know you're not, but I want to… After everything that happened these last few weeks, and everything today… You won't hurt me, Matt." She murmured, Casey giving her a slow nod before leaning forward, pressing a soft kiss against her lips. When he pulled back, he went to work on her shirt, getting her left arm out of the sleeve and lifting it over her head, sliding the material down off her right arm, doing what he could to limit her shoulder's movement.

Dropping the material to the ground, Matt's eyes traced over her bare chest, seeing more signs of trauma covering her skin, but the worst by far was her shoulder, intense bruising already covering the area from where it had been dislocated, and then popped back into place. It was gruesome, and he knew it had to have been hurting her, Matt sighing softly before he leaned down, pressing a light kiss over the discolored skin, his hand rubbing along her bare side. Gabby's good arm wrapped around his back, lightly stroking his skin as their chests pressed together, the two relishing in the feeling of being this close after weeks apart, both of them breathing slowly as they decompressed after the events of today, Matt pressing another kiss to her shoulder before slowly pulling from her grasp. Grabbing her left hand in his, he slowly led her to the bed, Matt pulling back the covers before she sat down, Gabby carefully scooting to the middle.

As she got comfortable, Matt slowly slid his boxers down his legs, gently kicking them off as they landed on the floor, Gabby's head resting on the pillow as he carefully climbed onto the bed, his body twinging slightly at the sharp movement. But Matt ignored it, his want for her outweighing everything else. Moving carefully, Matt grabbed ahold of her injured arm, resting it on the bed to keep it out of the way. Gabby brought her left hand up to his head, running her fingers through his short hair as he hovered over her, peppering her skin with soft kisses. He started at her upper chest, his lips dragging along her battered skin as he skillfully moved down her body. He focused his attention on her breast bone, Gabby's chest heaving as he slowly moved towards her left breast, her breath catching in her throat as he took her nipple into his mouth. His spent plenty of time focusing on her skin, Gabby scratching his scalp as he moved to her other side, giving it the same treatment, warmth pooling in her stomach as he meticulously worked her up.

Casey stayed in that position as long as he could bear it, but when the pain in his shoulder became too much, he knew he needed to keep moving, or this night would end far too quickly for his liking. Reluctantly, he released her from his mouth, Gabby's chest and stomach rising and falling underneath him as he continued kissing his way down her body, his lips staying on her until he got to the waistband of her shorts, Matt slowly pulling back.

Without a word, Matt slid his fingertips underneath the edge of the last piece of clothing between them, beginning to slowly pull the loose material down her body. He was careful, not wanting to hurt her injured leg, Matt taking his time to remove the clothing. Once he was in the clear, Matt tossed the shorts to the ground, his eyes soaking in the sight in front of him, taking a moment to appreciate the view.

"You okay?" Gabby murmured, unsure of why he had stopped all of a sudden, Matt's eyes moving up her body before landing on her face, a soft smile tugging at his lips when he met her gaze.

"I'm perfect." He breathed out, Gabby grinning softly as he situated himself between her legs, spreading them apart enough to give him room, Matt not wanting to put any pressure on the top of her thigh where the gash was.

Once he was positioned, Matt grabbed the covers, pulling them up over them before he hovered over her, Gabby's hand immediately resting on his waist. Reaching in between them, Matt lined himself up to her entrance, his eyes finding hers quickly. "You sure you're okay?" He asked one last time, Gabby's bottom lip tucked in between her teeth. "We can stop right now if you're not."

But she shook her head, Gabby giving him an encouraging smile. "I'm good." She assured him, Matt nodding before he slowly sunk into her. A sharp gasp escaped her lips when he filled her completely, Matt kissing her neck as he stilled inside her, giving her time to adjust to him after weeks of being apart.

Gabby ran her hand along the back of his neck, tapping his skin gently, Matt lifting up to look at her, his bright blue eyes shining in the dim room. "Do you need me to stop?" He asked, even though he hadn't moved yet, Gabby flashing him a soft grin as she shook her head.

"No." She replied simply, guiding him back towards her as their lips connected, Matt smiling against her before kissing her back, his forearms resting on the mattress as he slowly began to slide in and out of her.

His movements were slow, their kisses deliberate as they moved together, Gabby letting him do most of the work, her beaten body unable to help much as his thrusts went deeper. They took their time, Matt keeping his pace steady and easy, the feeling of his skin on hers filling her with a sense of safety. Her breath caught in her throat when he stalled deep inside her for a moment, Matt swallowing the moan that left her lips as he felt her start to tighten around him, before he continued on.

In the months that had passed since they first met, they'd been in this position more times than they could count, but this was different. For the first time, they were actually together when they had fallen into bed together, and it changed everything. Every moment felt real, like there was a deeper meaning behind what they were doing, an emotional intensity hanging in the air around them as they connected with one another, Gabby clutching onto him with as much strength as she could muster.

As her body continuously clenched around him, Matt wasn't sure how much longer he'd be able to hold on, but he would do everything he could to make this last as long as possible, neither of them wanting this moment to end.

* * *

Casey stared up at the ceiling as he laid on his back, his hand resting on his chest while he took slow breaths, his mind elsewhere as he held onto the woman beside him. They had been lying here together for nearly half an hour, the two falling into one another once they both had finished, their bodies euphorically achy as they laid together.

Laying here now, he knew they probably shouldn't have done what they just did, Matt's body already feeling the effects of that much activity, his muscles aching in a way that wasn't necessarily pleasant as they recovered from their time together. But he didn't regret it, and he knew she didn't either, both of them needing that more than they realized. And had it not been for their injuries, he knew they would've been in the middle of round two right about now.

When they had finished moments ago, Matt had collapsed on the bed beside her, laying on her left side, trying to avoid her injured arm, Gabby immediately having tucked herself into him, her bare chest resting against his side as she slowly placed her right hand on his chest. His arm had wrapped around her, resting low on her hip as the sheets laid over his stomach, Gabby having pulled them up to cover her chest. He had been a little hesitant to hold onto her at first, Matt not wanting to risk hurting her, but once he knew she was alright, he relaxed, relishing in the comfort that having her this close gave him. There was no other feeling like this in the world; being with Gabby, and being this close to her, and it was a feeling he would gladly experience for the rest of his life.

Maybe he was getting ahead of himself, but he didn't care. Even though they hadn't had a label to what they were, these last few months with Gabby had been some of the best of his life, and he could only imagine now that they were together, things would only get better.

But he wasn't naive, and he knew there were still discussions to be had. There were still things they needed to talk about; mainly the thing that had started the downward spiral of them in the first place.

"You're thinking so loud." Gabby murmured, Matt smirking as he was pulled from his thoughts, his eyes moving down to look at the top of her head.

"I thought you were asleep." He replied softly, giving her hip a squeeze.

"No, not yet… Clearly you're not either." She responded, pressing a kiss to the side of his chest. "What's going on in there? You've been out of it for awhile…"

"Just thinking." He told her, Gabby pressing her cheek against his chest.

"About?" She prodded, Matt tapping his index finger over her hand as their hands both rested over his breast bone.

"You… Us." He responded lightly, feeling her smile against his skin.

"Anything you care to share?" She continued, Matt drawing in a deep breath, wincing slightly at the pressure on his bruised ribs. Gabby sensed his hesitation immediately, her eyebrows furrowing as she tilted her head up, finding his gaze quickly. "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good… I just-" He cut himself off, Gabby frowning softly.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's nothing." He was quick to assure her, bringing his hand up to caress the back of her head. "There's just been something I've been thinking about, but it's late… We can talk about it some other time."

"Okay, well now you have to tell me." She responded, Matt chuckling softly. "I'm serious, what is it?"

"...I don't think you're gonna wanna talk about it, at least not right now." He tried again, regretting having even said anything at all, Gabby raising her eyebrows.

"Well, I'll be the judge of that, now what is it?" She asked, running her tongue along the inside of her cheek.

"I just… I still don't understand what happened, and I can't stop thinking about it." He prefaced, Gabby waiting for him to elaborate. "...I don't understand why you were so upset when those pregnancy tests were negative." He spoke softly, Gabby's eyes falling closed as she adjusted her head, facing his chest. "I don't wanna upset you, I really don't, and that's why I wasn't gonna bring it up tonight… But I still have no idea what happened. And I was so worried- I still am worried." He breathed out, figuring it best to just get all this off his chest. "We don't have to talk tonight if you don't want to, but I just want you to know that you can talk about it, whatever this is." He murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead, Gabby nuzzling into his chest.

"No, I know we need to talk about it…" She replied quietly as he ran his hand along her side. "I know all that got so messed up, and you deserve to know why… I was upset, I was, but it wasn't about you- at least not really." She admitted, Matt keeping a comforting grip on her.

"Was it… I know I already asked you this, but you can tell me the truth… Were you wanting to be pregnant? Is that what had you so upset?" He questioned, Gabby releasing a heavy breath. "Because if that is it, we can talk about it, but I just don't know what all was going on with you, and I want to help, if I can." He continued, his thumb stroking along the skin on her side.

"It wasn't that." She responded, her eyes staring at the wall as they laid together. "I wasn't wanting to be pregnant, I was relieved when those tests were negative, I promise." She told him, Matt nodding slowly as he waited for more of an explanation. "I just… There's a lot of things all that brought up, some of which had to do with you and some that didn't." She added vaguely, Matt doing what he could to follow her.

"Okay…" He replied slowly, running his tongue along his bottom lip, Gabby releasing a soft sigh.

"It wasn't that I wanted to be pregnant, because I didn't, but I guess… I guess I had kind of accepted the fact that I was." She started to explain, Matt listening intently. "Everything added up, so I just figured I was pregnant, and I had kind of prepared myself for that… Then everything you were saying right after I took the test, about how we'd be okay, and how everything would work out… I don't know how to explain it, but it just made me believe that everything would be fine, and that we'd have this kid, and it would all work out… But then when the tests were negative, it- I don't know, it was just a weird feeling. It just kind of threw me a bit." She admitted, Matt never loosening his grip on her. He didn't want to interrupt her, but he also wanted her to know he was still here, and that he wasn't judging her for what she was feeling. "And me thinking I was pregnant, it made everything between us much more real, and that scared me, too… It all just kind of terrified me… If that makes any sense."

"It does." He was quick to assure her, Gabby nodding slowly. "I know all that, that day when we thought you were pregnant, it was hard. It was a lot to try and come to terms with, and I kind of just assumed you were, too, so I get where you're coming from… It was a lot to deal with, and I'm sorry if I pushed you too hard. I just wanted to help you deal with it. I mean, I know you can handle yourself, but from what I could tell, you weren't really handling it…"

"No, I wasn't." She agreed, taking a deep breath. "I know you were just trying to help me, but there was so much I hadn't even dealt with, I didn't know how to let you in when there were things I didn't understand, either…" She spoke, Matt's eyebrows furrowing as he suddenly remembered her earlier words.

"You mean the stuff that wasn't about me?" He questioned, Gabby blinking quickly. "Earlier you said some of it was about me, and some of it wasn't, is that what you're talking about?"

Gabby bit down on her bottom lip, her chest moving up and down quickly as her heart rate began to speed up a bit, Matt feeling her working herself up.

"We don't have to talk about it." He spoke quickly, frowning as he felt the change in her body. "If you can't, that's okay… I don't want you to be upset." He murmured, pressing a lingering kiss to the top of her head, hoping to calm her down.

"No, it's just- uh," She cleared her throat, closing her eyes as she took another long breath. "I don't really wanna talk about it, but, I um…" Matt squeezed her side, giving her all the time she needed to continue. "...I was pregnant before." Casey's eyebrows furrowed as the words left her lips, his confusion instantly morphing into dread, Matt knowing it was unlikely that there was a happy ending to this story. "It was a few years back… Bryan and I hadn't been together all that long, but I, uh- I lost it." She murmured, her voice barely audible, her words unsteady as Matt tightened his grip even more, his eyes falling closed. "It happened early, no one knew- Well, Bryan and my family did, but no one else knows… the house doesn't know." She clarified, Matt nodding sadly.

"I'm so sorry, Gabby." He practically whispered, his voice filled with hurt and concern, Gabby clenching her eyes shut as she shook her head.

"It's okay, it is what it is." She spoke quickly, swallowing the lump in her throat before continuing. "But, yeah, um- all of this, it kind of brought all that up again, and I… I never really dealt with what happened, and all of it- it was just too much." She admitted, Matt sliding his hand along her side, pressing his lips against her head as he tried to settle the shock in his system. "Having to deal with that, and then everything else I was feeling about it, with you… It all just hit me at once and I needed time to get past all of that, and I kind of shut you out in the process. I didn't mean to, or want to, but I- I just needed a second to breathe. I needed time."

"You don't need to explain yourself." He spoke softly, his lips still resting against the top of her head. "I had no idea, and I'm so sorry that happened… I'm sorry this brought all that up again."

"It's alright." Gabby replied softly, pressing a soft kiss to his chest. "Really, it is… I'm feeling okay now, I'm fine." She told him, Matt giving her a nod, tapping his finger against the back of her hand that was resting on his chest.

"Okay… But if you're ever not, you know I'm here." He murmured, Gabby giving him a nod before relaxing back into his chest, her aching body desperate for rest. "How about this," He changed the subject, not wanting her mind to linger for too long, Gabby's eyebrows raising as she rested against his chest. "What if we look at this as our fresh start?" He asked, seeing a soft smile form over her face. "Obviously, we can't forget everything that happened, and we shouldn't… But us starting this, us being together, it could be a fresh start for us."

"I'd like that." She responded, Matt smiling when he saw the small grin across her face, the smile quickly disappearing when a heavy yawn left her lips.

"Me too… but right now, we need to get some sleep. We can talk more tomorrow." He told her, Gabby nodding as she closed her eyes, her body melting into his. "Night, Gabby."

"Goodnight Matt."

* * *

Casey woke up with a soft smile on his face, feeling a complete sense of contentment as he slowly came into consciousness, registering the warmth of the woman in his arms, her body pressed into his just as they had been last night. As a soft yawn escaped his lips, Matt slowly became more aware of his surroundings, the firefighter opening his eyes as he continued to wake up, Casey glancing down to see Gabby still sound asleep in his grasp.

It took a few seconds, but Matt slowly began to register the discomfort his body was in, his smile soon morphing into a grimace as he felt the difference aches and pains throughout his body, the uncomfortable sensation not aided by the fact he hadn't moved a muscle in hours. If his and Gabby's current position was any indication, they hadn't moved an inch since they fell asleep, which had led his already sore muscles to send an uncomfortable sensation through his body. But, as he spared another quick glance to Gabby, he knew a little pain was worth it, Matt just glad to see her sleeping.

He knew she hadn't been sleeping well since their fight all those weeks ago, so to see her now in a deep sleep, it eased his worries a little bit, knowing how much her body needed the rest. And when he turned to look towards the clock on the nightstand, he was pleasantly surprised to see that he had slept a good bit, too, the time showing it was a little after nine. Despite how comfortably he fell asleep, he hadn't been expecting to get a very restful night of sleep, but luckily he had. Even though he woke up in some discomfort, he had slept through the night without any interruptions, Matt having expected the pain to wake him up at least once, but it hadn't. And now, he knew once he could some of his pain medication in him, the dull ache he was feeling throughout his body would start to go away.

As much as he would've loved to lay here until Gabby woke up, he knew he couldn't. For starters, he knew he needed to take his pain meds sooner rather than later, it having been over twelve hours since he had last taken any. He wasn't feeling anything too bad right now, but he didn't want to wait around until things became unbearable. And he also needed to go to the bathroom, both things not able to be done in the warmth and comfort of Gabby's bed.

Pressing a soft kiss on her forehead, Matt began the process of disentangling himself from her, being extra careful with her arm, skillfully moving her hand from his chest down to the mattress as he slid out from under her. He kept a firm touch on her until she was steady against the bed, Gabby not even registering the movement as she continued sleeping like nothing had happened, Matt missing her warmth instantly. Before he got up, he adjusted the sheet that had fallen down to her waist, Matt pulling it up over her shoulders before he slowly climbed from the bed, his body cracking as he moved for the first time in hours. It was a weird sensation, Matt biting back a groan as he felt a flood of pain localized in his lower back, his entire body now stinging as he used muscles that had been dormant since last night, his aches and pains becoming more apparent now that he was up and moving around.

As he took the few steps towards her bathroom, he slowly began stretching his sprained shoulder, Matt grimacing as he felt the stiffness and the sharp, needle-like pain stabbing the nerves in his shoulder. But, despite the pain, it felt good for him to be up and moving, even though the limp he still walked with was annoying.

After quickly going to the bathroom and washing his hands, Matt walked back into the bedroom, smiling softly seeing Gabby still sound asleep. He moved as quietly as he could, not wanting to be the thing that woke her up. As he stepped around her bed towards her dresser, he couldn't help but smirk at seeing their clothes thrown around the room, her once neat bedroom clearly showing the signs of their activities from last night, Matt stopping when he got to the pajama pants Gabby had gotten out for him last night. The pants that he had tried to put on, but he never actually got the chance to as she'd dropped them to the ground.

Slowly bending over to pick them up, he groaned when he felt his back pull, most of his pain coming from that area as he slowly straightened back up again, the pajama pants in his grasp. It took some maneuvering, and a lot of patience, but eventually he got them on, his lower half now covered as he slowly began walking towards the door, checking to make sure Gabby was still asleep before he stepped into the hall.

Casey padded his way down the hallway, a chill running through his spine as his bare feet hit the cold hardwood, Matt wishing he'd put on more clothes as he was suddenly being reminded of how cool Gabby liked her home to be. He had noticed it the times he'd been at Antonio's place with her, but it was the most obvious at his apartment. Whenever she'd be there with him for any extended period of time, as in more than an hour or two, she'd always change the thermostat to at least five degrees cooler than he kept it, if not more. He didn't understand it, how she could live with it being so cold all the time, but eventually he just stopped changing it back when she left, the firefighter deciding to leave it be, knowing she'd change it when she got there anyway. And while he had found it amusing, and a little concerning, he would rather her be comfortable when she had been spending so much of her time at his place, so he left it alone.

And now walking through the chilly apartment, he was being reminded of just how cold she liked things, Matt shivering slightly as he continued towards the kitchen. He soon found his prescriptions sitting on the counter where he'd left them last night, accompanied by his discharge paperwork, Matt continuing around the island towards the far counter, stopping in front of her coffee pot. Knowing she probably wouldn't be asleep too much longer, Matt decided to go ahead and brew some coffee, Casey quickly finding everything he needed. Although he wasn't here when things had been put away, he was able to find things relatively quickly, Gabby always choosing functionality over everything else.

Once he'd gotten the coffee started, Matt grabbed two mugs from the cabinet, placing them both on the counter before stepping a few steps to the side, grabbing another glass from a separate cabinet. With the cup in hand, he turned around towards the faucet, Matt stopping in front of the sink positioned at the island, filling up the glass about halfway before he turned the water off.

Reaching across the counter, he grabbed his medication, Matt eagerly popping the cap off and grabbing one of his pills, desperate for this ache in his lower back to go away. Tossing the pill into his mouth, he quickly swallowed it before chasing it with some water, Matt placing the glass back down on the counter.

While he continued waiting for the coffee, he couldn't help but look around the room, trying to get himself familiar with her new place, knowing he'd, hopefully, be spending a lot of time here. As he glanced towards the living room, he saw what he assumed to be Gabby's medications sitting out on the end table, Casey slowly limping his way over to them to check.

After quick observation, he saw she was on the same medication he was, both for pain and the antibiotic, only her doses for both were a little stronger. The thought made him wince, Matt remembering how much pain she'd been in when they were in that warehouse, her screams of pain flooding his mind over and over. It had been awful, something he'd probably never forget; but he hoped that she would.

Blowing out a sigh, Matt grabbed the two bottles and walked back towards the counter, placing them down. Slowly, he got out the correct dosage before setting them down on the island, grabbing his water glass and placing it next to the pills, wanting them to be ready for her to take whenever she woke up.

Casey continued to make himself busy while he waited for the coffee to finish, Matt about to pour himself a cup when he heard a sharp knock on her front door. From his position at the counter, he had a straight view to her door, Matt glancing over to it, the curtain covering the glass blocking whoever was there from view.

Pursing his lips together, he quickly tried to figure out what to do, knowing this wasn't his apartment, Matt soon deciding to just leave it alone. But when they knocked again, he realized this person was persistent, Casey releasing a heavy breath before sitting his coffee mug down, beginning to walk towards the door.

Knowing the time, he could only assume it was Shay coming to check up on Gabby, the blonde paramedic probably not knowing he was here with her. Matt knew their shift had ended already, and he really couldn't think of who else who would be here aside from Shay, except maybe her brother.

They knocked again as he got closer, Matt rubbing his hand over his face as he reached for the lock, turning the deadbolt before pulling open the door, ready to berate Shay about showing up so early.

But he never got a chance to get the words out, Matt's mouth opening slightly as he saw the two unfamiliar, yet very familiar, faces staring back at him, their brown eyes showing the same look of confusion and shock he was sure his were. Casey quickly closed his mouth as he stood in the doorway, his eyes bouncing back and forth between the two of them, none of them sure what to say as they stood there uncomfortably, Matt somewhat regretting his decision to come to the door as he stood face to face with Gabby's parents.

* * *

**Well, how are we feeling? Gabby and Matt finally laid it all out there, and I'd say it went well. There's still something pretty important that they need to tell one another, but like Matt said, he doesn't want to rush things. I'm sure a lot of you were wanting them to say I love you, and I get it, but it didn't feel right for them to say it yet, even though Gabby definitely knows how she feels. There are still things they need to talk about, and Gabby especially needs to be able to trust herself with him, but hey, they're making progress. When the time's right, I'm sure they'll be saying those three words to each other. Also, looks like there's gonna be an… interesting morning happening with Gabby's parents and Matt, so that should be fun.**

**I hope you guys liked this one, and that it didn't disappoint you guys. I think some sweet Dawsey was definitely warranted after the last few chapters, even though having sex hours after falling through a building might not have been the most logical idea. But hey, when has it ever stopped them before? I know I didn't give a warning about the M rated part like I usually do, but I didn't want to give anything away about how the chapter was going to go. Hopefully, you all don't mind.**

**Thank you guys for reading, I'm so excited to hear what you thought of this one! To everyone who left me a review on the last chapter, thank you. It helped a lot hearing your thoughts.**

**Also, just so you all know, my updates on Thursday might be a little late, but I'm not sure yet. I'm having some tests done Thursday afternoon, and I don't know how long they're gonna take, so things might be a little delayed that day, but I'll get them up as soon as I can!**


	35. Chapter Thirty Five

**Wow, thirty five chapters already? That's absolutely crazy. And 500 reviews… that's so insane to me, thank you all for the love and support you've constantly given me. It truly means everything to me, not just on this story, but on all of them. You all are amazing.**

**I hope you guys like this one, sorry it's a little later than usual. Also, with I Won't Let You Go, the next chapter will either be up later tonight or tomorrow. I still need to revise it, and I'm not sure how long that'll take. But I promise to get it up as soon as I can, thank you for your patience.**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**THIRTY FIVE**

* * *

Casey stood in the doorway uncomfortably, his hand gripping the handle tightly as his eyes moved back and forth between the two older Dawson's, seeing Gabby's mom's obvious shock, while her dad's face soon hardened, taking in the sight of a half-naked Casey standing in his daughter's home. Matt supposed he should just be thankful he'd opted for pajama pants instead of his boxers, but even that wasn't making this awkward situation much better.

When he had opened the door seconds ago, he immediately recognized the two people standing across from him, remembering their faces from some of the photos Gabby had shown him in the past of her parents, Ramon and Camila. But even if he'd never seen them before, it wouldn't be much of a leap to figure out these were her parents; there were parts of both of them in their daughter, and it would've been easy to determine that they were related.

Casey cleared his throat as Ramon's eyes moved up above the door, checking the apartment number before he looked back at Matt, his expression unreadable. Which, all things considered, that was probably one of the best case scenarios.

This definitely wasn't how Matt envisioned meeting her parents for the first time, standing half-naked at her door with bruises and cuts covering ninety percent of his body, but he knew it was too late to do anything to change it now, Matt flashing them both a soft smile.

"Uh, hi." He found his voice, clearing his throat. "You must be Ramon and Camila." He continued, seeing the look of surprise that covered both their faces, Matt guessing they had figured him to be some random guy spending the night at their daughter's house. And while his use of their first names had Camila feeling a little less guarded, the same couldn't be said for Ramon.

"And you are?" Ramon questioned back.

"Matt Casey."

He saw realization wash over both their faces, Matt having to hide his smile when he saw Camila grin softly, and even Ramon's expression had softened considerably. Clearly, they'd heard about him, and based on their reactions, he figured they must've liked what they heard.

"Well, I must say it's nice to finally meet you, Matt." Camila spoke first, Matt smiling softly as he gave her a nod.

"It's nice to meet you both, too." He replied, taking a slow step back. "Would you like to come in?" He offered, both Ramon and Camila nodding as he pulled open the door, giving them room to enter their daughter's apartment.

"Is Gabriela here?" Ramon asked as Matt shut the door behind them, locking it into place before turning towards them, her parents glancing back to look at him. He saw Camila eyeing him, unable to hide the fact that she was clearly taking in the damage his body had sustained yesterday, and he couldn't say he blamed her.

"She is, she's sleeping." He responded, earning nods from both her parents.

"Ah." Ramon replied, before stepping further into the apartment, Matt following behind the couple as they got to the kitchen counter.

"So, I guess Gabriela has mentioned us?" Camila asked, Matt nodding as he smiled softly.

"She has. She's told me a little about her family."

"And you've met Antonio?"

"A few times, yeah… You have amazing children." He spoke, Camila flashing him a warm smile.

"Thank you, dear." She replied, Matt glancing down the hallway before looking back towards her parents. "So how is Gabriela doing? Antonio called us this morning, told us she got hurt yesterday… That she was in a building when it collapsed. And by the looks of it, so were you." Camila spoke with a frown, Matt glancing back and forth in between them.

"You were in the building, too?" Ramon asked for clarification, Casey nodding in response.

"I was, but we're both okay. It could've been a lot worse." He mused, earning slow nods from both of them. "I'll let Gabby tell you what happened, but all things considered, we're alright."

"Good, that's good." Ramon replied, glancing towards Camila.

"I, uh, just made a pot of coffee, if you'd like to get some." He offered, both of them nodding as Matt began walking, Camila noticing his limp instantly. "I'm gonna go check on Gabby."

"Is your leg alright?" Camila asked immediately, Matt stopping after a few steps, following her gaze down to his leg. Luckily, his pajama pants were able to hide to bandage covering his stitches, but he wasn't able to mask his limp.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine…" He replied, earning a less than impressed look from Camila, Ramon watching him as well, Matt sighing softly before continuing. "When we fell, they think I got cut with something…" Casey told them, seeing a look of worry flash in Camila's eyes. "I don't really remember much during the actual fall, so I'm not sure what happened, but I had to get stitched up… I'm okay, though." He was quick to add.

"Are you okay otherwise?" Camila pressed, clearly worried about the firefighter standing across from her, Matt taking a slow breath.

"I, uh… Well, I bruised some of my ribs, and I sprained my shoulder… I've got a concussion, I guess my head hit pretty hard." He spoke with a grimace, Ramon shaking his head as he listened to Matt explain his injuries. "I was unconscious for a bit while we were in there, but considering what happened, my injuries are nothing."

"They sound painful." Camila spoke with a sad look in her eye.

"I'm alright." He reassured her, Camila giving him a slight nod before he began walking again. But he barely got a few steps towards the hallway when he heard a gasp behind him, Matt raising his eyebrows as he turned back around, finding Camila and Ramon both staring at him, confusion evident across his face as he saw their wide-eyed looks. "What is it?"

"Sorry, I'm sorry," Camila immediately apologized for her reaction. "The bruise on your back, it just caught me off guard, I'm sorry."

Matt's eyebrows furrowed as he glanced down, catching a glimpse of the intense purple and almost black marbling over his skin, covering his entire side and wrapping around to his back where he couldn't see it. What was on his side was bad enough, but considering that hadn't been enough to illicit that type of reaction from Gabby's mother, whatever his back looked like had to have been so much worse.

"Oh, uh- it's okay. I haven't really seen what it looks like, but I'm sure it's not pretty." Casey spoke lightly.

"Was that just from the fall?" Camila questioned, "I'm sorry, I know I keep asking questions…"

"No, no it's fine. Uh, I did get hit with part of the ceiling when we were in the warehouse." He spoke, Ramon pursing his lips together in worry, Camila shaking her head. "Gabby didn't get hit." Matt was quick to clarify, Camila releasing a deep breath. "We were, uh, we were working on a patient and part of the ceiling started to fall, before the floor collapsed, and I got hit, but she didn't…" He finished, Ramon giving him a short nod, a look of realization sweeping across both of her parent's faces, Matt unsure of what that meant, but he didn't question it.

"Is she… I'm sorry, I don't really know how else to ask this, but uh, is she as injured as you are?" Ramon questioned, Camila's eyes staying on Casey.

"She's a little beaten up." Matt told them, not wanting to lie. It wasn't like he could, anyway, considering they'd be seeing their daughter in a few minutes. "I don't know the full extent of everything, so I'll let her tell you, but the fall… it did hurt her. But she'll be okay." He added on the end, knowing he wasn't doing much to alleviate their concerns. With a tight lipped smile, Ramon nodded, Camila's hand covering her mouth as she took a deep breath.

The familiar feeling of guilt swept through his system, Matt running his tongue over his bottom lip as his stomach felt impossibly heavy. Despite what Gabby had said, he was still finding it hard to not blame himself for what happened, especially when he'd have to stand here and watch her parents see their injured daughter for the first time.

"I'm, uh- I'm gonna go get her, I'll be right back." He spoke when a thick silence had filled the air around them, Ramon giving him a nod before he turned around, slowly walking towards Gabby's bedroom, doing what he could to keep himself from limping. When he got to her bedroom, Matt slowly closed the door, releasing a heavy breath as he saw Gabby still sound asleep.

He hated the thought of waking her up, but with her parents here, he wasn't sure what else to do, and he didn't know if he could entertain them until she woke up, especially considering he had no idea what all he was allowed to say. Clearly, her parents knew him, or at least knew of him, but he wasn't sure how much Gabby had told them of what their relationship had been, and he didn't want to say something he shouldn't.

But just because he had to wake her up, he knew he could at least let her sleep a few more minutes while he got her some clothes. Moving from the doorway, he walked towards her dresser, going in search of some suitable attire to wear with her parents here. He first grabbed a pair of his sweatpants for her, knowing the bigger size would be easier for her to get in and out of, minimizing the pressure against her leg, and it would also help to hide the severity of the gash across her thigh. Next, he grabbed one of his t-shirts, and then a pair of her underwear before closing the drawers. Ideally, he wasn't sure it was the best idea for her to go out there in clothes that obviously weren't hers, but he didn't want her in anything too tight, and after the way he'd greeted her parents, even if Gabby hadn't told them anything, he was sure they at least knew by now that he and their daughter were more than just friends.

With her clothes bunched up in his hand, Matt grabbed her sling and the t-shirt she'd pulled out for him last night off the top of the dresser before walking towards the bed, placing the pile of clothing down. Knowing he'd wasted as much time as he could, Matt slowly sat down on the edge of the bed, his side resting up against her back, Casey reaching out and rubbing his hand along her spine. The feeling of his warm palm against her bare back sent shivers down her spine, Gabby groaning as she was pulled from her unconscious state, clearly unhappy with being woken up.

"Gabby…" He spoke softly, earning another groan from her as she tried to turn away from him, the instinctive action proving to be a bad idea as her injured shoulder moved roughly, a gasp of discomfort escaping her lips. "Hey, hey, be careful." He murmured, placing his hand on her waist to keep her still.

"Why are you waking me up?" She asked, her throat dry as she kept her eyes shut, a slight grimace covering her face as she became more and more alert, trying to focus on the feeling of Matt rubbing her side instead of the pain and discomfort her body was in.

"I didn't want to, but your parents are here."

Her eyes opened quickly, Gabby slowly turning to lie on her back, Matt aiding her movements as he placed her right arm across her stomach.

"What?" She asked, her eyes wide as she glanced towards her closed bedroom door before looking back at him.

"Yeah, they showed up about fifteen minutes ago…" He responded, Gabby taking a deep breath as her eyes trailed over his form, a wary look covering his face.

"And I'm assuming you answered the door like that…" She spoke, Matt glancing down towards his bare chest, wearing a sheepish smile when he lifted his head back up.

"Yeah, well, when I went out there to make some coffee, I wasn't really expecting any visitors." He responded lightly, Gabby nodding in response, rubbing her hand over her face.

"...How were they?"

"Worried about you." He replied without missing a beat, Gabby pursing her lips together. "But they're just out there waiting for you right now, I got you some clothes… Loose stuff, so it's easier to get on. And I grabbed your sling. I'm not sure how much pain you're in right now, but I'm guessing you're supposed to be wearing this thing whenever you're up and moving around." He rambled, a soft smile tugging on her lips as she listened to him, Matt sliding his hand over her stomach. "But yeah, anyway, I guess we should get ready and get out there." He finished, Gabby giving him a nod before slowly sitting up, the sheets bunching at her waist.

Now that she was finally awake, she was definitely feeling the effects of going so long without pain medication, her entire body aching, some areas hurting her more than others as she slowly slid to the edge of the bed.

"Do you want some help?" He asked, Gabby nodding slowly as she slowly placed her feet on the ground, grimacing as she looked down at her leg. Her entire thigh had bruised over, deep purple marks coming out from behind the bandage, as well as less intense bruising battering both her legs. Both her and Matt were completely covered in different colored bruises, Gabby having caught a glimpse of the gruesome one along his back and his side, the nearly black skin alarming at first glance. It definitely had worsened overnight, Gabby knowing that between the fall through the floor, and the piece of the ceiling that had fallen onto his back when he was shielding her, he was lucky the bruises were all he had. But that didn't make them any easier to look at, and she was sure that didn't make it any less painful for him, either.

No matter how lucky she knew they both were that their injuries weren't more severe, seeing the damage up close hadn't gotten any easier, and she knew it wouldn't for her parents, either. Which is why, upon closer inspection, Gabby was thankful to see Matt had grabbed clothes that covered most of her body. She would tell them what happened, but they didn't need to see all of the damage. That would only make it worse.

"Your parents seem nice." Matt murmured as he helped her get the shirt on, his movements slow as he maneuvered his sprained shoulder, being extra careful as to not jar her body too much. "I mean, they were surprised to see me open the door, but they seem like really sweet people."

"Yeah, they're great." Gabby responded with a soft smile as his t-shirt fell down over her body. "Can't imagine my dad was too pleased to see a half-naked you, though." She teased, Matt shaking his head as they tried to figure out how to get the rest of her clothes on.

"Oh, he definitely was not." He replied, chuckling softly as they finally devised a plan. Using her good arm, and his, they managed to get both her underwear and his sweatpants up to her shins before Gabby slowly stood up, Matt helping her pull the material up into place, letting her do as much as she could. "But once we started talking about the accident, he kind of moved on from it… I think. Maybe not."

"He's harmless." Gabby spoke, shaking her head in amusement as Matt slowly put on his shirt.

"Yeah, to you, maybe. Probably not to the half-naked guy in his daughter's apartment." He repeated her earlier words, Gabby laughing softly as Matt stood up, her sling in his hands. Slowly, they got her arm into the sling, Gabby hissing at the movement, a frown forming over his face. "I'm sorry." He murmured, Gabby shaking her head slightly.

"It's okay, I'm fine." She assured him, bringing her hand up to the side of his face, her thumb moving lightly across his scraped skin before she slowly leaned towards him, capturing his lips in a soft kiss.

Their movements were slow and gentle, Matt smiling against her before she finally pulled back, her hand moving down to his neck, stroking his skin lightly.

"Ready?" He asked, Gabby nodding slowly, kissing him again quickly before she stepped away from him, beginning the walk towards her door. "Uh-" Matt cleared his throat, gaining her attention as she stopped by the door, glancing back towards him. "Should I stay in here? Or do you want me out there? I'm not sure what to do here…" He spoke nervously, Gabby's face softening as she heard how nervous he sounded.

"I want you with me." She replied without hesitation, a warm grin spreading across his face before he nodded, beginning to walk towards her.

Once he was by her side, Gabby opened the door, trying to mentally prepare herself for seeing her parents, the paramedic knowing they were going to be insanely worried, and they'd want to know exactly what all had happened. And it was something Gabby wasn't necessarily eager to relive.

As they both limped into the hallway, Gabby's parents soon came into view, the two having moved to the couch while they waited for Matt to reappear with their daughter. Camila noticed them first when the injured couple rounded the corner, a soft gasp escaping her lips as she shook her head, Ramon turning around to look at whatever his wife was seeing, a frown immediately covering his face.

"Oh, mija." He murmured, both of her parents getting up and hurrying towards them.

"I'm alright." Gabby spoke quickly, her parents stopping short of her as they stood in her apartment, desperate to take their daughter into their arms, but they didn't want to hurt her, Gabby looking like she'd break if they so much as touched her. "I promise, I'm fine." She tried again, but she knew her parents weren't convinced, both of them looking over her closely, Gabby feeling another wave of gratitude wash over her at Matt's choice of clothing. "It looks worse than it is." She added when the heavy looks of concern hadn't left their faces, even though her words weren't completely true.

"You don't need to be standing, let's sit down." Ramon spoke up, Gabby nodding as her father placed a light hand on her back, barely touching her as she slowly limped towards the couch, Camila shaking her head in horror as she watched her daughter's slow movements.

While the Dawson's got situated on the couch, Gabby sitting in between her parents, Matt hobbled his way into the kitchen, grabbing the glass of water and pills he'd left out for her earlier before walking back towards the living room.

"Your brother gave us some details, but I'm not sure he knew everything…" Camila spoke, her voice soft as she sat beside her daughter, brushing her hand over the side of Gabby's head. "You sure you're okay? You don't have any internal damage, or anything?"

"No, no, nothing like that." Gabby quickly confirmed, shaking her head as she caught a glimpse of Matt slowing moving around the couch, her eyebrows furrowing as he walked towards her, his actions grabbing all of their attention as he held out his hand and the glass of water. Silently, he handed her the medication, Gabby shooting him a grateful smile as she took the pills and the water from him, Matt wordlessly moving towards one of the chair a few feet from them, both Camila and Ramon watching him closely. "Thank you." Gabby murmured, Matt nodding with a soft smile as he made himself comfortable in his seat, Gabby taking the medication before she continued. "But no, they pretty much did every test and scan they could think of, they didn't find anything wrong, nothing like that."

"So what exactly _is_ wrong?" Ramon questioned, Gabby taking a deep breath as she began leaning forward, intending to place the now empty glass on the coffee table, but Ramon grabbed it from her before she could get very far, completing the task for her.

"Thanks papa." She told him, Ramon nodding as he refocused his attention on her. "Um, and to answer your question, I have a cut on my thigh… I, uh- I was pinned under a beam after we fell, and it had kind of been digging into my leg." She spoke, Camila grimacing. "But they got it cleaned and stitched up. I'm on antibiotics for it, just in case, but it's alright. It should heal fine." She assured them, her gaze flickering to Matt, finding his supportive eyes waiting for her, shooting her a soft smile. "...And my shoulder was dislocated, that hurt pretty bad, and it's still sore, but they got it back in." She continued, Ramon taking a deep breath. "Other than that, it's just pretty much cuts and bruises… but everything will heal. In a few weeks, I'll be as good as new."

She had tried to keep her voice light, not wanting to give her parents anything else to worry about, but she was sure she wasn't doing a very good job, based on the deep frowns that seemed to be permanently etched into their skin. She knew they'd be worried, and truthfully she knew she should've called them yesterday, but between the trauma of the day, and the heavy amounts of medication she was on at the hospital, there were a few hours there that were a complete blur, Gabby not having been in any state to think clearly.

"You're sure there's nothing else?" Camila asked, Gabby shaking her head.

"Just bumps and bruises, but I'm okay." She hoped if she said it enough, they'd start to believe her, although she had a feeling it wouldn't be that easy.

"And you don't have a concussion?" Camila checked, her eyes moving towards Matt, knowing the firefighter had gotten one in the fall.

"I don't." She assured them, Camila and Ramon both nodding, Gabby sparing another glance at Matt, flashing him a warm smile. He matched her look instantly, both parents catching the silent interaction between them, but they said nothing about it.

"Well," Camila cleared her throat, shaking her head as she blinked back a few of the tears sitting in her eyes. "I'm just glad you two are both going to be okay. When Antonio called and told us what happened, your father and I kind of panicked."

"I'm sorry for not calling you myself." Gabby apologized, Camila brushing her hand across her daughter's bruised face. "I'm not even sure where my phone is, it might still be at the station, but I should've called, I'm sorry."

"It's alright." Ramon murmured, rubbing her back as Gabby glanced towards her dad, his eyes shining back at her. "We're just glad you're okay."

Gabby blinked quickly before slowly leaning into her dad's side, Ramon keeping his hand on her back as she rested against him, the older Dawson placing his head on top of hers. He was careful, not wanting to hurt his daughter, but he could tell she needed the comfort, this entire thing having rattled her more than she'd ever admit out loud.

"You're okay, mija." He repeated, Gabby sniffling as she held onto her dad, feeling her mom brush her hand over her head.

Feeling like he was interrupting the intimate moment with the family, Matt quietly got up and hobbled towards the kitchen, wanting to give them as much privacy as he could. He made himself busy, preparing that cup of coffee he hadn't gotten to have yet, keeping his back to the living room, lost in his own thoughts as he stood and sipped the beverage.

"Is Gabriela leaving anything out?"

The voice startled him, Matt flinching at the unexpected noise, a soft hiss of pain leaving his lips as he unintentionally tensed muscles he shouldn't have. Glancing back, he saw Camila standing barely a foot from him, a deep frown covering her face as she eyed him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Are you alright?" She asked, her voice coated in worry, Matt nodding as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'm fine, and it's okay, I just didn't hear you coming." He replied, glancing behind Camila, seeing Gabby still wrapped up in her dad's embrace on the couch, his gaze lingering on her before he looked back to Camila, seeing her frown had been replaced with a soft smile. "You asked about Gabby?"

"I was wondering if she gave us the whole truth about her injuries…" Camila started, keeping her voice low, "I know my daughter, and she tends to leave things out when she's trying to spare other people." She finished, Matt giving her a slight nod.

"Uh, I don't think so… Her ankle is a little swollen, I'm not sure if it's sprained or not, but they think it happened from how she landed when we fell, but other than that, no. It's just her shoulder, and the gash from the beam." He told her, Camila nodding as she took a slight step closer, Matt's eyes flickering to Gabby before he looked back at her mom.

"Were you pinned, too?" She asked softly, Matt running his tongue along the inside of his mouth. "You didn't mention it when we talked earlier, but I wasn't sure if you were stuck under whatever Gabriela was…" She added, crossing her arms across her chest. Matt knew Camila was just trying to get a clearer understanding of what exactly happened in the warehouse, and while he couldn't say he blamed her, it wasn't a fun memory for him to relive.

"Um, not technically, no." He replied, seeing her eyebrows furrow, clearly needing more of an explanation, Matt sighing softly before speaking again. "...When we fell, Gabby landed on top of me, and when I woke up the beam was over both of us, but it had fallen on her. I was stuck underneath her." He tried to explain, Camila nodding slowly as Matt grimaced at the memory, shaking his head slightly. "I just-" He began, Camila watching closely as he cut himself off, clearly trying to get the right words out, "she never should've been in that building, I'm sorry she got hurt, I was just trying to help that man, but I never should've brought her in there-"

"Matt." Camila spoke softly, placing a gentle hand on his arm, effectively halting his rambling. "Antonio told us what happened." She continued, Matt taking a shallow, slow breath. "Or he told us what he heard from Shay while Gabby was a little out of it, but we know what happened… We know that you only asked for a medic, and that your Chief was the one who sent her in. And she _chose_ to go in. This is the job my daughter signed up for, she knew the risks going into that building. We know you did everything you could for her while she was in there." She said, Matt blinking quickly. "...Antonio told us how you shielded her when part of the ceiling started to fall down, which I'm guessing that's where you got that terrible bruise from." She continued, Casey tilting his head to the side. "When we were talking earlier, you said how you got hit, but she didn't… I'm assuming she didn't get hit because you were protecting her." Camila spoke knowingly, Matt confirming her words with a small nod. "And he told us how you grabbed her when the floor collapsed, that you took the brunt of the impact."

"I just wanted to keep her safe, I tried to." He murmured, his eyes on Gabby. "I didn't even think, I just- I just grabbed her."

"I know." She replied, Matt's eyes snapping back towards her. "And I can never thank you enough for that… You saved her, Matt." He opened his mouth to protest, but Camila continued before he could. "I know she still got hurt, and I wish that never happened, but had you not been there- I don't even want to imagine how much more damage could've been caused." She spoke softly, shaking her head as if she was trying to will the images out of her mind. "I wish this never happened, that you two never got hurt, but what I am grateful for is that it was you who was in that building with her… Because had it been anyone else, I know they wouldn't have done as much as you did to keep her safe." Camila spoke firmly, giving his arm a comforting squeeze, Matt nodding slowly as he took a deep breath. "I won't lie to you, when Gabby first started mentioning you, and I realized you two were more than just friends, I was nervous… After everything that happened with Bryan, I was afraid of her getting involved with someone she works with again." She breathed out, Matt giving her an understanding nod. "I just… I hate seeing my daughter hurt, and Bryan really hurt her."

"I know." Matt responded sadly.

"But, after hearing about everything that happened, and even just seeing how you've been with her today… you've treated her better than I think he ever did." Camila admitted sadly, Matt swallowing the lump in his throat. "I know my daughter is strong, and she can take care of herself… But she shouldn't always have to, and with Bryan… too many times did she have to." Camila spoke, shaking her head sadly. "And I just… When she was with him, I worried… Because I wasn't sure if she was a priority to him, and, clearly, I'd been right about that, but with you… I can see how much you care about her, and how much she means to you. I know relationships aren't perfect, and things can be hard, but I can see she finally has someone that truly cares for her, and who takes care of her." She breathed out, shaking her head softly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bombard you with all that… The point is, I'm just glad she has you, Matt. And I'm so glad it was you in that building with her."

"It's alright...Truthfully, I'm glad it was me in there with her, too." Matt replied quickly, Camila giving him an appreciative nod before continuing.

"I wasn't sure what to expect from you, if I'm being honest…" She started, Matt watching her closely. "I hadn't heard an awful lot about the nature of your relationship with my daughter, I just knew you were in her life and that she cared about you, but Gabriela wouldn't say much, so I wasn't sure what you two had going on… All I knew was that she seemed happy. Which, after everything, I was glad, but hesitant… But I can see now that I don't need to worry about her, at least not with you." She spoke sincerely, Matt raising his eyebrows slightly as she gave him a soft smile, Camila gently bringing him in for a hug, Matt reciprocating the gesture. "I want to thank you, Matt."

"For what?"

"For everything." She responded softly, lightly running her hand along his upper back before they separated. "All Ramon and I want for her is for her to be happy, and for her to be loved, and we know she is." Matt ducked his head slightly, his eyes glancing back towards the couch, seeing Gabby and her father having returned to their upright position, talking about something he couldn't hear. "I know Ramon was a little… distant, when we first got here. He was shocked to see you, we both were, and even though we weren't entirely sure exactly who you were, we had a pretty good idea. But Ramon… he worries." She breathed out, Matt nodding understandingly. "I hate to even keep bringing him up, because he shouldn't be worth our time, but Bryan, he just- I thought he ruined her… Ramon and I both did. We weren't sure she'd ever recover from what he put her through." Camila spoke sadly, shaking her head as she ran her hand across her mouth, Matt placing his hand comfortingly on her shoulder. Having seen the damage up close with Gabby, Matt knew Bryan left a path of destruction in her life, but it seemed he'd done something similar in her parent's lives as well. "But we're both thankful for you, Matt… Whatever you are to our daughter, you pulled her out of the hole she was in after Bryan left her." Camila said, Matt shaking his head softly back and forth.

"She pulled herself out." He replied, his tongue running along his bottom lip as Camila bit back a smile. "I appreciate what you said, but I didn't do anything. Gabby, she- she got through it on her own."

"I think we both know you're not giving yourself nearly enough credit." Camila countered. "My daughter is as strong as they come, and, God love her, as stubborn as they come, too…" She spoke, Matt chuckling softly as he responded with a knowing nod, "but you're the reason she picked herself up as quickly as she did. I wholeheartedly believe that." Camila told him, Matt taking a deep breath, ignoring the jolt of pain he felt from his ribs.

"What are you two talking about?"

Matt and Camila turned at the sound of Gabby's voice, finding both her and Ramon watching them, Gabby with her eyebrows raised, Matt seeing a soft smile form on her lips as they locked eyes.

"Antonio." Casey replied without missing a beat, Gabby narrowing her eyes as he smirked slightly, Camila laughing by his side. "What? Who else would we be talking about?" He teased, Gabby shaking her head as Ramon chuckled.

"Mhmm." She hummed, shooting him another playful glare before she slowly turned back around, Camila and Matt making their way back into the living room. "Do you guys want to stay for breakfast? I don't have much, but we could order food or something." She offered, Camila smiling regretfully as she shook her head.

"No, that's okay sweetheart, your father and I are gonna go ahead and get out of here, let you two rest." She spoke, Ramon nodding in agreement as he sat on the edge of the couch.

"Are you sure?"

"Mhmm, we just wanted to come and make sure you were alright, but with Matt here I'm sure you'll be just fine." Camila spoke teasingly, heat rushing to Matt's cheeks as Gabby ducked her head, the woman laughing when she saw their reactions, Ramon shaking his head before he leaned towards Gabby.

"Goodbye, mija."

"Bye dad." She responded, Ramon pressing a kiss to the side of her head.

"I'm so glad you're alright." He whispered, kissing her again before he pulled back, Gabby giving him a nod as her mom came around the couch. While Gabby and her mom were saying their goodbyes, Ramon stood up, walking around behind the couch where Casey stood. "I'm glad the _both_ of you are alright." He repeated, Matt flashing him a smile as he shook the man's hand.

"So am I."

"And thank you…" He dropped his voice, glancing back towards Gabby, seeing her hugging her mother. "For everything you did for her in that building… and for being there for her these last few months." Ramon spoke knowingly, Matt giving him a nod.

"She's done just as much for me." He replied sincerely, Ramon's smile widening.

"I can show you guys out." Gabby offered, grimacing as she slowly began to scoot herself towards the edge of the couch, Matt and Ramon glancing to see Camila standing beside her daughter.

"I can do it." Matt offered, taking the few steps towards the back of the couch, placing his hand on her uninjured shoulder, effectively stopping her slow movements. "You just stay here." He told her, Gabby nodding before he placed a soft kiss to the top of her head, Ramon and Camila both watching him with smiles on their faces.

After a few more goodbyes with their daughter, Matt led them towards the door, doing what he could to walk normally, despite the deep pain radiating in his leg.

"It was really nice to meet you both," Matt spoke as he unlocked the door, pulling it open. "Although I wish it was under better circumstances…" Ramon and Camila both nodded in agreement, the later rubbing her hand over his arm before bringing him in for one last hug.

"Hopefully we'll be able to see you again soon," She spoke, gently rubbing his back. "Maybe when you two are feeling better, we'll have you over for dinner."

"That sounds great, I'd love that." He spoke with a warm smile, Ramon holding out his arm, signaling Camila to walk outside. "Drive safe." He told them as they began down the steps.

"Will do, son. I hope you feel better." Ramon told him, Matt giving him a thankful smile before he grabbed the door handle, waiting until they were headed off down the sidewalk before he closed the door, locking it in place as he shut himself and Gabby off from the outside world.

Releasing a shallow breath, Matt headed back into the apartment, his smile growing when he saw Gabby's eyes waiting for him, a soft grin resting across her face as she sat turned around on the couch. "What?" He questioned, his steps slowing as he got to the counter.

"You're quite the charmer, that's all." She mused, Matt grinning before he stepped further into the kitchen, shaking his head lightly.

"Well, I can turn it on when I need to." He joked, her laugh like music to his ears as he glanced back towards her. "So, what are you feeling like eating for breakfast?"

"I'm okay right now, why don't you come sit down." She told him, Matt shaking his head.

"Nah, I'm alright, you need to eat something." He replied, moving towards her pantry cabinet. "You probably should've eaten when you took your medication, I know you're supposed to with those antibiotics, so we shouldn't wait much longer." He mused, his back towards her as he looked around her cabinet.

"Well, that means you need to eat something, too." She countered, knowing they were on the same medication.

"Fair point." He responded, reaching into the pantry and pulling out a box. "How about some oatmeal?" He offered, Gabby smiling softly before giving him a nod.

"Sounds great."

"Good, I'll get it started." He murmured, placing the box on the counter before moving around the kitchen, getting himself used to the new layout of things. He figured that was a good choice for their breakfast; it was quick, easy to make, and he knew how much she loved it. And, if you were to ask him, he'd gotten pretty good at making it just how she liked it.

As the water boiled, he walked stepped towards the fridge, looking over his options before he settled on some blueberries to go with their oatmeal, Matt remembering those to be her favorite.

"How are you doing that?"

Gabby's voice gained his attention, Matt looking up from the banana he was currently cutting up. "Hmm?"

"How are you up and moving around so much?" She clarified her question as he returned his gaze to his task, not wanting to cut himself and add to his long list of injuries. "Every time I move, it feels like I'm dying, how are you doing it?" She added, Matt's eyes flashing towards her again. She had adjusted her position slightly, Gabby's back resting against the arm of the couch, her legs stretched out in front of her as she watched him move through the kitchen.

"I don't know." He responded lamely, pouring the water into the bowl of oats, Gabby scoffing lightly, a grin forming over his face before he continued. "I don't have a better answer for you, I'm sorry… I mean, I don't feel great, but I know it's easier for me to get around than it is for you, and someone's gotta make sure you get fed."

Gabby laughed lightly, her eyes staying focused on him as he turned the stove off, Matt turning back around to put the finishing touches on their breakfast. "Alright, well just please don't over do it." She warned him, her voice turning serious. "It hasn't even been a day, I don't want you hurting yourself more."

"I'm being careful." He promised, placing the knife in the sink before pulling out two spoons from her silverware drawer. "Alright," He breathed out, grabbing the bowls off the counter before he slowly began walking towards her. "It's definitely not the prettiest, but it should taste good. I put some extra brown sugar in yours." He added, Gabby smirking knowingly as she began to adjust herself on the couch. "Hey, hey, you stay put, I sit on the chair."

"But I want to sit next to you." She responded softly, Matt nodding reluctantly as he placed the bowls down on the end table, moving to help her adjust. Once she was situated with her leg propped up on the coffee table, Matt sat down on her left side, handing her breakfast to her before grabbing his. "Thank you for making this."

"Happy to." He replied simply before taking a bite, Gabby following suit, Matt watching as she took her first bite. "It taste okay?"

"It tastes great." She responded, "Almost as good as mine." She added before leaning into his side, Matt smirking as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "But seriously, for lunch we're ordering in. No more cooking for you today."

"I'm fine with that." He replied, giving her another kiss before continuing to eat his breakfast, feeling Gabby shift by his side.

"You, uh… you seemed to get along with my parents pretty well." She spoke up, glancing towards him with a bright grin. "Considering how you met them this morning, I'd say everything went well." She added, Matt scoffingly lightly as he shook his head.

"Well, as your boyfriend, it's my job to make a good first impression. Even if I did meet them without a shirt on." He replied sheepishly, Gabby raising her eyebrows in amusement.

"Yeah, I think you did a pretty good job." She told him, placing her bowl down in her lap, resting her hand on his leg, gripping his thigh gently.

"I hope so… Although, now that I think about it, we didn't even tell them." He responded with a slight chuckle, Gabby cocking her head to the side.

"Oh yeah… I guess we didn't." She spoke sheepishly, giving his leg a squeeze. "We'll have to tell them. I meant to, but everything was just about what happened yesterday, and it slipped my mind."

"It's alright." He assured her, not wanting her to think he was reading anything into her not telling them. "I'm pretty sure they know already, or at least your mom does." He spoke lightly, Gabby slowly leaning down into his side, resting her head gently on his shoulder.

"They might, but I still wanna tell them, like officially. I mean, they knew about you, and they always kind of assumed we were together, even when we weren't… but now that we're actually together, I want them to know." She said softly, a wide grin spreading across his face as she spoke, Matt leaning down to press a kiss to the top of her head.

"Well, they did invite us over for dinner whenever we're both feeling a little better… Maybe that'd be a good time." He suggested, Gabby nodding against his shoulder.

"I like the sound of that. I think that would be fun, considering they definitely like you." She murmured, tilting her head up, pressing a gentle kiss to his neck, Gabby feeling him smile softly as she placed multiple kisses against his skin.

"Are you trying to make me take you back to your bedroom?" He asked, Gabby chuckling against him as she squeezed his thigh.

"Normally I wouldn't be opposed, but I'm not sure we should have a repeat of last night, at least right now." She responded, stroking her thumb against his leg. "As much as I loved it, my body was definitely feeling it this morning."

"Yeah, I know what you mean… It was worth it, though." He spoke softly, leaning his cheek down against her head, Gabby nuzzling her nose against his neck.

"Absolutely." She whispered, letting herself relax into him.

"Are you done with your breakfast?" He asked when he felt her breathing begin to even out, Matt glancing down to see she'd only eaten about half of it.

"No, just closing my eyes for a bit." She replied, Matt grinning as he nodded.

"Do you wanna go lay down? We can take your oatmeal…" He offered, Gabby laughing before she slowly lifted herself off of him, getting another spoonful of food.

"As tempting as that sounds, it's okay.. But once we finish, I wouldn't mind going back to sleep." She spoke, looking up at him with a gentle grin, Matt matching her smile. "I mean, I know my doctor told me to rest, and I'm sure yours did as well."

"Yes, he did… I think that's a great idea." He agreed, leaning down to give her a soft kiss before they both went back to their breakfast, quietly enjoying the food he'd made for them.

Within half an hour, the couple had finished their breakfast, Matt getting their bowls cleaned up and into the dishwasher before they slowly made their way back to the bedroom, both eager to get back into bed and do nothing but rest for the remainder of the day.

Matt stepped back into the bedroom after having just used the bathroom, his hobbled steps slowing when he saw Gabby standing up beside the bed, her back towards him as she was using her one good arm to try and slide his sweatpants down her legs. But her attempts weren't going very well, the opposite side sliding back up each time she tried to push them down.

"Need some help?" Matt asked lightly, Gabby huffing out a breath before she reluctantly nodded, Matt walking around the bed, coming to stand in front of her.

"I need to change my bandage," She spoke, Matt eyeing the new bandage sitting on the bed behind her, "but I can't get these stupid pants off." She groaned in frustration, Matt chuckling before he grabbed the waistband, slowly sliding them down her legs.

"Well, I've always done well at getting your clothes off, I don't mind to help." He replied, Gabby scoffing lightly as she slowly sat down once the material was past her knees.

"Yeah, yeah, I know you have." She responded, Matt carefully sitting down by her left side, watching as she began pushing the sweatpants off the rest of the way. With a little help from Matt, she was able to get them off, letting them fall to the ground, joining their other articles of clothing that littered her bedroom floor. "We really should pick all this up." She mentioned, Matt smiling smugly as he glanced around.

"Yeah, maybe… But not right now." He replied, his eyes moving toward the bandage wrapped around her leg, wincing when he saw the deep purple bruising coming out from beneath the white dressing.

"I might need your help with this, too." She breathed out, following his gaze down to her leg. "With only one arm, I don't think I can get it off."

"Of course." He replied with a soft smile, beginning to unwrap the bandage from her leg, grimacing when the white slowly began turning red as he got closer to her leg. When he got down to the last layer, he moved carefully, slowly peeling the dressing from her leg.

A deep frown covered his lips when he got this first glimpse of the stitches across her thigh, Matt shaking his head softly as he released a shaky breath. He couldn't tell how many stitches she had, but there were a lot of them, the now-closed gash covering the entirety of the top of her thigh, the bruising more intense closer to the injury. He could see her thigh was a little swollen, her skin red and angry around the healing cut.

Seeing him almost frozen, Gabby pursed her lips together, placing her hand on his thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze, slowly gaining his attention.

"Does it hurt?" He asked when their eyes locked, Gabby tilting her head to the side slightly.

"Kind of, yeah… But it's not too bad." She assured him, Matt nodding as his eyes moved back to her leg.

Being as gentle as he could, he slowly began wrapping her leg, Gabby guiding him on how much pressure to use while he did the work.

"Yeah, that's good, thank you." She murmured as he finished securing the bandage, Matt giving her a soft smile as he brought his hand up to the side of her face, pushing her hair behind her ear.

"You're welcome." He responded, pressing a gentle kiss against the side of her head before he stood up, Matt feeling the soreness of his muscles as he moved. "You ready to get some sleep?"

"Mhmm." She responded, Matt nodding as he began unclipping her sling, Gabby wincing as her arm stretched out, Casey tossing the object onto the end of the bed. "Do we need to change your bandage?" She asked, glancing towards his leg, even though she couldn't see the injury she knew was there.

"No, not right now, we can do it later." He answered, Gabby giving him a nod before she made herself comfortable in the large bed, Matt discarding his shirt as he walked around to his side. He had just barely sat down on the edge of the bed when he felt Gabby's fingertips tracing along his lower back, hearing a soft sigh escape her lips.

"I didn't realize until this morning how bad this was..." She murmured, stroking her thumb along his battered skin, Matt nodding as he rolled out his neck.

"Yeah, I know it's not too pretty."

"It looks painful." She grimaced, Matt glancing back towards her. "...I can see the outline from where the ceiling hit you."

"I'm alright." He replied gently, Gabby's gaze moving from his back to his face. "Promise."

"I know… I just don't like seeing you hurt." She breathed out, Matt flashing her a sympathetic smile before he slowly laid down, resting on his back, Gabby curling into his before he could even get situated.

"That feeling is very much mutual." He agreed, resting his hand on her side as he pressed his lips to the top of her head, lingering there. "Now try and get some rest." He prompted, Gabby nodding against his chest.

A comfortable silence settled over them, Matt slowly moving his hand up and down her side as they laid curled together underneath her covers, Gabby's breaths evening out as Matt stared at the ceiling. He assumed she had fallen asleep, or if she hadn't, she was pretty close to it, so when she spoke up after nearly ten minutes, her voice startled him, Matt not having expected it.

"I thought we were supposed to be sleeping." She murmured, a soft grin coming to his face as he glanced down to the top of her head.

"We said resting, and I am… Why aren't you?"

"Because I can hear that you're awake." She replied, Matt's eyebrows furrowing in amusement.

"That doesn't make any sense…"

"Yes it does." She countered sleepily, nuzzling her cheek against his bare chest. "Now sleep."

"You know," Matt spoke up, Gabby aware he was about to change the subject, "you should really have a TV in here."

"Should I?"

"Mhmm." He hummed, Gabby smiling softly.

"What if I don't want a TV in here?" She challenged.

"But what about the times when I'm bored and you're trying to sleep… like now." He responded lightly, Gabby tilting her head up to look at him.

"You can go out in the living room and watch TV, if you're really having that hard of a time." She teased him, Matt shaking his head as he tightened his grip around her waist.

"I'm not going anywhere, but if you had a TV, I could do more than lay here and stare at the ceiling."

"Well, I mean, you're supposed to be sleeping." Gabby reminded him.

"Yes, but I'm not tired yet…" He huffed out, Gabby chuckling softly.

"I can get a TV, you big baby." She muttered, Matt's grin widening as he ran his hand along her waist.

"I'm gonna ignore the last part, but thank you." He replied, kissing the top of her head. "Maybe when we're feeling better, we can go and look at some."

"That sounds fine." She spoke through her yawn, Matt smiling softly, kissing her head once more.

"Go to sleep, babe." He murmured, a warm grin spreading across her face at the nickname, Gabby cuddling against him as she nodded, the combination of Matt's body heat and his soothing movements along her hip lulling her to sleep within minutes.

* * *

**And there's another one. I hoped you all enjoyed this fairly calm chapter, I felt it was warranted after some of the emotional ones we've had recently. Matt meeting Gabby's parents seemed to go quite well, and Camila really seems to like him, which is good. I really liked writing this one, I hope you all liked reading it.**

**I'm so excited to hear your thoughts. Now that Dawsey's together, they've still got some decisions to make about when/if to tell people, and worrying about how certain people will react… There's definitely a lot to consider. But I think you all with like it.**

**Thank you for reading! I'll see you next time!**


	36. Chapter Thirty Six

**Hello everyone, here's the next chapter for you all. I know I'm updating a day earlier than normal, but I found out there's an unexpected funeral I need to attend tomorrow, so I won't be able to update on my usual schedule. And I had this chapter finished, so I decided to go ahead and get it posted for you all. With the next chapter of I Won't Let You Go, I haven't completed it yet, so I'm not sure when I'll be getting that posted. I'm hoping to get it up a some point tomorrow, if I can. But if not, I'll get it up as soon as possible!**

**I do hope you all enjoy this one, and there's a little M rated section to start off this chapter, just so you know. **

**Happy reading!**

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**THIRTY SIX**

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Matt's hands roamed her body as he pinned her against the shower wall, the cold tile sending a chill through Gabby's spine, their lips connected in a passionate kiss as the water fell down against their sides, his steady thrusts causing her nails to dig into his shoulder blades. While he trailed his kisses down to her neck, he gently grabbed ahold of her left leg, being mindful of the healing cut on her thigh as he hitched her knee around his waist, a loud shriek escaping her lips as her body pulled him in deeper, Matt smirking against her skin as he picked up the speed of his movements, using the wall for support.

"Matt-..." She panted, her hands falling down to his back, gripping his skin tightly as he pulled her leg up higher, his other hand sliding up from her waist towards her chest, gripping her breast as he slammed in and out of her. Her heard her breaths quicken in his ear, Matt feeling her chest moving up and down rapidly underneath his touch as he kept his movements steady, leaving marks along her collarbone as she tightened around him.

He could feel her thighs clenching, moans and whimpers escaping her lips as he moved, the once hot water now turning lukewarm, but their bodies felt as if they were on fire, Matt edging her closer and closer towards that release she so desperately craved.

"Please. Matt, I'm-... God-" She whimpered, losing control of herself as he released his hold on her chest, sliding back down to her other leg before hiking it up around his waist, holding her up off the ground as he sunk back into her. His body was supporting her weight as a high-pitched whine left her lips, Matt brushing against that delicate spot inside her that he had a way of finding every time, her muscles trembling around him as he stalled his movements.

She waited for him to continue, but he didn't, Matt grazing his teeth along her collarbone as her breaths became shorter and choppy, Gabby nearly crying out in frustration as she felt her release begin to move further and further away.

"Please." She practically begged, her voice barely audible, but he could hear the desperation and want within her, Matt releasing an involuntary groan when she purposefully clenched around him. "Please, baby."

He lifted his head when he heard her, a dumb grin shining across his wet face, Matt gripping the backs of her thighs tightly as he slowly began rocking against her, the movement not nearly enough for her.

But she wasn't left waiting for more for very long, Gabby watching his eyes darken before he leaned forward, capturing her lips in a fiery kiss, Matt quickly picking his speed back up, the new angle giving him all the access he needed as he thrust into her, swallowing her moans while he moved.

With every passing minute he could feel her getting closer and closer to her release, Matt doing what he could to hold off his own as he continued his steady pace, pain tingling through his back as her nails dug into his skin.

"Matt…" She panted between kisses, Matt smiling against her lips as he moved quicker, feeling Gabby begin to tumble over the edge as her entire body tensed, a sharp cry escaping her lips. Matt continued his relentless pace as she came, her release spurring his on, Matt slowing to long, deep strokes as he emptied himself inside her, Gabby taking everything he was giving her.

When they both were completely spent, Matt stalled his movements, resting deep inside her as their bodies slowly began to come down from the amazing high they'd experienced together. Matt continued to hold her against the wall, her body trembling in the aftershocks of her release, her muscles involuntarily spasming around him, the movements sending wave after wave of almost unbearable pleasure through his system.

With a slow, shaky breath, Matt carefully placed Gabby's legs back on the ground, a soft whine escaping her lips as he slid out of her, their chests heaving as they stood under the almost cold water.

"Hi." He murmured after a few seconds, bringing his hand up to her face, stroking across her cheek softly, his skin feeling the remains of the few scratches that were still healing.

"Hi." She replied, her bottom lip falling in between her teeth as he placed his other hand on her side, rubbing across her wet skin before sliding around to her back.

"You feeling okay?" He asked, Gabby nodding immediately, leaning forward to press a light kiss to the side of his mouth, her chest brushing against his as they stayed close together.

"I'm feeling great." She murmured, moving her hand around to his back before she kissed him again, their movements slow and deliberate.

In the week and a half that had passed since the warehouse fire, Gabby and Matt hadn't shied away from spending any intimate alone time together that they could, the two taking every opportunity when they both felt up for it. But every time they'd been together, up until today, it had all been pretty tame, the two taking their time with one another as their bodies recovered from the trauma they'd endured. And while she had absolutely loved it, getting to see the much gentler and caring side to Matt while they were together, she had missed his more assertive side, and it was nice to get back to that a little now that they were both feeling able.

"You know…" Matt whispered against her lips, pressing his forehead into hers as they separated, both catching their breath, "We should probably get out soon if we want to make it to your parent's house on time."

"Yeah, you're right." She breathed out, stealing another quick kiss. "But I thought us showering together would save some time." She added with a smirk, Matt tilting his head to the side in amusement as he slid his hand from her back down past her waist, gripping her flesh firmly in his palm.

"I think it added at least twenty minutes… But you'll never catch me complaining about you joining me in the shower." He replied, kissing her once more. "It was a very nice surprise."

"Yeah, I knew you'd like it." She murmured, capturing one last kiss before tapping against his back. "But we really should be going."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." He responded, giving her butt one last squeeze before stepping away from her. "Do you need to finish cleaning up?" He asked with a soft smirk, Gabby rolling her eyes as she nodded.

"I'll be out in a few minutes." Gabby replied with a chuckle, Matt grinning as he nodded, carefully exiting the shower, Gabby watching as he grabbed the towel that had become his before she went back to cleaning herself off.

When she got out of the shower a few minutes later, Gabby saw him standing at her bathroom counter, the man brushing his teeth as he stood there with the towel wrapped around his waist, his body still glistening from their shower. Quietly, she reached out towards the hook, grabbing her towel and wrapping it around herself, tying it against her chest before she began the short walk towards her boyfriend, Matt bent over the sink as he rinsed out his mouth.

From her vantage point, she had a clear view of his back, her eyes tracing over the remaining bruises still discoloring his skin, the once nearly black and purple marks now having faded to a yellow hue, with a little bit of brown sprinkled in over the areas that took the most impact. Seeing the injury, anyone could clearly tell his back had taken a severe beating, but he was definitely getting better; they both were.

Aside from the bruising and soreness in his back, Matt's other injuries were healing up nicely, so much so that he'd gotten the all-clear to return to work next shift. His sprained shoulder was being managed, and while it hadn't completely healed, it had enough for him to be able to work. The gash on his leg he'd gotten during the fall was now nothing more than a small cut, and his ribs had healed as well. All the little cuts and scrapes covering his skin were mostly gone, Matt almost able to hide the fact he'd been in an accident recently. He was still feeling a few aches and pains, but for the most part he was fine, and it was time for him to get back to work.

Gabby, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky.

She wouldn't say her recovery had stalled, but hers was definitely taking longer than Matt's, which was a realization she wasn't thrilled with; neither of them were. She wasn't progressing anywhere near as quickly as she'd hoped, but she was holding onto the fact that she was at least still getting better. Gabby knew her injuries were severe, more severe than Matt's, but that knowledge hadn't translated into the understanding that her recovery would take longer.

But it was something she'd quickly come to realize as they spent their days and nights together, as Gabby saw him having an easier time with his recovery than she was. It was taking her a little longer to get back to her usual self, and she couldn't say she wasn't a little frustrated by it.

She still had instances of some heavy discomfort in her previously dislocated shoulder, Gabby still a little more reliant on her pain medication than she'd like to be. The deep gash on her thigh had closed up, but she still had to be careful with it, as it had been a pretty severe cut. It wasn't hurting her anymore, and it was almost fully healed, but considering Matt's similar injury had healed days ago, it was a little annoying that hers took so long. Most of her cuts and scrapes were either completely healed or almost healed, aside from the one along her hairline, where her mask had dug into her skin. That one had caused some issues for her, and it definitely wasn't pretty, but it too was on its way to healing.

Despite some of the delay in her recovery, she was feeling much better, which was encouraging, Gabby being able to do more and more every day. But it was still a little discouraging at times to know that she wasn't one hundred percent yet, or at least well enough to go back to work. She was getting closer, she could tell with every day that passed, but now that Matt would be going back to work soon, she found herself a little annoyed at how she still had some time to go before she'd be able to get back.

But at least if she couldn't work yet, she was glad Matt could, Gabby knowing how much they both missed the job. Although she would be lying if she said she wouldn't miss the days they got to spend together.

One of the only bright spots throughout this whole thing had been the amount of time Gabby and Matt had gotten together, the couple having spent everyday with one another since the accident. It hadn't even been intentional, at first, but it was like Matt couldn't bring himself to leave. Gabby assumed part of it was his guilt; that he wanted to keep an eye on her, just to ensure that she was alright. But while she knew part of his reason for staying was because he needed to know she was okay, Gabby also knew he just wanted to spend time with her, which was a thought that made her chest fill with warmth.

This was a little unusual for her, Gabby never consciously spending this much time with someone when first starting their relationship, but with Matt, it just felt right. It felt right for him to be here, it felt right for them to spend their time together, and, even more so, it felt weird when he was gone. And she knew he felt the same. So they'd come to a silent agreement that he would be hanging around for awhile, Matt having made a few stops to his apartment to get some of his things once he was feeling a little better, the both of them also having spent the night at his place when Gabby had gotten a little more mobile.

They definitely weren't living together; they both meant it when they said they didn't want to rush things, and she intended to stick to that. This was too important, Matt was too important. But after coming close to losing one another, they both needed this time together more than they realized. That day in the warehouse had been traumatic for both of them, and had come with its fair share of psychological trauma as well, but Gabby knew the only reason they were handling things as well as they were was because they had each other to lean on.

They were the only two people in the world who knew exactly what the other had gone through that day, who understood the terror they felt falling through that floor, and being trapped, surrounded by flames. It was something that, unless you were there, there was only so much you could do to sympathize.

But Matt understood. He understood exactly what she was going through, because he was going through it to. And they had spent a fair amount of time over the last ten days helping each other through the dark moments. It was something neither of them were expecting, the mental aspect of their recovery to be as taxing as the physical, but when things became too much or too overwhelming, they'd lean on one another for support, and help each other through it. Which was something they both desperately needed.

But Gabby knew once he was back at work, they wouldn't be spending all their time together anymore. They both had their own lives to get back to, once they could, and she knew they both needed to get back into the swing of things, together and separately.

But that didn't mean she wouldn't miss this time with him.

"How long are you gonna stare at me?"

Matt's voice pulled her from her thoughts, Gabby's eyes snapping into focus as she saw him watching her through the mirror, a soft grin resting on his face. She raised her eyebrows challenging, a devilish smirk covering her features as she walked the rest of the way towards him, placing her hand on his lower back.

"For as long as I want." She responded, rubbing against his skin right above his towel as she pressed a kiss to his arm.

"I have no objections to that." He murmured, Gabby grinning before she lifted her head back up, her eyes moving towards his back while she continued lightly scratching his skin, an amused look covering her face as her gaze landed on a few dark red claw marks across his back. "What?" He asked, Gabby glancing back towards him in the mirror, his look matching hers. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing." She responded, Matt cocking his head to the side before he turned around, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"Nothing, huh?"

"Nope. Nothing." She repeated with a laugh, Matt shaking his head before he pulled her into him, capturing her lips in a short, heated kiss.

"You're really not gonna tell me?" He mumbled against her lips, Gabby grinning as she pulled away.

"It really is nothing, I was just noticing how I might've left a few marks on your back, there." She answered sheepishly, Matt grinning as he turned his head around, his soft smile turning into a smirk when he saw the deep, red marks from her hands on his skin, a light chuckle escaping his lips as he turned back around.

"Yeah, I could feel that… Although I seemed to leave a few marks of my own, too." He responded, nodding towards her chest, Gabby glancing to herself in the mirror to see a few red, blotchy patches of skin over her collarbone, Dawson knowing soon enough they'd bruise over.

"What have I told you about doing that lower so I don't have to keep covering them up." She replied with a laugh, Matt running his tongue over his bottom lip, his eyes locked on the marks he'd left on her.

"Well, even though I know how much you love it when I focus my attention a little lower, I was kind of busy." He murmured, heat rising to Gabby's cheeks as she shook her head.

"Mhmm, you sure were… Maybe just next time don't mark me when we're about to go have dinner with my parents." She suggested, Matt grinning sheepishly as he rubbed his hand over her hip, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"I'm sorry, I got a little carried away, although you can't blame me." He replied, Gabby smiling softly as he slid out from between her and the counter. "But we really do need to hurry if we don't want to be late." He added as he moved towards the door, flashing her a wink before he disappeared into her bedroom, Gabby biting her bottom lip as she turned back towards the counter, knowing she needed to focus on getting ready.

After leaving the bathroom, Matt continued through the door of Gabby's bedroom, padding his way down the hallway as he moved towards his destination of the laundry room, knowing his pants were still hanging in there, the firefighter walking quickly towards the living room.

"Hello sunshine."

Casey jumped as soon as he turned the corner, a sound of surprise escaping his lips as he instinctively grabbed his towel, holding it tight around his waist as he caught a glimpse of the unexpected visitor is Gabby's home.

"Oh please, like I care about anything you've got going on under there," the blonde spoke, a smirk quickly forming over her face, "although, for Gabby's sake, I hope it's good."

"How'd you get in here, Shay?" He asked, ignoring her words as his hand covered his chest, Matt still trying to recover from the shock to his system that Shay's presence created.

"The front door was unlocked." She replied simply, Matt shaking his head as he took another step forward, Shay staying seated on the couch.

"So you just walked in?" He asked, the paramedic nodding simply. "God, we need to get you a bell or something."

"Mhmm, sure… You know, usually, me finding Gabby's door unlocked would be a little alarming, but when I got in, I realized _why_ it was open… Her jacket and your belt on the ground, those were enough of a giveaway as to what happened when you two got home, but then the trail of clothes leading to the bedroom, well, I just assumed you two were preoccupied. Figured I'd be polite and wait for you to finish." She spoke with a grin, Matt shaking his head.

"How long have you been here?" He asked, Shay's smile widening.

"Long enough to know Gabby thoroughly enjoys whatever you do have going on under there…" She spoke with a knowing look, Matt's cheeks turning red.

"Matt?" Gabby's voice carried down the hallway, Casey immediately turning around.

"Hey, Shay's here." He called back, unsure if she'd heard her friend's voice or not.

"Which means make sure you're clothed before you come out," Shay added with a laugh, "because Casey doesn't want anyone else seeing what's his." Matt rolled his eyes before glancing to the hallway just in time to see Gabby appear, his girlfriend wearing one of his t-shirts and a pair of his boxers, Matt assuming she'd just grabbed something quickly when she heard the voices. "Hey Dawson, you enjoy your shower?" She asked with a gleam in her eye, Gabby playfully glaring at her friend before glancing to Matt.

"Shay broke in." He replied simply, Gabby nodding as she came to stand beside him.

"Hey, you two should just be glad it wasn't her parents again." The blonde challenged, Gabby shaking her head.

"I really regret telling you that." Dawson muttered, Shay grinning.

"Well, I mean, better me come in here while Matt's fucking you in the shower than them." She replied, Matt's eyes widening as Gabby ran her hand over the side of her face.

"Jesus."

"What are you doing here, Shay?" Gabby asked, steering the topic away from her and Matt's previous activities, the blonde clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth before leaning down to pick up something.

"I came here to bring you this." She spoke vaguely, holding up a plastic bag, Gabby unsure of what was inside. "Got you some replacement uniforms, you know, since the other one got all bloody and gross." She added, Gabby narrowing her eyes slightly.

"I could've just gotten those when I got back to work." Gabby replied pointedly, Shay's shrugging lightly, her eyes bouncing between the couple. "...What is it?" Dawson pressed, the blonde's eyes focusing in on Matt, Casey understanding her silent request almost instantly.

"I'm just gonna go get ready." He spoke up, Gabby giving him a thankful nod before he turned around, beginning to head back towards the bedroom.

"Damn, Gabby, you really sunk your nails into him." Shay teased, Matt flipping her off before he disappeared down the hallway, the PIC shaking her head before she walked towards the couch, sitting down next to her friend. "You and Casey seem all domestic and cute… has he even gone home?" She asked with a smirk, Gabby rolling her eyes.

"Yes, he has." She replied sharply, the blonde raising her eyebrows.

"And were you with him?" She questioned quickly, Gabby pursing her lips together, her silence giving Shay all the answer she needed.

"What are you really doing here?" Dawson asked again, Shay chuckling lightly as she placed the bag in Gabby's lap.

"I did come here to give you these, but I'm also here because I need to talk to you about something." She prefaced, intrigue written across Dawson's face.

"Okay, well I've gotta be at my parent's house in like an hour, so as long as it's quick." Gabby told her, Shay nodding as she clasped her hands together in her lap.

"It is, it's not even so much talking, I just need to tell you something, I guess." She spoke, Gabby waiting for her to elaborate, the look on the PIC's face telling Shay to continue. "...Walker's been asking about you."

Gabby's eyebrows furrowed, Shay watching her closely as she saw the confusion settle across her face. "What do you mean?"

"He's been asking about how you're doing. Pretty much every shift, or if we see him at Molly's he's talking about you," Gabby's head tilted to the side, an unimpressed look covering her features, "...he's talking about wanting to come see you." Shay saw her friend's body tense up at those few words, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek as her spine straightened. "He's been trying to get Kelly to give him your address, so he can come check in on you."

"Kelly didn't give it to him, did he?" Dawson asked quickly, Shay immediately shaking her head.

"No, no, of course not." She assured her, Gabby nodding slowly. "The only reason Walker even knows you moved is because he was talking about going to your brother's place to visit you, and Kelly told him you weren't living there anymore… probably trying to save Antonio from murder charges." The blonde spoke lightly, trying to relieve some of the tension in the room, Gabby scoffing as she shook her head. "But when he asked for your address, Severide basically told him to fuck off… But I thought you should know. Walker, he's being really… persistent." Shay finished, Gabby shaking her head as a soft sigh escaped her lips.

"Well, I mean, tell him I'm fine if it'll get him to stop harassing you guys, but I don't even know what he wants."

"You, probably." Shay responded, Gabby releasing a heavy scoff.

"Yeah, that can't be it. He didn't want me even when we were together."

"But then, he knew he had you." Shay countered, Dawson running her tongue over her bottom lip. "He's always been weirdly possessive over you, we both know that," She continued, Gabby swallowing the lump in her throat, letting her friend talk, "I think that he can tell you're dating someone, or that you'd at least been seeing someone, and that pisses him off, so he's trying to worm his way back into your life."

"Well, he can stop trying." Gabby spoke roughly, glancing back towards the hallway. "I don't want him back. In fact, him breaking our engagement was honestly the best thing he could've ever done for me… I'm happy now. For the first time in a long time I'm genuinely happy, and that has everything to do with Matt and nothing to do with him." Shay smiled softly at her friend's words, reaching out to rub Gabby's knee gently. "I don't know why he's so insistent, but Bryan and I are coworkers, that's it. I don't want anything to do with him. And I especially don't want him here." She added, Shay giving her a knowing nod.

"I know you don't… This is yours and Casey's place." She replied with a smirk, Gabby rolling her eyes as she ducked her head.

"Shay…" Dawson spoke warningly.

"What? I think it's cute." Shay replied, Gabby looking back up to her. "You and Casey are good together, which is something I believe I told you a long time ago," she added pointedly before continuing, "but really, you two… you make sense. You and Bryan never did, but I left it alone-" Shay cut herself off when she saw Gabby's raised eyebrows, "Okay, I _kind of_ left it alone. I just always thought you were settling, and that you deserved better… which I was right. But anyway, this isn't about him, this is about you. You and Casey." Gabby nodded slowly, letting her friend continue. "You two are a good fit for one another… You bring out the fun side of him, and he can see through your bullshit, you two are the perfect pair." She teased, Dawson rolling her eyes as she gently kicked her friend's shin. "Kidding, I'm kidding-... but, in all seriousness, you two just… you fit. And you make each other happy, which is what you both deserve after the hell you've gone through." She finished, Gabby smiling softly as she squeezed her friend's hand.

"Thank you, Shay."

"And he, clearly, knows exactly what he's doing below the belt, which is always a plus." She added, wiggling her eyebrows as Gabby rolled her eyes, dropping the blonde's hand.

"You just can't help yourself, can you?" Dawson questioned with a laugh, Shay chuckling as she shook her head.

"Oh please, your life would be so boring without me… But what I'm even more interested by is how the hell you two got away with having sex at the firehouse so often if you're always _that_ loud… I mean, damn Dawson." She teased, Gabby feeling her face heat up from embarrassment.

"Well, excuse me for thinking Matt and I were alone… in my own apartment."

"Lock your doors next time." Shay countered, Gabby rolling her eyes as the blonde turned serious. "But speaking of the firehouse… have you guys talked about that?" She asked, Dawson raising her eyebrows. "How you're gonna tell everyone?"

Gabby pursed her lips together, sparing a quick look back towards the hallway, making sure Matt wasn't in sight before she answered. "No, we haven't really… I mean, we've told you and Severide. My brother knows, and we're officially telling my parents tonight, even though they kind of already know… But we haven't talked about what we're gonna tell the house, or _when_ we're gonna tell them…" She trailed off, Shay nodding understandingly. "I mean, obviously, I want everyone to know, and if it wasn't for one specific person it wouldn't even be an issue, but…"

"Walker." Shay cut in knowingly, Gabby nodding slowly.

"That just- he complicates things." She continued. "Not with our relationship, but how we tell people about it… Bryan, he just- he's gonna be mad."

"Who cares." Shay countered, Gabby pursing her lips together. "Let him be mad. If he's gonna be pissed, let him… It's not like Casey stole you from him, because one, you're a person, not a thing to be won. And two, that asshole broke up with you. So screw him- well, not literally, you know what I mean," She corrected herself, Gabby raising her eyebrows in amusement. "But really, he has no legitimate reason to care… it's not like him and Matt are best friends or something. It'd be different if he and Matt had some history, but they don't. They don't even like each other. You and Matt did nothing wrong here, so who cares what he says…"

"It's not so much what he says that I'm worried about…" Dawson muttered under her breath, Shay's eyebrows furrowing.

"What do you mean?" She questioned, Gabby opening her mouth before closing it quickly, shaking her head.

"Nothing, it's nothing, I just-" She cut herself off, Shay taking a deep breath.

"Is this about what he did while you were in the shower?" Shay asked, Gabby remaining silent, knowing there was so much more to this that the blonde didn't know about. "Because if you're worried about him doing something, I don't think you should be… He knows if he does anything else, he's out of 51. He's an idiot, but he's not stupid." She spoke, Gabby biting down on her lip. "Walker has no legitimate reason to care about you and Matt. Yeah, knowing him, he'll be pissed. But he's always pissed. Your personal life doesn't concern him. And if he does anything… Well first, I don't think Casey would even let him get close enough to you to try, I have a feeling he can get very protective when he needs to," She spoke with a grin, Gabby shaking her head, "but you know he'd be out of the house in a second if he even thinks about doing anything. I really don't think this'll be anything more than him being pissed off for awhile before he gets over it. He was fucking around with other girls while you two were still together… You being in a relationship with a guy that you love, he has no reason to be mad at that."

"Yeah… I guess you're right." Gabby breathed out, smacking her lips together before steering the topic in a different direction. "I want us to be able to just be a couple, and I know he wants that too, but Matt and I, we've been in this little bubble for a week and a half, that's only been us, and it's been great… I don't wanna mess that up."

"If you're going to be an actual couple, you can't hide forever." Shay replied, Gabby nodding.

"No, I know that, it's just- I don't want things between us to change… And us telling people, it'll change things."

"Yeah, but it'll be a good change." Shay responded with a soft smile. "I know it's a little scary, especially with how you two started things, and everything else you have to consider, but here's how I see it… When you two weren't together, everyone who saw the two of you just assumed you were… Antonio, Hallie, me… You two have been acting like a couple long before you actually were one. Not much is changing there, at least with how you act around one another. But now, it's better, because you won't have to hide at work. I mean, you don't need to be making out in the common room or anything, but you won't have to be second guessing how you act around one another. You can just be Matt and Gabby."

"Yeah, I guess you're right…"

"Of course I am." She replied without missing a beat, patting Gabby's leg before standing up. "Alright, well I'm gonna go, let you guys get ready for dinner with the parents."

"Thanks Shay."

"Mhmm. I'll see myself out, I hope you two have fun, you'll have to let me know how it goes." The blonde spoke, Gabby smiling softly as she stood up as well, staying by the couch as her friend moved towards the door.

"I will. Although they pretty much know already."

"Well, so did I, and you still got a pretty good reaction out of me." Shay replied, Gabby grinning at the memory.

They had told Shay of their new status a few days after the warehouse accident, and to say the blonde was ecstatic would be putting it lightly. In fact, had it not been for their injuries, Gabby was sure Shay would've tackled them to the ground out of pure excitement.

"Although I think most of that was just me being relieved that you two finally got your shit together." She added, Gabby rolling her eyes as Shay stopped at the entrance to the foyer. "But really, I am glad to see you so happy… To see the both of you so happy."

"Thank you, Shay." She responded sincerely, the blonde flashing her one last smile before turning the corner, Gabby listening as she left the apartment.

Releasing a soft breath, Gabby made her way back to her bedroom, pushing open the closed door, quickly finding her boyfriend as he stood in front of her dresser, clad in his boxers and his open button down shirt, Matt looking up at the noise.

"Shay leave?" He asked, Gabby nodding as she walked over to him, nudging his arm out of the way before wrapping her arms around his waist, hugging herself to his side, Matt's eyebrows furrowing at the gesture. "Everything okay?"

"Mhmm. Everything's perfect." She murmured, resting her cheek against against the side of his chest, Matt circling his arm around her back. He wasn't sure what had brought on her sudden clingy-ness, but he wouldn't turn her away, Matt holding her against him tightly.

"Your talk with Shay go alright?" He didn't want to pry, he just wanted to know she was okay.

"Yeah, it was fine." She replied, finding the opening of his shirt before pressing a kiss to his chest, Matt kissing the top of her head before she reluctantly pulled herself from his secure grasp. "Okay, I really need to get ready now… Although it's gonna take a miracle for us to get there on time." Gabby groaned, Matt chuckling as she moved to stand beside him, the firefighter missing her warmth instantly as she pulled open her top drawer, grabbing a pair of underwear and a bra before closing it.

"I can call them and let them know we'll be a little late if I need to, you just get ready." He told her, Gabby smiling softly as she nodded, leaning up to press a soft kiss to his lips before sliding past him towards the bathroom.

"Just give me half an hour… forty five minutes, tops." She called back, Matt chuckling as he watched her disappear into the bathroom, Casey shaking his head as he went back to getting himself ready.

* * *

Matt pulled up to the curb outside of Gabby's parent's home, the firefighter having followed her directions to the modest home a few miles outside the city, Matt looking at the house through his windshield as Gabby opened her door.

"You ready?" She asked, Matt nodding slowly before pulling the keys from the ignition, unbuckling his seatbelt and sliding down out of his truck.

"To meet the parents? Absolutely." He spoke as he shut his door, waiting for Gabby to close hers before he locked it up, glancing towards her to see a slight smirk resting across her face.

"You've already met them." She countered, Matt stepping around the front of his truck, meeting Gabby by the curb before they began walking towards the front door.

"Yeah, but then I was just some hot, half-naked guy in their daughter's apartment." He replied, his description of himself causing Gabby to chuckle as she grabbed ahold of his hand.

"You're decent looking." She teased, Matt scoffing before speaking up.

"That's rude… But anyway, now I'm meeting them as your boyfriend."

"You were my boyfriend then, too." She replied, tilting her head to the side as they climbed the stairs.

"Yes, but they didn't know that."

"You're making this so complicated." She muttered, Matt biting back a grin as they stood on the front porch, Gabby ringing the doorbell. "You don't need to be nervous, you know… They really like you." She assured him, giving his hand a tight squeeze. She wasn't entirely sure, but she couldn't help but feel like some of his jokes came from a place of worry, and she didn't want that.

Matt glanced to her, flashing her a soft smile as he nodded, squeezing her hand in response as they heard the door open, both of them turning to find Ramon standing there, a warm smile resting across his face.

"Gabriela, Matt, come in, come in." He spoke, Gabby nodding as she dropped Matt's hand, stepping past her father into her parent's home, Matt following close behind. Gabby stopped to give her dad a hug, kissing him on the cheek before walking further inside, Matt shaking the man's hand.

"Thanks for having us, Ramon." Matt spoke, the older Dawson nodding as he gently pat Matt on the shoulder.

"Of course, we're glad you all were feeling up to coming by." He replied, Gabby having already walked into her parent's home, leaving Matt alone with her father. "You're looking a lot better than the last time I saw you."

"Yeah, I'm definitely feeling better. We both are." He spoke, letting Ramon lead him inside, the two men walking into the living room, neither Gabby or Camila anywhere in sight.

"That's great to hear, Camila and I have been so worried. I know she's been keeping in touch with Gabriela, and she told us you two had made some progress, but it's good to see that you're doing well."

"Yeah, Gabby mentioned that a few times. We're definitely glad to be feeling better, we were going a little stir crazy." He admitted with a laugh, Ramon smiling as he nodded.

"I can only imagine. Well, make yourself comfortable. Can I get you a drink?"

"Uh, beer's fine." Matt replied, Ramon nodding before moving towards the kitchen, but his progress was stopped as Gabby and Camila walked into the room, both holding two drinks in their hands.

"I got it, dad." Gabby spoke, Ramon giving her a soft nod as she walked towards her boyfriend, Matt flashing her a grateful smile.

"Thank you." He told her, Gabby smiling before taking a sip of her wine.

"Matthew, it's so good to see you." Camila spoke warmly as she handed Ramon his drink, the woman coming over and wrapping him up in a secure hug. "Gabriela's told us you were feeling better, but it's nice to see for myself."

"Yeah, yeah I am. It's good to see you all, too." He replied sincerely, rubbing over her back before they separated.

"So, how have you two been?" Camila asked, Gabby glancing to Matt quickly, the two locking eyes, Matt silently encouraging her to tell them. Camila and Ramon saw the interaction, the parents watching on in confusion. "Is everything alright?" She pressed, Gabby returning her attention to her parents, giving them a slowly nod.

"Yeah, everything's fine, Matt and I are great." She told them, "but there is something I wanna tell you guys, although I have a feeling you two already kind of know, or have an idea at least-"

"Gabriela," Ramon spoke softly, effectively cutting off her rambling, Matt scrunching his nose up as he looked at Gabby, finding her extremely adorable with the sheepish look covering her face.

"Right sorry." She replied, clearing her throat, "Well, we kind of meant to tell you this when you were at my apartment, but we got a little sidetracked, but, uh- Mom, Dad… I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Matt." She introduced him, Matt grinning as Camila and Ramon shared knowing looks, her dad chuckling softly as Camila joined in.

"Oh, honey, we definitely already knew." Ramon responded, Gabby ducking her head slightly as her mom rubbed over her arm. "But it's sweet that you wanted to tell us, and we are glad to hear it from you." He told her daughter, Gabby nodding as she spared a glance up at Matt, and she could tell he was absolutely loving this.

"Yeah, we knew something was going on there, considering every time you'd talk about him, your face would light up." Camila added, Matt chuckling softly as he glanced towards her. "And anytime Antonio would bring him up, you'd get all embarrassed… It was cute, but I'm just glad to know you two are happy."

"You'd get embarrassed?" Matt asked with a smug grin, Gabby narrowing her eyes towards her boyfriend.

"Is it not time to eat yet?" She deflected, earning laughs from the small group.

"Actually, it is." Camila replied, turning towards Matt. "Normally we'd have some time to talk and drink before we eat, but since you two were a little late, dinner's all ready." She spoke pointedly towards her daughter, Gabby wearing a sheepish grin.

"I told you I was sorry, Mama." She replied, Camila shaking her head in amusement.

"Oh Gabriela, it's fine, your mother's just teasing. Don't make the girl feel bad, Camila." Ramon spoke, walking towards his daughter and extending his arm, Gabby holding onto her dad before he walked with her to the dining room, Camila laughing softly.

"That man… I'm telling you, Gabriela's had him wrapped around her finger ever since she was born. Before that, actually." She murmured, Matt grinning as he watched Gabby walk away.

"Well, I can't say I blame him." Matt spoke, Camila smiling warmly as she gently gripped Matt's arm.

"Let me show you to the dining room." She offered, Matt giving her a nod as they began walking, soon getting to the room, Matt finding Gabby standing behind one of the chairs, the firefighter moving towards what he figured to be his seat beside her.

Once they were all at their seats, Matt pulled out Gabby's chair for her, getting a warm smile in return as she sat down, Matt making sure she was good before he sat down as well, Ramon and Camila having gone through a similar process.

"So, Matthew- is it okay if I call you that?" Camila asked, Matt giving her a nod.

"Of course, yeah. It's fine." He replied, earning a soft nod from the older woman, practically able to feel Gabby's warm smile beside him.

"Alright, I just wanted to check, I know Gabriela doesn't really like to use her full name, so I wasn't sure if you were the same way."

"Oh, no it's fine. My mom is really the only one who calls me that, but I don't mind it." He assured her, Camila nodding before continuing her earlier conversation.

"Well, I made some pork and potatoes for dinner, decided to keep things easy, I hope that sounds okay."

"It sounds great, and looks great, too. Really, you didn't have to go through all this trouble." He spoke, eyeing all the food on the table. While she had made the pork, and potatoes, there were at least three other sides here as well; definitely enough food to feed an army, and it looked like it had taken a while to prepare.

"It was no trouble at all. Ask Gabriela, this is nothing." Camila spoke, Matt's eyes moving to his right, finding Gabby watching him with a soft grin.

"It's true.. Just wait until the holidays, or a birthday, then you'll really see my mom cook a meal. This is tame compared to that." Gabby informed him, Matt grinning widely as he glanced back towards her parents.

"Well, I'm looking forward to that." He replied, Ramon and Camila sharing knowing smiles with one another. "And I'm definitely looking forward to eating this, too. It looks amazing." He added, feeling Gabby rub his leg gently.

"Thank you, Matthew… Now, we always say a prayer before we eat. I should've asked Gabriela before, it slipped my mind, but is that alright?" She asked, Matt raising his eyebrows. "I just don't want to offend you or anything."

"Oh, no, no that's fine." He replied quickly, Camila nodding before she reached for Ramon's hand, her and Gabby grasping hands across the table, Matt quickly following suit, Casey holding onto Gabby's hand and reaching for Ramons, bowing his head as Ramon began to pray.

It wasn't something he'd really done much in the past, Matt not having grown up in a very religious household. And while he didn't know much about Gabby's faith, he knew it was important to her, and he was all for learning more about her beliefs and traditions. In fact it was something he was looking forward to, Matt eager to learn and experience new things with her. Although he wasn't even sure what he himself believed, Matt did know that this was important to her, and whatever was important to Gabby, was important to him, too. And he wanted to make sure she, and her parents, knew that.

Once Ramon had finished the blessing, they dropped hands, Camila began to serve the food, Matt waiting patiently as he gripped Gabby's thigh, shooting her a warm smile, all of them beginning to dig into their delicious meal.

Dinner had been going well, the four falling into easy conversation, like it was something they'd done a million times before, Matt having spoken more with Gabby's parents than he had with her.

And the sight made Gabby's heart swell in her chest.

She knew Matt was an easy person to talk to, that he always gave people his full attention during conversations; it was part of what made him such a fantastic leader. But seeing him sitting here talking with her parents, it filled her with a warmth she couldn't really explain. There was something about watching Matt be completely engaged with her parents, them commanding his full attention any time they said anything, that filled her with a sense of pride. Any time anyone said a word, they had his undivided attention, and it was something Gabby knew her parents noticed, too. He was completely focused on their conversation, the firefighter enjoying spending time with all three of them, and each time Gabby would spare a glance at her parents, she could see how much it was appreciated, both of them sending her knowing smiles from time to time, an action that caused her cheeks to flood with warmth.

Gabby knew she loved Matt. She wholeheartedly knew she loved him, with everything she had. But seeing him with her parents, it only made that feeling grow deeper; and sitting here watching them, she knew her parents loved him, too.

"That's amazing, Camila. It sounds like wonderful work you're doing." He spoke, his words tearing Gabby from her thoughts as she glanced around, seeing Matt's eyes focused on her mom, Camila giving him a gracious nod, Gabby assuming her mother had filled him in on her job.

"Speaking of work… I know Gabriela's still got some time before she can go back, but have you heard anything about when you can return, Matthew?" She asked, Matt sparing a quick glance at Gabby before responding.

"Uh, yeah, I'm actually going back next shift." He spoke, seeing the surprised looks covering both of their faces.

"Really?" Ramon asked, Matt nodding slowly.

"Mhmm. I got the all clear a few days ago, so I'll be back to work here soon." He told them, taking a sip of his beer.

"And you feel up for it? You feel ready?" Camila questioned, concern laced in her voice.

"I do." He replied instantly, feeling Gabby rub her hand along his back. "I'm still a little sore some days, but it's nothing too bad. All my injuries have healed, I'm good to go."

"That's good to hear. I wasn't expecting you to be back so soon, though." Ramon spoke, Matt running his tongue along his lip.

"Yeah, honestly I wasn't either. But I'm glad for it, I've been going a little stir crazy. And hopefully Gabby can get back soon too, when she's ready." He replied, shooting her a small smile, one she quickly reciprocated.

"Well, promise us you'll be careful." Camila spoke, Matt raising his eyebrows. "You've just gotten healthy again, we don't want you getting hurt."

"I will." He assured them, leaning back slightly into Gabby's hand. "I'll be careful."

"Good." Camila said with a soft smile, the lull in the conversation giving them all a chance to continue eating, Gabby keeping her hand moving in soft motions over his shoulder.

"Oh, Gabriela, have you spoken with Antonio?" Ramon asked after a few moments, Gabby lifting her head up as she looked towards her father, her eyebrows raised in question. "Diego's birthday party is in a couple of weeks, he and Laura agreed to do it here, I wasn't sure if he told you."

"No, he didn't." She responded, "I knew it was coming up, but I hadn't heard anything about the party."

"Well, I guess he and Laura talked, Diego was wanting to do a party with the both of them, and we have space here, so he and some of his friends will be here, along with family." Camila added, Gabby nodding as she took a sip of her wine.

"Sounds fun, just let me know when to be here." She replied, taking a bite of her food.

"And you too, Matt." Camila added, Casey raising his eyebrows as he glanced between the Dawsons. "If you're not working, of course."

"Oh, um, I'm not sure, I'd have to check the days…" He told her before looking back to Gabby. "But I don't want to intrude on a family thing."

"Nonsense, you wouldn't be intruding at all. There's no pressure or anything, but if you'd like to come with Gabriela, the invitation's there." She spoke, Matt nodding with a soft smile.

"It'll definitely be a big Dawson get together." Ramon cut in.

"Aren't most things?" Gabby asked with a chuckle, Casey grinning as he watched the family.

"Are a lot of your family in the area?" He questioned, Camila nodding in response.

"There's quite a few of us close by, yes. Between my family and Ramon's, there's a lot of us in general, but most are either in or around Chicago, or back in the Dominican." She explained, Matt nodding while eating his dinner. "What about you, Matthew, is your family from around here?"

Gabby's eyebrows furrowed when she felt his back tighten underneath her hand, looking towards him to see an unreadable expression covering his face, Matt shaking his head as he took a slow breath. "Uh, no- no it's just me." He replied, Camila and Ramon both nodding.

"Are you not from around here?" Ramon asked, Matt shaking his head yet again, Gabby waiting to see what he was going to say.

"No, I am. I've lived here all my life, but uh- My mom isn't in the area really, not much anymore… Neither is my sister. And my dad-... he died when I was in high school, so it's just me." He spoke quietly, frowns forming over all three of the Dawson's faces.

Admittedly, Gabby didn't know much about his family, aside from meeting his mom a while back and knowing he had a sister. Other than that, she knew next to nothing, so hearing he'd lost his dad when he was young kind of threw her a bit, Gabby's chest feeling heavy as she continued rubbing his back, Matt flashing her a small smile.

"Oh, Matthew, I'm sorry." Camila murmured, Matt running his tongue along the inside of his cheek.

"It's fine, really. But yeah, aside from the guys at the firehouse, it's just me." He replied weakly, Ramon nodding.

"Well, you'll have to come to Diego's party then." He spoke with a soft smile, Matt glancing to Gabby, who gave him an encouraging nod. "It'll give you a chance to meet some of the Dawsons."

"I'd like that." He replied, Camila and Ramon both nodding as they continued with their meal.

Their night wore on, the conversation turning less heavy as they made their way into dessert, both Matt and Gabby completely stuffed by the time they finished their pieces of pie. When everyone had finally finished up, Camila had began to clear the table, Gabby immediately helping her mother, despite the woman's protests that her daughter should rest, Matt following suit and helping bring the dishes into the kitchen while Gabby and Camila began loading the dishwasher.

"You really should be sitting down, you know." Camila spoke as Gabby wiped down a plate, the younger woman shaking her head.

"I'm fine Mama." She said for the fifth time, shaking her head. "I feel good, don't worry."

"Alright… if you and Matt need to stay the night, that's fine. I know you both drank tonight." She added worriedly, Gabby glancing up to her mom with an amused expression covering her face.

"I had one glass of wine, and Matt didn't even finish his beer, and that was like an hour ago… We're fine."

"Okay, if you insist." She replied, handing the next dish to her daughter.

"These are the last of them, Camila." Matt spoke as he walked into the kitchen, holding two bowls in his hands.

"Thank you, dear." She responded, Matt nodding as he placed them down on the counter, turning towards Gabby.

"Your dad wants to show me his baseball cards, are you good here?" He asked as he leaned into the countertop beside his girlfriend, Gabby nodding as she looked to him.

"I'm good, but you might not be." She spoke with a chuckle, Matt raising his eyebrows curiously. "My dad has hundreds of those things, we won't get out of here until morning."

"It's true, Matthew… Maybe run while you still can." She joked, Matt laughing as he shook his head.

"Nah, I don't mind. He said he had some cool ones, and he seemed really excited to show me, I just wanted to let you know, and make sure you don't need anything else." He replied, Gabby giving him a nod as he pushed himself off the counter.

"We're fine here, honey, it's alright." Camila responded, Matt glancing to Gabby.

"You guys have fun." She responded teasingly, Matt grinning as he leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss against the top of her head, rubbing her back before he pulled away, flashing Camila a warm grin before heading out of the kitchen, walking towards the living room where he knew Ramon was waiting for him. Gabby kept her eyes on the exit that he'd just walked through, a soft smile resting across her face as she envisioned her dad bonding with Matt, a flood of warmth spreading through her system as she glanced back down towards the dish in her hands, the smile never leaving her face. She'd only been working for a few seconds before she felt her mother nudge her arm, Gabby lifting her head up, heat rushing to her cheeks when she saw the knowing smile across her mom's lips. "...What?"

"He's a good one, sweetheart." She spoke simply, Gabby's smile widening as her bottom lip got caught between her teeth, Camila matching her look, thrilled to see her daughter so happy.

"Yeah… he really is."

Out in the living room, Ramon and Matt were seated on the couch, flipping through the pages and pages of baseball cards Ramon had gotten over the years, the older Dawson sipping on his drink while he let Matt look through everything. While Casey was enthralled by what he was looking at, Ramon couldn't help but watch him, trying to get a read on the man that had swooped in and picked up the pieces of his daughter's broken heart.

After their unexpected visit to Gabby's apartment last week, Ramon wasn't sure what to make of Matt and his relationship with his daughter; Casey seemed to be a good man, and he seemed to care about Gabriela, but he thought the same about Bryan, at first. And he was hesitant for his little girl to get into another relationship so soon. But after hearing from his wife about her talk with Matt, he felt a little more at ease. He knew the man cared for Gabby, that was clear, but it was more than that. In the small amounts of time they'd spent together, Ramon could see just how loved his daughter was. It was how Matt would always do things for her before himself, little things like pulling out her chair, or letting her get food before him. It was how she'd always have his attention while she was talking, like what she was saying was the most important thing he'd hear that day. It was how he looked at her even when she wasn't talking to him, Ramon able to see how much Matt loved his daughter just by how he looked at her. The more time he spent with the firefighter, the more his worries began to disappear.

Matt Casey was a good man, one he could see making his daughter happy for a very long time. But, despite how much Ramon liked him, he wouldn't be doing his job as a father if he didn't talk to him.

"So, Matt…" Ramon started, Casey looking up from the baseball cards, his eyebrows raised in question, "I know you spoke a little bit with Camila, but you and I really haven't gotten a chance to talk." He prefaced, Matt nodding understandingly as he closed the book, placing it back on the coffee table. "I just- I do like you, Matt. And I think you're a great man, but I worry about Gabriela… After the disaster that her relationship with Bryan became… I just want to know she's being taken care of."

"I know you do. Camila said the same thing, and I get it, I do… From what I know about what happened between them, and from what I know about Walker in general… She deserved better than what she got from him. No one deserves to be treated the way she was, especially not Gabby." Ramon smiled softly at his words, Matt swallowing thickly. "But I can promise you, I'm not like him."

"Oh, I know you're not." Ramon clarified. "It may have taken Camila and I a while to see it, but it was pretty clear Bryan never really cared about Gabriela… I can already tell you do, I just don't want to see her heart broken again." He spoke, Matt nodding understandingly.

"I don't either." Matt agreed, sighing softly. "And I have no intention of doing that to her." Although Matt never knew Gabby and Bryan when they were together, he'd met her pretty soon after they ended things, so he liked to think he saw most, if not all, of how she handled dealing with that break up. And it hadn't been pretty.

But he had no intention of ever being the reason for her heart being broken. He had seen what it had done to her, and he never wanted to be the cause of that.

"Gabby, she- She means so much to me, she really does. I know Camila said something about how she thinks I helped Gabby move past what Bryan did to her, but she helped me just as much… even more so, if you ask me." He breathed out, glancing down to his lap. "I wasn't in a good place when we met, neither of us were, and it took us awhile to really become friends if I'm being honest, but Gabby… she's helped me more than I realized I needed." He admitted, shaking his head slightly. "Your daughter is an amazing woman, which I'm sure you know, and she really is so important to me… I need you to know that. I'd never try and hurt her."

"I know, son. I just needed to be sure." Ramon spoke.

And he was.

Despite his reservations about their relationship, he could tell just how much his daughter meant to the man sitting beside him. And Ramon knew Matt meant just as much to her as well.

* * *

**Well, there's another one. We had a little bit of everything in this one, I hope you all enjoyed it. Here soon we've got Matt returning to work, as well as, hopefully, Gabby sometime in the near future. Which, you all know getting back to the firehouse means more Walker… I'm sure you all are looking forward to that.**

**I'm excited to hear your thoughts about this one, I really enjoyed it. I've been loving writing the dynamic between Casey and Gabby's parents, hopefully you all are enjoying it, too. Thank you so much for reading!**

**I'll see you next time.**

**Oh, and a little P.S., I know I told you all about those tests I was having last week, well I'm having an appointment for those this Thursday, and it's right around the time I usually start to get my chapters posted, so the Thursday updates will probably be a little late this week, as well. I'm sorry about that, but I'm still planning on getting them up that day.**


	37. Chapter Thirty Seven

**Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for you guys, I hope you all enjoy this one. Thank you all for the support on the last chapter, it means so much to me. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this one as well, if you have the time. Thank you for reading and supporting my stories!**

**There is an M-rated section to this chapter, just so you know. Happy reading!**

* * *

**THIRTY SEVEN**

* * *

Casey's eyebrows furrowed as he was slowly pulled into consciousness, an involuntary chill rushing through his body as the open air hit his bare skin, Matt confused as to why he was suddenly so cold, his mind foggy as he tried to grasp his surroundings. Something was different, something felt strange but through his hazy, tired mind, he couldn't figure it out.

It wasn't until he felt that all too familiar jolt shoot through his lower abdomen that he slowly started to realize what was happening, Matt releasing a low groan as he registered the pressure below his waist, feeling weight resting against his legs as warmth flooded his system.

His breath caught in his throat when he felt her mouth moving over him, her fist gripping what her mouth couldn't cover as she rhythmically worked him, Matt's hands grasping the sheets beneath him as his hips thrust up when another wave of pleasure shot through him, Gabby gagging at the unexpected action before she quickly recovered, continuing her steady pace.

"Gabby…" He coughed out, his breaths choppy as he felt her fist tighten while she stroked him, Matt doing what he could to control himself when he brushed against the back of her throat, Gabby's free hand scratching along the inside of his thigh.

Feeling his body clench underneath her, Gabby tightened her lips around him as she slowly began to pull him from her mouth, stopping at the very end, Matt panting as she focused her attention where he was most sensitive. His heavy breaths turned into low whines as Gabby paid special attention to one specific area, her tongue moving over him expertly, Matt's entire body tensing at the overwhelming sensation.

She followed the signs his body was giving her as she took him fully back into her mouth, Gabby picking up her speed to bring him closure to the edge, before slowing down to an almost painful rate, giving him time to calm down before she riled him up again, Matt groaning in frustration every time he'd fall farther and farther from his release.

Gabby had picked up her pace again, holding onto him with a near death grip as she worked him like only she knew how, Matt's stomach tightening as she drove him closer and closer to that relief he craved.

But as soon as he almost tumbled over the edge, she pulled back completely, Matt falling from her mouth as she let go of him, her hand moving to his thigh as a sharp cry of frustration left his lips. He lifted his head up, glancing down towards her, finding her watching him with a devilish grin on her face, Gabby running both of her hands along his thighs.

"Gabby- please." He huffed out, the muscles in his thighs shaking, Gabby feeling the trembling underneath her hands, Matt clearly desperate for release.

"Just wait." She murmured, moving her hair to the side before she began placing soft, open mouthed kisses along his skin, trailing over his thighs and his hips, Matt's head falling back down against the pillow. His eyes fell closed as he focused on the feeling of her lips on him, Gabby pressing kisses against him, the feather-like touch driving him crazy as she was exactly where he wanted her, but not using enough pressure to get him over the edge.

Another heavy breath left his mouth as her lips moved further up his waist, her kisses trailing along his stomach as she slid up his body. His breath caught in his throat when he felt her bare chest brush over him, Matt having to resist the urge to thrust his hips up against her as her skin moved over his. Slowly, he opened his eyes when she straddled his waist, her hands resting on the mattress on either side of him while she hovered over him, her bottom lip tucked in between her teeth as they locked eyes.

Without a word, Matt lifted his hand up, cradling her cheek in his palm as he stroked his thumb across her skin, a soft smile tugging on her lips. Slowly, he guided her down to him, their lips connecting in a gentle kiss, Matt brushing her hair behind her ear as his other hand moved to her waist, each movement slow and full of want.

Gabby pulled back first, Matt seeing her eyes still closed as she hovered over him, a content smile resting on her face as she breathed deeply, his heart swelling at the sight of her. But when she opened her eyes, he saw that same fire that had been in them moments ago, the gleam in her eyes telling him he was in for something he was sure to enjoy as Gabby slowly sat down on top of him, straightening her spine as she pressed against him, a heavy breath leaving his lips when she grounded herself down on him.

Slowly, she lifted herself up again, giving herself enough room to reach in between them, Gabby gripping him tightly in her palm, the feeling sending a rush of pleasure through him as she began teasing him at her entrance, Matt's breaths becoming shallow. Without warning, she lowered herself down onto him, Matt sinking all the way into her as she rested flush against his hips, a sharp gasp escaping her lips as he filled her completely.

His hands flew to her hips, Matt watching her closely while he waited for her to adjust, her chest rising and falling quickly as she took short breaths, Gabby slowly opening her eyes to find him staring at her, his eyes dark and full of want. With a sly grin, Gabby leaning forward, resting her hands against his chest as she slowly began to lift herself up, before she'd fall back down at the same speed, Matt gripping her hips tightly as he let her lead the way.

She continued on with her treacherously slow pace, Matt biting down on the inside of his cheek as he felt the muscles in his abdomen constrict and relax, a sign of his release building while Gabby dug her nails into his chest, refusing to quicken her movements. He knew she was doing it on purpose, that she was wanting to drive him crazy; and to her credit, it was working, Matt choking out shallow breaths, his heart pounding in his chest as he silently begged for her to speed things up.

But he didn't help her move any quicker, something about Gabby being in control sending tingles through his spine, Matt secretly loving when she was like this. It didn't happen too often, Gabby usually letting him take the lead, but when she did take over, Matt would be lying if he said he didn't find it incredibly hot, knowing he had little say in what happened next.

As she continued to move at her incredibly slow pace, each time she slid back down on him, she'd purposefully clench around him, the action pulling deep, guttural moans from the man beneath her, Gabby rolling her hips on top of him as she moved. She could feel him getting closer and closer to the edge, Gabby knowing the signs of his release as she felt him try and control himself underneath her, her bottom lip tucked in between her teeth as she felt his fingers dig into her waist, Matt sure to leave a few bruises behind.

When his eyes fluttered closed, she felt his muscles tighten underneath her touch, Gabby knowing he was close despite the painfully slow pace she was going. While she was thoroughly enjoying everything they were doing, she wasn't necessarily close to any kind of release for herself, but she didn't care; this wasn't for her, this was for Matt. All that mattered to her was that he enjoyed himself, and by the way his body was reacting to her, she knew he was.

"Gabby- Jesus-..." He choked out when she clenched around him again, a smug grin resting over her face as she sat up straight, moving her hands from his chest back to the tops of his thighs, leaning back slightly as the new angle pulled him in deeper. Matt's eyes flew open, Gabby's change of position giving him quite the view as her body was on full display, his mouth watering at the sight as he began sliding his palms up and down her stomach, feeling her breathing underneath his touch as she started to bounce in his lap. She finally picked up her speed, Gabby using her hold on his legs as leverage to move quicker, moans falling from his lips as she felt him swell inside her, both of them knowing he was a goner.

His release hit him like a train, Matt nearly crying out as she took him over the edge, his hand clutching onto her breast as he gripped any part of her he could, Gabby not letting up her relenting pace as he emptied himself inside of her. She continued moving up and down in his lap, clenching down around him with each movement, wanting this to last as long as possible, Matt whining underneath her as he dug his fingers into her skin.

She could tell when he was done, her boyfriend completely spent as she gradually slowed her pace, Gabby biting back a smirk as she felt him squirm beneath her, Matt far too sensitive for what she was still doing to him.

With one last movement, Gabby settled down against his lap, Matt panting as she felt his thighs trembling underneath her. He moved his hands down from her chest, sliding along her body as he tried to regain control of his breathing, his entire body feeling like it was on fire.

"That was-... God, Gabby-" He choked out when she clenched around him one last time, a soft laugh escaping her lips before she climbed off of him, a low moan leaving his lips at the feeling.

"Good morning." She murmured, rubbing her hand across his stomach as she tucked her body down beside his, pressing a quick, firm kiss against his lips.

"It certainly was." He panted, Gabby grinning against him as he kissed her again, their movements soft and gentle before she pulled back, resting her chin on his chest. "I didn't mean to finish that quick but- damn, you didn't give me much of a choice." He breathed out, his words earning another laugh from her as she continued to rub his stomach. "I feel bad."

"Don't." She replied quickly, pressing an open mouthed kiss over his breast bone. "That was for you." She whispered, Matt running his hand along her spine before sliding down past her waist, gripping her butt in his palm. "I just wanted to give you a little surprise for your first day back… Make sure you're nice and relaxed before you get back to work."

"Oh, I definitely am relaxed now." He replied, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head, the two wanting to get a few more moments of rest before he needed to start getting ready. "...It's gonna be weird, though. Being at work without you." Matt murmured, Gabby settling her arm over his waist, holding onto his hip as she placed her head over his heart, hearing the now-steady thumping beneath her.

"Oh, you'll be fine… Who knows, maybe you'll enjoy it more, when you're incredibly hot girlfriend isn't there to distract you." She joked, Matt shaking his head as he placed his free hand on top of her arm, squeezing her gently. "Just um-" She cleared her throat, Matt glancing down to her, "maybe check in with me throughout the day?... So I know you're doing alright."

Her words were hesitant, like she was almost embarrassed by her request, Matt's chest filling with warmth as a soft smile tugged at his lips. "Of course I will." He assured her, kissing her forehead. "As long as you do the same."

Gabby gave him a nod, pressing a light kiss to his skin. "I will, although I'm not really doing much today. I'm supposed to meet up and have lunch with Antonio, I'll probably go back to my place sometime before then." She told him, Matt nodding as he ran his hand along her skin. Even though most of their time lately had been spent at Gabby's place, both of them enjoying her quieter neighborhood, they decided to come and spend the night at Matt's place last night, Gabby not wanting him to have to bring everything he'd need for shift over to her place. And, truthfully, she still loved spending time here. Before they became a couple, their entire relationship was forged within these walls; the good and the bad. Being here reminded her of where they started, and how far they've come since then, and she loved it. She loved being here with him in his apartment, remembering all the nights and mornings they'd spent exactly like this.

But, if she was being honest, she knew she'd love being anywhere as long as Matt was there with her.

"Well, stay here as long as you want to. I do have that construction job tomorrow afternoon, but maybe we could grab dinner or something after that, if you feel up for it?"

"I'd love to." She replied, Matt nodding in response before he glanced towards the clock, releasing a soft sigh.

"I should probably get in the shower." He murmured, Gabby's tongue poking out between her teeth, running over her bottom lip as she lifted her head, meeting his gaze. "I, uh… I know we kind of made a mess," He started, earning a chuckle from his girlfriend, "so would you like to join me in the shower?... I could help you clean up."

"Oh, could you?" She asked, Matt nodding as he slid his hand along her backside, Gabby cocking her head to the side.

"Absolutely." He replied, a surprised gasp escaping her lips when his hand slid further down, teasing the skin on the inside of her thigh.

"Well, we should probably get in there then…" She spoke shakily, pushing herself up and climbing over him to get out of bed, Matt groaning as her skin brushed over his. "Wouldn't want you to be late for work."

Gabby got up first, Matt soon following suit as she stood by the bed. "You'd be worth it." He replied, swiftly smacking her butt to get her moving, Gabby's lips parting slightly as she turned to face him, finding a proud grin resting on his lips.

"You really do have a thing for my ass, don't you?" She questioned, Matt shrugging slightly, unable to stop his smile from widening.

"I have a thing for all of you." He clarified, chuckling as she ducked her head, Gabby feeling heat rise to her cheeks. "But yeah, your ass is definitely a favorite."

"I can tell." She replied, gasping when he gave her another playful smack. "You better keep your hands to yourself, Casey." She warned him, Matt raising his eyebrows as he grabbed ahold of her hand, leading her towards his bathroom.

"But if I keep my hands to myself, how could I possibly repay you for my little surprise this morning?" He questioned, his voice deep as they walked towards the shower, Matt opening the door to get the water started. He returned his hands to her body as quickly as he could, Gabby feeling warmth pool deep in her stomach as he stood behind her, pressing his chest into her back, his already growing desire for her resting against her thigh. "I believe I need to make it up to you, too… Let me show you how much I appreciate what you did this morning."

And show her, he did, Matt making his appreciation for every part of her known as they stood underneath the hot water, the temperature inside the shower nothing compared to the fire burning inside her, Gabby reduced to a trembling mess as he made up for her lack of release earlier that morning, Matt returning her earlier favor multiple times.

* * *

"Now, for our last bit of news, as I'm sure you all have noticed, Lieutenant Casey is back with us."

Cheers filled the briefing room, Matt giving them a soft smile as Severide clasped his shoulders, shaking him gently.

"Okay Sev, my sprained shoulder is fine, you don't need to test it." He joked, earning laughs from around the room as Kelly let up, Casey smacking his lips together. "But really, I'm glad to be back here with you guys, those two weeks felt like forever, but I'm back and ready to go."

A few more cheers and whistles were heard throughout the room, Matt patting Shay's shoulder as the woman sat at the table in front of him, the paramedic gripping his hand tightly.

"Now, Casey has been cleared to work, he's back in full capacity as 81's Lieutenant, so it'll be business as usual around here… Well, until we can get Dawson back on her feet." He added, Casey feeling Shay give his hand another squeeze before she dropped it. "But it's good to finally have our Lieutenant back, after everything that happened, it's nice to have some normalcy." Boden spoke as he looked towards Casey, Matt giving him a strong nod. "Well, let's have a good shift today." He finished, earning a few nods and some claps before the group began to disperse, most everyone heading for the common room, Matt desperate to get something to eat before they got any calls. He had meant to eat breakfast with Gabby before he left, but with their prolonged shower together, that never happened.

"So Casey, you're really okay?" Herrmann asked as Matt prepared himself some toast, Casey looking up to see most of the firefighters in the room staring at him.

"I'm good, Herrmann." He replied with a soft smile. "Wouldn't be back if I wasn't."

"Okay, we've all dealt with injured firefighters before, everyone in here knows that's not true." He countered, earning a few laughs from around the room, Casey shaking his head in amusement. "So really, you sure you're feeling up for this? We can always ease you back in, Lieutenant." Herrmann spoke sincerely, Matt catching a few worried glances coming his way from around the room.

And it was in that moment Casey realized just how much he, and Gabby, had worried the men and women of 51. He'd been so focused on Gabby and their recovery that he never really stopped to think about how everyone else had been handling it. But, by the looks of it, he'd scared them. He and Gabby both had. That day they were trapped in the warehouse had rattled all of them, Casey just hadn't realized it. And it was a feeling he wasn't used to.

Even at his former house, before everything happened with Jacobs sleeping with Hallie, before all of that even started, he never felt such a sense of camaraderie as he did here. Casey had been at 51 long enough to know they were a family, but it was moments like this where he was reminded just how close everyone was, and it was something he was still having a hard time remembering.

But it was a nice feeling, knowing everyone, or _almost_ everyone, in this house had his back, without question. A feeling he didn't want to take for granted.

"I'm alright, guys." He replied, clearing his throat before continuing. "I won't lie to you, I'm still a little beat up, my ribs are still kind of bothering me… but it's nothing that would keep me from working. I'm cleared to be here, I promise I'm good." Casey assured the group, Herrmann, and a few others, eyeing him skeptically before they reluctantly nodded.

"Alright, I believe you… But if you need to slow down a bit, don't hesitate to tell us. I filled in quite nicely while you were gone, I think I can handle it for a few more shifts if you ever need to take a step back, Lieutenant." Herrmann spoke proudly, Casey smiling wide as he nodded.

"Oh, I don't doubt that Herrmann. I appreciate you covering for me, I'll let you know if I need to take a break, but I'm good."

"Good, I'm glad." He responded, releasing a heavy sigh as he leaned his body into the counter. "It's just good to have you back, seeing you in one piece… Getting you and Dawson out of that building… That was a rough scene." Herrmann continued, wincing slightly at the memory, everyone in the room listening to the conversation between the two firefighters. "I've seen a lot of bad calls in my day, but what you and Dawson went through down there-" He shook his head, the action cutting his words off as Matt swallowed the lump in his throat, his mind flashing back to that day, Casey hearing the distant screams of pain from Gabby bouncing around in his head. "I know how hurt you both were, is what I'm getting at. I just wasn't surprised to see you back here so soon." He finished, rubbing his hand over his mouth as he took a steadying breath, Casey's eyes bouncing around, soon landing on Shay, his friend giving him a supportive smile, although he could see the sadness behind it.

"Yeah, that, uh-" Casey cleared the emotion from his voice, shaking his head as he looked down to his plate. "That day wasn't easy… And Dawson definitely got the worst of it. But I'm ready to be back, and hopefully she will be soon."

When Matt looked back up, he saw looks of compassion and understanding on every single face staring back at him; all except for one. When Casey caught Walker's eye, the man sitting at the end of the long table, he had an unreadable expression on his face, the firefighter looking almost as if he was angry. And Casey didn't know what to make of that.

"Yeah, speaking of Dawson, has anyone heard anything about how she's doing?" Herrmann questioned, turning to face the room. "I called and checked in a few times, but last I heard she wasn't sure when she'd be back." He explained, Matt pursing his lips together as he listened to the older firefighter speak, knowing each and every time Herrmann had called Gabby, he'd been sitting right there next to her.

Even though Casey had the answer to Herrmann's question, Matt bit his tongue. He knew Gabby had her doctor's appointment at the end of this week, the appointment where she'd hopefully be cleared to return to duty. But he wasn't about to share that knowledge, knowing it would lead to a lot of questions about how and why he knew, and he didn't know how he could answer those.

In all the time they'd spent together since the warehouse fire, since he and Gabby officially became a couple, they hadn't talked about how they were going to start telling people, or _if_ they were going to start telling people. They'd told her family, and Shay and Kelly, but other than that, they hadn't discussed what they were going to tell everyone else.

And he didn't want to say something he shouldn't.

As much as he wanted to shout it from the rooftops that Gabriela Dawson was finally his girl, he'd never say anything to anyone before they talked about it. Because he knew this was more than just telling people they were together; there was so much more to this for her, things that she would have to deal with, and the last thing he'd ever want is to make things harder on her, especially here at work.

So he knew he couldn't say anything about Gabby's recovery, but thankfully Casey knew there was another person in this room who could give them all the answers they were looking for.

"I haven't heard anything." Walker spoke up, Casey glancing towards him in time to see him shoot a pointed glare towards Shay and Severide, the blonde paramedic rolling her eyes as she shifted in her seat, turning back to face Herrmann.

"She's hoping to be back sometime next week." Shay answered, her eyes flickering past Herrmann, landing on Casey, Shay biting back a knowing smirk. "She's doing a lot better though, she's had a lot of people looking out for her."

Matt couldn't stop the slight smile tugging on his lips as the words left Shay's mouth, the Lieutenant looking back down at the countertop, trying to hide the near giddy look on his face as Herrmann and Shay continued their conversation.

"Good, that's good. Seeing her in that warehouse, she was really banged up. I'm glad she's getting better." Herrmann replied, earning a nod from the paramedic. "I'm guessing you've been to visit her?"

"Mhmm. I just saw her the day before yesterday… she was doing just fine." Shay spoke, Matt feeling heat rise to his cheeks at the tone in Shay's voice, the two blondes the only people in the room knowing the true meaning behind her words.

"That's great. I can't wait till she's back, I feel like we'll finally be able to move on from all this once she's back at work, yanno." He commented, earning a few nods from around the room.

"Yeah, I know she's itching to get back. Dawson doesn't do well being stuck at home." Shay replied jokingly, some chuckles being heard from around the room, everyone know just how true the paramedic's statement was.

"You can say that again, I swear when we saw her the other night, she had Shay and I go through every single call we'd had the last few shifts." Severide spoke, shaking his head in amusement. "She definitely needs to get back here soon, I swear she was driving Casey and I crazy."

Matt's head snapped up when Kelly mentioned his name, Shay biting down on the inside of her cheek as Severide's eyebrows raised, it taking a few seconds for the squad Lieutenant to realize what he'd said.

"You've seen her, Casey?" Herrmann asked, turning back around to face the truck Lieutenant, Matt swallowing the bite of food in his mouth as he nodded, feeling a harsh glare on him coming from one of his firefighters across the room, Matt not even needing to look over to know who it was.

"Uh, yeah I have. I saw her at Shay and Severide's place." He replied, trying to sound as casual as possible. "Kelly invited me over once I was feeling a little better, and Dawson was there."

Although it technically wasn't a lie, he was heavily bending the truth, and Shay, Severide, and himself all knew it, the paramedic doing what she could to hide her smirk. Severide _had_ invited him over, and Gabby _had_ been there, but he left out the part how they'd come together from her apartment, how he'd driven them in his truck, how he practically supported all her body weight as they tiredly walked back to his vehicle at the end of the night, and how he got her undressed when they got back to her place, Gabby falling into bed before he could even get pajamas on her.

That was the more accurate story of that night, but it definitely wasn't anything he was going to share with the people in this room.

"Ah, that's good." Herrmann spoke, Matt's eyebrows raising curiously. "I'm just glad you and Dawson weren't both cooped up alone while you recovered, I'd been worried about you two… But it's good you were able to get out some." He elaborated, earning a nod from Casey.

"Oh, well I appreciate that Herrmann, but I was good. And as far as I could tell, Dawson was fine, too… But Kelly's right, she'll definitely be happier once she can get back to work." He spoke lightly, trying to take the focus off of that night at Severide and Shay's apartment. Which, thankfully, it worked, his words earning a few laughs around the room before Herrmann nodded.

"Yeah, that definitely sounds like our Dawson." He chuckled, Matt nodding in agreement before returning his attention to his breakfast. "It'll just be good to get her back though… It'll feel better around here once the family's back together."

"I agree with you there, Herrmann." Shay spoke up, the older firefighter smiling softly just as the bells rang out, signaling all companies to a house fire downtown, the desire for breakfast forgotten as the men and women of 51 hurried out into the garage, mentally preparing themselves for the task ahead of them.

* * *

Gabby tapped her foot impatiently as she sat on the bench just inside the front doors of the 21st district, her eyes bouncing around the busy room as cops and detectives flooded in and out of the lobby, the paramedic doing her best to stay out of the way as she waited for her brother.

"Do you want me to call him again, Gabby?"

Dawson looked up towards Platt's voice, shaking her head slightly in response. "No, it's okay, I know he's busy, thank you, though." She replied, earning a nod from the Sergeant before the older woman went back to work, Gabby wringing her hands together in her lap.

After sending Matt off to work this morning, Gabby had decided to stay around his apartment for a little while longer before she got ready to meet her brother, going through and cleaning up the place that hadn't been lived in very much recently. Casey kept a tidy home, so there wasn't an awful lot to do, but she had decided to do some laundry and go through the kitchen, getting rid of anything in the fridge that had met its expiration date, knowing Matt hadn't spent that much of his time there recently.

Once she'd finished cleaning up around his apartment and getting the laundry put away, which, unsurprisingly, consisted of both their clothes, she decided to head back to her place so she could get ready for her lunch with her brother. A lunch that had quickly changed locations.

About half an hour before they were supposed to meet she got a call from Antonio, the older Dawson telling her he wouldn't be able to get away from the district, Antonio suggesting that she just pick up something for them and bring it to him, and they could eat in the break room, which was quickly followed by Gabby assuring him they could have lunch another day. Despite her multiple attempts to try and get him to just postpone their lunch date, he insisted she still come by.

So now here she sat, the bag containing two sandwiches, some pickles, and some chips sitting next to her, Gabby having also grabbed her brother's favorite soda when she got their meal from a sandwich shop they'd always go to, the paramedic knowing it'd be a quick and easy lunch that she wouldn't have to worry about keeping warm. Which was something she had thought of when choosing where to get their food, and it was a decision that proved to be a smart one, seeing as how Gabby had been sitting here for over fifteen minutes while she waited for her brother.

The sound of the gate to Intelligence opening broke through the sea of noise in the district, Gabby lifting her head towards the steps, seeing here brother appear a few seconds later, an apologetic look already covering his face.

"Hey Gabs, I'm sorry for making you wait." He spoke immediately, Gabby waving him off as she stood up, Antonio kissing her cheek quickly.

"It's alright. But I was serious, we don't have to do this today if you're too busy."

"No, it's okay. I've got a break now, and I wanna spend some time with you, I feel like I haven't seen you much lately." He replied, Gabby nodding as Antonio grabbed the bag of food off the bench before she could. "Are you good to climb the stairs? I'm sure we could find somewhere down here to eat if we need to." He offered, but Gabby shook her head, leading him towards the steps.

"I'm fine, Tonio." She murmured, her brother nodding in response before they began climbing the stairs up to Intelligence, Antonio letting her lead the pace.

"So have you been feeling alright? I know I haven't been by to visit you much since you got home, I'm sorry about that, work's just been crazy." He breathed out quickly, Gabby waiting as he put in the code to get upstairs.

"It's okay, I know you've got a lot going on." She replied, Antonio releasing a heavy sigh as he nodded.

Although Antonio had visited her some, it wasn't anywhere near as much as he would've liked, considering the severity of his sister's injuries. But work had been keeping him pretty much chained to his desk, making it almost impossible for him to even get home to sleep, let alone get away for anything else. Him getting away to go be with her that day in the hospital was a minor miracle in and of itself, Antonio knowing the only reason he'd been allowed to go at all was because of the nature of the accident. But, much to the detective's dismay, visiting her in the hospital had been the longest amount of time he'd spent with her since the accident, Antonio either only able to stop by for a few minutes, or Gabby had been resting when he tried.

But even though he hadn't been able to physically be there, Antonio had made sure to call as much as possible, calling his sister at least once, usually twice a day to check in and see how she was doing, a gesture that was very much appreciated by the younger Dawson.

"So, you brought us some sandwiches, huh?" He asked as they climbed the steps, Gabby nodding as they got to the top of the landing, the paramedic seeing most of the other detectives sitting at their desks.

"Yeah, figured it'd be easy." She responded, her voice gaining the attention of Antonio's coworkers.

"Hey guys, you remember my sister, Gabby." He spoke to the room, Gabby giving a small wave to them, watching all of them nod with small smiles.

Gabby wasn't too familiar with her brother's coworkers; she knew names and faces, she'd seen them around, and sometimes they'd work together, but she didn't know any of them all that well. But based on the looks of concern covering their faces, she knew they'd heard of her accident. She wasn't sure if Antonio told them when it happened, or if they found out after the fact, but it was clear they knew what had happened to her, their smiles having turned into pitiful stares as she moved her eyes towards the ground, suddenly very thankful that most of her visible bruising was gone. There were much more obvious reminders of her trauma underneath her clothes, but with the layers on, there wasn't much to be seen that would alert people to the fact she'd been hurt; aside from the slight scratch on her forehead still present along her hairline, and some faded bruising across her cheek bone, none of her other injuries were visible. Which she was grateful for, knowing their concerned looks would only be worse if they had seen her body's trauma at its worst.

"Hey Gabby." Ruzek greeted, him being the first to lose the look of pity over his face, his frown morphing back into a warm smile. "It's nice to see you again… We're uh- We're sorry about what happened, Antonio filled us in a little bit." He spoke, shaking his head. "We're glad to see you're doing alright." He finished, Gabby flashing him a grateful smile as his words caused the other detectives to nod in agreement.

"Thank you… Uh, yeah, I'm doing pretty good. Still not 100% yet, but I'm getting there." She replied, biting down on the inside of her cheek before glancing towards her brother. Immediately, Antonio was able to tell that talking about the warehouse accident was making her uncomfortable, the older Dawson nodding slightly as he rubbed over her back.

"You ready to eat, Gabs?" He asked, his baby sister nodding quickly, Antonio gripping the bag of food in his hand as they began moving through the bullpen. "I'll be in the break room if anyone needs me, but try not to need me." He spoke jokingly, earning a few chuckles from his coworkers as he and Gabby walked through the maze of desks.

As they got closer to the room, Antonio caught Voight's gaze, giving his boss a swift nod before he walked into the break room, Gabby's eyes lingering on the older cop, watching as he shot her an almost impressed look, Voight nodding at her as well before returning to his work, Gabby quickly following her brother into the room, shutting the door behind her.

"That was a little strange." She murmured, walking over to the table as Antonio sat down, the detective glancing up towards her as he began pulling their food out.

"What was?"

"Voight, he just gave me this weird look- I'm not sure what it meant."

"Probably just happy to see you upright." Antonio responded with a shrug, Gabby tilting her head to the side as her brother placed her sandwich in front of her. "Everyone here's been really worried about you, I think they're all just glad you're alright… When I got the call, I freaked out. I was a mess, all I remember was hearing you'd fallen through the floor and you'd been pinned under part of the ceiling… They all saw me right when I found out, I wasn't able to explain much, they just knew something happened to you and it had been bad. So, I'd imagine they're just happy to see you're okay."

Gabby nodded, reaching out to rest her hand on top of her brother's, effectively stopping his movements as he worked on trying to get his food out. "I'm sorry for scaring you." She spoke quietly, Antonio's face softening as he took a deep breath, placing his hand over hers.

"It's not your fault, Gabs."

"I know that, but I still scared you… I scared a lot of people. And I'm sorry for that."

"It's okay, sis. Really, you have nothing to be apologizing for." He replied, squeezing her hand gently. "All that matters is that you're okay… Well, and that Casey's okay too, I guess." He added lightly, Gabby grinning as she bit down on her bottom lip, Antonio chuckling when he saw the immediate shift in her demeanor at the slightest mention of the truck Lieutenant.

"Yeah… that's what matters." She agreed, her smile never faltering as she began to unpack her lunch, Antonio watching his sister in amusement.

"Speaking of the boyfriend," He started, Gabby cheeks heating up as she lifted her head, catching her brother's gaze, "He went back to work today, didn't he?"

Slowly, Gabby nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear before responding. "Mhmm. His first shift was today."

"I'm sure he was glad to get back…" He commented, Gabby nodding as her brother began eating his lunch.

"He is, yeah. I could tell he was a little anxious, but I think he was ready. I talked to him about an hour ago, it sounded like everything was going well." She explained, Antonio nodding. "He said everyone was really glad to have him back, and that they're looking forward to me getting back, too. Which hopefully should be here soon."

"Well, how could they not miss you?" He spoke teasingly, Gabby rolling her eyes. "But uh- How have they all taken that, by the way?" Antonio asked, Gabby's head tilting to the side in confusion, her eyebrows furrowing slightly.

"Taken what?"

"You and Casey." Antonio replied simply, Gabby pursing her lips together as she slouched back in her seat. "I mean, I assume most of them don't have any problem with it…"

"Well, uh- They actually don't know." She responded, ducking her head just as Antonio looked up, missing the surprised look covering her brother's face.

"They don't know?" He asked for clarification, even though they both knew he heard her, Gabby shaking her head as she looked back up. "But doesn't Shay know?"

"She does." Gabby answered, Antonio raising his eyebrows. "And so does Severide, but no one else from 51 knows… At least not that I know of." She replied with a soft shrug, the detective clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

"Are you guys not wanting to tell people?" He asked, Gabby clearing her throat before responding.

"Um, we uh- we haven't really talked about it." She responded quietly, the detective keeping a close eye on his sister.

"Why?" He pressed, Gabby running her tongue along the inside of her cheek, shrugging again.

"I dunno, I guess it just didn't come up… It wasn't something we really needed to talk about when we made things official. Neither of us were able to work, so it just didn't come up…"

"Yeah, but Casey's back at work now, and you will be soon… Don't you think you two should talk about it? I mean, I know there's a lot to consider in all this, but it's probably something you two should figure out."

"We will." She responded quickly. "We just haven't yet."

Antonio nodded slowly, his gaze focused on his sister as he took notice of the clear shift in her demeanor, the older Dawson taking a deep breath as he tried to figure out how to best approach his next topic, even though he knew the only way he really could was to just come out and ask her.

"This, uh… You not wanting to tell people-"

"I didn't say I didn't want to tell people." She cut in, her tone defensive as Antonio gave her a pointed stare.

"C'mon Gabs, we both know what this is. This is because of Walker, isn't it?" He asked, even though his tone read like he already knew the answer. "You don't want to tell the house because of him." Gabby bit down on her bottom lip, avoiding her brother's gaze as she took a deep breath, Antonio's eyes falling closed as he ran his hand over the side of his face, knowing he needed to be careful about how he spoke to her about this. "Look sis," He started, his words causing her to look up at him, "I know you're nervous for him to find out. Even though it's none of his damn business, I know he's probably gonna be pissed off, but it doesn't matter. What he thinks doesn't matter…" He spoke firmly, Gabby blinking quickly. "You don't owe him anything. He doesn't get to have an opinion on your life anymore. I know you're worried for him to find out, but I don't want you to let him ruin this for you… I don't want him to keep you from being happy."

Gabby's eyebrows furrowed at his words, the younger Dawson clenching her hands together on top of the table as she digested what she was hearing. "I'm not letting him keep me from being happy." She replied, unsure of what her brother was getting at. "I am happy. I'm happy with Matt, Bryan's not apart of this at all."

"Well, he kind of is… If he's the reason you're not wanting to tell people." Antonio countered, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek. "Gabs, I'm not trying to tell you what to do here. I know some of the things he put you through, but you're the only one who knows what your relationship with him was like… And I know you're the one who's gonna have to deal with however he handles this, so I understand why you're apprehensive. But I just don't wanna see this thing between you and Casey get messed up because of him."

"It won't." Gabby was quick to reply, feeling her defenses rising. "I don't even know why you think it would, Matt and I are fine-"

"You've been together for like two weeks, but you're not wanting to tell people you're even together, and you haven't even talked to Casey about it. So you're not even sure how he feels about you two not telling people… I can't see that ending well, sis." He tried to explain his reasoning, Gabby sighing heavily as her eyes moved back towards the table.

"It's not that I don't want to tell people, I want them to know… It's that I don't want to deal with one person in particular."

"I get that, I do. Like I said, you're the one who has to deal with whatever reaction he has. All I'm saying is that this one person you don't want to tell, it's keeping you from telling everyone else… So much of the relationship you and Matt had was kept in secret, now that you're actually together, I can't imagine he'd want that to be a secret, too." He spoke, watching his sister closely, Gabby giving away next to nothing in the form of a reaction, the detective drawing in a deep breath before continuing. "Look, you and Matt are grown ups, you can handle your own relationship, but… I really like Matt for you, Gabs." She lifted her head as the words left his lips, her gaze softening as he continued. "I think he's good for you, and even though I was hesitant about you two at first because of how this all started, I think you two are good together. And I don't want Bryan to mess that up."

"I'm not gonna let him." She cut in, Antonio running his tongue along his bottom lip. "Bryan and I- it's done. It was done a long time ago. I don't care about him, all I'm focused on is Matt, and my relationship with him."

"Okay, but if that's true, then you wouldn't care about telling everyone." He countered, Gabby blowing out a heavy breath as she brought her hand up to her face, pressing against her temple. "Like I said, I'm not trying to tell you what to do here, sis… I know there's a lot more to this for you. And this isn't even a conversation you need to have with me, but you and Matt need to talk about it, make sure you're on the same page with whatever you decide to do." Antonio spoke, Gabby clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "I'm really not trying to butt in to your relationship, but I can tell how happy you are with him, Gabs… You're genuinely happy with Casey, and I don't want Walker fucking that up." He finished, Gabby giving him a slight nod.

She knew her brother was right, at least to some degree. Although she didn't think Bryan would be an issue between her and Matt, she knew they did need to talk. Though it wasn't necessarily a conversation she was avoiding, she hadn't tried to bring it up, either. But she knew they needed to sit down and make sure they were both on the same page, and figure out how, and when, they should tell people.

"He won't, Tonio." Gabby replied softly. "Trust me, this thing with Matt… It's too important to me to let something like this mess it up. I'm gonna talk to him about him, make sure we're on the same page." She assured him, Antonio nodding before returning his attention to his lunch, Gabby trying to do the same thing. But she found it hard to focus, her mind running through everything her brother had just said.

She needed to talk to Matt, and she would. But the longer she sat here thinking about their needed conversation, the more she was dreading it, unsure of how her boyfriend would react to what she was going to tell him.

* * *

Gabby turned the page of her book, her comfy throw blanket covering her legs as she sat curled up on the couch in her living room, her steaming cup of tea resting on the end table beside her. It was nearing ten at night, Gabby having been sitting here for the better part of an hour distracting herself with the book in her hands, trying to keep herself from thinking about how much she was missing Matt.

She knew it was stupid, that it hadn't even been two days since she'd last seen him, and there was no reason for her to be missing him the way she was, especially when she knew he'd be coming by in the morning. But she couldn't help it; she missed him, and she wished he was here with her.

Ever since yesterday morning when they'd made their plans to have dinner tonight, she'd been looking forward to it, looking forward to seeing him again, so when those plans got cancelled, she couldn't help but feel a little sad about it. It was no one's fault, except maybe the man who'd kept Matt working all day today, but she knew there was no reason for her to be upset about Matt having to postpone their dinner; and she wasn't, or she wasn't upset with him, at least. Matt's construction job that was only supposed to take him a few hours this afternoon, ended up turning into an all day event, Casey having called her hours ago, telling her he wouldn't be able to make it for dinner, the two quickly deciding they'd just see each other tomorrow, seeing as how Matt had no idea how much longer he'd be working tonight.

She felt a little silly for feeling so sad at not being able to see him tonight, Gabby aware that her feelings were a bit ridiculous, considering she knew she'd be seeing him in less than twelve hours, but still, she couldn't help wanting to be with him.

It was still a little surprising to her, they way she felt such a strong desire to be around her boyfriend all the time, Gabby never having felt this way before. And there was a part of her that didn't like it, knowing the last word she'd ever use to describe herself was clingy, especially when it came to relationships. But there was something about being around Matt that just had her so content and secure; he made her feel safe. And she craved that feeling.

And there was another part to this altogether, another thought hanging in the back of her mind that she couldn't quite shake; the thought that this was too good to be true.

Her earlier fears that kept her from telling Casey how she felt sooner, some of those still hadn't gone away. Despite how self-assured and confident she was in herself, there was a small part of her that couldn't help but feel like Matt deserved better than her. That he deserved someone a little less broken. It was a thought she hated, but one she could never completely get to go away, Gabby knowing that Bryan had definitely left her damaged, even though she hated to admit it. And there were times she felt like Matt would one day realize this wasn't what he wanted, that _she_ wasn't what he wanted.

But whenever those thoughts and feelings crept in, she had to remind herself that Matt had given her no reason to doubt him. Every promise and assurance he'd ever made to her, he not only kept, butt he showed her every day just how much he meant them. And while it was hard for her to trust that, every day Matt was making it easier and easier for her to snap out of those old trust issues that Walker had left her with. Every day it was like he was breaking down those walls she'd forced around herself, showing her more and more of what an incredible man he was. A man she could be herself around, a man who meant every word he said to her, a man she could trust.

Matt had seen her at her absolute worst, and he was still here. In moments that probably should've sent him running in the other direction, he stayed.

And sometimes it still didn't feel real that they had ended up here, together. But she was damn thankful that they had.

The sound of soft tapping on her front door pulled her from her thoughts, her eyebrows furrowing as she glanced to the clock, seeing it was just now 10 PM, Gabby unsure of who'd be at her door so late. But there was only one person who came to mind, a soft smile covering her face as she put her book down, tossing the blanket off her legs before pushing herself up from the couch, her bare feet padding against the hardwood as she walked towards her door.

She heard them knock again as she got closer, this one much more hesitant, like he was hoping she was awake but not wanting to disturb her if she wasn't, Gabby quickly unlocking the door and pulling it open.

The second she laid eyes on him, a content smile fell onto her lips, Matt grinning as he took her in, his eyes subconsciously trailing up and down her form before focusing on her face. The smile that his presence had elicited quickly faltered when she took in his exhausted demeanor, seeing his tired eyes, Matt looking like he could fall asleep any second.

"I think you may have been right…" He spoke up first, Gabby raising her eyebrows as they locked eyes. "I should've waited to start construction again." He added sheepishly, a light scoff escaping her lips as she took a step back, silently inviting him into her home, Matt accepting without hesitation.

"Yeah, well maybe next time you'll listen to me." She responded, closing the door behind him, locking them inside.

When Matt had mentioned a few days ago that he was going to start picking up a few constructions jobs again, Gabby immediately tried to talk him out of it. Knowing he still wasn't fully healed yet, she thought him going back to 51 was more than enough, and Gabby didn't want him overdoing it and hurting himself. But he insisted he was fine, and that he could handle it; clearly that hadn't been the case.

"I know, I know… I should have." He replied, grabbing ahold of her hand before they walked towards her living room, Matt all but collapsing onto the middle of her couch, Gabby sitting down beside him, curling her legs up against his. He lifted his arm up to the back of the couch, inviting her into his embrace as she leaned against him, Matt resting his hand on her waist, keeping her close.

"I wasn't expecting you tonight…" She murmured, reaching for her cup of tea and taking a small sip. "I thought you said you were just gonna go home."

"Yeah, I was going to, but then I finished up and coming to see you seemed like a much better option." He responded, Gabby smiling softly as she held out her mug to him, Matt graciously accepting it before taking a long drink of the tea she'd made for herself. "Thank you." He spoke, Gabby nodding as he rested the mug down against his leg. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

One of the first things he'd noticed when she opened the door was her state of dress; Matt seeing her in one of his old CFD t-shirts and a small pair of shorts, knowing that was often what she wore to bed, if she wore anything at all.

"No, you didn't… I was just reading." She responded, Matt nodding as he took another long sip of the drink before holding it out to her, Gabby shaking her head. "You can finish it." She told him, Matt smiling gratefully, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head before continuing to sip on the tea. "I am glad you stopped by though."

"Are you now?" He asked with a smug grin, Gabby tucking her head into his neck, draping her arm across his stomach.

"Mhmm." She hummed, Matt's smile widening as he began moving his hand along her hip, resting his cheek down on top of her head.

"Me too." He murmured, feeling her smile against his neck, Matt slipping his hand underneath the shirt covering her body, resting his palm against her bare side.

"I know we talked a little bit already, but your first shift back was okay?" She asked, focusing on the calming warmth that his skin against hers provided.

"Yeah, it was. Everything was good." He assured her, letting his eyes fall closed as they sat in her dim living room. "I did have to kind of take it easy…" His words caused her to perk up, Gabby lifting her head from his shoulder, the action causing his eyes to open as he saw her staring at him, concern written across her features. "I'm fine, babe. You don't need to worry so much."

"You fell through a building."

"So did you."

"Yeah, I did. And you don't see me telling you not to worry about me, now do you?" She countered, Matt pursing his lips together.

"Fair point." He conceded, Gabby smiling proudly before she raised her eyebrows, clearly wanting more of an explanation. "...My body was just a little sore, that's all. So I did that mature thing and limited myself, you should be proud."

"I am… I still think you went back to work too soon, but I am." She replied, Matt smiling softly as he slid his hand up and down her side. "But you promise you're alright? Nothing's hurting you or anything?"

"I'm still sore, I think working today pretty much ensured that. But I'm alright. I just need some sleep with my beautiful girlfriend next to me, and I'll be as good as new." He responded with an almost giddy grin, Gabby rolling her eyes before bringing her hand up towards his face, running her fingers through his short hair.

"I guess you can stay, but you definitely have to shower first before you get anywhere near my bed." She spoke, Matt raising his eyebrows in amusement. "You smell like wood chips."

"I'll take a shower." He promised, Gabby nodding as she stroked her thumb across his head, Matt leaning into her touch. "But enough about me, how'd your lunch with Antonio go?"

Gabby dropped her eyes immediately, his eyebrows furrowing when she looked away from him, Matt able to feel her sudden apprehension at the topic. He just didn't know what was causing it.

"You okay?"

"Hmm?- Yeah, I'm fine. Lunch was fine." She replied, Matt watching her closely.

"You sure?" He questioned, Gabby sighing softly as she moved her focus to his chest, beginning to play with the collar of his shirt.

"Yeah, everything's fine, it's just- Antonio and I were talking, and it made me realize there's something you and I need to talk about…" She prefaced, Matt raising his eyebrows, silently urging her to continue. "But it's late, and you're tired- We can just talk about it in the morning, I don't-"

"Gabby." He spoke gently, effectively ending her rambling. "What is it?"

"It's uh- it's about us." She replied, Matt's head tilting to the side slightly.

"I didn't piss off the big brother, did I?" He questioned jokingly, his words easing some of the tension from her body, Gabby smiling softly as she shook her head.

"No, you didn't. He actually had great things to say about you," she told him, her heart warming at the small, genuine smile that graced his lips, "but it was about you and me, about telling people we're together… telling the firehouse." She spoke, her nerves returning as realization washed over him, Matt nodding slowly as he tapped his fingers against her hip. "I know we haven't really talked about it, I know we need to… we probably should've before you went back, I'm not sure if you said anything or-"

"I didn't." He assured her, feeling some of the tension release from her body. "I wouldn't, not when we hadn't talked about it."

"I didn't think you would, and I know we probably should've talked about this awhile ago, but I guess it wasn't really an issue, not when we were both stuck at home… But uh, I guess I just wanna know what you're thinking?" She asked carefully, Matt hating the hesitation he felt coming from her. He wasn't sure if it was because of him, or the subject, but he prayed it wasn't the first one, Casey never wanting her to feel like she couldn't talk to him.

"Well, I mean, obviously I want everyone to know you're my girl." He spoke with a soft smile, Gabby matching his look. "But I know there's another factor to all this for you… it's not as easy as us just telling the house." He added, Gabby's face faltering as she nodded, Matt keeping his firm grip on her waist. "So I think the more important question is where are you in all this?"

Gabby pursed her lips together, taking a deep breath as she tried to figure out how to voice what was going on inside her head. "I, um… I think I'd rather wait a bit, before we start telling people at the house." She spoke softly, refusing to look at him as she focused on his chest. "It's not because of you, I need you to know that."

"I do." He responded, Gabby lifting her head up to meet his gaze, finding a soft smile and compassionate eyes waiting for her. "I know." Matt assured her, Gabby nodding before she continued.

"I want to tell them, I don't want to keep hiding us or our relationship, but I.. I need some time." She told him, Matt nodding softly. "I know I need to tell Bryan, and I will." She spoke, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat. "Even though it's none of his business, especially after everything he did, but I just- I think he needs to hear it from me… I'm just not sure when I'll feel ready to tell him." She breathed out, her eyes tracing over his face, clearly waiting to see what kind of response he'd have.

"We can take this at your pace, Gabby." He murmured, watching as she released a relieved breath. "I'm fine with whatever you need to do here, I promise."

"You're not mad?"

Casey's eyebrows furrowed, his heart sinking into his stomach as he immediately shook his head, tightening his grip on her.

"No, of course not." He responded almost instantly, feeling her body relax underneath his touch. "However slow you need to take this, I understand. I wish it was as easy as us just telling our friends, but I know it's not. There's nothing to be mad at you for."

Gabby nodded slowly, sliding her hand along his collarbone as she leaned forward, capturing his lips in a firm, yet gentle kiss.

"Thank you." She murmured against his him, Matt smiling as he kissed her again, each movement slow and deliberate, the two only separating when air became an issue.

"You have nothing to thank me for." He responded, Gabby nodding before she tucked herself back into his side, hooking her leg up across his lap. "Obviously, I don't want to hide how I feel about you, but I just want to do whatever's best for you. We won't tell them until you're ready… however long that takes. I'm not going anywhere." He promised, Gabby smiling softly as she nodded, pressing a light kiss against his neck before relaxing back into him, the couple wanting to enjoy the peaceful moment for a little while longer before they got ready for bed.


	38. Chapter Thirty Eight

**Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for you guys. It's kind of an extra long one today for you all, figured I'd make up a little bit for not having an update on Monday.**

**Before we get into it, I just wanna say that I hope each and every one of you had an amazing holiday. Whether you celebrate this time of year or not, I hope you all had a nice and relaxing few days.**

**I don't have much else to say, except to everyone who's still here and still interested in this story, thank you for reading. We have some nice and cute Dawsey-goodness in this one, I hope you enjoy. I'm so excited to hear what you think.**

* * *

**THIRTY EIGHT**

* * *

Gabby laid wide awake in her bed, her eyes staring straight ahead as her bedroom was blanketed in darkness, the only source of light coming from the street lights peeking through her partially closed curtains. Her chest moved up and down steadily as she took slow breaths, the weight around her chest keeping her grounded as she felt her boyfriend behind her, his warm body pressed against her. They had fallen asleep like this, Matt's bare chest pressed into her tank top covered back, his arm wrapped around her side, his hand resting against her chest, effectively keeping her close. At some point during the night, Gabby had grabbed ahold of his hand, hers clutching onto the back of his own, her fingers laced through his as he cradled her, the position comforting as they slept peacefully.

Well, as he slept peacefully.

Gabby hadn't been able to get much rest, her nerves and excitement keeping her up most of the night as she thought about what was happening here in a few hours. Here soon, she'd be back at work, and she couldn't be happier.

She'd gotten cleared a few days ago to return to the firehouse today, Gabby having gotten the okay from her doctor that it was safe for her to get back on the job, and get back to her life. Admittedly, the over three weeks off of work had been hard, and she couldn't wait to not be stuck at home anymore. The first two hadn't been so bad; with Matt here with her, those two weeks went by relatively quickly. But that last week, that had been the most challenging part of her recovery. She didn't want to over exaggerate, or have anyone's pity, but she had definitely felt a little down these last seven days. To go from having someone she could pass the time with, to being by herself most days, it had been hard, especially when she had limitations. Depressed wasn't a word she felt comfortable using to describe how she'd been feeling, but some days definitely had been hard on her mentally.

And it hadn't helped that she'd barely seen Matt.

This last week since he'd been back on shift had been very busy for him, and they hadn't really been able to see each other as much as she would've liked. Aside from that night he came over after his first shift back, most of their communication had been through text or phone calls, their schedules not lining up to be able to see one another. Despite how his body suffered for him picking up that construction job, he'd ended up taking on another one, the client supposedly desperate and in need of someone to get the job done quickly. So Matt had agreed, even though Gabby didn't think it was the best idea. And she had been busy these last couple of days, as well. Since she was starting to feel better, Gabby had done whatever she could to get herself out of the house, even though it hadn't happened happened as much as she would've liked; whether it be spending time with her parents, and she had picked up her first shift at Molly's in nearly a month the night before last. But even then, she felt like she'd barely seen anyone. And it had been hard on her.

But luckily, she was finally able to get back into her life. After that terrible accident, she was now able to work again, and that gave her back a sense of normalcy that she'd lost. There'd be no more sitting at home while all her friends were on shift, no more wondering what they were doing and if they were alright. She was finally allowed to be there with them, and that had already lifted her spirits considerably.

But there were also a few nerves that went along with that, which is what Gabby assumed had been keeping her up. This would be the first time her and Matt would be working together since they became a couple, and she knew that changed things. Even though no one, aside from Shay or Severide, knew anything, it still was different. Although her and Matt's dynamic hadn't changed too much from what they were used to before they got together, some things with them were different. They were much more affectionate, for starters, the two always wanting to be close to one another, and that was something she knew they wouldn't be able to do once at work. Granted, even if people knew about them, it's not like they'd be all over one another at the firehouse, but still, it was an adjustment. For the last three weeks, they hadn't had to worry about how they acted around one another, they didn't have to second guess if a touch or a kiss was too much, they just did it. Everything with them was natural and it felt right, but she knew they'd have to hold back at work. The small, affectionate touches that had become second nature to them as of late, they wouldn't be able to do that at the firehouse. It was just something they'd need to mindful of, but she wasn't too worried about that. She knew they'd be able to adjust.

But there was something else entirely that did have her a little worried, and that was Bryan, even though she hadn't shared that worry with anyone else.

Gabby was a little nervous to be around him again, though she hated to admit it. Despite Walker not knowing about her relationship with Casey, she feared Shay had been right; that Bryan knew she was with _someone_. And his attitude towards her had definitely changed because of it. Not only had he kept asking about her since her accident, he'd tried to contact her more than once. He'd been texting her, all of which were ignored and deleted, and he also came to Molly's the night she was working. She wasn't sure if he'd come there because of her, or if it had just been a coincidence, but either way, he'd spent the better part of an hour trying to talk to her. And it had made her uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, he had showed up on a night where Shay wasn't working, which had left her a little stranded. She was polite, she told him she was doing fine and that she'd be back to work soon, but other than that, Gabby did what she could to try and make it clear she wasn't interested in talking to him. That the last thing she wanted to do was stand there and speak with him. But he either didn't grasp that fact, or he ignored it, Bryan doing all he could to keep the conversation going. He was trying to insert himself into her life again, just as Shay had said he would, but Gabby wasn't giving him any way in.

Eventually Herrmann stepped in, the man not having seen the start of their interaction. But once he realized what was going on, he soon called Dawson to come help him further down the bar, even though he didn't really need it.

The rest of that night, Herrmann had intervened every time Walker tried to talk to her, which was something Gabby was grateful for, even though she hated that it had come to this. Although the house was never told the reasoning, Herrmann had come to understand that Walker was supposed to be leaving her alone, even though he clearly wasn't abiding by that outside of work. So the older man had kept an eye on her all night, doing what he could to keep her busy and away from Walker.

She never told Matt about Bryan trying to talk to her, Gabby not really seeing it as anything worth sharing. Despite his attempts, Gabby had barely said ten words to Walker, and there just wasn't much to tell. So she never mentioned it. But now that they'd all be working together again, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous, because now her and Bryan would be stuck together for twenty four hours, and she knew he'd continue trying to talk to her. It wasn't something she was especially looking forward to, but at least at the firehouse she knew there'd always be a distraction. And even though she knew her and Matt couldn't act the same as they had been these last three weeks, it wasn't like they couldn't still be around one another.

They were friends, everyone in the house knew that. Even though there had been some tension between them before the warehouse fire, which Gabby was sure people had picked up on, there was nothing wrong with them continuing to act like the same friends they had always been.

They'd just have to be careful, and make sure they didn't give anyone any reason to suspect their relationship was more than just friends.

Especially Bryan.

Even though Gabby was sure he didn't know that she was seeing Matt, she knew her and Casey's friendship had been the source of some of Bryan's anger in the past. He had mentioned her and Casey on more than one occasion, it being an obvious source of jealousy for him, even though she didn't really understand why. She still didn't know why he cared about who all was in her life, but she didn't want to give him any reason to think he'd been right about her and Matt all along. Not until she was ready to tell him.

Gabby just didn't know when that would be.

She wanted to tell people, she wanted to march into that firehouse and tell everyone about their relationship. The idea of hiding how she felt about Matt, of hiding him, it felt wrong. Part of her felt like they were lying to everyone, and she didn't like it. Before when they were just sleeping together, there was no reason for her to feel this way; they weren't a couple, there was nothing to tell. But now, they were a couple. An actual, serious couple, and she didn't want to hide that.

But she had no idea what to tell Bryan. And she knew exactly how he'd react. He would be furious, and she wasn't sure what that anger would lead to. When he so much as briefly thought her and Matt were together, she hadn't seen him that angry in a long time, but if he were to find out they were actually dating… she couldn't imagine the kind reaction he'd have. Regardless of how nice and considerate he was trying to be to her right now, she knew it was an act. It was the same act that gotten her to fall for him in the first place, and he was trying to get it to work again. But she knew once Bryan found exactly _who_ she was seeing, that would all fade away, and there'd be nothing left but anger. And with Gabby having seen his moments of intense rage in the past, she wasn't sure how he'd handle finding out about her relationship with Matt.

And that's what kept stopping her. She was scared of him knowing, of what he'd do once he knew that her and Matt were together. Because she knew it wouldn't be pretty.

But she also knew she couldn't live like that. She couldn't hide her relationship because of one man, because of a man who means nothing to her anymore. It wasn't fair to Matt, and it definitely wasn't fair to herself. Regardless of Bryan's reaction, she couldn't let it affect her. She would tell him, and then be done with him. She just had to find the courage to talk to him first.

But she wouldn't do it today, not with it being her first day back in over three weeks. She wanted today to be nice and simple, she needed it to be. Once she was back, once she found her footing again, she'd work on figuring out how to tell him. But today, all she wanted was some normalcy. She wanted to get back to work without any issues, that's what she needed.

"You wanna think a little louder there, babe?"

A small smile tugged at her lips when she heard Matt's tired voice behind her, quickly followed by him tightening his grip around her body, Matt's hand pressing against her upper chest as he gave her a gentle squeeze.

"Good morning." She murmured, her smile growing when she felt him place a kiss to her neck, Matt pulling her closer to him. "I didn't know you were awake."

"I haven't been for very long, although it seems like you have…" He replied softly, Gabby gripping his hand. "Everything okay?" He asked after clearing his throat, Matt trying to get rid of the exhaustion present in his voice.

"I'm fine… Just too wired to sleep, I guess." She answered, keeping her words soft, not wanting to disturb the peaceful quiet surrounding them.

"Ah yes, the big day." He replied, Gabby knowing there was a wide grin on his face even though she couldn't see him, the paramedic able to hear it in his voice. "You excited?"

"Mhmm… A little nervous, too." The second those words left her lips, Matt gave her body another squeeze, his silent reassurance bringing a smile to her face. "But I'm good, I'm ready to be back."

"I know you are. You're gonna kick ass today." He spoke encouragingly, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. "And everyone is so excited to have you back, I swear Shay was bouncing off the walls last shift knowing you'd be back today. It's gonna be a great day."

"Yeah, I think you're right." She murmured, Matt giving her body another squeeze, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Of course I am." He replied without missing a beat, Gabby grinning as he rubbed his hand against her upper chest, her warm palm comforting as he held onto her.

"And, uh, I want to thank you… for coming and staying the night with me." She added, his eyebrows furrowing as he felt her grip on the back of his hand tighten, Matt not sure why this was something he was being thanked for. "I know you worked late last night, but I'm glad you came over."

"I was happy to, I wanted to see you." Matt responded softly, giving her shoulder another kiss before he pulled away from her, using his leverage around her waist to turn her body to face him, Casey wanting to get a good look at her.

Matt knew Gabby had been holding onto some nervous energy about going back to work, the firefighter noticing it start to appear after she'd gotten the all clear. And while he knew most of it was because she had just been away for so long and she was anxious to get back, he had an inkling that part of it was because of them, and how their relationship had changed since the last time they were at the firehouse together. So even though they hadn't planned on seeing one another last night, with Casey having another late night on a construction job, he decided to come by and spend the night with her, hoping his presence would help distract her from the nerves she was feeling. He knew his presence would help keep her calm, and keep her from getting herself worked up, because she had the same effect on him.

And, aside from all of that, he just missed her.

With Gabby not working, and him working maybe too much, their schedules had conflicted more often than not this last week, and it had been kind of challenging to spend any real time together, so even though it was later than he would've liked when he showed up last night, he was glad to get to spend some quality time with her, even if they had been asleep for most of it. And he knew Gabby felt the same way, too.

It was hard for him to see much in the dark, but with her now facing him, he could see the exhaustion in her eyes, Gabby's features giving her away instantly as to how tired she was, Matt realizing she must've been awake for awhile.

"You wanna try and sleep some more?" He asked softly, rubbing his hand along her hip under the covers. "We have time."

"Yeah, it couldn't hurt." She murmured, slowly reaching out for him, wrapping her arm around his waist, effectively pulling her body closer to his, the two ending up in the middle of the bed as her head found its home against his chest. Matt shifted to lay on his back, pulling her with him as his arms wrapped around her body, Gabby partially on top of him as she hitched her leg up over his waist, a soft smile gracing his lips at her movement, Matt knowing she was always the most comfortable in this position. He'd asked her about it a few times, Matt sometimes teasing her because of it when she'd get flustered and wouldn't give him a straight answer. He still wasn't even exactly sure why she liked laying on him like this, but it wasn't anything he'd ever complain about, even though he did find it somewhat amusing how she'd attach herself to him like a koala.

"Try and get some rest." He whispered, Gabby nodding as she listened to the sound of his steady heartbeat underneath her ear, Matt running his hand up and down her back methodically, slowly lulling her back to sleep.

It didn't take very long for Gabby to succumb to her exhaustion, Matt forcing himself to stay awake until he was sure she'd fallen asleep. He knew today was going to be a long day for both of them, as days on shift always were, and she needed all the rest she could get. He was already a little worried about her returning to work, he didn't need her lack of sleep being another issue that would feed into that. After everything they went through on that call that had left them both so badly injured, and with everything he witnessed her go through since then, he wasn't surprised to feel a little lingering worry for his girlfriend. Her body had taken a severe beating, and even though she now had a clean bill of health, his concern for her wouldn't just disappear. He knew it would probably take a few shifts before he really stopped worrying, although there was a nagging thought in the back of his mind that told him he'd never completely stop worrying about her.

When he was sure she'd fallen asleep, Matt let himself drift off, his movements across her back gradually slowing, the firefighter only lasting a few more moments before he joined his girlfriend in her current state of unconsciousness, both of them completely content in one another's arms as they slept.

* * *

"Aye, there she is!" Herrmann cheered the second Dawson walked into the briefing room, Shay following behind her as Gabby ducked her head in embarrassment, loud claps and yells being heard throughout the room.

"Welcome back, Dawson!"

"It's good to have you back!"

From his spot perched against the back wall, Matt grinned widely as he watched everyone give Gabby a warm greeting, his girlfriend being passed around from person to person as they welcomed her back. Casey patiently waited for his turn to greet her, the Lieutenant in no rush as he'd spent the entire morning with her up until about half an hour ago.

After they'd fallen back asleep earlier in the morning, the couple managed to get about another two hours of sleep before their alarm went off, telling them they had to get up and get ready for the day, which Gabby was a little reluctant to do, Matt smirking at the memory of how grumpy she was when he practically had to drag her out of bed. Ultimately, Matt's offer of her joining him in the shower had done the trick to get her moving. It took a few extra moments, Casey having already gotten in and began showering when she joined him about ten minutes later, Matt spending some extra time with her in there, helping her relax before her big day.

It had been a nice, easy morning for the both of them, Matt glad to see her as happy as she was right now. He knew she missed being here, being able to work and be here with all her friends, so to see her finally back after these mentally and physically exhausting three weeks since their accident made his heart swell in his chest.

This felt like this was the next step for not only her, but for them. This was the first time they were working together since becoming a couple, and even though no one really knew yet, it still felt like they were beginning that next step into their lives together. He couldn't really explain it, but considering the state of their relationship, or lack of one, the last time they were both in this building together, to know how far they've come in just a short amount of time made his chest fill with warmth.

It was like everything was finally back to normal, or what was now their new normal, with Gabby finally being back to work. And he couldn't wait to discover more of what their new normal looked liked.

"We definitely missed you around here." Cruz spoke as Dawson pulled out of Otis' embrace, Gabby flashing them all a smile before she moved back towards Shay's side, her arms crossing over her chest.

"I missed you guys, too. It's good to be back." She replied, her gaze moving around the room until she found Matt, the soft smile on her face widening when they locked eyes, Casey giving her a quick wink.

"And you're all healed up? You sure you're ready to be back?" Herrmann questioned, his words bringing Gabby's attention back to the group, the PIC raising her eyebrows. "Don't give me that look, kid. We asked Casey the same thing." He added with a chuckle, Gabby shaking her head in amusement before glancing back towards Matt, the firefighter shrugging his shoulders.

"They did, Dawson." He replied with a grin, Gabby running her tongue along the inside of her lip before looking back towards Herrmann.

"Well, to answer your question, yes Herrmann, I'm good to go." She responded with a bright grin, the older firefighter nodding with a similar smile.

"That's great to hear, it hasn't been the same without you." He replied.

"It definitely hasn't." Walker interjected, Gabby's eyebrows raising slightly as he walked towards her with a soft smile. Shay's eyes narrowed at the man approaching her partner, the blonde looking behind him to see both Matt and Severide watching the scene closely.

Before Gabby could even register what was happening, Bryan pulled her in for a hug, her body tensing immediately as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Welcome back, Dawson." He greeted, but Gabby didn't reciprocate his gesture, the paramedic seemingly frozen as Walker hugged her.

The entire room was silent, everyone knowing there had been a weird tension between the ex-fiancés as of late, especially since Walker had been suspended for reasons they still didn't know. But he soon pulled away, Gabby taking a quick step back, nearly running into Shay as she forced a weak smile onto her face, not wanting to make things weirder than he already had.

"Uh, yeah. It's good to be back." She replied quietly, her eyes darting back to Matt, seeing a worried look shining in his eyes. Gabby was expecting him to look angry, for him to be mad at Walker coming near her, but he didn't; he just looked concerned. Concerned about her.

"Alright come on, there's more people to greet. I think Severide wants a hug." Shay spoke lightly, trying to diffuse some of the thick tension in the room, gently grabbing ahold of Gabby's arms and leading her towards the Lieutenant's, Shay shooting Walker an intense glare as they passed him.

"There she is!" Severide spoke with a grin, doing what he could to lighten the mood as Gabby walked towards him, Dawson's body relaxing as Kelly brought her in for a tight hug. "Thank God you're finally back, I was getting sick of your bitching." He added, Gabby rolling her eyes playfully as chuckles were heard around the room.

"A pleasure, as always, Sev." She responded sarcastically, Kelly giving her one last squeeze before they separated, Gabby swallowing the lump in her throat before she turned to Matt.

She didn't want to make this weird, or raise anyone's suspicions, but seeing as how she'd just gotten passed around from person to person, there was no reason anyone would think anything of her hugging Matt. In fact, it would probably be weirder if they didn't, considering how everyone knew they'd become good friends, even if there had been some tension between them before the warehouse accident.

But for all the overthinking Gabby was doing because of a simple gesture, Matt clearly didn't have the same reservations as he pulled her into a tight hug without any hesitation, wrapping his arms around her back as his chin rested on her shoulder. She nearly melted into the contact, Gabby doing all she could to keep herself from nuzzling into him as she'd done many times over the last few weeks, like she'd done many times in the months even before they officially got together. His embrace was warm, and comforting, providing her with that familiar sense of safety he'd given her a lot recently, Matt squeezing his fingers against her back.

"It's good to see you back, Dawson." He spoke, Gabby smiling as she tightened her grip.

"It's good to be back." She responded, breathing in his scent before she slowly started to pull away.

"You okay?" He whispered just as his lips crossed paths with her ear, Gabby knowing exactly what he was referring to.

Her bottom lip tucked in between her teeth, Gabby taking a step back as she nodded slightly, pushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm fine." She murmured, the two locking eyes momentarily before he gave her a slight nod.

"Good." He replied, pursing his lips together before looking past her back towards the rest of the room, seeing most of the other firefighters had gone back to their own conversations, all except one.

Walker's eyes were practically boring into the back of Gabby's skull, his intense gaze moving from Dawson to Casey, the Lieutenant staring back just as harshly. While he hadn't been paying attention at the time, Casey was sure Walker had been watching them since Gabby came over to him, and Matt couldn't help but notice how tense his firefighter seemed, how his face was hard with a look of something that could pass as anger.

But as quickly as Casey noticed his stares, Walker looked away, the firefighter sitting down at a table across the room, Matt noticing how he collapsed down into his chair, his fists clenched tightly as they rested on top of the table. Clearly, Walker wasn't too happy seeing him and Gabby greet one another.

Casey knew Walker had always had an issue with his and Gabby's friendship. Between what the firefighter had bluntly said to him about it, and what he knew had been said to Gabby, Casey was aware that Bryan didn't particularly like that him and Gabby were close.

Which is why Matt had no issues with Gabby some needing time before they told the house of their relationship.

With as angry as Bryan had been at even the thought of them being more than just friends, when the firefighter found out they were actually together, Matt knew Walker would most likely cause some problems. And while he personally didn't care about Walker's reaction, he knew Gabby would be the one to deal with whatever fallout came from it. And he didn't want her worrying about that, not when she was just getting back to work.

So he was more than okay taking things at her pace, even though all he wanted to do right now was properly welcome her back to work, which included more than just a quick hug.

"Good morning everyone."

Boden's voice broke through the chatter as he walked into the room, Gabby turning around to face him as she stood in front of Matt, Shay to her right as they all stood and waited for the morning announcements.

A chorus of responses filled the room, Chief's eyes moving around until he landed on Gabby, Boden smiling widely before he continued speaking.

"Now, I've got a few things to share with you all, but first, it's nice to see that our firehouse family is finally back together again." Boden spoke, more cheers and claps being heard in the small space, Gabby smiling widely. "It's nice to see you back and ready to go, Dawson."

"It's good to be here." She responded, her cheeks filling with warmth when she felt Matt's hand rest on her lower back. From her positioning, and how Shay was blocking them, she was sure no one could see what he was doing, except for Severide, but that didn't stop the soft smile from forming over her face, Gabby relaxing into the warmth his palm gave her resting along her back.

Before Boden could continue on with their meeting, the bells rung out around the firehouse, instructing ambulance 61 to call a few blocks away, Gabby feeling Matt rub across her back comfortingly before he dropped his hand, Boden nodding towards his paramedics.

"Go get em, Dawson." Herrmann encouraged, Gabby chuckling as Shay narrowed her eyes, both paramedics moving towards the exit. "Oh, you too, Shay."

"Mhmm." The blonde replied, Casey smiling as he kept his eyes on Gabby.

"Dawson, when you get back, come see me in my office." Boden told her, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing slightly before she nodded, knowing she didn't have time to dwell on what he was wanting to talk to her about.

"Got it, Chief." She responded before disappearing through the door, Shay following close behind her.

"Well, I sure hope you're ready to be back, Dawson." Shay spoke, smacking her ass as they walked through the double doors, Gabby shooting her a playful glare as they continued towards the rig. "What? I knew now was my chance since Casey's not here to claim his territory… I mean, we all know he would've grabbed a fist full of Dawson when he hugged you earlier if he could've." She replied, wiggling her eyebrows.

"I'm barely back to work and you're already starting." She responded with a light scoff, Shay shrugging as they went to their sides of the rig, Shay climbing in while Gabby got around to her door.

"Oh, don't act so surprised. I mean, I was looking forward to teasing you guys publicly, but since _you're_ not telling anyone," She spoke pointedly, Gabby rolling her eyes, "the best I can do is harass you both in private… Although I think it'll be fun for awhile, at least. I mean, this last week with Casey here has been pretty amusing."

"Yeah, I heard all of you almost let it slip a few times." Gabby replied as Shay pulled out into the driveway, the blonde smacking her lips together as she slowed down to pull out into the street, watching for oncoming traffic.

"Well, can you blame us? I mean, Sev and I have gotten pretty used to just thinking of you two as a couple, and Matt has especially, so when the three of us are just talking, we sometimes forget." She responded simply, Gabby running her tongue along the inside of her cheek as she watched the road.

"We're gonna tell people, Shay." She responded quietly, the blonde giving her a nod. "We are, and I want to… I just want to get back in the swing of things first."

"I get it, and honestly it doesn't really matter what I think. As long as Casey's okay with it, then you two do what you need to do… All I'm saying is I want some warning before you all decide to tell everyone." She spoke with a smile, Gabby shaking her head in amusement as she glanced towards her friend.

"Deal." Dawson replied, Shay giving her a nod before they both began to prepare themselves for the task ahead, knowing they weren't very far from their call.

* * *

Dawson followed Shay into the firehouse, her hands shoved into her jacket pockets as she saw most of 51 sitting in the common room, all of them keeping themselves busy.

"Hey, how was the first call back?" Severide asked when he caught a glimpse of the paramedics, Gabby and Shay both responding with a slight shrug.

"It was fine, nothing too crazy." Dawson replied, her eyes bouncing around the room, looking for one person in particular, but he was nowhere in sight. Blowing out a sigh, she nudged Shay's arm gently, the blonde glancing to her. "I'm gonna go see what Boden wants to talk about." She told her, Shay giving her a nod.

"Alright, well let's hope you didn't somehow manage to get fired before you even started working again." She joked, her words earning an eye roll from Dawson.

"Hilarious." She replied dryly, the blonde chuckling as they went separate ways; Shay continuing into the common room while Gabby began moving through the hallways of 51, heading for Boden's office.

When she got there, she found the door already shut, Dawson's steps slowing when she saw he was currently busy speaking to someone. And after a few seconds it was clear as to who it was, Gabby recognizing the man across from Boden to be Walker.

Not wanting to interrupt, she stayed back a few feet from the door, waiting patiently until they were done. She wasn't sure what was being discussed, but when Walker ripped the door open a few minutes later, he looked angry, the firefighter brushing past her without a word.

"You can come in, Dawson." Boden called, Gabby running her teeth along her bottom lip as she stepped into the doorway, Chief waving her in. "Shut the door."

"Is everything alright, Chief?" She asked as she followed his directions, her head turning back to look out into the bullpen where Walker had just stomped off seconds earlier, Boden soon realizing what she was referring to.

"Everything's fine Dawson. Have a seat." He replied, Gabby nodding before coming to sit across from him. "I just wanted to check in with you, see how you're feeling about being back." He spoke, Gabby's body relaxing into the seat as a soft smile appeared over her face.

"Oh. Well, I'm feeling great, I'm all healed up and everything. I'm excited to be back." She responded, clasping her hands together in her lap.

"Yes, I saw where you had a clean bill of health. I'm happy to see that. I know your recovery couldn't have been easy." He replied with a sympathetic look, Gabby nodding slowly.

"It wasn't, but I had a lot of people looking out for me…" She spoke, seeing a look flash in Boden's eyes that she couldn't quite read. "But I'm just glad to be done with it. I'm good to go."

"That's great to hear, Dawson. Truly, I'm so glad you're doing better. What you and Casey went through, that was a rough one." He spoke, his eyes flashing back behind her, Gabby seeing him wave his hand, clearly signaling someone else in. Turning around, she saw Matt open the door, seeing the questioning look on his face as he looked between both Gabby and Boden.

"You wanted to see me Chief?" He asked apprehensively, clearly unsure of what he was walking in on.

"Yes, I do, come in Lieutenant. Close the door." He gave Casey similar orders, Matt nodding as he stepped inside, placing the door back against its frame before walking over and taking a seat next to Gabby. He flashed her a small smile, Gabby returning the gesture before they both looked to Boden, neither of them sure of what was going on.

"Is, uh, something wrong, Chief?" Casey asked after a few seconds, Boden shaking his head as he leaned back in his seat, looking back and forth between the two of them.

"No, nothing's wrong… But I do hear that congratulations are in order." He spoke with a knowing look, Gabby's eyebrows raising slightly as she felt Matt tense by her side.

Everyone in the room knew what he was talking about, Gabby feeling a lump form in her throat as she glanced to Matt, seeing him equally unsure.

"Chief, I-..."

"I know you two are together, you don't need to pretend you're not." He replied with a soft smile, Gabby wetting her lips as she gave her boyfriend a pointed stare.

"Hey, it wasn't me!" Matt defended, Boden chuckling as he tapped his fingers against his desk.

"It wasn't anyone… Well, it was a little bit Severide."

"Of course." Matt muttered, rubbing his hands along the top of his thighs.

"In his defense, it wasn't so much that he told me, but I did ask and his face kind of gave it away." Boden clarified, Matt sighing before he looked towards Gabby for a split second, seeing her a little tense.

"Does everyone know?" Casey asked, Boden shaking his head.

"No. At least not from me, they don't." Chief answered.

"Bryan-..." Gabby spoke up quietly, both Boden and Casey glancing towards her. "Does he know? He seemed angry, when he left your office."

"I didn't say anything." Boden assured her, Dawson giving him a nod. "But you did come up while he was in here…" He told her, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing, Matt glancing back and forth between Gabby and Boden.

"Why?" She asked, clearing her throat after she spoke, Boden clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, both Casey and Dawson eagerly waiting for his response.

"You weren't why he was brought in, but during our talk I found it necessary to remind him he was to leave you alone." Boden responded vaguely, Gabby running her tongue along her bottom lip. Whatever the reason for Boden wanting to speak to Walker, it was clear he wasn't about to disclose that to them. "I made sure he remembered that hasn't changed, especially now considering you two." He added, Matt sighing softly, reaching out and placing his hand over Gabby's knee, figuring that since Boden knew, there was no reason for him to shy away from comforting her. "I'm not sure how you're wanting to tell everyone, or when, but that's none of my business. That's obviously up to you two, I know this is a… delicate situation." He finished, Casey nodding slowly as Gabby looked down to her lap.

"Thank you Chief." Matt spoke, squeezing her knee gently. "We haven't really figured out exactly when we're gonna tell everyone… We're still kind of finding our footing with everything."

"That's fine. Like I said, how or when you tell people doesn't concern me… But what does is that I don't need to worry about your new relationship affecting your work here." He spoke firmly, Gabby and Matt both looking at him. "Although, I have known for awhile that there was something going on between you two, and it hasn't been an issue so far. But I trust you two can remain professional on calls."

"Of course, Chief." Casey responded, Gabby nodding in agreement, despite the slight look of confusion on her face.

"What do you mean for awhile?" Dawson asked softly, Boden glancing towards her. "How long have you known?"

"For a few months." He responded, both Dawson and Casey's eyes widening at his simple answer. Even though they weren't actually together all that time, clearly they acted like it if Boden suspected they were a couple.

"How?" Matt asked, being the first one out of the two to find his voice.

"Neither of you are exactly subtle." Boden responded with a slight grin, Matt smiling sheepishly as Gabby gnawed on her bottom lip. "I mean, I'll give you credit, for awhile I just thought you two had become good friends, but I quickly realized there was more going on there… I had a feeling for awhile, but then after the warehouse accident, I knew for sure." He continued, Matt's eyes narrowing slightly as he thought back to that day, trying to remember what might've caused Boden to know for sure, but most of his memories from that day are hazy, at best. Aside from remembering Gabby's screams of pain, and remembering the hopelessness he felt when they were trapped, most of the little things come and go.

Seeing the confused looks on their faces, Boden cleared his throat, preparing to speak up again. "I'm not sure how much you remember of being stuck down there." He prompted, Gabby giving a slight shrug, telling him to continue. "Casey's radio was live while we were trying to get you two out, and the way he was talking to you…" He spoke, Gabby's gaze moving towards Matt. "I just knew there was something more there than you two being friends. And then I asked Severide about it a few shifts later."

The couple nodded, slowly digesting what was being said to them, Boden flashing them both supportive smiles, trying to get a read on what they were thinking. From what he could tell, Casey didn't seem to care so much. But Gabby had been awful quiet, and he wasn't sure to make of that.

"I am happy for you two, I want you to know that." Boden spoke up again when nothing had been said for a few moments, Gabby and Matt both looking up at him. "I noticed a change in you two awhile ago, which at the time I didn't realize the cause, but you two seem happy together." He continued, Gabby's eyes moving towards Matt, flashing him a soft smile. "I know neither of you have had an easy go of it lately, so as long as you two are happy, that's all that matters."

"We are." Matt responded almost instantly, Gabby's heart clenching in her chest when she saw the bright smile form over his face, Dawson nodding in agreement. "And we promise, this won't interfere with work or anything."

"I know. I really only brought it up because I have to, but we haven't had any issues so far, so I don't foresee there being any in the future. Obviously, I know the nature of this job. We have some close calls out there, you both know that very well. There are moments when you won't be able to remain professional one hundred percent of the time… I understand that. But you two know where the line is. As long as out there, the job is your focus, everything will be fine."

"Understood, Chief." Gabby responded, Matt nodding as well.

"Alright, well that's all I wanted you two for, you can go." He prompted, earning nods from the couple before they stood up, Matt waiting for her to start walking before he followed behind her. "Congratulations, again."

Gabby stopped as Matt pulled the door open, Boden seeing a genuine smile form over her face, one he, admittedly, hadn't seen much of when she was with Walker.

"Thank you, Chief." She murmured, Boden giving her a nod before she walked out, Matt following after her.

The couple walked in relative silence as they made their way down the hallway, keeping a safe distance from one another as the common room came into view. From where they stood beside it, no one had really noticed them, the hallway otherwise deserted.

"So… that wasn't what I was expecting." He spoke with a soft chuckle, Gabby shaking her head as they continued walking, the paramedic leading them towards the side exit, wanting to make sure they had complete privacy before they went into any more detail.

"Yeah, definitely not." She breathed out, Gabby stepping out through the door, holding it open until Casey followed behind her, the two shut off from the inside of the firehouse as she leaned her body against the side of the building, feeling the firm brick press into her back.

"Are you okay with him knowing?" Matt asked, taking a step towards her, reaching his hand out to rest over her arm. "You were a little quiet in there… I mean, obviously there's no changing it now, but are you alright? I know you didn't want people to find out-"

"I just didn't want one person knowing." She reminded him, Matt giving her a slight nod. "I'm good, I was just a little caught off guard, that's all." Gabby told him, Matt giving her an understanding nod. "Boden knowing… it felt good not having to feel like we were hiding from him. I do wish we could tell everyone else, and maybe it would be fine, but I-" She cut herself off, Matt rubbing her arm comfortingly. "The thought of having to tell Bryan... that makes me really anxious and I'm not sure I'm ready for him to know yet. But the second I am, I'll tell him."

"I told you, however long you need is fine. I don't want you stressing out over this, not because of me." He told her, Gabby nodding slowly.

"I know, I just… I don't want you to feel like I'm stringing you along or something." She spoke, dropping her gaze to his chest, missing the look of confusion that flashed in his eyes. "This… You and me, it's really important to me, and I don't want you thinking it's not."

"I know it is." He replied instantly, not liking how she was refusing to look him in the eye. He couldn't help but feel like she was almost nervous to be having this conversation with him, and he wasn't sure why. But it left an uneasy feeling in his stomach. "Gabby… look at me." He prompted gently, but she still wouldn't look up, Matt sighing softly. "Baby." He tried again, Gabby slowly lifting her head, finding a warm smile waiting for her. "I know you wanting to wait, I know that it's not about me, or about us. I understand, okay? You don't need to keep explaining yourself… We talked about this, I told you I was fine, and I meant it." He assured her, stroking his thumb over her arm, Gabby blinking quickly a few times before nodding.

"I know you did, I'm sorry… I'm just- I'm not used to this." She responded quietly, Matt's head tilting to the side slightly.

"Used to what?"

"Used to… God, this is gonna sound pathetic." She groaned, bringing her hand up to run across the side of her face, Matt's confusion only growing.

"It's not pathetic, what is it, Gabby?" He asked, taking another step closer to her, seeing her take a deep breath before she responded.

"I'm just not… I'm not used to a relationship like this." She started, refocusing her attention on his chest, Gabby messing with the buttons at the top of his shirt to distract herself, Matt not questioning it this time. It was a habit he had come to realize she did when she was nervous or anxious, and considering the topic they were tiptoeing around, he assumed it to be a little of both. He knew talking about emotional stuff was sometimes harder for her, especially where Walker was concerned, and he could only assume that's what this was about. "I'm not used to someone just trusting what I tell them… Of not having to constantly repeat myself over and over, hoping they believe me… I guess I just got into the habit of that, I'm sorry."

Matt shook his head, his stomach settling like a rock in his gut as he rubbed over her arms. "Don't apologize." He replied quickly, Gabby looking back up at him.

Admittedly, when he really took a moment to think about it, Matt didn't know much about Gabby's relationship with Walker. He knew bits and pieces, he knew she'd been cheated on, but he didn't really know a lot about what else had actually gone on between them. Casey had his suspicions, he had some idea of what Walker might've done, but from what he'd actually heard from Gabby herself, he didn't know all that much.

And every time him and Gabby ever got close to discussing Walker, Matt was realizing more and more just how much he didn't know about what Gabby had gone through in that relationship. He just knew it wasn't good, and that it had left her with more emotional scars than he would probably ever fully understand.

"You don't need to apologize." He repeated, darting his tongue out to wet his lips before he continued. "If us talking things through more than once sometimes is what you need, that's fine. You don't need to feel weird about that, Gabby. If you ever need to talk about anything, whether we've had the conversation ten times already or not, you can come to me. I don't want you feeling like you can't." He told her, even though he knew his words could only do so much right now. This wasn't something she'd just be able to get past with one promise from him, this was something that had been ingrained in her. It was a habit, her constantly having to check and make sure she hadn't done something to upset him; it was a habit that was a direct result of the way Walker had treated her, one that made his heart sink to his stomach. And it was a habit he couldn't wait for them to break.

But he knew it would take time. All of it would. The last relationship she had been in completely broke her. Walker had broken her, and Matt knew she was bound to have some lingering scars from that. But he wasn't going anywhere, and he would constantly make sure Gabby remembered that, too.

"This is all new to us, you and me…" He continued, Gabby nodding slowly. "And I know we both were in some pretty awful relationships before this, and all of that isn't easy to forget and move past. But I want you to know that I'm in this. Completely." His voice was soft, yet firm, Gabby biting back a smile as she moved her hands to his waist, wrapping her arms around him, effectively pulling him closer. "We're both just kind of figuring this out as we go, I know that, but I'm right here... I'm not going anywhere. You and I are equals in this relationship, Gabby. So whatever's going on with you, I don't want you ever thinking you can't talk to me about it."

He knew he had just made this promise to her before, when they had discussed all this the first time, but he couldn't help but feel like she needed to hear it again. And based on the way her body relaxed against his as his words sunk in, he knew he'd been right.

"Thank you." She murmured, Matt nodding before she leaned forward, kissing him softly. Their movements were gentle, and slow, the two cherishing this quiet moment together before Gabby pulled back, her smile widening when she saw the goofy grin on his face.

"You don't need to thank me for anything… But if your thank yous are always like that, I will gladly accept them." He spoke with a gleam in his eye, Gabby chuckling softly before kissing him again, her movements having a little more force behind them this time before she pulled back, the two catching their breath for a moment. Locking eyes with her, Matt slid his hand up her arm towards her head, cradling his hand over her face gently. "Are you good?" He asked softly, needing to know she was okay before they went back inside.

"I'm good." She assured him, Matt nodding before he went in for one more quick kiss, the firefighter feeling her smile against him before he pulled away, Casey putting some distance between them now, knowing if he didn't, he'd never go back inside. "But, uh, while I have you here, I've been meaning to ask… Diego's birthday party is in a few days," She started, Matt's smile widening, "and I know my parents invited you, and I'd love for you to be there, but I don't want you to feel like you have to-"

"I'll be there." He responded simply, Gabby raising her eyebrows.

"Really?"

"Mhmm." He hummed, her head tilting to the side slightly.

"You're sure about this? I mean, it's gonna be a lot of people… Practically all of my family, at least the ones in Chicago anyway… I don't want you to feel like you're being thrown to the wolves." She spoke lightly, Matt shaking his head in amusement.

"I'm sure, I think it'll be fun. I'm excited to go, and meet more of your family." He spoke lightly, Gabby feeling a warmth spread through her chest as those words left his lips. "Plus, your parents already love me." He added with a proud grin, Gabby rolling her eyes. "I'm sure the rest of your family will as well."

"Uh huh, I'm sure." She replied jokingly, Matt laughing just as the bells went off, calling truck to an apartment fire. "You better get to work, Lieutenant." Gabby spoke, her eyebrows raising challenging as Matt grinned.

"Yes ma'am." He responded, leaning in to give her one last kiss before heading for the door, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek as she watched him go, her entire body filled with a sense of contentment that she was coming to realize only Matt could provide.

* * *

Matt stood by one of the many tables set up in the backyard, occasionally sipping on the beer in his hands as he watched the young children run around the yard, the firefighter standing off on his own while the other adults huddled together in a bunch of smaller groups.

When he and Gabby had shown up to her parents home over an hour ago, it soon became clear to Matt that the Dawsons were in no way kidding when they said they had a large family. He believed them when they said they had a lot of family, but he hadn't been expecting this many people when it was only their family around Chicago, Matt figuring there had to be at least fifty people here, if not more. Had the thought not made him feel a bit pathetic, and kind of creepy, he might've actually spent some of his time counting, but he soon decided better of it.

Matt knew Gabby hadn't intended to leave him on his own for the majority of the party, but it had taken all of ten minutes of them being out here before she got whisked away by a few of her cousins, Gabby shooting him an apologetic look as she got dragged off. While he did feel a little out of place here with a bunch of people he didn't know, he didn't mind it so much, not when he'd catch a glimpse of Gabby and see how happy and carefree she seemed.

A few of her different family members had come up to chat with him momentarily, intrigued by the man who was obviously out of place, Matt introducing himself as Gabby's boyfriend every time anyone asked who he was here with. And each time he did, he'd see an immediate look of surprise on their face. At first he wasn't sure why, Matt not understanding why Gabby bringing her boyfriend to her nephews birthday party would elicit such a reaction, but after the third or fourth time it happened, he started the realize the reason; because the last time Gabby would've brought someone to one of these family gatherings, it definitely wasn't him. It didn't take him too long to put together that some of her family, at least the more distant ones, probably didn't know of her broken engagement, or they at least didn't realize she was in another relationship.

But whatever thoughts they had about him, they kept to themselves, everyone greeting him warmly, chatting with him for a bit before they'd get pulled off elsewhere. But, even though they were all polite, he could tell he'd been the topic of conversation in some of the groups formed around him, Matt catching glances that lasted a few seconds too long, glances that happened too frequently to just be people casually looking around. He knew he was being talked about, but he assumed it was more out of curiosity than anything else, so he figured it best to just ignore it, Matt fine with standing back out of the way while he waited for Gabby to come back.

"Oh, my sweet Matthew." Matt glanced up when he heard the familiar voice, smiling softly as he saw Camila walking towards him, followed by a few of Gabby's family members he hadn't met yet. When he and Gabby first arrived, her parents were well into entertaining mode, meaning Casey hadn't gotten more than a quick hug from Camila and a handshake from Ramon before they were pulled off in another direction, which he understood, considering the mass of people in their house. "Please don't tell me Gabriela left you here alone." She continued, pursing her lips together as she came to a stop beside him, resting her hand out on his arm.

"She did, but I'm fine." He replied with a smile, Camila shaking her head lightly.

"Are you doing alright? Do you need anything?" She offered, Matt quickly shaking his head.

"No, no I'm fine, Camila. Thank you, though."

Their conversation was cut short when one of the women behind Camila cleared her throat, Matt glancing to her as Gabby's mother turned around, Camila sighing softly before stepping to the side.

"Oh right, right… Matthew, these are two of my sisters, Sara and Andrea." She spoke, Matt shooting them both soft smiles before shaking their hands.

"Matt Casey," He introduced himself, "It's nice to meet you."

"You're Gabriela's new boyfriend, yes?" One of them, Sara, asked, Matt giving her a nod. "And you're a firefighter? Like the other one?" She prodded, Casey's eyebrows raising slightly before he nodded again, seeing Camila narrow her eyes towards her sister.

"Sara…"

"I'm just inquiring about Gabriela's boyfriend is all, Camila." She replied pointedly, flashing her sister a glare of her own before looking back towards Casey, Matt still a little wide-eyed. "Her last choice of a partner seemed to backfire and I want to know she hasn't chosen poorly again. You don't have any plans of dragging her along for years, do you, Matt?"

"Oh, Sara stop it." Camila chastised, rubbing Matt's arm, an action he could only assume was to help him feel a little less uncomfortable, although it didn't really work. "Leave the poor boy alone, we've already had this discussion." She spoke quickly, Matt standing there awkwardly, glancing back and forth between the sisters. "Matt, honey, I'm sorry-"

"You all are fine, I know you're just looking out for Gabby." He replied softly, Camila squeezing his arm as both Sara and Andrea glanced towards him. "And I understand the impulse, believe me I feel the same, even though sometimes it really annoys her." He added lightly, his body relaxing a bit when he saw both sisters laugh.

"I like him." Andrea spoke up for the first time, Matt biting back a smile as he glanced towards Camila, the woman raising her eyebrows.

"I told you, Matthew here is a sweetheart." She replied, moving her hand to rub along his back. He felt a little uncomfortable at being talked about like he wasn't here, but it was preferable to the conversation that happened moments prior, Camila flashing him a grin. "But enough of pestering the boy. Matthew, I just wanted to come check on you, make sure you were doing alright."

"I'm fine, Camila. Thank you, though." He responded, earning a nod from the woman before she pulled him into a quick hug.

"Thank you for coming, I know it means a lot to Gabriela… and us, too." She spoke softly, rubbing his back before she pulled away, Matt nodding slowly.

"I was happy to." He replied, Camila giving him one last grin before she ushered her sisters away, leaving Matt on his own again.

But he wasn't by himself for long as Antonio came up beside him, Matt raising his eyebrows as the older Dawson gave him a nod.

"My father instructed me to come check in on you." He spoke with a grin, Casey chuckling as he shook his head.

"I'm fine, your mother was just here, actually." He replied, Antonio nodding as he took a sip of his drink, glancing around the busy backyard.

"So, first Dawson family get together, how do you like it?" Antonio questioned, Matt scoffing lightly as he looked around.

"It's, uh… It's a little overwhelming, but everyone's been nice. Although I have a feeling I'm being talked about quite a lot." He responded, keeping his voice soft, his words earning a laugh from the detective.

"Oh, you definitely are." He chuckled, Matt shaking his head in amusement. "I guess half my family didn't even know Gabby and Walker split, which is surprising considering no one in this family can ever keep their mouths shut." He spoke, earning a nod from the firefighter. "But everyone in my family, my aunts and uncles especially, they've always been really protective over Gabby. I'm not even sure why, maybe because she's the youngest of us, I don't really know, but they've always been like this when it comes to her.. And you showing up, you were a bit of a surprise."

"I figured… Everyone's been nice, though. Well, to my face at least." He added lightly, Antonio nodding with a slight grin.

"Yeah, the Dawson's aren't the most subtle bunch, if you hadn't noticed." Antonio spoke with a laugh, Casey nodding before looking back to the detective.

"I definitely noticed, but it's fine, I don't mind." He replied, his eyebrows raising when he felt arms wrap around his waist, Matt turning to see Gabby now standing beside him, hugging herself to him. His arm instinctively went around here back, Matt pressing a kiss to the top of her head before continuing his conversation. "Although I definitely think I need to brush up on my Spanish before the next one of these things, that way I can at least know what's being said about me." He responded jokingly, Antonio shaking his head in amusement as Matt felt Gabby squeeze his waist.

"You picked up on that, huh?" She asked, Matt looking back towards his girlfriend, giving her a slight nod.

"My Spanish is a little rusty, but I heard a few things… And plus the stares are kind of obvious." He added with a smile, Gabby blowing out a heavy breath.

"I'm sorry… But you have been making quite the impression." She spoke, Matt raising his eyebrows as a small smile tugged on his lips.

"Oh have I?"

"Mhmm… I've been getting a lot of questions about my new boyfriend. People seem to like you." Gabby replied, Matt clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

"I'm glad… That'll definitely help for the next birthday or family party." He spoke, Gabby lifting her head slightly, her eyebrows raising.

"You want to come to more of these?" She asked, Matt giving her a slight nod.

"If you'll have me." He responded, Gabby's smile growing across her face as she nodded.

"Gabriela!"

Both Matt and Gabby looked up to her name being called, Matt hearing her release a heavy sigh beside him as she dropped her arm from around the front of his waist, keeping her other one around his back as she turned to the woman walking towards them.

"Oh jeez." She muttered under her breath, Matt raising his eyebrows in amusement before rubbing his hand along her side. "Hi Marisa." Gabby greeted her cousin when the woman got closer, stepping away from Matt to hug her briefly before falling back into his side, his hand soon finding its place back on her hip.

"Hi Gabby, it's been awhile." She responded, Gabby nodding as she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's nice to see you again, although I'll be honest I wasn't expecting you to be the talk of the party when I got here." She added pointedly, her gaze moving to Matt, Casey glancing towards Antonio, seeing the detective standing there with an entertained look on his face.

"Well, I wasn't really either, to be honest… but Marisa, this is my boyfriend Matt. Matt, this is my cousin, Marisa."

"It's nice to meet you." He greeted, reaching out to shake her hand, Marisa flashing him a warm smile.

"You as well… I heard you're a firefighter?" She asked, Matt nodding as he felt Gabby wrap her arm around his back, pulling him closer to her.

"I am, yeah. I work with Gabby at 51." He replied, Marisa's eyes widening slightly.

"Does your ex still work there?" She asked, Gabby giving a tight nod.

"He does." Dawson replied quickly, Marisa smiling as she shook her head.

"Well, that must be kind of awkward, but hopefully this one works out." She responded with a laugh, Gabby narrowing her eyes as Casey and Antonio both stood there uncomfortably, Marisa not dwelling on her own words before she spoke up again. "So Matt, I also heard you do construction?"

"Wow, the Dawson's really need more to talk about." Gabby breathed out quickly, Marisa chuckling before returning her attention to Casey, clearly waiting for an answer.

"Um, yeah I do. It's more of just a side business, something I do in my spare time, but I enjoy it." He replied, Marisa nodding as a slight smirk pulled at her lips, her eyes trailing over Casey, something neither Matt nor Gabby missed.

"Well, that explains the grip… You've got strong hands. Gabby's a lucky girl.." She spoke with a grin, Matt nearly choking on his saliva as Gabby narrowed her eyes at her cousin.

"I don't need to hear this." Antonio spoke up quickly, his face showing the disgust he felt as he turned and walked away, Matt wishing he could follow him.

"Oh, I'm just having fun. You bringing your new boyfriend is the most entertainment there's been at one of these things in awhile, especially considering no one really knew you weren't engaged anymore."

"Well, I'm not. Now you all know." Gabby replied sharply, taking a deep breath before turning to Matt, wincing when she saw how uncomfortable he was. "I'm gonna get a drink, you want one?"

"Yeah, I'll come with you." He responded quickly, knowing Gabby was giving them both an out to this conversation, Matt sparing at quick glance towards her cousin. "It was, uh, nice to meet you." He told her, Marisa nodding with a grin before Gabby all but yanked him away, the two not saying a word as they maneuvered their way through Gabby's family.

"I'm sorry about that." Gabby breathed out once they got inside, Matt shaking his head, flashing her a warm smile.

"It's okay… I mean, yeah, that was a little weird, but overall your family's been great. They're all really nice." He responded, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. "And that wasn't even the only awkward conversation I've had today, it's fine, I'm sure they all mean well." Matt added with a chuckle, Gabby shaking her head as a slight smile formed over her lips.

"I'm not sure if they mean well, or they're just nosy… Although you do know that if you agree to come to more of these things, there are definitely many more invasive conversations in your future." She warned him, Matt shrugging softly as he took a step towards her, placing his free hand on her arm, Gabby feeling goosebumps rise along her skin as felt his warm palm.

"That's alright." He responded casually, Gabby tilting her head to the side.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." He replied without missing a beat, squeezing her arm gently. "I've liked getting to know your family, even if they do struggle a bit with boundaries." He spoke jokingly.

"Yeah, we don't really know what those are." Gabby responded, her nose scrunching up as she spoke.

"I've noticed." He chuckled, shaking his head. "But no, I really don't mind. It's been nice seeing you with your family. I'm glad you have all these people who care so much about you."

The smile that lit up his girlfriend's face was enough to send shivers down his spine, Matt matching her grin as she wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him closer to her, Gabby clasping her hands together around his back.

"Thank you, for being here with me." She murmured, Matt nodding before he leaned in, capturing her lips in a gentle kiss.

Knowing where they were, Matt pulled away almost as quickly as he started, not wanting to get caught by any of her family, assuming that was bound to bring on another round of conversations he was sure he didn't want to be apart of. But as soon as he pulled away, Gabby tucked her head into his chest, hugging herself to him as they stood in her parents kitchen, wanting to enjoy this quiet moment for the two of them for just a little bit longer.


	39. Chapter Thirty Nine

**Hello everyone! Here's the next update for you guys. I really like this one, and I think you all will as well. Let's just say it's got a little bit of everything.**

**There is an M rated section in this chapter, just so you know. Some of you have been asking for more of that, so I hope you enjoy!**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**THIRTY NINE**

* * *

Gabby tossed the white rag over her shoulder as she moved around behind the bar, the mood in the air light as the bar was filled with regulars, Dawson having been going nonstop since she got here to work a few hours ago. It was a busy Saturday night at Molly's, the evening in full swing as Gabby worked with Shay, Herrmann, and Otis, all four of them needed to serve the crowd that had formed tonight.

"Coming through." Shay spoke, holding up a tray with one hand, using her other to tap Gabby's hip, encouraging Dawson to step forward so her friend could get through. Gabby smiled softly at the customer in front of her as she handed them their drink, the man sliding a few bills into the tip jar before he walked away, the paramedic focusing her attention on the next customer in line.

"Man, it's crazy tonight." Herrmann breathed out as he came to a stop beside Dawson, reaching for a bottle of liquor on the back wall as she filled up a beer glass.

"Yeah, I'm not exactly sure why, but I'll take it." Gabby responded, suddenly feeling a pair of hands on her hips as Shay slid past her again. "You know, I have a feeling you have plenty of room to get by me." She joked when the blonde came to stand on the other side of her, Gabby handing the guy his beer before he walked away, thankful to see a lull in people waiting for a drink.

"Eh, maybe. Just playing it safe, though. Didn't want to accidentally bump Herrmann while he was making a drink." Shay replied with a wink, the older man laughing before he walked away, Gabby shaking her head in amusement. "So, while we have a minute…" She started, glancing around before dropping her voice. "Where's the boy tonight?"

A soft smile immediately fell onto her face, Gabby lifting her head to look at her friend. "He's working, but he said he was gonna try and stop by." She replied softly, Shay nodding as she leaned her hip into the bar, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I swear, it's like he's always working." Shay responded, Gabby releasing a heavy breath as she pursed her lips together. "When does he ever take a break?"

"He doesn't, really." Gabby answered, resting her weight against the counter on the wall, facing out towards the bar so she could see when someone would be coming in need of a drink. "Between 51, and his construction, he doesn't really have a lot of time."

"I'm sure you love that." She replied jokingly, Gabby shooting her a pointed stare.

"I don't care so much because of me, Matt makes plenty of time for me." She responded, a slight smirk tugging on Shay's lips.

"Oh, I bet he does." She cut in, Gabby shaking her head before continuing, ignoring her friend's teasing.

"It's not myself I'm concerned about, he's been working so hard. He has been ever since he got back to 51, and I'm worried he's burning himself out." Gabby spoke, Shay nodding slowly in response. "I mean, I know it's been six weeks since the accident, and he's been back to working for a month, but it's like he never stops. The job he's doing now, the guy seems like a real piece of work, he keeps changing everything on him last minute, and has him on these crazy deadlines… I feel so bad, because I know he's exhausted. But it's Matt, you know, so he won't say no." She breathed out, her frustration towards the situation evident.

"Do you guys know how much longer it'll be before he's done?" Shay asked, Gabby shaking her head.

"No, I don't. The original job was only supposed to be like a two or three day thing, at most, but it's been over two weeks, so who knows. I just hope he finishes soon."

"I'm sure he's almost done, but it does suck though, I feel like we never see him outside of 51… Well, I know you do, but you're about the only one." Shay replied with a knowing look, Gabby shrugging softly.

"Yeah, even then I don't see him that much. Mostly I've just been seeing him when he comes by after he's done working." Gabby told her, the smirk on Shay's face growing.

"Well, it's more than anyone else can say. But it's cute though, him always coming to see you after he gets off work. You two are so domestic, it's adorable. And a little gross."

"Shut up, Shay." Gabby responded, ducking her head slightly.

"What? It's true. I mean, yeah, I'm sure a contributing factor to him always coming to spend the night with you is he just wants some Dawson-lovin', can't say I blame the guy," She started, Gabby shaking her head as she looked towards the ground, "But I think it's more just he wants to spend time with you. You know, he likes having you to come home to at the end of the day, he likes the couple-y stuff, Matt's all about that kind of crap."

"How romantic." Gabby replied dryly, Shay waving her off.

"You know what I mean, I'm just saying it's sweet." The blonde responded, Gabby grinning softly. "I mean, you two are practically living together at this point. I swear, the last time I was at your place, I saw more of his stuff than your own."

"We're not living together, Shay. It's just-... Like you said, he comes over a lot when it's late, it's more practical than anything him keeping some stuff there." She defended, Shay shaking her head in amusement.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that sweetheart." She responded with a laugh, Gabby narrowing her eyes playfully. "I know you're not trying to rush this, or move too fast, or whatever you wanna call it, but honestly… I don't think you two could. You've been in love with him for a while, I don't think anything would be considered rushing it at this point." She continued, a look of realization settling in on her face. "Well, I mean, I'm not saying you should get married and have babies yet, that might be a bit much, but you know what I mean. The point of this is that I think it's cute, how you two are with each other… You both deserve each other." Shay finished, her sincere words bringing a smile to Dawson's face.

"Thank you, Shay." She replied softly, the blonde nodding with a smile.

"I'm just telling you how I see it, even though the two of you were so fucking infuriating for the longest time, I'm glad you've gotten to where you are. I don't think I've ever seen you happier than you are with him." She continued, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip tightly, resting her palms on the edge of the counter behind her.

"I don't think I've ever been happier, honestly." She breathed out, unable to stop the smile that formed over her face. "I mean, there's been some moments, we're in a relationship, we're gonna fight and disagree, but even then, it's just… I don't think I've ever been this happy with anyone before… Although don't tell him that, I'll never live it down." She added jokingly, Shay scoffing lightly as she shook her head.

"Trust me, I think he's well aware just how happy he makes you… Everyone is." She replied, Gabby's eyebrows raising slightly. "Oh don't give me that look, you really think no one's noticed the change in you since you got back to work?"

"What do you mean?"

"Since you got back, you've been completely different." She said simply, Gabby's head tilting to the side. "Especially compared to how you were before the accident, you're a completely different person. Not to sound too cheesy or anything, but it's like there's this new spark in you or something, and everyone's noticed." Shay replied, Gabby biting on the inside of her lip as she did a quick glance around the room, catching glimpses of a bunch of familiar faces. "Now, do they know why? No. I don't think anyone, well aside from Boden, knows that the reason for this change in you is because Casey's actually been in you-"

"Jesus Shay." She breathed out, the blonde wiggling her eyebrows as she laughed.

"Oh come on, you knew it was coming... And there's definitely another sex with Casey joke in there somewhere, but I'll leave it alone." She spoke with a teasing grin, Gabby rolling her eyes. "Anyway, the point is, everyone can tell you've been a lot happier since you got back to work, they just don't know why. But I'm sure they know it's because of someone…"

"Well, I mean, I have been happy… I didn't realize it was a topic of conversation," She added pointedly, Shay giving her a shrug, "but I can't say they're wrong. They can think whatever they want."

"Yeah, or you could just tell them." She replied, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek before finding Shay's gaze. "What? Would it be so horrible? I mean, come on Gabs, you guys have been together for six weeks already…"

"I know how long it's been." She replied sharply, the blonde blowing out a sharp sigh.

"So why haven't you told them yet?" Shay questioned back without missing a beat, Gabby pursing her lips together. "Clearly this thing with you and Casey is serious, you both want it to work, so why don't you just tell everyone? Bite the bullet and what not." She spoke, Dawson sighing softly before responding.

"Honestly… I don't know." She answered, Shay's eyebrows furrowing together.

Gabby meant what she said, she wasn't entirely sure why they hadn't told everyone yet. She never intended for them to go this long without telling the house, it just sort of happened. At first, she had her reservations about certain people knowing, and she still did. Those nerves wouldn't go away, but she had accepted that. She'd accepted that there was probably never a good time to tell Bryan she was in a relationship with Matt, she knew she just had to do it.

And she wasn't entirely sure why she hadn't.

It just wasn't something that had come up again since they talked about it her first shift back at the firehouse. Staying true to his word, Matt had let her take the lead on how they wanted to handle this. He hadn't pressured her about it, he hadn't even brought it up in the three weeks she'd been back at work. He hadn't said a single word about them telling everyone, but she was sure he had wanted to.

Looking back on it, Gabby knew he was getting a little restless by everyone not knowing, and she couldn't say she blamed him. And truthfully, she was starting to feel the same way.

The last month and a half of them being together had been incredible, it had been better than Gabby could've ever dreamed of, and that hadn't changed when she went back to work. It was an adjustment, they were mindful of how they acted around one another, but they were handling it okay, and it wasn't like they didn't get to spend any time together. It was quite the opposite, in fact, they just had to be careful. They'd spent their fair share of time together while at work since she got back, whether it be in his office, in the ambulance, or the single time they'd gotten a little brave and spent some time together in the showers. While they knew it wasn't the most professional thing in the world, it hadn't stopped them; and Boden had only said to keep it professional on calls, which they had more than done.

Their stolen moments together in the firehouse had been great, and she loved getting that time with him, it reminded her of when they first started their arrangement all those months ago. It felt a lot like that, but only ten times better. Because there was a deeper meaning behind it. Everything with their relationship was going great, and knowing that Matt Casey was hers, it made her stomach do flips every time she thought about it.

But she did find herself getting a little frustrated at times with the house not knowing, even though it was entirely her doing. She hadn't realized it at first, but not being able to act how she normally wound around him was getting tiring, and she could only assume Matt felt the same way. The moments at 51 that they had for themselves were great, but when they were with everyone else, it was starting to get exhausting having to always second guess herself. She would almost get nervous at times around Matt when other people were around, because she wasn't sure how she should act with him, and she had a feeling Matt had picked up on it. He would send her soft, subtle smiles or glances, always quietly calming her down, even if he didn't realize that's what he was doing.

What she wasn't sure of, however, was whether he thought her anxiousness came from how to act around him, or if it stemmed from them telling people. She had no idea what he thought was causing her nervousness, or if he assumed it was something else entirely, but whatever he thought, he never brought it up to her. He never tried to approach the subject of them telling people, Gabby assuming he didn't want her to feel pressured before she was ready.

But she came to realize there would never actually be a good time to tell people, to tell Walker. She just had to do it. It was time; past time, actually. The house needed to know, she _wanted_ them to know. And she really didn't want to keep hiding how she felt about Matt. He'd been amazing, not once had he tried to push her into doing something she wasn't ready for, but now she felt ready. She was ready for the house, for her second family, to know. She didn't like lying to them, and she certainly didn't like putting Matt in this position, either. It wasn't fair to either of them, and she didn't want to hide anymore.

Now she just had to tell Matt, and they could figure out when, and how, they were going to break the news together.

"Dawson!"

Gabby's gaze snapped into focus, turning to see Shay still standing beside her, an amused look on her face after she handed off a drink to a customer.

"Huh?"

"You were zoned out there for a few minutes, you alright?" Shay asked with a chuckle, heat rising to Gabby's cheeks as she nodded, pushing some loose hair behind her ear.

"I'm good, sorry… Just thinking." She responded, clearing her throat before pushing herself off of the back counter, moving to help Shay with the group of customers that had formed when she was lost in her own head.

"Anything you wanna share?" She questioned as Dawson filled up a beer glass, Gabby glancing around before her eyes landed on her friend.

"I'm ready to tell people." Gabby replied simply, a knowing grin immediately covering Shay's face.

"Thank fucking God." She groaned, her response earning some curious looks from the patrons across from them, none of them men having any idea what she was talking about, but they were amused nonetheless. Shay shot them all friendly smiles, handing off their drinks before nodding them away, the blonde turning back to Gabby as she handed the last man his beer. "What made you come to that decision?"

"Matt did." She murmured, Shay's smirk widening. "Oh shut up, you asked." Gabby replied as she removed the rag from her shoulder, wiping her hands on it before tossing it down on the counter. "But really, it's time for them to know. I'm tired of feeling like I'm hiding from everyone, I'm tired of not knowing how to act around Matt. I just want everyone to know. And whatever reactions they have, good or bad, it doesn't matter."

"Finally." Shay breathed out, Gabby rolling her eyes. "I was beginning to think you two were just gonna continue to live your lives in secret."

"We're not living in secret, we still go out." She interjected, the blonde being the one to roll her eyes this time.

"Yeah, you've gone out, but you two have to hide when we're with our friends. Let's face it, the places we spend most of our time is at the station, and right here in this bar… Both of which are places you two haven't been able to just be yourselves." She countered, Gabby biting down on the inside of her lip, knowing there was some truth to what she was saying. "You two have been able to be a couple together, and around me and Severide, but other than that… you have to just act like you're friends. That can't be easy for either one of you." Shay continued, her hip resting against the bar as she watched her friend. "I'm just glad you're finally ready for people to know, and I know Casey's gonna be excited to."

"Has he said something to you?" Gabby asked quickly, Shay immediately shaking her head.

"No, not about that. About you, yes, all the time." She replied, seeing a soft smile fall onto her friend's face. "That boy never shuts up about you, but he hasn't said anything about you all telling people, no." Shay clarified, Dawson giving her a nod. "I just know he's gonna be excited because of how he gets when he talks about you… I don't think I've ever seen someone more in love than he is with you, except maybe how you are with him." She teased, Gabby biting back an embarrassed grin. "All he wants is to shout from the rooftops how much he loves you, and once you let him do that, I swear he's never gonna shut up."

"Alright, let's just take it one step at a time Shay." Gabby replied quickly, catching the unimpressed look that covered her friend's face.

"When have you two ever done that? I mean-"

"Good evening, ladies."

Dawson inwardly grimaced when she heard the familiar voice, Shay not bothering to hide her annoyed reaction as they both turned to see Walker coming up to them from the other side of the bar, the man bracing his hands out on the counter in front of him, his eyes locked on Gabby.

"What do you want, Walker?" Shay asked, Gabby keeping her face blank as she watched him, the firefighter grinning as his eyes flashed to the blonde.

"Just came for a drink. Can I get a beer?"

Without uttering a word, Gabby nodded, grabbing a glass and beginning to fill it up for him, completely the task as quickly as she could so he'd go away.

Gabby still had the same uneasiness about being around Bryan, that hadn't gone away. And truthfully, she wasn't sure if it ever would. But her hesitation around him had begun to morph into annoyance over these last three weeks since she'd been back at work. Unfortunately, when Shay warned her that Bryan might be trying to worm his way back into her life, the blonde had been right.

It was bad enough him reaching out to her before she got back to work, but once she got back to the firehouse, he had been relentless at trying to get her alone to talk, even though they both knew he wasn't supposed to. Gabby still didn't know what Boden had talked to Walker about her first shift back, or what had him so angry when he'd stormed from the Chief's office, but what she did know was that Bryan had been reminded he was still supposed to be keeping his distance. The problem was, he didn't seem to care. Because he had spent the last three weeks doing the exact opposite.

Any time the opportunity presented itself, Bryan would try and talk to her. It started out as him addressing her around other people, of him trying to strike up conversations with her in the common room, or during meals; any time they were around the house. For whatever reason, she wasn't sure, but Bryan had been doing all he could to try and speak with her. But when Gabby hadn't been very receptive to his attempts to talk to her in public, and he was on the receiving end of more glares from Casey, Shay, and Herrmann than it was worth, he began trying to speak with her in private. He'd try and catch her out in the garage, or in the locker room when not many people were around. She never gave him the time of day, but it was definitely a little creepy, and even more so just annoying.

She had made it clear that she didn't want to talk to him, Shay had made it clear on a few occasions, and Boden had even gone to the trouble of reminding him to just leave her alone, but in typical Bryan fashion, he ignored it. She didn't know why, she still had no clue as to what his goal was of trying to get back into her life, but she shut him down every time.

And a part of her hoped once he knew she was in a relationship with Matt, he'd quit for good.

Even though she was still nervous about how he'd react, she hoped once the anger passed, he'd finally move on from whatever game he was trying to play with her. She didn't want his friendship, she didn't want to talk to him, she didn't want to deal with him at all; she just wanted to focus on her friends, and her boyfriend, and keep looking forward.

"Thanks Gabby." He spoke when she handed him the drink, his fingers brushing against hers when he grabbed the glass. Gabby pulled her hand away like nothing had happened, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of getting any type of reaction out of her.

"You're welcome." She responded, Gabby moving her attention back to Shay, the blonde's glare still focused on the firefighter. "So, um," Gabby cleared her throat, Shay looking towards her friend, her gaze softening instantly. "Do you work Tuesday night?"

It was obvious Gabby was trying to start a conversation, something Walker couldn't insert himself into, Dawson not wanting to give him any chance to try and talk to her. And Shay would help her with that however she could.

"No, I don't." She replied, the two women turned to one another, Bryan staying put in his spot as he took a sip of his beer, his eyes trained on Gabby. "Do you?"

"Yeah, well I'm supposed to." She spoke, Shay's eyebrows raising. "Would you be able to switch shifts with me? I close Tuesday."

"I could probably be persuaded, what's going on Tuesday?" She asked, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek, well aware of who was still standing uncomfortably close to them.

"I've just got some plans…" Gabby replied, Shay shooting her a knowing look. "I didn't realize until I got here tonight that I was supposed to work, so if you could switch with me that'd be great." She finished with a shy smile, the blonde rolling her eyes before agreeing.

"Alright, yeah I'll switch with you." Shay agreed, Gabby's smile widening.

"Thank you, lady." She responded, Shay giving her a nod.

"You got a hot date or something?"

Walker's rough voice filled their eyes, Gabby suppressing a sigh as she glanced back towards him, seeing him still in the same position he'd been in moments prior when she gave him his drink, his harsh stare focused on her.

"What are you still doing over here, Walker?" Shay asked exasperatedly, the man never taking his eyes off Gabby. "Can't you find some other women to harass?"

"I'm just asking a question, Shay." He replied without looking towards her, Gabby narrowing her eyes, Bryan clearly waiting for her to answer his original question.

"I do, actually." She replied bluntly, her words catching him off guard as Gabby saw the look of surprise that flashed in his eyes, the paramedic raising her eyebrows challengingly. "Not that it's any of your business, but yeah I do."

She watched as his entire body tensed, Walker's throat clenching as he held back whatever he was wanting to say to her, the man releasing a heavy scoff before slamming his beer glass down on top of the bar, Bryan stomping away towards the back of the room without another word.

"You know, if you told him right then it was Casey, you probably could've gotten him to leave the place." Shay spoke lightly, trying to diffuse some of the tension around them as Gabby shook her head, Dawson flashing her a weak smile.

"Yeah, probably." She responded meekly, Shay sighing as she took a step closer to her friend, placing her hand over Gabby's arm.

"You okay, honey?" She questioned, Gabby narrowing her eyes slightly as she nodded.

"Yeah, yeah I'm good… I just don't understand why he cares so much about what I'm doing." Dawson breathed out, Shay rubbing over her forearm, the blonde glancing across the bar in the direction Walker went, her glare finding his instantly. "And it shouldn't even bother me, but he's the one who broke up with me… I mean, it ended up being the best thing he could've ever done for me, but still. He's the one who ended things, why does he think he gets any say in what I do anymore?"

"Because he's a misogynistic asshole." Shay replied quickly, Gabby releasing a soft sigh. "He is, Gabs, and he always has been. It's probably just some weird, power thing, him knowing you've moved on with your life… that you've moved on to someone else. His ego can't handle it."

"Yeah, maybe… I don't know, I just wish he'd leave me alone."

"Well, once he finds out about you and Casey, I'm sure he will." Shay responded, Dawson pursing her lips together. "I mean, he either will leave you alone, or Matt will make sure he does… I'm telling you, there's a protective side to Casey that I'm kind of interested to see, I bet it'd be hot."

"Shay…"

"What? I'm just saying, objectively, that Matt getting all protective and defensive over you, it'd be hot. Just because I'm not into it doesn't mean I can't appreciate it." She spoke with a grin, Gabby chuckling softly as she shook her head, the blonde's gaze moving around the bar. "And speaking of protective boyfriends, look who finally showed up." She added, Gabby's eyes moving towards the entrance, seeing Matt slowly making his way through the crowd of people, his gaze finding hers instantly.

The second he saw her, his eyes lit up, Matt flashing her a wide smile as he continued towards the bar, Gabby matching his look instantly.

"God, you two are disgusting." Shay groaned, Gabby bumping her side just as Matt got to them, the action not lost on the firefighter.

"Hello Shay… Dawson." He greeted warmly, his gaze lingering on Gabby longer than he probably should've, but he didn't care, Matt taking the opportunity to take in his girlfriend. His gaze started on her face, before it slowly began trailing down, his eyes staring longer than appropriate at the slight cleavage poking out from her black shirt, the material hugging her in all the right places as he continued down to her waist, her tight jeans clinging to her skin, Matt unable to see much farther past her hips because of the counter blocking his view.

"Jesus Christ, get a room." Shay breathed out, Gabby biting down on her tongue, trying to hold back a grin as Matt's ears turned pink, embarrassment flooding his body when he realized his less than subtle stares had been caught.

"Sorry…" He spoke, more to Gabby than to Shay, the Lieutenant clearing his throat. "Guess I just got a little distracted."

"It's amazing no one's figured you two out yet, the way you're eye-fucking right now, I swear it's like you're about to push her up against this bar and go to town on one another." Shay continued, Gabby coughing slightly as more embarrassment flooded Matt's body, the couple sharing knowing glances as Shay looked back and forth between the two of them, a grimace quickly covering her face as realization set in. "Oh God, don't tell me you two… Come on guys." She groaned, Matt ducking his head as Gabby looked down towards the bar. "This is a public place, and you guys just- God, I feel like a need a shower."

"We cleaned up afterwards." Gabby replied, laughing at the look of disgust that covered Shay's face, the blonde shivering slightly as she took a step away.

"I love you guys, but you're gross. I need to go very far away from here, and not ever think of this again." She spoke, shaking her head before she slid behind Dawson, moving further down the bar to go help Herrmann, both of them watching her walk away before turning back to look at one another, Matt flashing her a warm smile.

"Hi." He murmured, Gabby leaning her hips forward against the bar, her eyes locking with his.

"Hey." She responded just as softly, neither of them able to wipe the smiles off their faces. "How was your job?" She asked, Matt's face faltering slightly as he pursed his lips together, Gabby watching as he took a deep breath.

"It was long, but thankfully I think I'm almost done… As long as he doesn't add or change anything else, I think one trip back and I should be done." He answered, Gabby nodding as she reached for a clean glass.

"Good… You want a beer?"

"Yes please." He responded, Gabby smiling before beginning to fill his glass, keeping her eyes on the tap. "What about you, how was your day?" He asked, neither of them having spoken since they left shift this morning.

"Not nearly as busy as yours, but it was fine." She replied, placing his drink down on the bar. "But, uh, I have done some thinking today…" She added vaguely, Matt's eyebrows raising as he took a sip of his beer.

"Oh yeah?" He asked, Gabby giving him a nod. "Nothing bad, I hope." He added jokingly, Gabby smiling as she shook her head.

"I want to tell everyone." She responded without missing a beat, his smile growing as Matt immediately understood what she meant. And the look of complete and utter happiness that covered his face was enough to assure her that she was making the right choice, Gabby's heart swelling in her chest as she saw the joy radiating off him.

"Really?" He questioned brightly, Gabby nodding with a smile as her bottom lip tucked in between her teeth. "You're sure?"

"I am. I want them to know." She replied, Matt's smile never fading. "I'm tired of hiding, you and how I feel about you. I want everyone to know, if you're fine with it."

"Of course I am." He spoke without hesitation, desperately wishing he could reach across the bar and grab her hand, but he knew he couldn't, not until they figured out _how_ they were going to share their relationship with the house. "I've been ready, but I know you needed time, which is why I didn't bring it up. But I only wanna tell them if you're sure, I know there's a lot more of other things to consider here…"

"The only thing worth considering is you." She said, Matt's eyes shining with happiness. "And us. It shouldn't have even taken me this long, but I want everyone to know. I want us to be able to just be us."

"I want that, too." He breathed out, Gabby grinning as she gave him a nod, his eyes trailing over her face. "God, I just wanna kiss you right now."

"Soon." She told him, Matt's smile widening. "Here soon, you can kiss me whenever you want, in front of whoever you want- well, within reason." She corrected herself, Casey chuckling before taking another sip of his drink.

"I can't wait." He replied, Gabby running her teeth over her bottom lip as her attention got pulled in another direction, Herrmann calling her for help further down the bar.

"I'll be right back, are you good?"

"I'm great." He responded instantly, Gabby smiling before nodding. "You're closing tonight right?" He asked as she began walking away, Dawson giving him another nod.

"I am."

"Well, how would you feel about some company?" He offered, Gabby grinning softly as she took another step towards Herrmann, not wanting to keep him waiting for too much longer.

"As long as that company is from my boyfriend, I'd love it." She replied softly, Matt's smile widening as he gave her a quick nod. "I'll be back in a bit."

"I'll be here." He responded without missing a beat, Gabby flashing him one last smile before she went to go help Herrmann, Casey continuing to nurse his beer while he watched his girlfriend work.

* * *

Walker sat out in his car, his hands tapping the steering wheel anxiously as he kept his eyes peeled towards the front door of the now closed bar, the firefighter sparing a quick glance at the time before focusing his gaze forward.

_2:17 AM_

From experience, Walker knew the nights Gabby closed down Molly's usually kept her here pretty late, his ex sometimes not returning back to his apartment until close to three in the morning, and in moments like these, he remembered why he always found that so irritating.

All he wanted to do was talk to her, but everyone inside that bar had made it damn near impossible.

Even after he stormed away from them earlier in the night, he hadn't given up on trying to speak with her. He hoped his persistence would pay off, that it would show her what he had to say was really important, but Gabby was continuing to play hard to get, and it was becoming a little frustrating.

He knew she was making him work for it, that everything she was doing; pretending to not be interested, making up the date she had later in the week, he knew all those were just ploys to make him work harder. But what he hadn't counted on was everyone else making it hard on him, as well.

Bryan wasn't sure why everyone was so up in arms about him trying to get a moment alone with her, but they'd made it harder than it ever needed to be. As the night wore on, he'd continued to try and find a moment to speak with her, but considering she was glued to Shay's hip all night, he never got a chance. And having Casey around complicated matters, too. Dawson and his Lieutenant hadn't actually spoken that much aside from when he first got there, something Bryan made sure to pay attention to, but Casey seemed to just always be around, and that irked him. It was bad enough that Gabby had become friends with him, but the fact that Matt was the one in that warehouse with her really bothered him.

He should've been the one to be with her, to comfort her when she was upset, but he wasn't; Casey was. And that call had only seemed to strengthen their friendship. And it bothered him greatly.

But Walker wasn't too focused on that right now, his only focus was trying to get a moment alone with Gabby, and with her closing up Molly's, he knew this was his perfect opportunity. Herrmann was long gone, Shay had left about half an hour ago, and Walker wasn't sure when Casey had left, but the man didn't recall seeing him for awhile, so he figured he'd gone by now. The only person left was Gabby, and this was his perfect chance to show her he was serious.

He knew if she could just quit being so damn difficult for one second, and she let him actually talk to her, that they could figure this out. If they could sit down and have a real discussion, he could tell her everything that had been on his mind lately, about her, and about them, and she'd see that he'd take her back.

He wanted her to know that he might've made a mistake by dumping her, that he regretted treating her poorly, even though she always made things ten times harder than they needed to be. How he wished he would've handled himself better, that he would take back some of the things he'd said, and done. How he believed they could start over, and be happy like they used to be. That if they just both agreed to change, if she could quit being so damn stubborn and just listen to him once in awhile, that they could make things work.

He _wanted_ to see if things between them could still work, and he knew she did, too.

Despite how she was acting, and the things she was saying, he knew she still had feelings for him. She wasn't the one to leave him, that was his choice, so of course he knew she still loved him. He just had to remind her of that. And all these games she was playing, he knew it was an act. He knew he hurt her, and that even before they got together all those years ago she'd had walls up around herself. But he had managed to get past those before, he knew he could do it again.

But he knew he'd have to play along with her little charade, that he'd have to go along with her pretending to have a boyfriend, even though he knew that wasn't true. She hadn't moved on, she couldn't, he knew she just told him that to try and make him jealous; which, to her credit, had worked. But he knew it was all an act. She was just trying to make him work harder.

And he would.

His ears perked up when he saw the door to the bar swing open, Bryan fidgeting in his seat as he waited to see Gabby, the firefighter knowing this was his chance, his smile growing when he saw her walk down the steps to the sidewalk. But that smile soon faltered when he saw the door stay open, Gabby turning around, clearly talking to someone. Walker just didn't know who.

But the second he saw the man step out from behind the door, his blood began pumping through his ears, Walker gripping the steering wheel tightly as his muscles tensed, Bryan watching as Matt Casey shut the door behind him, Gabby holding out something towards him. Casey had turned back around, locking the door into place before joining Gabby on the sidewalk, the tension in his body rising the closer Matt got to her.

He didn't know Casey was still here, he had thought the man left long ago, but clearly he hadn't. Clearly, he had stayed to help Gabby close. Which, even though he hated it, he knew that didn't mean anything. They were just friends, Gabby had told him they were just friends, and she wouldn't lie to him.

But for as close as they were standing, they didn't seem to be just friends. Friends wouldn't stand with only inches between them. Friends wouldn't reach out and place their hand on your hip. Friends wouldn't pull you closer against them.

And friends definitely wouldn't start making out with you in the middle of the deserted street.

Anger coursed through Walker's body as he watched on at the apparent couple, his knuckles turning white as rage flooded his system, Bryan almost unable to believe what he was seeing.

She had lied to him. She lied to his face when he talked to her about Casey, and that realization pissed him off almost as much as what he was witnessing right now.

Gabby was dating Casey. Or at the very least, she was fucking him. And the thought made more anger consume him, Walker having to keep himself from getting out of this car and going to confront them. Because despite all the fury and resentment he was feeling right now, he knew going and beating the shit out of his Lieutenant would do nothing but make the situation worse, for himself, no matter how much he wanted to.

Casey and Dawson slowly pulled apart, the two clearly having some conversation, even though Walker was in no position to have any clue as to what they were talking about, bile rising in his throat when he had to watch Gabby lean in and kiss his boss yet again. This one didn't last nearly as long, but it was somehow worse, Bryan watching from afar as Gabby grabbed the Lieutenant's hand, leading him towards her car.

There were more words being sad, Gabby digging around in her purse for her keys while Matt stood behind her, his eyes occasionally glancing around the street, almost like he was making sure there were no threats around them, like he was protecting her.

And that made him angry.

He was beyond angry. He was angry at Gabby, for spreading her legs for his boss. He was angry at Casey, for fucking his ex-fiancé. And he was angry at himself, for not doing something to stop it sooner.

He was just angry, and watching Matt open the car door for her only made him more angry.

More words were exchanged between, Bryan's heart rate quickening in his chest as he had to watch Matt press her against the backseat door, the Lieutenant kissing her again, Gabby wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her.

It seemingly went on forever, Bryan swallowing the thick lump that had formed in his throat as they finally pulled away, Matt brushing his hand over her face before she climbed into the car, Gabby turning it on while Matt shut her door. She put the window down, Casey resting his palms on the frame as he leaned down, the two having another brief conversation before he tapped the door, leaning forward to kiss her quickly, annoyance breaking through Walker's rage.

He knew they weren't aware of his presence, but it felt like they were, every move Casey made seemingly a jab at him as the Lieutenant stood up straight, taking a few steps back so Gabby could pull away from the curb, Casey watching her as she went.

The man waited until she had gotten a head start before he jogged across the street, climbing into his truck that Bryan hadn't realized was there, the man never releasing his impossibly tight grip on the steering wheel as Casey turned his truck on. Within seconds, Matt had pulled away from the curb, following in the same direction Gabby had just gone. And while Bryan didn't know where either of them lived, it didn't take a genius to figure out they were headed to the same location, Walker's entire body on fire as he thought about what they were going to do.

As he thought about what they had most likely done many times before, his body seemingly frozen as never-ending rage swept through him.

He couldn't believe what he just saw. He couldn't believe Gabby had been dating Casey, that, for however long, they'd been together behind his back. He couldn't fucking believe it.

Casey had stolen what was his.

And he wouldn't let him get away with that.

Neither of them would.

* * *

Gabby climbed from her car when she saw Matt pull up behind her, a soft smile already resting on her face as she shut her door, double checking to make sure she had the essentials before locking up her car, Dawson walking the few steps towards his truck, Matt already getting out.

"Funny running into you here." He spoke lamely, Gabby rolling her eyes, unable to stop her smile from widening at his dumb job, Matt grinning as he locked up his truck.

"Mhmm." She hummed, Matt sliding his hand along her back lightly before they began walking towards his front door, the two having agreed once they left Molly's to come sleep at his place.

They walked quietly, the calm night air surrounding them as Matt let her climb the stairs first, Gabby waiting for him to unlock the door, Dawson unable to stop the yawn that escaped her lips. Without a word, he followed her into his apartment, Matt closing and locking the door behind them as Gabby kicked off her shoes before walking the familiar path to his kitchen, Matt grinning when he realized they wouldn't be going to sleep just yet.

When she got to the kitchen, light suddenly flooded the otherwise pitch black apartment, Matt shedding his thin jacket, placing his wallet and keys in their rightful place by the door before he followed after her, his sock covered feet padding across the hardwood.

As he stepped through the doorway, the smile on his face grew when she came into view, Matt seeing her sitting up on his counter, her legs swinging as she sat and ate one of the muffins one of his clients had made for him, his head cocked to the side as he came up to stand in between her legs. Gabby widened them slightly to give him more room, his palms resting on her thighs as he got as close to her as possible, his hips resting against the counter.

Gabby continued to chomp away at her snack, Matt sliding his hands up and down her thighs as he watched her. A few moments passed as they relaxed into the comfortable quiet they'd settled in, Matt smirking when he saw a bit of muffin stuck to her lip, Casey leaning forward quickly to kiss it off. He felt her smile against him, Gabby kissing him back as one of his hands slid up to her waist, Matt pulling her closer.

When air became a priority, they separated, Gabby smirking as he licked his lips, a grin soon falling onto his face. "You taste like blueberry." He mused, Gabby's nose scrunching up before she took another bite of her food, breaking off a piece and holding it up to him, Matt eating it quickly.

Within a few minutes, they had finished the food, Gabby wiping off her mouth as Matt threw the trash away, her boyfriend soon coming back to reoccupy his position between her legs, his hands roaming her thighs as he slid her forward slightly, causing her to press into him. Instinctively, her arms wrapped around his neck, hanging loosely over his shoulders as he stood in front of her, Matt leaning forward to kiss her softly, his gentle movements a shift from earlier.

"You ready for bed?" He murmured, kissing her again quickly, Gabby raising her eyebrows once he pulled back, her look almost challenging as an intrigued expression covered his face.

Slowly, Gabby leaned forward to kiss him again, her movements steady before she trailed her lips across his cheek towards his ear, pulling his body closer to her. "I'm ready to go to the bedroom." She whispered in his ear, her tongue darting out to graze his skin as she felt him shudder against her, his grip tightening.

"That can be arranged." He replied, his hands moving around to the front of her waist, slowly sliding underneath the shirt covering her body, his fingers toying the skin above her pants. Gabby's breath caught in her throat as she pushed herself against his hand, her lips trailing back towards his.

Casey smiled against her when she deepened their movements, Matt popping open the button of her jeans with one hand, his fingers moving towards her zipper and pulling it down, his hand ghosting over her as Gabby panted into his mouth. She pushed forward against him yet again, Matt pressing his hand over her covered center, Gabby's breath hitching at the pressure. He smirked slightly, Gabby kissing the smug grin off his face as he moved his hands from her hips to grab the ends of her shirt, Matt separating from her just long enough to remove the tight fabric from her body, Casey throwing it to the ground without a care.

His eyes immediately moved towards her heaving chest, Casey's eyes darkening when he caught sight of her black lace bra, Matt recognizing the item of clothing instantly, remembering how frequently he'd taken it off her in the past.

And tonight was no different, Matt not even thinking about it before his hand trailed around to her back, expertly unclasping the material, the piece of clothing loosening against her chest. In one swift movement, Matt pulled the bra down her arms, throwing it aside as he'd done to her shirt seconds prior, heat rising to her cheeks when his intense gaze focused on her bare chest. Slowly, he stepped back towards her, his hands reaching out to rest on her sides, his warm palms against her skin sending chills down her spine, Matt smiling softly before he leaned forward, capturing her lips in his again.

Each movement became needy, and was full of want as Matt kissed her intensely, his hand sliding around to the front of her chest, his palm cupping her skin, teasing her as their kisses got heavier.

"Matt…" She panted, Casey giving her one last kiss before pulling back, their chests rising and falling quickly as Matt wordlessly slid his hands down to her hips, yanking her forward. Instinctively, her legs hooked around his waist, Gabby letting out a surprised yelp as he was suddenly supporting all her weight, Matt's hands resting under her as he began carrying her to the bedroom, Gabby using her hold around his neck to keep herself up. She began distracting him as he got close to his room, Gabby's lips focusing their attention on the nape of his neck, knowing how it always drove him crazy.

The second they got to the bed, Matt placed her down onto it, one hand coming out to keep his weight off of her as they fell onto the bed together, Gabby's bare chest rubbing against his t-shirt covered one. She reached out, trying to guide him back to her, but Matt had other ideas as he pulled back from her completely. She breathed heavily while she watched him, Matt smirking as he hooked his fingers under the waistband of her unzipped jeans, Casey roughly yanking them and her underwear down in one swift motion, leaving her completely bare on his bed as he threw the clothing to the side.

Casey took a moment to drink her in, Gabby lifting herself up to rest on her elbows, watching as his eyes trailed down her bare form.

"This isn't fair." She pouted playfully, regarding his current state of dress, and her lack of one, Matt smiling before pulling his shirt off, tossing it aside haphazardly. His hands then went to his own pants, Matt getting rid of them and his boxers in seconds, Gabby gnawing on her bottom lip when she caught a glimpse of the effect she'd already had on him.

"Better?" He asked teasingly, Gabby nodding as her gaze moved back up to her face.

"Mhmm." She hummed in response, Matt stepping back towards the bed, Gabby eagerly waiting to see what he was going to do next, knowing just how unpredictable he could be in moments like these.

And he didn't disappoint, Matt placing his hands on the tops of her knees, forcing her legs apart as far as he could, Gabby gasping in surprise as he settled himself down by her hips. She could feel his breath on her, Matt positioning her legs up over his shoulders, his arms hooked around her thighs, his hands resting dangerously on her waist, the position he had her in keeping her locked in place. Even if she wanted to, she wouldn't be able to move, and that knowledge caused her breathing to become sporadic, Gabby knowing that whatever Matt was about to do, she'd be completely at his mercy.

He began placing light, open mouth kisses over her skin, moving along the inside of her thighs, nipping at her as gently as he could. Gabby collapsed down onto her back, her hands resting out beside her on the mattress, a low whine escaping her lips when she felt his tongue dart out to touch her.

The moment was fleeting, Matt going back to teasing her with kisses everywhere except when she needed him, Gabby releasing frustrated groans, knowing Matt was doing this on purpose.

Then suddenly, Matt was back exactly where she wanted him, his tongue moving expertly over her as he focused his attention between her legs, Gabby's breaths becoming shorter and choppier as he picked up speed. He worked her up quickly, Gabby's chest heaving as she felt his lips enclose around the most sensitive part of her body, a sharp gasp leaving her mouth, the movement causing her to grip onto the sheets beneath her.

"Matt-" She whined, Casey smirking against her before he went back to work, feeling her body react to his efforts. He had kept up a steady pace, Gabby doing what she could to control herself as Matt meticulously worked her over.

When he felt her getting closer, his released the grip his right arm hand around her leg, Matt bringing his hand back down between her legs while he used his other to keep her still, Casey holding her down to the mattress as he kept his forearm over her waist.

Without any warning, he slid a lone finger into her, Gabby choking on the breath in her lungs as his mouth focused on her sensitive bundle of nerves. Within seconds, he added another finger, Gabby whimpering as he picked up his relentless pace, Matt somehow speeding up as his tongue would occasionally poke out to tease her.

Her entire body felt like it was on fire, Gabby's legs shaking around his head as she felt her release nearing, the sensations almost overwhelming as Matt worked tirelessly to drive her over the edge. He was like a machine, Gabby's thighs clenching as whimpers and moans continuously left her lips, Matt refusing to let up.

Her body was reacting to his every touch, Gabby barely able to stand what he was doing to her as she writhed around underneath him, Matt's movements becoming too much for her to withstand.

"God, Matt- I-..." She couldn't form coherent sentences, Matt knowing she was a goner.

Before she could even grasp what was happening, her release hit her hard and fast, Matt never slowing down as he encouraged her through it, Gabby's entire body trembling as she was overwhelmed with mind-numbing pleasure, Matt fighting to keep her legs apart as she shuddered around him.

When he could tell she was completely spent, he started slowing down his movements, his tongue lightly lapping at her skin as Gabby panted heavily, her hands up covering her face as she laid in the aftershocks of what he'd just done to her. Feeling her body beginning to steady, Matt moved his kisses up to her waist, Gabby taking deep, slow breaths as he ran his hands up and down her sides.

He gave her some time to recover, Matt having been in this position enough before to know the signals her body gave, and right now he could tell she needed a minute, Casey stroking his thumb along her stomach, feeling her body moving up and down beneath his touch.

When he felt Gabby's hand come up to rest against his cheek, he looked up at her, a soft smile forming on his face when he saw the look of complete contentment covering her features. Her thumb rubbed over his cheek bone, Matt leaning into her touch for a moment, before turning to press a kiss against her palm.

With a soft sigh, Matt lifted himself up to rest back on his heels, his hands running along her legs as he sat back on the bed. "You good or you need more time?" He questioned, feeling her thigh still a little tense underneath his grip, Gabby nodding as she placed her arms out beside her.

"I'm good." She confirmed, Matt nodding before he moved his hands to her hips, gently prompting her to roll over onto her stomach, her face pressed into the pillows. Gabby felt that familiar feeling of anticipation rise in her gut as she turned her head to the side, Matt straddling her waist as he ran his hands all over her back.

Her inability to see him drove her crazy, Gabby focusing on the feeling of his hands roaming her body, Matt pressing occasional kisses to her skin, a low moan leaving her lips when she felt him line himself up to her entrance. He teased her for a few seconds, keeping one hand moving along her hip before he slowly sunk into her. Her breath caught in her throat, Gabby doing what she could to stay relaxed as he slid into her, his hips coming to rest against hers. Matt slowly leaned forward, pressing his chest against her back as his forearms rested on the mattress beneath them, the new position pulling him in deeper.

Pressing a kiss to her shoulder, Matt slowly began to thrust in and out of her, Gabby lifting her hips up in time with his movements, soft whimpers escaping her lips when he brushed that delicate spot inside of her. They started slow, Matt easing into this, knowing she was probably still a little sensitive, and the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. But by the way she was pushing her hips up into his, he knew she was alright, Casey steadily increasing his pace every few moments.

Within minutes, Matt had gotten to a near frantic speed, slamming his hips down into hers, pressing her into the mattress as Gabby's body tightened around him, moans and whines escaping her lips frequently. Keeping up his stride, he sunk his teeth into her shoulder, Matt able to feel that she was getting close yet again. When she clenched around him, her body nearly strangling him, he let his body weight collapse onto her back, pinning her down into the mattress as he thrust into her with reckless abandon, Gabby's hand grasping at the sheets beneath her, desperate to hold onto some semblance of control even though they both knew she had none.

"That's it, baby." He whispered in her ear encouragingly, her body pulling him closer to his own release as they both neared the end, Gabby's breaths getting more and more shallow as Matt kept up his pace, his words causing warmth to pool in her stomach. "That's it."

Within moments, Gabby had been pulled over that edge yet again, her body riding a high that was overwhelming as pleasure consumed her, Matt dragging another orgasm from her despite her being completely spent. Casey never let up, his thrusts continuing as he made this last as long as possible, Matt coming close to the edge as well.

His release happened suddenly, Gabby gripping onto his forearm that was resting beside her as he came, Matt's usually steady pace now sporadic as he emptied himself into her. His movements were shaky, his thrusts deep as he finished, Matt's body weight covering her completely before he came to a complete stop.

Their breathing was heavy, Gabby feeling his choppy breaths hitting the back of her neck, Matt pressing a sloppy kiss to her shoulder before he slowly rolled off of her, a low whine leaving her lips as he pulled out, Matt collapsing onto the mattress beside her.

They sat in complete silence for a few moments, Gabby staying on her stomach while Matt laid on his back, both of them needing some time to recover from their late night activities. His hand was moving up and down her back lightly, Gabby's eyes closed as she faced him, not noticing how Matt was staring at her.

His eyes were focused on her slightly smooshed face, Gabby's cheek pressed into the pillow as she had finally steadied her breathing, Matt unable to stop the smile that fell onto his face as he watched her closely, his thoughts consumed by nothing but her.

He had no idea how he got so lucky. How he got lucky enough for her to come into his life when she did, how he got lucky enough to get to know her, for her to allow him into her life, and into her heart. Sometimes he still didn't understand how things worked out the way they did, how he went from being in the worst place he'd ever been in in his life, to being in the best.

He truthfully had no idea how he ended up here, but he'd forever be grateful that he had, be grateful for _her_. He was incredibly grateful for this amazing, loving, stubborn, self-assured, hot-headed, wonderful woman laying beside him. Every single day, he was seeing more and more of what an incredible person she was, and every day she was taking more and more of his heart.

She had him. Completely.

And he wanted to make sure she knew it.

"I love you."

Gabby's eyes snapped open when those three words left his lips, finding his gaze focused on her, his warm blue eyes shining, the look on her face causing him to chuckle lightly, Matt's hand coming to a stop along her back, resting his palm over her side.

"I just… I wanted you to know. I've wanted to tell you for awhile, but I wasn't sure if it was the right time. I know we haven't been together all that long, or I guess we haven't _technically_ been together, but I just… I love you." He breathed out, Gabby smiling softly as she lifted herself up, resting on her elbows. "When we first started this thing, I know we both weren't looking for anything serious, and for awhile I believed it was just sex between us, or I was telling myself that at least, but for a long time I've known it was always deeper than that… Maybe a part of me always knew, even though you were kind of a pain in my ass," He added with a grin, Gabby laughing as he propped his head up in his palm, his other moving from her back up towards her face, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "But from the moment I met you, I knew there was something special about you. I don't even know the exact moment I realized how much you mean to me, I'm not sure if there was an exact moment, all I know is that I love you." He finished, their eyes locking as Gabby bit down on the inside of her cheek. "And you don't have to say it back, I know we said we didn't want to move too fast, and I hope it's okay that I'm telling you this, but I-"

Gabby cut him off by slamming her lips into his, the force nearly knocking him back as she pressed a firm kiss against him, Matt quickly recovering as he cradled the side of her face. Any hesitation he felt about telling her melted away when she kissed him, Matt brushing through her hair as they slowly moved together, Gabby pulling back first after a few gentle moments.

"I love you, too." She murmured, Matt's grin widening as he stroked his thumb across her cheek. "I have for awhile, even if I didn't want to admit it… but I'm in love with you, Matt Casey."

She couldn't explain the rush of emotions that filled her body when she finally said those words, those few words she'd been holding onto for months, the words she always was too afraid to say because she didn't know how he felt. She felt a warmth spread through her entire body, Gabby relishing in the fact that not only did he now know, she'd be able to say those words to him whenever she wanted.

Knowing there was nothing else that needed to be said, Matt gently pulled her towards him, his lips finding hers in an instant as he slowly guided her closer. He wanted to be near her, he needed to feel her as she climbed over him, her legs straddling his waist while he blindly reached for the comforter, throwing it over top of them.

This wasn't like what had just happened moments prior, there wasn't the same rough and frantic movements they'd experienced earlier in the evening. This was slow, and gentle, and full of nothing but love as Gabby easily guided him into her, the air around them thick with emotion as they carefully moved together, their lips never disconnecting as his hands wrapped around her back.

Matt couldn't explain how he felt in this moment, he couldn't put his finger on what about this, what about _her_ made him feel this way. But all he did know was that he would gladly be here with her for the rest of his life. There was no one else in this world quite like the woman resting against him. And he couldn't believe she was his. Although, more accurately, he was hers. She grabbed ahold of a piece of him from the moment they met, even if he didn't realize it at the time, but he should've known then he never stood a chance.

His heart belonged to Gabriela Dawson. And he wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

**Well, how are we feeling? I told y'all this chapter had a little bit of everything, hopefully it didn't disappoint. Gabby's finally decided she's ready to tell the house, although it looks like the one person she was worried about already knows… As I'm sure you all can imagine, that'll make things pretty interesting. But, Gabby and Matt finally said I love you, and honestly writing the end of this chapter made me so happy (I mean the I love you part, not the sex part, although that was fun, too). I always love getting to write sweet and tender Dawsey moments, I hope you all like reading them.**

**I can't wait to hear what you think! Thank you for always supporting me and this story, it means so much to me.**

**Until the next!**


	40. Chapter Forty

**Hello everyone! Here's the next update for you all. Thank you for your kind words on the last chapter, it meant so much to me. I hope you guys like this one, too. This chapter's definitely intense, I'll just say that.**

**Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**FORTY**

* * *

A slight yawn escaped Dawson's lips as she stood at the counter in Matt's kitchen, the paramedic pouring the freshly made coffee into the thermos in her hand as she mentally prepared for the day ahead. Although it wasn't so much the long work day she was preparing herself for, but the conversations she knew would be taking place once she got there.

The night before last when Gabby had decided it was time to tell the house of her and Matt's relationship, she'd been excited. Especially when she saw how happy her boyfriend was because of it. And that feeling hadn't gone away yesterday, the two having spent their Sunday off either in Matt's bed, or curled up on his couch, the couple having come to a decision about how they were going to share their relationship with the house.

As he had with deciding when they were going to tell everyone, he let her take the lead on the how as well, Matt wanting to do whatever was best for her. And they had come to the decision that Gabby was going to tell Walker on her own before they told everyone else. Gabby had been adamant that she felt like he deserved to know before the rest of the house did, the paramedic not wanting him to feel blindsided by it. And while Matt didn't necessarily care about that, he didn't fight her on it, the firefighter agreeing to whatever she wanted to do when it came to her ex. Personally, Casey didn't think Walker deserved anything from her, but, knowing Gabby, he understood why she felt like she should tell him first.

After they'd gotten everything all figured out, Gabby was even more excited to get to the house and tell everyone. She was ready for them to know, she was tired of feeling like she was hiding this huge part of her life from people who were like family. And when she woke up this morning, all that was still true, but she'd be lying if she said she didn't feel a few nerves in the pit of her stomach.

She couldn't help but feel a bit nervous about the actual conversation she needed to have with Walker. Gabby knew it was the right thing to do, she knew that despite everything he'd done, she would appreciate the same courtesy if he started dating someone they worked with. But that didn't mean she wasn't feeling a bit anxious about it. And Gabby could tell Matt sensed that when they woke up this morning.

He'd offered yesterday while they were figuring all this out to tell Walker with her, to be there for support, but Gabby declined, saying she appreciated it but this was something she needed to do on her own. And he'd offered again this morning, Matt reminding her he was there if she needed him while they took their shower together. But, again, she declined, Gabby not giving him much time to think over her words before she dropped down to her knees in front of him.

After their time together in the shower, Matt more than reciprocating her gesture, she had felt a little better, Gabby feeling more relaxed and ready to face the day, but those nerves hadn't completely gone away. And she knew they wouldn't until this was all said and done.

But the excitement she felt outweighed the anxiety in her system, Gabby knowing that after today, her and Matt could finally just be themselves. She owed nothing to Bryan, she was purely doing this as a courtesy to him. Walker hadn't respected their relationship when they were together, he didn't get a say in her new one now. She was only doing this because she knows she would appreciate the same had the rolls been reserved, but nothing he said or did was going to change anything.

She was in love with Matt Casey, and now that her boyfriend knew it, she wanted everyone else to know as well.

Hands sliding around the front of her waist snapped her from her thoughts, a smile coming to her face when she felt the warmth of her boyfriend pressed into her back, Matt holding onto her tightly as his hands came to rest low of her stomach, his chin finding its home on her shoulder.

"Good morning." He murmured, Gabby leaning her head back slightly as her eyes fell closed, her content smile widening.

"Yes it was." She responded, his chest vibrating against her as he chuckled, Matt pressing a gentle kiss to her neck, warmth spreading throughout her entire body when she felt him tighten his grip.

"I wasn't talking about that." He replied, pressing another kiss to her skin. "But that definitely did make my morning better."

"I knew it would." She told him, placing her hand over his on her stomach, tapping her fingers lightly over his skin. "I went ahead and made us some coffee, if you want some." Gabby added, feeling his breath hit her neck.

"Thank you… Although I don't think I'll need it after our shower, I'm pretty awake now." He teased her, Gabby laughing softly as she pulled her head away from his shoulder, glancing back to look at him. "We should definitely make that part of our morning routine more often… I don't think I'd ever need coffee again." He continued, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip. "Though you might still need some, I almost lost you there towards the end." Matt joked, Gabby's eyes narrowing playfully, the paramedic knowing he was referring to how her body definitely felt the effects of everything he'd done to her in the shower, and how Casey basically had to hold onto her to keep her upright by the time he was finished. Seeing her reaction, another laugh left his lips, Matt pressing a kiss to her jaw.

"You keep this up, they'll be no more surprises in the shower _Lieutenant_." The last word left her lips lightly, Gabby dragging it out, knowing she always got a reaction out of him whenever she'd call him that. And he didn't disappoint, Gabby feeling his body involuntarily tighten for a split second, a smug grin tugging on her lips.

"Now that's just mean." He mumbled, Gabby scoffing lightly before patting the top of his hand, the two relaxing back into each other's embrace, Matt supporting most of her weight as they stood in the kitchen. "...You still feeling okay about everything?" He asked after a few moments of comfortable quiet, Matt stroking his thumb over her shirt, just above her belt. "You're ready to tell everyone?"

This was the second time he was asking her this today, those words, or some similar to it, having been one of the first things he said to her when they woke up this morning. Matt needed to be sure this is what she wanted. No matter how badly he wanted everyone to know, it wasn't about him. And he needed to know she wasn't doing this just because of him, he wanted to be sure this is what she wanted, too.

"I am." She replied, feeling his arm slide up to rest just below her breasts, Matt keeping her close to him. "I'm excited for them to know, I think, for the most part, they'll be happy for us…"

"I do, too." He agreed, resting his chin back against her shoulder, Gabby's eyes falling closed as she focused on the sound of his breathing.

"And it'll be nice to just get to be us, you know?" Gabby continued, unable to see the soft smile forming over his face. "We won't have to keep second guessing how to act around one another, or I won't, I guess… You seemed to handle it okay."

"It wasn't easy." He replied softly. "Especially because all I wanted to do whenever I saw you was grab you and kiss you." He told her, Gabby feeling heat rise to her cheeks as she bit down on her bottom lip. "But I know exactly what you mean… I know we've got to remain professional, but it'll be nice to not have to overthink everything… I'm so ready for everyone to know you're my girl."

"Your girl, huh?" She asked, feeling him nod against her as he gave her body a gentle squeeze.

"Mhmm… For as long as you'll keep me around." He responded, pressing a kiss to the top of her shoulder, Gabby shaking her head.

"I think if anything, it's the opposite." She replied quickly, his eyebrows furrowing at the tone in her voice, Matt slightly pulling back. But before he could question it, Gabby turned around in his embrace, Matt's hands sliding along her body before coming to rest on her hips. Her arms came up to rest over his shoulders, Gabby clasping her hands together behind his neck as she caught his gaze. "This is your last chance, you know." She told him, Matt's eyebrows raising as his head cocked to the side, waiting for more of an explanation. "Once we tell everyone, that means you're stuck with me."

His smile widened when he saw the gleam in her eye, Casey tightening his grip on her waist as he pulled her closer, their bodies flush together as Gabby played with the hairs at the base of his neck.

"Trust me…" He nearly whispered, leaning in slowly, their lips ghosting over one another. "I'm happy to be stuck with you." He felt her smile before he closed the distance between them, Matt capturing her lips in a heated kiss, their movements just as passionate as they had been earlier that morning, Gabby using her hold around his neck to keep him close to her.

When they eventually pulled back, their chests were heaving, Matt pressing his forehead against hers as they caught their breath, Gabby clutching onto his neck. She had her eyes closed, Matt seeing a soft smile form over her lips, his chest flooding with warmth at the sight of her in this moment. She looked so content, and so happy; it was a look he wished he saw more of from her, but right now, he was just thankful to be the cause of it.

"I'm not going anywhere." He murmured, his words causing her eyes to open, Matt pulling back slightly as their gazes locked. He had said this to her a few times, and every time he did, it was like she was slowly letting herself believe him. That more and more, she was beginning to believe that he meant the things he said to her, Matt having the feeling she'd been lied to and manipulated frequently in the past, if how long it took her to let herself trust him was any indication. And although he knew they were making progress, that Gabby was doing better with the shift in their relationship after they'd put a label on things, he'd never stop reminding her that he was here, especially when he knew she still needed to hear it. "I'm in this, you and me." He continued, Gabby's smile growing, her eyes shining back at him. "And I'm so excited for everyone else to know that, too." Matt finished, bringing his hand up to cradle the side of her face, rubbing his fingertips gently over her hair, Gabby giving him a nod.

"Me too." She responded, rubbing her hand along the back of his neck before leaning forward, capturing his lips in a soft kiss, their movements slow and gentle as he stroked his thumb over her cheek. "...I love you." She spoke against his lips, feeling him smile before he kissed her again, Matt holding her close to him, sliding his hand from her waist around to her back.

"God, I'll always love hearing that." He breathed out, Gabby chuckling softly against his lips, scratching her fingers lightly against his skin. "I love you, too." He replied before pulling her in for another kiss, the two getting lost in each other as they stood in his kitchen.

After a few tender moments, Gabby reluctantly pulled away, having to release herself from his grasp or she knew they'd never get out of here, and they'd definitely be late for shift. "As much as I would love to continue this, we really should get going." She told him, catching her breath as he nodded, rubbing his hand over her arm.

"Yeah, yeah, you're right… You just get me so distracted, I can't help it." He responded, Gabby ducking her head as she turned back towards the counter, grabbing the coffee she'd already prepared for him. "But they'll be plenty of time for that after shift, or maybe even during shift, if I'm lucky." He added with a grin, Gabby chuckling as she handed him the coffee, Matt pressing a kiss to the side of her head in thanks.

"Yeah, maybe you just might get lucky…" She replied, Matt raising his eyebrows. "We'll have to wait and see."

"Oh, well I am very much looking forward to that." He breathed out, following Gabby out of the kitchen, the pair stopping by the coffee table to grab their shift bags they'd placed there last night.

Going through the easy routine they'd found for themselves, Matt followed Gabby out of the apartment, the paramedic waiting on the porch for him as he locked his front door, the two walking down the steps together.

"Hey, you know what I just realized?" Matt spoke as they walked towards her car.

"Hmm?" She hummed, unlocking her door, tossing her shift bag in the back seat.

"That after today, they'll be some days where we can ride to work together."

A smile formed over her lips as the words left his mouth, Gabby seeing a genuinely excited look covering his face, his goofy grin making her heart swell in her chest. "Yeah, we definitely can." She responded lightly, stepping forward to give him one last quick kiss before she climbed into her car, Matt closing the door once she was inside. He stayed by the door, waiting for her to get it turned on and for her to put the window down, Matt resting his hands on the frame as she looked up to him.

"I'll see you over there." He told her, Gabby giving him a nod, placing her hand over his and giving it a soft squeeze.

"See you there." She responded, Matt tapping the frame before he stepped back, beginning the short walk to his truck that was parked in front of her car, the two going separate ways for the first time in two days, although they both knew they wouldn't be apart for long.

* * *

Gabby put her shift bag in her locker, sliding her phone into her jacket pocket before glancing to the small mirror she had on the door, quickly checking her appearance. After tightening her ponytail, she straightened her spine, the paramedic doing one last once over of her locker before shutting the door.

"Jesus Christ." Gabby nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw her partner standing against the lockers, her friend having been hidden behind the door, Shay chuckling as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Hello to you, sunshine." She responded, Dawson shaking her head before stepping away towards the exit, Shay following after her. As they got into the hallway, Shay looped her arm through Dawson's, Gabby raising her eyebrows as she glanced towards her friend, the blonde leading her through the firehouse. "So… I have some questions for you."

"Oh boy." Gabby breathed out, her hands shoved into her pockets, Shay keeping her grip on her partner.

"Well, actually, they're not so much questions… just comments."

"That's definitely worse." Gabby replied quickly, Shay narrowing her eyes before scoffing, the blonde shaking her head.

"Well I wouldn't have anything to say if I hadn't found out that you and the boyfriend like to get freaky at Molly's." She spoke, Gabby slowing her steps as she rolled her eyes, Shay's devilish grin widening. "Yeah, don't think I forgot about that… slut." She added teasingly, Gabby pulling from her grasp, feigning offense as the blonde laughed. "Don't give me that look… But I guess you didn't realize that when I used to make all those jokes about you mounting him on the bar, I was just joking." She continued, Gabby biting back a smirk as she stepped away from her friend, stopping in her tracks when she felt Shay's hand smack her ass, the PIC turning around with her mouth open.

"You and Casey both, I swear to God." Gabby groaned, Shay biting on her tongue in amusement. "That does not belong to you." She chastised, smacking her friend on the arm before she turned the corner by the bathrooms, Shay walking beside her.

"Yeah, I always had a feeling he was an ass man." Her partner responded, Gabby choking on the air in her lungs, Shay patting her back as she laughed. "Although I think it's more that he's just a Gabby Dawson man." The blonde said once Gabby had composed herself, Dawson ducking her head slightly, the sincerity of Shay's words causing her stomach to flutter. But the moment didn't last long, Shay continuing to tease her. "But, anyway, back to you being a whore," She started, Gabby narrowing her eyes. "I can't believe you two did that at Molly's…" She spoke, Dawson's steps slowing as she raised her eyebrows, Shay pursing her lips together. "Alright, well I guess I can… you two seem to like getting a little adventurous. Guess the danger helps him get it up." Shay joked, earning a scoff Gabby.

"Not that it concerns you at all, but he has no trouble with that, thank you very much." Dawson responded sharply, Shay laughing at her friend's annoyance.

"Well, for your sake, I hope not." She replied without missing a beat, Gabby glancing into the common room through the windows as they got closer, seeing most of the house in there.

"And for the record, I didn't mount him." Gabby clarified quietly, Shay running her tongue along her bottom lip.

"Yeah, I doubt he'd let you… He doesn't get a view of your ass that way." Shay spoke with a chuckle, lowering her voice as well, Gabby narrowing her eyes at her friend. "Although I guess technically he could if you were turned-"

"Okay, we're done with this conversation." Gabby cut her friend off before she could give any graphic descriptions of her and Matt together, the blonde laughing as they turned the corner into the common room.

"You're ruining all my fun, Dawson." Shay responded, Gabby shaking her head as she stepped into the room, seeing a few sets of eyes on her.

"Uh oh, Dawson looks all embarrassed." Herrmann commented, Gabby rolling her eyes as she continued towards the kitchen. "You giving her a hard time, Shay?" He asked lightly, Gabby glancing back towards the blonde.

"Well, not as hard of a time as some people." Shay responded quickly with a smirk, Gabby's eyes widening at the less than subtle innuendo, Herrmann shaking his head as he focused his attention back on the TV.

"Yeah, that's my own fault, I shouldn't have asked." He muttered under his breath, the blonde paramedic chuckling as she continued into the room, Gabby shooting her a death glare.

"I'm gonna kill you." She spoke quietly when her partner got closer, Shay rolling her eyes, tapping Gabby's cheek as she passed her friend.

"You love me." She responded, Gabby huffing out a breath before following Shay into the kitchen, both paramedics going in search of some breakfast.

* * *

Walker slammed his door shut as he stood outside the firehouse, swallowing the thick lump in his throat while he locked up his car, shouldering his shift bag as he looked at the firehouse, the firefighter mentally preparing himself for what he was walking into.

After the little show Gabby and his Lieutenant had put on the other evening outside Molly's, he hadn't been able to shake the anger that consumed him, the terrible feeling seemingly building in his gut more and more every time he thought about it. And he still couldn't quite believe what he had seen the night before last. He couldn't believe Gabby was with Casey, the thought absolutely making his skin crawl.

Gabby was dating his boss, she was _sleeping with_ his boss. Everything he used to do with Gabby, Casey was now doing that. He got to spend time with her, he was getting to be with her… holding her, touching her, sleeping with her. And it was the last one that really made his blood boil.

Gabby was _his_. He didn't care that he'd broken things off, that didn't matter. Everyone knew she belonged to him, but Casey didn't seem to care. Even after the talk he'd had with his Lieutenant about Gabby, Casey still had the audacity to go after her. And he couldn't believe it.

He couldn't understand how Gabby had just moved on to Casey, when she was still clearly in love with him. He wasn't sure if she was just using the Lieutenant as a distraction, or if she was using Casey to make him jealous, but he couldn't stand it. Gabby should've never slept with his boss, there were plenty of other things she could've done to make him pay attention to her, she didn't need to whore herself out to whatever man showed her any interest.

Walker had to keep himself from gagging at the thought as he neared the garage, the firefighter shaking his head in disgust at the image in his mind of Gabby fucking his boss. He could forgive a lot, he could forgive all her annoying and needy bullshit that he'd put up with for the last three years, but he couldn't forgive this. He couldn't forgive her spreading her legs for Casey.

And he couldn't believe he ever considered getting back together with her.

She had ruined any chance of gaining his forgiveness for everything she'd done to make him break up with her, now all he could do was make it clear this wasn't okay. She couldn't just fuck his boss and expect nothing to happen.

But he knew he needed to be careful of how he handled this. Boden was already on his ass for nothing, Herrmann and Shay were always watching him as well, and Casey was an entirely different story altogether. Walker always found Casey's watchful eye on him annoying, especially once Bryan found out the Lieutenant was one of the ones instructed to make sure he 'stayed away from Dawson'. But now there was another piece to this all together, Bryan slowly realizing that the reason Casey had always made sure he left Gabby alone wasn't because of Boden's bullshit orders, but it was the Lieutenant marking his territory.

Gabby had managed to use what was between her legs to turn Casey into some protector, his Lieutenant trying to use his position as some power move. But Bryan knew it was all bullshit.

Whatever the extent of Gabby's relationship with the Lieutenant, it wasn't real. It was lust, at most. There was no way there were any real feelings there, he knew Gabby couldn't feel anything for any other man when she was still in love with him. This wasn't some serious thing, this was Gabby trying to make him jealous. But she had gone too far. And she'd pay for it.

Taking a deep breath, Walker continued into the garage, the man holding onto the strap of his bag over his shoulder, intent on getting to the locker room and putting his things away before he had to try and figure out how to handle himself around the two people who had betrayed him.

Unfortunately, he saw one of them much sooner than he would've liked, Bryan's steps slowing instantly when he saw Casey standing by one of the compartments on the truck, the door open as he moved things around.

Casey looked up, raising his eyebrows slightly when he saw the man staring at him, an almost blank look on Bryan's face. "Walker." He greeted, seeing Walker's body tense slightly.

Walker's fist clenched at his side, his anger only growing when he saw the curious look on his Lieutenant's face, acting like he had no idea what he'd done when he was fucking Gabby behind his back.

"Something wrong?" Casey asked when Walker had yet to give a verbal response, Bryan pursing his lips together as he breathed deeply, the firefighter shaking his head slightly.

"Nope." He responded, maybe a little more forcefully that he should've, Matt's head tilting to the side. "Everything's fine, Lieutenant."

With a nod, Casey went back to his task, Walker's eyes narrowing the second Matt had turned away, Bryan having to keep his anger at bay as he walked past his boss. He wanted to punch him, he wanted to beat the shit out of him for taking what was his. But he knew he couldn't; he was already on a short leash as it was around here, he couldn't risk losing his job just because Gabby was whoring herself out.

As he moved towards the double doors, the bells rang out, Bryan stopping momentarily to hear who was needed, the man continuing his movement when he heard it was only ambo being called out, Bryan seeing Gabby and Shay coming through the door as he got closer.

Dawson hadn't been paying attention, the PIC hurrying out of the door so quickly she didn't notice Walker standing there until she collided into him, Shay reaching out to steady her as Gabby immediately looked up.

"Oh, sorry- I didn't see you there." She apologized softly, Gabby avoiding his eye contact as Shay moved past her, Walker not bothering to stop the scoff that left his lips at her words, Dawson's eyebrows furrowing.

"Whatever." He muttered, forcefully bumping his shoulder into her as he walked past her, Gabby stumbling back slightly, her hand immediately coming to cover her shoulder as he moved to the door.

"Watch it, asshole." Shay bit out in annoyance, Walker flipping her off before disappearing into the house, the blonde placing her hand on Gabby's back. "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." Dawson responded, her eyes glancing back towards the door before they began moving towards the rig, Gabby knowing they didn't have time to focus on whatever his problem was.

"I wonder what his deal is." Shay spoke, Gabby shrugging as they moved through the garage. "You think he's still mad about you having a date?"

"Who knows. But I don't care." She replied, rubbing over her shoulder. "I've moved on, he's gotta get used to it."

"That's my girl." Shay responded proudly, rubbing Gabby's back as they got closer to their rig, Gabby seeing Matt standing by the truck as they came around the back of 81, an immediate smile forming over her face. A similar smile appeared on his when he noticed them, Matt resting his hand on the compartment door as the paramedics got to the rig.

"Stay safe out there." He spoke, his eyes focused on Gabby until she disappeared behind the ambulance, Gabby giving him a nod just as she moved out of sight, Matt seeing Shay place her hand over her chest.

"Oh Casey, such a sweetheart." The blonde paramedic teased, Matt raising his eyebrows, hearing Gabby scoff as she opened the passenger side door. "But don't worry, I'll always stay safe for you." She promised, Casey shaking his head in amusement.

"Thank you, Shay." He replied with a knowing smirk, Shay giving him a wink before climbing into the rig, Matt's eyes moving to Gabby, shooting her one last smile before the paramedics pulled out of the driveway, Casey keeping his eyes on the rig until it was out of sight.

* * *

The blonde paramedic checked her mirrors as she backed the ambulance into the garage, her tongue poking out between her teeth, Shay's focus solely on the task a hand. With a satisfied grin on her face, she put the rig in park, turning the engine off.

"Well, I think that might've been one of my best parking jobs yet. Damn, I'm good." She spoke towards her partner, Shay's hand moving towards her seatbelt. "This is the reason I always drive, because if it was up to you to park, I'd just have to redo it… No offense." Shay continued, glancing out the window as her seat belt snapped up into place, the blonde expecting some sort of snarky reply from her friend. But she got nothing, Shay's gaze turning towards her partner, Gabby's focus solely on her phone. Shay's head cocked to the side, the blonde raising her eyebrows as she waved her hand around, trying, and failing, to get Dawson's attention. It was like the PIC was off in her own little world, Gabby's complete attention on whatever she was looking at. Shay was just gonna leave it, Gabby clearly not even aware to the fact they were back at the house, but when a huge grin broke out on her partner's face, Shay couldn't wait anymore, the blonde reaching and snatching the phone from Dawson's hands.

"Hey!"

"Sorry, but I wanna know what's got you so smiley- wait." Shay cut herself off, holding the phone down. "I'm not about to see a picture of Casey's dick, am I?" She asked, Gabby rolling her eyes. "Because, although I'm curious to what he has to offer you, it would scar me for life. I'd never be able to look at him the same."

"No, there's no pictures of anything of Matt's." Gabby told her, Shay nodding before picking the phone back up. "Well… just don't scroll back too far." Dawson corrected, the blonde grimacing before shaking her head.

"Gross." She muttered, her eyes moving over the screen, seeing Gabby was in fact texting Casey, which wasn't exactly surprising considering Shay knew Matt was the only person that could have her friend smiling that big.

"I'm not sure why you're looking at my texts anyway. I don't believe I gave you permission to do that." Dawson spoke, Shay waving her off before her eyes scanned the messages.

It was all relatively tame, almost boringly so, Shay seeing Matt talking about how he'd made plans with Gabby's mother to go and fix a few things around her church next week, and how they were going to have lunch after. Then there were just a few cute texts, ending with a few I love yous.

It was all harmless, and Shay couldn't help but smile as she handed the phone back, Gabby tucking her hair behind her ear as she placed the device in her lap. "Well, that was boring." Shay huffed out, Dawson wearing an unimpressed look at her partner turned towards her. "But, Casey's still getting along with the parents, I see." She added, Gabby's bottom lip tucking between her teeth as she bit back a smile, the PIC nodding.

"Yeah, he is. They love him, especially my mom." She responded with a chuckle, Shay's smile widening. "And I'm pretty sure Matt talks to my dad more than I do."

"That's sweet." Shay responded sincerely, Gabby nodding. "And sucking up to the parents… Smart play, Casey. Smart play." She murmured, Dawson shaking her head.

"If it were anyone else, I'd say that's all it was… But he just genuinely likes talking to them, and seeing them. I mean, Matt's so personable, he can be friends with anyone, but he really just enjoys their company." She replied, Shay seeing the content smile on her friend's face. "And I know my parents definitely weren't expecting that. I mean, I hate to even compare Matt to Bryan, because they're both just completely different people, but my parents definitely didn't have that type of relationship with Bryan, so I don't think they were expecting it with Matt… But I know they love it. They love him."

"Well, they have that in common with their daughter." Shay replied, Gabby feeling her cheeks fill with warmth. "...And it looks like Casey knows that now, too." She added pointedly, Dawson knowing she was referring to the 'I love yous' her and Matt had exchanged in their messages.

"Yeah, he does." Gabby responded softly, unable to hide the wide grin on her face.

"When did that happen?" Shay asked, Dawson glancing towards her. "I mean, I know you said you hadn't told him yet because you all didn't want to rush things, but clearly lover boy knows how you really feel about him now." The blonde spoke, Gabby shaking her head in amusement.

"It was the other night once we got back from Molly's… He said it first." She spoke lightly, Shay raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, that's not surprising." She responded, Gabby tilting her head to the side. "In fact the only surprising thing about this is that it took him this long."

"Yeah, I don't know… I'm kind of glad it took us some time." Gabby spoke, brushing her hand across the side of her face. "Although, I guess six weeks isn't really that long, but we'd both been in love with each other for longer than that, so it feels like it took us a while. But the fact that we waited… it makes it feel more real, I guess. I don't know." Dawson rambled, Shay's face softening.

"Oh honey, it's very real." The blonde replied with a smile. "That boy is head over heels in love with you, and he has been for awhile. I'm just glad you were finally able to tell each other. But, as someone who's seen you two since before you got your shit together, I can tell what you two have is very real."

"Yeah… And once we tell everyone, it'll be even more real. We'll be able to just be ourselves." Gabby added, Shay giving her a nod.

"So you two are still doing that? Telling everyone?" Shay asked, Gabby giving her a nod. "You hadn't mentioned it yet, so I wasn't sure if anything changed."

"No, nothing's changed." Dawson assured her. "We're telling everyone today, but I am gonna tell Walker first… I feel like I should." She explained, Shay raising her eyebrows. "I feel weird about telling him with everyone else. I know he doesn't deserve it, but I feel like I should give him the courtesy of telling him first."

"Well, you're a better woman than I am, cause you're right, he doesn't deserve anything from you… But I get why you're doing it. It's nice of you, even though Walker can choke." She spoke, Gabby shaking her head. "Although if his behavior when we left was any indication, he's not gonna be too pleased."

"No, I know he's not. But I don't care what he thinks, it doesn't matter. I'm only telling him beforehand because I would've appreciated the same courtesy from him, but however he reacts, it won't change anything. I love Matt, him and I are happy, nothing Walker says or does can change that." Gabby told her, seeing a proud look shining in Shay's eyes. "...What?"

"Nothing." She responded with a shrug. "I'm just liking this new Dawson… Well, actually, I guess it's more like you're the old Dawson, before everything that happened with Walker." Shay explained, Gabby's tongue running over her bottom lip. "You just seem more like your old self again."

"Yeah, I was kind of a mess there for a while, wasn't I?" She asked rhetorically, Shay placing her hand on Dawson's leg.

"You weren't a mess, you were going through a lot. But you got through it… And now you're in a great relationship, with an incredible guy. I'm just glad to finally see you so happy."

"Me too." Gabby responded, patting the top of Shay's hand before grabbing her phone, sliding it back into her pocket, the PIC pushing her door open, Shay following her lead.

"So… is it time?" The blonde asked as they met around the back of the rig, Gabby nodding before they began walking towards the double doors.

"Yup. I'm gonna go tell Walker, then talk to Matt."

"Is he telling everyone or you?" Shay asked, Gabby smiling softly.

"Well, we both are, I guess. But I imagine he'll be the one to say it." Dawson explained, Shay giving her a nod as they got to the doors, the blonde pulling one open. "He's so excited, it's really cute actually."

"Yeah, that's not surprising." The blonde chuckling as they made their way back into the common room, seeing most everyone where they'd been when the paramedics had gotten called out a few hours earlier.

It took barely a second for Dawson to find the firefighter she was looking for, Gabby seeing Walker seated at the small circular table, the man reading his newspaper as Otis, Cruz, and Severide sat beside him. Taking a deep breath, Gabby continued into the common room, her eyes moving towards the other table, finding Matt watching her a soft smile. The second she saw him, her entire body relaxed, Casey giving her a reassuring nod, like he already knew what she was about to do.

After one more nod from her boyfriend, Gabby continued towards Bryan, coming up from behind him as the other three firefighters looked up when they registered her presence.

"Hey Dawson." Cruz greeted, Gabby seeing Bryan's back tense as he lifted his head, but he didn't turn around to look at her, Dawson continuing around the table, coming to stand beside Walker.

"Hey guys." She responded, flashing them a small smile before turning her attention towards Bryan, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear and clearing her throat. "Uh, Walker… can we talk for a second?"

The room got quiet when they heard Gabby approach the firefighter, knowing she'd been doing the exact opposite for a few months now. The entire situation between the former fiancés was a delicate one, everyone in the house knowing that, so for her to reach out to him was a bit strange.

Bryan took a deep breath, the man looking up towards Dawson, an unreadable expression in his eyes, seeing Gabby gnawing on her bottom lip. Without saying a word, he nodded, Gabby reciprocating the gesture before she turned around, walking towards the conference room. Rolling out the tension in his neck, Bryan pushed himself up from the table, ignoring the stares from everyone in the room, following in Dawson's path as he walked out of the room, closing the door firmly behind him.

"What do we think that's about?" Herrmann asked the question most everyone in the room was thinking.

"I don't think it's any of your business, Herrmann." Shay replied almost instantly, her eyes flashing to Matt, the Lieutenant's gaze focused on the conference room door.

"Do you guys think they're getting back together?" Cruz asked, ignoring Shay's words, Casey's back tensing slightly. Before anyone could answer, Severide smacked the back of Joe's head, the man putting his hands up. "It's just a question."

"A question that's none of your business." Severide replied, shaking his head. "You heard Shay, now drop it. " He spoke, glancing across the room towards Casey, giving him a nod when he caught his friend's gaze, Severide, Shay, and Casey all aware that here soon, everyone would know exactly why Gabby needed to talk to Walker.

Inside the conference room, Dawson stood a good few feet away from Walker, the two standing in a thick silence as Bryan's harsh gaze focused on her. Gabby knew he was upset with her, that their brief conversation at Molly's had pissed him off, but he seemed more angry now than he had then, and she didn't know why.

But she couldn't focus on that, because it didn't matter. He could think whatever he wanted, he could be as angry and upset as he wanted, it wasn't going to change anything.

"So, uh-... I know you probably weren't expecting me to bring you in here, but I need to talk to you about something." She prefaced, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned her weight against the table, Walker remaining still. "I know we're not together anymore, and I don't even know if you'll care, but I didn't want you finding out with everyone else. I wanted you to hear this from me, but-"

"If you're about to tell me that you're fucking Casey, I already know."

Gabby's eyes widened as the angry words left his lips, Walker scoffing as he took a step forward, his glare zeroed in on her surprised expression.

"Oh, don't look so shocked." He spat, Dawson's spine straightening as she glared at him. "It's amazing no one else in this Goddamn house found out already, considering how you throw yourself at him."

"Excuse me?"

"It's pathetic, you fucking him just to get back on me… _You're_ pathetic, I can't believe I ever was with you to begin with." He spoke roughly, his eyes burning as Gabby felt anger building in her system. "I mean, I guess I shouldn't be surprised you jumped to the first guy who was available, but my Lieutenant? I knew I'd asked about you two before, but I didn't think you were actually fucking him, Jesus Gabby." He huffed out, shaking his head as he began to pace in front of her. "You couldn't have become fuck buddies with someone who wasn't my boss? I mean, what the fuck are you thinking? Are you trying to sleep your way through the house? Should I worry about Severide being next? God, you're fucking unbelievable."

"You're insane if you think this has anything to do with you." She bit back without hesitation, Walker stopping in his tracks, his fists clenched at his sides as he turned towards her. "This isn't about you, so just stop the bullshit. Mine and Matt's relationship-"

"Relationship." He scoffed, shaking his head. "Yeah, I'm sure. I'm sure what you two have is a 'relationship'. Keep telling yourself that to make you feel better."

"Our relationship isn't about you." She continued, ignoring his words as Walker shook his head. "It has nothing to do with you. Matt and I met before I even knew he'd be working here, it's not like I just up and decided to sleep with your Lieutenant." She defended herself, Bryan narrowing his eyes.

"Well, it wouldn't surprise me if you had." He shot back, Gabby standing up straight. "You seem to have a type."

"What?" She scoffed, Walker's glare never lifting.

"I'm just saying… You got with me because I worked here, then the second a new guy comes in you can't wait to- wait." He cut himself off, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion as realization spread across his face, Gabby unsure of what had stopped him. "You two were together before he came to work here?" He asked, disbelief playing across his face as Gabby soon realized what he was thinking, Bryan having put the timeline together in his head. "We broke up the night before that, you're telling me you were fucking him before we split up? Jesus Christ, Gabby." He spat, shaking his head angrily. "You really are a piece of work, you were fucking him behind my back while acting all high and mighty when it came to my mistakes?"

"Him and I weren't together before you broke up with me." She corrected him, Walker's gaze narrowing slightly.

"Okay, well please explain to me how that works, I would love to hear how you weren't sleeping around behind my back." He spoke harshly, sarcasm dripping from his voice as he took another step towards her, Gabby standing her ground. "Because the only way that would work is if you went and fucked him like the second I ended things." He added, Gabby's face faltering slightly before she quickly recovered. But Walker saw it, his eyes widening before he shook his head, a heavy scoff leaving his lips. "...God, you really are just fucking unbelievable, aren't you? I end our engagement, we break up after being together for three fucking years and the first thing you do is go and find some guy to fuck? You're pathetic."

"At least I waited until we were broken up before I slept with other people." She fired back, her voice getting louder as Walker's eyes narrowed in anger. "You don't get to stand there and judge me for things I did after we were broken up. I don't owe you anything. You're the one who broke up with me, remember? You chose to end things. You don't get to be mad at me for moving on, when you were sleeping with God knows how many women while we were still engaged!" She shouted, Bryan shaking his head as he ran his hand over his mouth.

"Yeah, you love to just throw that back in my face, don't you? You're real proud of yourself for managing not to fuck some other dude when we were still together, well congratulations, you waited a whole five seconds before spreading your legs for whatever guys gave you the slightest bit of attention." He responded bitterly, only stopping to take a breath. "You know from where I'm standing, it seems like you were never as broken up over me ending things than you led everyone to believe. You were apparently doing just fine, even though you moped around here for weeks, making me look like some kind of monster all while you were screwing around with whoever you could… Although I guess I shouldn't even be surprised that you immediately went out looking for some guy to fuck, you're nothing but a piece of ass, anyway. Why do you think I was with you for so long?" He spat loudly, his anger getting the best of him, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek as his harsh words hit her. "That's all you were ever good for. And you're an idiot if you think Casey will be any different. You're impossible to be in a relationship with, and that poor bastard is gonna figure that out sooner or later."

"Walker-"

"There's a reason we didn't work out, Gabby!" He yelled, Dawson shrinking back slightly at the force of his voice. "You're a good lay, but that's about the only thing tolerable about you. You're so Goddamn insufferable, no one can stand to be around you. And Casey's gonna figure that out. I put up with you for three fucking years, and not a day goes by where I don't regret not ending things sooner. You made my life hell, and now, to make things worse, you're fucking my boss." He bit out, shaking his head. "...You're pathetic, Gabby, and I wish I never wasted my time on you."

The sound of the door opening took away any chance for Gabby to respond, the paramedic blinking quickly as they both turned towards the door, seeing Casey and Shay standing in the doorway, Gabby seeing the eyes of everyone else on them through the window. Clearly, the entire house had heard at least part of their conversation, Gabby taking a step away from Walker as the firefighter scoffed, directing his attention to Matt.

"Oh great, Casey's here to save the day." He spoke sarcastically, Matt's eyes narrowing as he stepped inside the room, Shay following, anger pouring off the Lieutenant.

"You need to cool it, Walker. Right now." Casey spoke firmly, Gabby hearing an anger in his voice she'd never heard before, his tone only encouraging Bryan.

"Why? Can't handle knowing the truth about your little girlfriend?" He challenged, walking towards Casey. "Or should I say whore-"

"Walker!" Matt shouted, Shay moving towards Gabby now that Bryan had stepped away from her, the blonde focusing her attention on her friend, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek roughly, blinking back the tears forming in her eyes, Walker's words having hit her deeper than she ever wanted to admit. "You need to calm down." Casey spoke, his eyes focused solely on the angry firefighter across from him. He was fighting every instinct in him to just go and comfort Gabby, Matt's stomach turning at the thought of everything Bryan had said to her, but he knew he needed to diffuse the situation first. Walker was angry, and that had to be handled. He had to be a Lieutenant first, even though all he wanted to do was be her boyfriend.

"I'm sorry Lieutenant, but you don't get to tell me to calm down. Not when you've been fucking Gabby behind my back-"

"Nothing was done behind your back." Casey replied calmly, knowing the entire house was listening. This wasn't at all the way he, or Gabby, wanted everyone to find out about their relationship, but with Walker's screaming moments prior, they were well past that.

"Oh bullshit." Walker snapped, taking a step closer. "You two have been fucking around behind my back, you really couldn't have used anyone else to get over what your ex-wife did to you?" He shot, Matt's back tensing. "You could've fucked anyone else, it didn't need to be her." He added, shaking his head before brushing past his Lieutenant, Walker moving into the stunned common room.

Running his hand over his mouth, Casey spared a quick glance at Gabby, seeing an unreadable expression in her eyes before he turned around, his compulsion to defend his girlfriend winning out above anything else.

"Hey!" Casey called as he got into the common room, Walker stopping just before he got into the hallway, the entire common room looking between them. Rolling out his neck, Bryan turned around, rage shining in his eyes as he looked towards his boss.

"What? What do you have to say? Did everyone else here know that you've been fucking Dawson? Was I the only one who didn't know? Although compared to how they look right now, I have a feeling none of them knew you were with that slut-"

"Walker, you better watch your mouth." Casey cut him off, taking another step forward, barely registering Gabby's presence in the conference room doorway.

"Oh just drop the protective boyfriend act, you already got her into bed, you don't need to keep pretending you care about her." He scoffed, glancing around the room. "I don't have time for this bullshit, for whatever you're about to tell me about how it's not what I think, or you two didn't start this until after we broke up, whatever crap you're gonna say, I don't care. It doesn't matter. You won." He spat, Matt's eyebrows furrowing in disbelief. "You won, alright? You've hated me from the start, you've always tried to prove you were better than me. You've had it out for me since you got here, and now I know why. It's because of her." He continued, his anger and frustration evident as he pointed towards Dawson. "So you win, I give up. You're fucking my ex, congratulations. She's not fucking worth this, anyway. You can have her." He huffed out, turning on his heels and continuing out of the otherwise silent common room. But Casey didn't let him very far.

"You really are one conceited son of a bitch, aren't you?" Matt fired back, stomping towards his firefighter, the two meeting at the entrance of the room. "Maybe drop your ego for one damn second and consider that not everything is about you. The fact that you think mine and Gabby's relationship has anything to do with you just tells me that I was right about you all along. You really think we're together to… what? Spite you? You're not that stupid." He spoke roughly, Walker's muscles tensing in anger. "This has nothing to do with you. Our relationship doesn't concern you at all, Gabby only told you first because she didn't want you finding out with everyone else, but from that little stunt you pulled in there, it's clear you didn't even deserve that. You have nothing to be angry about here, Walker. You broke up with her-"

"Yeah, and she spread her legs for you the second she could." Bryan interjected, Casey straightening his spine as he took a step forward.

"At least she didn't fuck around behind your back, which is more than you can say." Casey bit back, Walker's face faltering for a moment. "You ended things, you had been cheating on her for a fucking year before you had the decency to break up with her, she doesn't owe you shit. And she especially shouldn't be made to feel guilty for being happy after the shit you put her through."

"Yeah, but-"

"And I don't know why you keep saying that I 'won' Gabby," Casey cut him off, his eyes narrowed. "But she's not a fucking possession, even though you treated her like one. She's not something to be won, she's a person. A person that you treated like shit." He snapped, Walker opening his mouth to try and interject again, but Matt wouldn't let him. "You broke up with her months ago, you have no reason to be mad at her, or at me, or at anyone. I get it, your boss is with your ex and you're pissed off, but you have no reason to be because you're the one who ended things. And you really don't have any right to treat her like you just did in there." Casey spat, his hand gesturing towards the conference room. "Gabby and I did nothing wrong, _she_ did nothing wrong. She didn't cheat on you, and she didn't sneak around behind your back, she did nothing to you. She did nothing but move on with her life after you wrecked it. So grow the fuck up." He nearly shouted, Matt getting angrier and angrier with each second, his need to defend his girlfriend outweighing anything else, the entire room stunned to silence. "And if you can't handle it, transfer houses." Matt added, Walker's face hardening in anger. "But you will not treat Dawson like that again. You won't take out your anger on her, or anyone, like that again. Do you understand me?"

Walker clenched his jaw, his eyes flashing back towards Gabby, the paramedic seemingly frozen in the doorway, her eyes moving from Casey to meet his gaze, Bryan shaking his head as he released a heavy scoff.

"Enjoy my sloppy seconds, Lieutenant." He muttered, Walker turning around and storming out to the garage, the only sound being his boots stomping against the ground, the door slamming into the wall as he disappeared outside, leaving a shocked group of firefighters in the common room.

No one made a move, everyone too stunned to speak until Gabby turned back towards the conference room, knowing it was her quickest exit as she hurried from the room, needing to get away from the tense quiet and uncomfortable stares everyone was giving her, the paramedic leaving quickly without a word, Shay wasting no time in following after her.


	41. Chapter Forty One

**Hello everyone! I'm back with a new update for you all. Can I just say, the response on my last chapter was absolutely incredible. I was so glad to see you all enjoyed that one, I had a lot of fun writing it, even though everything Walker was saying to/about Gabby hurt me a bit as I wrote it, but I was thrilled to see you all enjoy it so much. Your reviews meant so much to me, so thank you.**

**Before we get started, there is one thing I want to talk about. I don't believe I mentioned it on this story, though I did on I Won't Let You Go, but basically I have decided that for the sake of my sanity, I need to cut back to only posting one update per story a week. Since I started this story in August, I've done pretty well to get you all two updates for both of my stories every week, but I just don't feel like I'm able to sustain that anymore. So I asked everyone if they would prefer I update this story and I Won't Let You Go on the same day, or continue my schedule of posting Monday and Thursday, just instead of two chapters those days, it would only be one. And I'm pretty sure every single person said post one update Monday, and the other on Thursday. So that's what I'm going to do. Which, that was basically a long winded way of me saying that this story will now be updated once a week on Thursdays, and I Won't Let You Go will be updated once a week on Mondays, and then my updates for If We Never Say Goodbye will just come as I finish them. I've loved writing these stories, and updating so frequently, but it's starting to become more stressful than anything else, me trying to get these updates out, so I'm hoping this will help with that.**

**So yes, from now on, expect updates on this story every Thursday. And I'm going to address this all on I Won't Let You Go as well, but that next update won't be posted until Monday. And then If We Never Say Goodbye will just get updated as I have time. Hopefully that makes sense, and I hope you all understand why I need to cut back.**

**The love and support you all have given me on not just this story, but all my work, is why we've made it this far. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you for that. I can't wait to keep sharing these chapters and my stories with you all.**

**I hope you enjoy this one.**

* * *

**FORTY ONE**

* * *

Casey ran his hand over his mouth as he watched Shay follow after Dawson, the thick tension in the room only growing as all eyes moved to him, Matt catching all the shocked and confused glances as a heavy silence settled around them. Blowing out a sharp breath, Casey's eyes found Severide, his friend wearing a sympathetic look, shaking his head back and forth slightly.

"So you and Dawson…" Herrmann's voice broke the uncomfortable quiet, Matt swallowing the lump in his throat as he glanced towards the older firefighter, an unreadable expression covering the man's face. "You two are together?" He asked, clearing some of the confusion from his voice.

That was a question everyone in the room already knew the answer to. Obviously, they all had found out about his and Gabby's relationship before they got the chance to tell them properly, but Casey figured the man actually needed to hear it from him. That they all did.

Releasing a soft sigh, Matt quickly glanced around the room, seeing everyone's eyes were still on him, Casey giving them a nod. "We are… yeah." He replied, his eyes moving back towards the conference room door where Gabby had just run from moments prior. "We were going to tell you guys today, after Gabby spoke to Walker, but obviously you found out already…" He trailed off, clenching his eyes shut for a split second before carefully stepping towards the hallway. "I know you all probably have a lot of questions, and I can answer them later, I will, but right now I gotta…" He nodded off down the hallway, Casey unable to focus on anything more than Gabby in this moment, Matt needing to know she was okay before he did anything else. Shooting the room a regretful look, Matt stepped out into the hallway, going in search of his girlfriend.

He left behind a quiet common room, everyone still trying to grasp everything that had been thrown at them in the last few minutes, no one having expected any of this. None of them had ever thought anything was going on between the Lieutenant and Dawson; everyone knew they were good friends, that, after a bit of a bumpy start, they became close, but no one ever suspected it was anything more than friendship. Not after Gabby had just gotten out of her relationship with Walker, they just never assumed she'd date in house again. But clearly, there was a hell of a lot more to the story than any of them knew.

"...What the hell just happened?" Herrmann asked, the firefighter still not sure he was grasping what was going on. He, more than most, had seen how close Dawson and the Lieutenant had become. He'd seen them together at Molly's, he saw how they were with one another in that warehouse when the floor collapsed, but he never thought they were anything more than friends. "Did anyone else know about this?" He asked the room, looking around at all the confused faces, everyone looking equally as unsure about what was happening… All but one person. "Severide? Did you know about Dawson and the Lieutenant?" He questioned directly, watching Kelly closely, everyone else glancing to the squad Lieutenant, Severide sighing softly before responding.

"...I did." He replied, Herrmann's eyebrows raising slightly, Kelly feeling uncomfortable under the stares from his coworkers.

"How long has this been going on? I mean, was it really right after Walker and Dawson split?" He prodded, Severide shooting him a look before he began walking towards the hallway, shaking his head.

"Anything you guys wanna know, you're gonna have to ask Casey… It's not my place to say." He told them lamely, Herrmann smacking his lips together.

"But she didn't-" He cut himself off, Herrmann shaking his head. "...She didn't cheat on Walker?" He asked, Severide's eyes widening. "They weren't together before her and Bryan ended things?"

"No Herrmann, they weren't." Severide replied forcefully, not liking how the man had even thought to ask the question. "Gabby didn't cheat on him like he did to her, they were over before she even met Casey." Kelly clarified, his eyes narrow. He didn't want to get into any aspects of Dawson and Casey's relationship, not when he had no idea how much they were wanting to share, but he didn't want anyone here thinking Dawson had cheated. Severide didn't want there to be any confusion on that front. "Matt can answer the rest of your questions, but don't even bother asking him that one, because they did nothing wrong." He spoke, shaking his head before moving towards the double doors out towards the garage, Kelly having to push down the anger building inside his gut as he went in search of the man who had just caused a scene in front of the entire firehouse.

And it took him only seconds to find him, Severide seeing Walker pacing back and forth in between the two fire trucks, rage pouring off of him as he slammed his fist into the door before continuing on like nothing had happened, Bryan bringing his hands up to the back of his head as he moved.

"You feel better about yourself, now?" Severide spat, his voice gaining the man's attention, Walker scoffing as he stopped moving.

"Of course, I guess I should've expected this." Bryan muttered, shaking his head before continuing to move back and forth across the floor, Severide walking closer to him. "Whatever you're gonna say, I really don't wanna hear it."

"And you think Dawson wanted to hear any of what you just said to her in there?" Kelly fired back, Bryan glaring towards him.

"Since when did you become so buddy-buddy with Gabby? You fucking her, too? ...Wouldn't surprise me." He huffed, Kelly's narrow eyes following Bryan's movements, Severide unable to believe what he was hearing.

"Casey really is right, you are so fucking dense. You really think this has anything to do with you? That Gabby's dating Casey just to get back at you? What the fuck is your problem?"

"Of course it has to do with me!" He shouted angrily, his hands dropping to his sides. "Why else would she fuck him? Why else would she go after my boss? She did this to get back at me, she's being the same bitch she always was." Bryan added harshly, Kelly shaking his head.

"You are unbelievable. You are fucking unbelievable." He spoke sharply, Severide running his hand over his mouth before continuing. "Dawson isn't with Casey because of anything having to do with you, although I'm sure your ego will never let you accept that. But regardless of the reason, that doesn't matter. Because you have no say in what she does anymore. I'm not sure why you ever thought you had any control over her anyway- that's not normal, by the way, but especially now, she doesn't owe you a damn thing, not after what you did. Are you really that fucking controlling?"

"God, why is everyone here always on her side? It's always 'poor Dawson' this and 'poor Dawson' that, you have Casey telling me to grow the fuck up, why doesn't she? She's not a fucking kid, and everyone here treats her like one!" Bryan growled, shaking his head in disgust. "You all have no idea what kind of bullshit I had to put up with for years because of her… you wanna talk about controlling? She ruined my life, is all she ever did for me. She made me miserable-"

"Then you break up with her!" Severide yelled, unable to listen to Walker any longer. "You break up with her, that's what you do. If you were really that unhappy, you end things. You don't drag her along for months, you don't cheat on her. You don't fucking propose to her when you have no intention of marrying her, who the hell does that?" He asked rhetorically, seeing the anger shining in Walker's eyes. "If you really didn't want to be with her, you should've ended things the second you realized that. You don't get to fuck around behind her back, and then try and blame her for it."

"You have no idea what I dealt with with that bitch, she was insufferable-"

"You're right." Severide cut him off, Bryan's eyebrows furrowing. "You're right, I have no idea what went on in your relationship. Because I stupidly believed every bullshit lie you ever told me about her… When you'd talk about how overbearing she was, how she never wanted you to go out, and have any fun.. That was all bullshit. You just couldn't go out and have the fun you wanted with her, because your version of fun was fucking some chick you met in a bar." Kelly recanted, Walker opening his mouth to defend himself, but Severide spoke again before he could. "You'd go on and on, always bitching about something she'd done, but you never gave me the full story, did you? Every time you'd complain to me about her… if how you just spoke to her in there says anything, it's that you'd leave a hell of a lot of the story out."

"Are you done?" Walker snapped, his eyes narrowed on his former friend. "Because I'm tired of listening to this shit. I get it, you're on Casey's side. He came in, you two became best friends and now you're taking his side, that's great. But I don't have to sit here and listen to you go on and on about this. So just let me know when you're done." He spoke roughly, Severide shaking his head in disbelief as he began to step backwards, Kelly unable to understand how he ever trusted the man across from him.

"Just stay the fuck away from them." Kelly spat, Walker rolling his eyes. "Casey, Dawson… leave them alone. They're happy, and I know that pisses you off, but nothing you do will change that. So just move the fuck on with your life, and leave them alone." He finished, anger seeping into his words before Severide turned around, stomping back towards the firehouse without another word, leaving the irritated firefighter out in the garage.

* * *

Casey pushed the door open as he walked into the bunk room, his eyes moving around the small space until his gaze landed on his office, seeing all the blinds on his windows and door now drawn, giving away the location of his girlfriend. The second she left the common room moments prior, he had a feeling this was where she'd gone, and he imagined Shay had been the one to close them off from the rest of the firehouse, Matt's stomach dropping as he tried to prepare himself for whatever state Gabby would be in. He wasn't sure what to expect, Matt having seen the pain and hurt shining in her eyes after everything Walker had said to her, but now that she'd had some time to be away from everyone, he truly had no idea what to expect. All he knew was that he needed to be there for her, and he had every intention of doing that.

Sighing softly, Casey turned the handle before slowly pushing the door open, immediately being met by the sight of Gabby sitting on the edge of his bed, Shay standing by her side, the blonde's hand resting on her shoulder. He wasn't sure if they'd been talking before he came in, but from the looks of it Gabby hadn't been responding to much, the PIC not even having looked up when he came inside, Shay giving him a weak smile.

Taking a deep breath, Shay stepped away from her partner, knowing she was in good hands as she slid past Casey, stopping to give his arm a squeeze before continuing out of the small room, closing the door behind her, leaving the couple alone.

Pursing his lips together, Matt took the few steps towards the bed, Gabby finally looking up when he got closer, Casey frowning at the sight of the blank look covering her face, her dark brown eyes not having their usual spark. When their gazes locked, she forced a weak smile, one that didn't reach her eyes as Casey came to a stop in front of her, Matt leaning over to place a comforting kiss on the top of her head before he squatted down in front of her, his hands resting over her thighs.

The two stayed in a soft quiet for a few moments, Matt doing what he could to remain a comforting presence as he tried to get a read on her, the paramedic not giving much away as she took slow breaths.

"...I'm okay." She murmured, blinking quickly before she focused her gaze down onto her lap, watching as he gently squeezed her legs, his thumb stroking over the tops of her thighs.

"Okay." He repeated softly, continuously moving his hands across her legs, knowing the action soothed her. "..But it's alright if you're not." He added gently, Gabby giving him a quick, short nod before she reached out for him, grabbing ahold of one of his hands and clasping it within hers, lacing their fingers together before resting their conjoined hands in her lap.

"How much did you guys hear?" Gabby questioned, meeting his gaze again, finding herself comforted by his warm, blue eyes. Although she wasn't entirely sure why she was asking, she had a pretty good idea of the answer, Matt releasing a soft sigh before he responded.

"Most of it." He spoke, refusing to lie to her even though when he saw her face falter part of him wished he would've, Gabby giving him another nod as she bit down on the inside of her lip harshly for a second.

"Well, I guess everyone knows now." She responded, her words becoming shaky as they left her lips, Matt frowning when he saw her bottom lip start to tremble, the firefighter knowing she was fighting a losing battle with herself as she tried to keep her composure.

"Gabby…"

"I'm okay." She cut in, Matt feeling her squeeze his hand as she looked back down to her lap, her free hand coming up to run along the side of her face. "I'm alright, I am." She told him, her demeanor telling him more than her words ever could as she blinked furiously, the action causing a lone tear to slide down her skin. "Dammit." She muttered, clearly mad at herself for letting her emotions win out, Matt shaking his head as she quickly wiped under her eyes.

"It's okay to be upset." He murmured, tightening his grip on her palm as another tear slid down her cheek, Matt reaching up to wipe it away. "He had no right to say any of that to you, none of it was true. He's just angry, and taking it out of you-"

"But what if it is true?" She asked quickly, Casey's eyebrows furrowing as he shook his head, Gabby swallowing thickly. "Maybe he's right, maybe I'm the reason things ended the way they did between us. Maybe I'm the reason him and I weren't able to work. I mean, you couldn't stand me either when we first met, maybe I'm the problem, maybe-"

"Gabby, stop." He cut in gently, seeing that she was getting more upset, his heart sinking into his stomach as her words hit his ears. "Nothing he said was true."

"But-"

"_Nothing_ he said was true." He repeated, giving her hand another squeeze, hating that she was even thinking that Walker had been right. "I need you to believe that, believe me when I tell you that it's not true. He's pissed off, and he's just trying to hurt you, but you didn't deserve the things he said to you, you didn't do anything wrong. Nothing you could've done would have ever warranted that."

"But how can you be so sure?" She asked, Matt raising his eyebrows slightly, the firefighter not following her reason. "I mean, you didn't even know me then, and you don't know much about my relationship with him, how do you know it wasn't my fault?"

"Because I know you." He cut in, Gabby taking a deep breath, Matt sliding his free hand up and down her side. "And no matter what happened between you two, you never deserved what he did to you. And you sure as hell didn't deserve that." He continued, nodding back towards the bunk room, his gesture referring to the words Walker had just told her, Gabby blinking back the tears in her eyes as she looked to him. "And I know things between us were rocky when you and I first met, but you were hurting... We both were. And you were trying to get past that." He told her, Gabby taking a deep breath. "And, admittedly, it took me awhile to realize what you were going through then, but everything that happened between us was as much on me as it was on you. I don't want you thinking any differently… He's wrong, Gabby. I'll do whatever I need to until you believe that, but nothing he said to you was true."

Gabby drew in a slow breath, Matt lifting his hand up to her face, resting his palm against her cheek, stroking his thumb gently over her skin, seeing her eyes shut as he watched her closely.

For as long as he'd known her, Matt had picked up on the fact that Gabby really didn't have a lot of faith in herself, that she tended to overthink and second guess everything, especially early on when it came to him. And every time he learned more about how Walker treated her, he understood why. If what Walker had said today was any indication as to how she'd been treated by him, Casey could only imagine what the man would say to her private, the thought making him sick. No one deserved that, no one deserved to be talked down to the way she was, especially by someone who used to claim that they loved her. Gabby especially didn't deserve that. This smart, beautiful, amazing, compassionate woman deserved none of that, and the fact that Walker had not only said those things to her, but she was wondering if maybe they had been true, absolutely broke his heart.

"Gabby…" He murmured, his soft voice getting her to open her eyes, Matt seeing the exhausted look staring back at him, the firefighter assuming it was more so a mental exhaustion than a physical one. "What's going on in there?" He asked, tapping his index finger against the side of her head, Gabby sighing softly before she looked back down to her lap, Matt dropping his hand to her side.

"I don't know… I guess I'm still just hung up on what he said." She breathed out, Matt nodding slowly. "And I know I shouldn't be, I know you're right… He's angry at me, and he knew he could hurt me… I just didn't think it would hurt this much." She admitted softly, a frown forming over his face as she shook her head. "And it shouldn't. I shouldn't care what he says. I don't care about him, what he says shouldn't affect me but-..."

"You loved him." He finished for her when she couldn't, Gabby lifting her head to meet his gaze. "You loved him for a long time, so hearing him say those things to you… that's gonna hurt."

"But I don't feel that way anymore, it shouldn't matter." She replied quickly, Matt hearing the frustration in her voice, Casey knowing that feeling was directed solely at herself.

"I know you don't, but just because you've moved on from him, it doesn't take away the years that you did love him. He was a big part of your life, Gabby, hearing him say that stuff about your relationship, that's going to affect you… There's nothing wrong with that." He told her, Gabby pressing her hand against her head, clearly trying to alleviate some of the tension that had built up there. "I'm sorry he ever said those things to you in the first place, I can't speak for him and why you two were together, but what he said about us, and why I'm with you…" He started, Gabby's eyes locking with his, the soft smile on his face calming her. "He couldn't be more wrong. I love you, and nothing will ever change that. I love _all_ of you, okay?" Matt spoke confidently, Gabby unable to stop the slight smile that tugged at her lips. "I know what he said hurt you, and that's okay, but he is so wrong, Gabby. You're absolutely incredible, and not a day goes by where I'm not thankful we met the night we did. I'm grateful for everything that happened between us, even the stuff that hurt us, because it got us here. I'm the happiest I think I've ever been, and that's all because of you." He continued, seeing her spirits lifting slightly, unshed tears shining in her eyes as she lifted her hand up towards his head, stroking her fingers through his hair. "And I'm not going anywhere, alright? I'm here. I'm in this, it doesn't matter what anyone else says or does, because you and I know why we're together. We know how we feel, and you should never be made to feel guilty for being happy. I know you trusted him, and I know he broke that trust and that still hurts, but he never deserved someone like you. You deserve so much better than what you got from him." Matt told her, Gabby gnawing on her bottom lip. "You deserve someone who loves you, who's there for you, someone who supports you… someone who doesn't mock your insanely terrible dancing," He added, trying to lighten some of the heaviness in the room as he referenced her less than stellar dance moves, usually only done when she was at least a little tipsy, Matt smiling when he saw her laugh softly. "...You deserve someone good. And, even though you definitely settled when agreeing to date me," He spoke with a gentle grin, Gabby shaking her head in slight amusement, "I try every day to be the type of man you deserve."

He barely got the words out before Gabby leaned forward, wrapping her arms around him tightly. It was an awkward angle, Matt nearly falling over from the force of her movements but he quickly steadied himself, Casey placing his hand around her back, Gabby hunched over as her head dug into his neck.

"...Thank you." She whispered against his skin, Matt smiling softly when he felt her press a kiss against his neck, the firefighter running his hand along her back.

"You never need to thank me for that." He murmured, feeling her press another kiss to his skin before she pulled back, Matt brushing a strand of hair behind her ear before he pushed himself up, his muscles angry at him for staying in that crouched position for so long, the Lieutenant moving to sit beside her on the bed. Without prompting she leaned into his side, Matt wrapping his arm around her back, his hand landing on her waist, Gabby resting her head against his shoulder.

They sat in a comfortable quiet for a few moments, Matt continuously rubbing his hand along her side as Gabby gripped onto his thigh, Casey able to feel her body slowly relaxing as they sat together. He could tell she was deep within her own head, Matt occasionally pressing kisses against her hair, hoping the gesture could keep her grounded. He wasn't exactly sure what she was thinking about, he just hoped it wasn't about what Walker had said to her. Bryan had done enough damage to her already, the last thing Matt wanted was for this to make it worse, although part of him was still having a hard time understanding how Walker could say those things to her in the first place.

He knew Gabby was upset, she had every right to be, because Walker never should've said any of that to her. Whether it was actually what he believed, or he was only saying it to upset her, it was cruel and he never should've done it. But he did, because he knew he could hurt her, and that mentality made Matt sick.

Walker loved Gabby for a long time, even with all the bullshit he put her through, so for him to be able to look her in the eye and say those things, with absolutely no remorse, it was heart breaking to see what that had done to her. Because, regardless of how things ended between them, Gabby loved him. She spent a long time loving Bryan, and for their three year relationship to be treated like it meant nothing to him, that he only kept her around for sex, Matt couldn't imagine what that felt like. To be made to feel used in that way, it made him sick. Even at his and Hallie's lowest, she never belittled him. She had done some terrible things, but she never treated him like that, like she was only with him to use him, and he couldn't even imagine what that had done to Gabby's psyche, especially if this had been a common occurrence.

And that's part of what he kept getting hung up on. How if this is how Walker treated her when he knew people were around, then how much worse had things been behind closed doors? What had been said to Gabby when it was just them? A part of him wanted to know, he wanted to know what all Walker had done so he could try and help her get past it, and show her Bryan was wrong… But the other part of him wasn't sure he could handle hearing it. When he sat out there in the common room, having to listen to Walker talk down to her in that way, he could barely stand to hear it.

But he would. If Gabby ever felt comfortable enough to share with him what all exactly had gone on between her and Walker, he would listen to whatever she had to tell him. Because as hard as it would be to hear it, this wasn't about him. It was about Gabby, and making sure she never felt the way Walker had made her feel again.

"You doing okay?" He asked softly after a few quiet moments, the words sounding a bit stupid as the left his lips. Of course she wasn't okay, but he wasn't sure what else to ask her, Matt feeling her nod against his shoulder.

"I'm alright… Just processing everything, I guess." She murmured, Matt giving her a nod of his own as he squeezed her side gently. "...I just hate that he ruined this." Gabby added, Matt's eyebrows furrowing as he pulled back from her slightly, the paramedic reluctantly lifting her head.

"What do you mean?"

"Walker, he ruined this- He ruined us being able to tell everyone." She replied sadly, Casey's face softening as he shook his head. "I really wanted this to go well, and I know how excited you were for them all to know… I was, too. And he ruined it."

"Nothing was ruined." Matt responded without hesitation, Gabby meeting his gaze. "Of course I would've liked to be able to be the one to tell them, and I hate the way it happened, but the important part was that they knew. And I know I still need to have an actual conversation with them, but the reason I was so excited to tell them was because I just wanted them to know, and now they do. Everything's fine."

"...So they're not mad?" She questioned softly, Casey's eyebrows furrowing.

"Why would they be mad?"

"I don't know." She responded with a shrug, looking down to her lap. "For finding out the way they did…"

"That wasn't our fault." He replied, Gabby taking a deep breath, Matt rubbing his hand along her side. "I know they're confused, a lot got thrown at them at once, but they're not mad. They have questions, and I can deal with all that… Once I talk to them, everything will be fine. I don't want you worrying about this." Casey told her, Gabby nodding, still refusing to meet his eyes. Sighing softly, he gently placed his hand under her chin, lifting her head until she was looking at him, seeing unshed tears still sitting in her eyes. "Walker didn't ruin this, okay? What he did, that doesn't change anything for us. I wish he wasn't such an angry dick, but nothing between you and me has changed, and once I explain everything to the house, they'll be fine, too… But I still love you, you and I are still happy, and now that they know, we can just be ourselves." He told her, seeing a slight smile pulling on her face, Matt running his thumb along her bottom lip. "Nothing for us has changed, okay?"

Nodding slowly, Gabby leaned in, pressing a firm kiss to his lips, her hand resting on his neck as they slowly moved together, Matt keeping her close to him as he kept his hand on her waist. "I love you." She whispered against his lips when they stopped to catch their breath, Gabby feeling him smile before he kissed her again.

Their intimate moment was interrupted by a knock on the door, Gabby pulling back from Casey as they both look towards the sound. "Hey, sorry to interrupt," Shay's voice flooded into the room, Matt pushing himself up from the bed, walking towards the door. "But Boden wants to see you guys."

He pulled the door open just as she finished talking, the blonde's eyes immediately moving towards Gabby, flashing her a friend a sympathetic smile.

"Thanks Shay." Matt replied, the blonde nodding as Gabby stood up from the bunk, walking towards the door.

"You okay?" Shay asked, Gabby giving her a nod as the blonde brought her in for a quick hug, Matt smiling softly at the sight as Dawson held onto her partner tightly. "Just say the word and I'll castrate the son of a bitch." Matt's eyes widened slightly, Shay's words earning a slight scoff from Dawson as the two separated.

"As much as I appreciate that, it's not necessary Shay." Gabby responded, the three moving out of Casey's office.

"Well, if you change your mind, the offer's always on the table." Shay replied, rubbing along her friend's back before stepping away from them, her eyes moving towards Matt. "You remember that, too, Casey." She warned, the Lieutenant shaking his head as he put his hands up in defense, Gabby chuckling at the childish actions of her best friend and her boyfriend, Shay giving him a playful glare before continuing towards the exit.

"Thank you, Shay." Gabby spoke just as she got to the door, her voice much more serious than it had been seconds prior, the blonde turning around, wearing a soft smile.

"I've got your back, babe." Shay reminded her, Gabby nodding before her partner disappeared into the hallway, leaving the couple alone in the bunk room, the PIC immediately reaching for Casey's hand, the firefighter glancing towards her.

"You okay?" He asked again, earning a slight nod from her.

"Yeah, I'm good… I'm just not sure what Boden's gonna say. I mean, I know he's probably gonna want to talk to us about what just happened, but I… I don't know." She trailed off, shaking her head as she failed to vocalize her thoughts.

"It'll be okay. Whatever it is… You haven't done anything wrong." He reassured her, Gabby looking up to him as he gave her hand a firm squeeze. "And remember… you've got me. Always."

His sincere words brought a smile to her face, Gabby nodding as she took a deep breath, giving his hand one last squeeze before she dropped it, the two heading off towards Boden's office.

The walk to get there didn't last nearly as long as she'd hoped, Gabby doing all she could to avoid the curious eyes of the common room as her and Matt passed her coworkers, knowing there was no other route to the Chief's office. And when they got there, Gabby's steps slowed when she saw Bryan sitting inside with Boden, the two unsure of if they were supposed to wait, or join them. But they soon got their answer when Boden waved them inside, Matt opening the door and walking in first, his protective instinct kicking in as he felt the need to be between Walker and Gabby, Dawson shutting the door behind them.

Walker was seated in one of the chairs across from Boden, Gabby opting to stay back by the window, Casey planting himself by her side as he crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes shooting daggers into the back of Bryan's head.

If Boden had any objections to them staying in the back of the room, he didn't voice them, the older man clearing his throat before his compassionate eyes landed on the paramedic, seeing her gaze focused on the ground. "Dawson…" He prompted, Gabby lifting her head up to look at him. "I'm sure you know why I called you all in here… And, first and foremost, I just want to apologize for what was allowed to take place today. I wasn't there, but after talking to a few people-"

"You talked to Shay," Walker cut in bitterly, Boden's eyes narrowing towards the man, "Like she's gonna give you an accurate version of what actually happened."

"We talked about this Walker, if I were you, I'd be very careful about the next words that come out of your mouth." Boden snapped, Bryan taking a deep breath before sinking into his chair, the Chief's eyes softening as he looked back to Gabby. "As I was saying Dawson, I'm sorry this happened. I'm sorry for what was said to you, and about you… Things should've been handled better, and I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Chief." She responded, clearing her throat. "It's not your fault, and I'm fine." She added, Boden nodding slowly as he took a deep breath.

Boden opened his mouth to continue, but was cut off by the sound of the bells going off, 61 being called out to a car accident a few blocks away. Dawson pushed herself off the back wall, catching a quick smile from Matt before she looked towards Boden, silently waiting for permission to be excused.

"Go ahead, Dawson." He instructed, Gabby giving him a nod before slipping out of the room, pulling the door closed behind her.

Once Gabby was gone, it was as if all of Matt's rage and anger towards the man in front of him reappeared, Casey clenching his hands together behind his back to keep himself from punching Walker in the face.

"Well, that's probably for the best, anyway…" Boden murmured, Chief nodding at Matt to come forward, Casey reluctantly walking towards the desk, standing behind the vacant seat next to Walker. "Now, Casey, I've already reprimanded Walker for everything, and while I understand your heart was in the right place, you also need to handle yourself better in situations like this." Boden spoke, Casey nodding slowly. "You're a Lieutenant, it's your job to remain level-headed. I need to know you can still do that."

"Understood, sir. I'm sorry for how I handled things, I know I should have pulled him aside instead of doing that in front of the house." Casey responded, Boden giving him a nod as he took a deep breath.

The Chief understood exactly why Casey had done what he did. And truthfully, Boden would've done the exact same thing in that situation. He knew why Casey reacted the way he had, and he didn't blame him for it, but as his boss, he couldn't just ignore it. Casey was in a position of leadership at this house, he had to set an example for his firefighters, and having a screaming match in the middle of the firehouse wasn't exactly what Boden liked to see from his Lieutenant. But as a man, he understood it. And he'd never fault him for protecting Dawson the way he had.

"Now, I think it goes without saying that all of this could have been avoided had you handled yourself better, Walker." Boden started, Casey seeing his firefighter's body tense out of the corner of his eye. "I've tried to be patient. I've tried to be understanding, but I'm tired of having this conversation with you. I told you after that stunt you pulled with Dawson in the showers that you were on a very short leash, and now it's gotten even shorter." He spoke roughly, Bryan's fists clenching in his lap. "I know the news of Dawson and Casey's relationship must have come as a shock to you, which is the only reason you're not packing your bags right now. But this is your final warning. If you can't get your act together, if you do anything like this to Dawson again, you're gone… Is that clear?" His voice was rigid, frustration evident in Boden's words as he stared down the firefighter, Walker giving a short, reluctant nod.

"Yes sir." He responded quickly, Boden's harsh glare never lifting, Matt glancing down towards the firefighter. Casey could tell that he was angry, that there was probably a lot he was wanting to say, but he didn't, Walker remaining quiet.

"There have been too many issues since things between you and Dawson ended, all of which have been caused by you-"

"Chief…"

"I'm not one to get involved in the personal lives of my firefighters," Boden cut him off, "but you have brought it into this firehouse. If my memory serves me correctly, you broke up with her. And ever since, you have been causing problems for Dawson. From what I can tell, she's trying to move on with her life, she _has_ moved on with her life," Boden spoke, sparing a quick glance at Casey. "And you have an issue with it." He said firmly, Matt taking a deep breath as he saw Walker shift in his seat, the man clearly becoming more and more agitated. "I've given you more than enough chances, I've given you plenty of warnings. If _anything_ happens again. You're gone."

Slowly, Walker nodded, Boden seeing a fire burning in the man's eyes, but to his credit, Bryan said nothing. He merely sat there and took everything the Chief had thrown at him.

"Now, as long as you can assure me that you'll leave Dawson alone, you're dismissed… If you can't, I think it would be best if you went home early." Boden said, his deep voice rough as Walker straightened his spine, the man shaking his head.

"There will be no more problems, Chief." He replied firmly, Boden pursing his lips together before nodding towards the door.

"Good… You can go."

Walker was out of the seat in a split second, the man taking long strides to get to the door, opening it and leaving without another word, Matt watching for a few seconds as Bryan stomped down the hallway, Casey sighing before glancing back towards Boden, seeing an unreadable expression over his face.

"...So I take it that's not exactly how you all planned on sharing the news." Boden spoke, Casey shaking his head as he hunched over slightly, his palms gripping the back of the chair.

"No, it definitely wasn't." Casey responded with a sigh, running his tongue along his bottom lip. "Gabby wanted to tell Walker first, she felt like she owed it to him, or owed it the relationship they had, to tell him before everyone else. But yeah, he didn't take it well." He huffed out, his knuckles turning white from the strong grip he had on the furniture, Boden releasing a heavy breath.

"Is Dawson really okay?" Boden questioned, Matt catching his gaze. "I mean, Shay pretty much filled me in on everything he said, and I just-... Is she alright?"

Casey could hear the concern and compassion in Boden's voice, the Lieutenant giving him a nod as he stood up straight, crossing his arms over his chest. "She's alright, Chief." Matt replied, but Boden looked less than convinced. "...I promise, she'll be okay. I've got her." Casey added, the Chief smiling softly before he nodded.

"I'm glad she has you, Casey." Boden responded, Matt's eyebrows raising slightly, knowing by the tone in his voice that there was more coming. "Truly, I am… But I need to know that you can still do your job here." He continued, the Lieutenant swallowing thickly. "That this issue with Walker, and your relationship with Dawson… that you can remain composed, and be a Lieutenant first when the situation warrants it." The Chief continued, knowing he could speak more freely with Casey now that Walker wasn't in the room. "I know what happened today… I don't think anyone was expecting that, but I need to know that you can handle this situation professionally." Boden finished, keeping a close eye on his Lieutenant.

He knew Casey, nor Dawson, were really the problem here, but he still needed to have this talk with him. Regardless of being right or wrong, Casey had to be able to keep his cool, and both of them knew it.

"I promise that I'll handle things professionally with all of this… Dawson and I don't want this to become an issue, we really don't."

"I know that." Boden assured him, Matt giving him a nod.

"I know how I spoke to Walker wasn't really how a Lieutenant should act, I understand that, and hopefully it won't be a problem anymore… But if he goes after her like that again, I can't promise I won't handle it the same way I did today." Casey replied honestly, Boden pursing his lips together. "I can't promise you I won't speak to him like that again, because he needs to understand that's not okay... She didn't deserve that, Chief." He breathed out, Boden's face softening as he gave a slight nod.

"No, she didn't." He agreed, running his tongue along the inside of his cheek, Matt taking a deep breath before continuing.

"So I can promise you that I can remain professional as long as he doesn't give me a reason not to." Casey clarified, Boden's eyebrows raising slightly. "Professionally, I have no issue with Walker, so as long as he leaves Dawson alone, him and I should have no problems. Gabby and I have been together for awhile now, the house knowing doesn't really change anything for us… We'll act the same way we always have. But if Walker attacks her like that again, I won't just stand there and do nothing." Matt spoke his voice firm as he met Boden's gaze. "I know that probably isn't what you want to hear, but I can't promise you anything else." He added, Boden sighing softly before shaking his head.

"No, I get it, I do… And you shouldn't." He replied, Matt breathing slowly as his eyebrows raised slightly. "As your Chief, I needed to have this talk with you, but I also know I can't ask you to completely put your relationship aside in a situation like this… But hopefully, it won't be a problem anymore." Boden spoke, Casey giving him a nod. "As long as you can continue to work with Walker without any issues…"

"Like I said, professionally, I have no problems with him. I'll treat him the same way I always have, as long as he can respect that." Casey assured his boss, Boden nodding in response.

"Alright, that's all I needed to know." Boden replied. "You're free to go, Casey." He instructed, Matt giving him a nod before heading for the door, the Lieutenant knowing this was just the first of many conversations he'd be having today about his relationship with Gabby.

"Thanks Chief." He spoke, the older man giving him a soft smile before Casey slid out of the room, closing the door behind him as he began the walk back towards the common room. He knew everyone in the room was bound to have tons of questions, and considering Casey knew Gabby was still out on her call, he figured this was the best time to confront them. He meant what he told her, he would handle all the questions anyone had about their relationship, Matt knowing it would be easier on her if she didn't have to go through and explain everything, especially after what all Walker had said to her.

He wanted to answer whatever questions they had, to the best of his ability, but even more so, he didn't want any confusion on how, or when, their relationship started. Matt knew this was all a shock, but he wanted everyone to be on the same page. And hopefully once they were, the surprise would wear off and him and Gabby would be able to just be themselves.

As he got closer to the common room, Casey looked through the windows from the hallway, quickly noticing that Walker was nowhere in sight in the room, which Matt couldn't help but be thankful for. With Walker there, he knew the man would be combative, and it would be that much harder to answer all their questions without any gray area.

Blowing out a sigh, Casey walked around the corner, his steps slowing as he came into the entrance of the room, most eyes on him the second he came into view. From what he could tell, pretty much everyone, aside from Bryan, was in here, Matt pursing his lips together as he caught Herrmann's gaze.

"Is Dawson alright?" The older man asked, Matt's eyebrows raising slightly, it taking him a minute to find his voice as he was a bit thrown by the question, Casey not expecting that to be the first thing anyone would have asked. But, considering this house, he knew he shouldn't have been surprised.

"She's okay." He replied, clearing his throat as he stepped further into the room, coming to stand by the end of the long table, everyone watching him as he leaned his weight into the furniture, seeing a wary look in the older man's eyes. "She'll be fine, Herrmann." He repeated, the firefighter reluctantly nodding before he ducked his head.

Once Herrmann had looked away, Casey's gaze moving around the room, seeing everyone now looking away from him; everyone except for Severide, all of them clearly unsure what to say to him. Drawing in a deep breath, Casey ran his hand over his mouth, swallowing thickly as he shook his head. "Alright guys, ask away." He spoke up, his words gaining the attention of the room. "I know you all have questions, so go ahead." Casey prompted, seeing a few hesitant stares, a couple of the guys glancing between one another. "Now's your chance, because after today we're not having this conversation again. So what do you want to know?" Casey said one last time, catching the almost amused look on Severide's face, Matt giving him a pointed stare before he continued glancing around, his eyebrows raised expectantly.

No one was really sure what to say, not until Herrmann eventually spoke up, the older firefighter clearing his throat. "...How long have you two been together?" He asked, Matt clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

"A little over six weeks." He answered, seeing immediate looks of confusion covering some of their faces.

"Then why was Walker saying-"

"Gabby and I met before I came to work here." Casey clarified, cutting Otis off. "But Walker didn't know that until today, so when Gabby told him, he assumed she'd cheated on him with me, but she didn't. We didn't." Matt told them, earning a few nods from around the room. "We never met until after they were broken up, there was no overlap at all."

"But you all didn't start dating when you met?" Cruz asked, Casey shaking his head. "How did it happen?"

Matt shrugged, ignoring the slight smirk he saw on Kelly's face. Severide obviously knew the situation, but the full version of events wasn't something Casey felt comfortable sharing; it was no one's business, so he would tell them what he could. "We were just friends." He replied simply, Kelly biting back a chuckle. "We didn't get off to the best start, I'll admit that, but we slowly became friends, and got closer I guess… And then we eventually just realized how we truly felt about one another." Casey finished, doing his best to not sound too cheesy, but he didn't know how else to describe it, because that's exactly what happened.

"It took them forever." Severide cut in, Herrmann raising his eyebrows as he looked away from Casey, turning back towards the counter where the squad Lieutenant was standing.

"You knew they liked each other before they did?" He asked, Kelly chuckling before giving him a nod.

"Oh, absolutely." He replied quickly, his light words easing some of the awkward feeling in the room, Casey shaking his head with a soft grin. "They were terrible at hiding it, even if they didn't realize their own feelings. But, you know, they're both stubborn as hell." He added, multiple laughs being heard around the room.

"Yeah, I can see that." Herrmann replied with a chuckle, Severide nodding in agreement.

"It was infuriating, at times. I swear, I thought Shay was just gonna lock them in a room one day until they figured their shit out." Severide spoke, his words earning more laughs. "She had no patience for them trying to get there on their own."

"Shay's never been the patient type." Cruz added, everyone in the room knowing that was true.

"Yeah, she's definitely not." Casey agreed, Herrmann glancing towards him, Matt seeing a look of hesitation flash in his eyes, like there was a question on the tip of his tongue. When they locked gazes, Casey raised his eyebrows, silently prompting him to say whatever he was wondering, the older firefighter drawing in a deep breath before speaking up.

"...Why didn't you two say anything sooner?" He asked, the room having quieted back down, Matt feeling all eyes on him as Herrmann spoke. "I mean, we would've been happy for you guys. We _are_ happy, even if we're a little shocked, I guess… But why did you wait so long to tell us?" He questioned, Matt pursing his lips together as he breathed deeply, trying to figure out how to best answer this question, Casey knowing he had to be careful.

"It wasn't because of you all," Casey started, the man glancing towards the doors to the garage before looking back to the room, catching a few curious stares. "But Gabby just needed time to be able to tell Walker." Herrmann's face softened, the older man nodding in understanding. "Which, as you all saw, didn't go over well…" He sighed, shaking his head before running his hand over his mouth, knowing he couldn't let his anger towards Walker affect him, the Lieutenant unsure of how everyone felt towards the firefighter now. Casey knew when he first got here that everyone absolutely loved Walker, and that, aside from Shay, Gabby seemed to be on her own around here a little bit. Though that dynamic had changed in the months since he'd joined 51, he knew a lot of people here still saw Walker as a friend, and he didn't want to make anyone uncomfortable. "Look... I know this might put you all in a weird position, with Walker and everything. I know you guys are his friends, but Gabby and I did nothing wrong." Casey spoke firmly, everyone in the room hanging on his every word. "And I know Walker's upset over this, which is an issue we don't need to get into, but Gabby and are happy… We're not doing this to hurt anyone, or to spite anyone. We're together because we love each other, and are happy with one another, it has nothing to do with anyone else." Casey told them, catching Severide's supportive gaze. "And the reason we even waited so long was because of Walker, because Gabby needed time, but her and I are happy. And we'd love for you guys to be happy for us."

"We are." Herrmann repeated, Matt seeing some agreeing nods from around the room. "We are happy for you guys, of course we are."

"We just want you guys to be happy." Cruz voiced, Casey shooting him a thankful smile.

"And yeah, it was a shock to hear about you two... I don't want to get involved in things that don't concern me, but it's good that you two are happy." Herrmann added, Casey watching him closely. "You both deserve something good after all you've gone through."

Herrmann's sincere words hit Casey harder than he anticipated, the truck Lieutenant smiling softly before he gave the man a nod. "Thank you, Herrmann… All of you, thank you. I'm sorry you found out the way you did, but thank you for supporting us."

"Of course, Lieutenant." Otis chimed in.

Their conversation got interrupted by the bells going off, both truck and squad being called to an apartment fire, everyone jumping into action as they pushed aside the conversation they'd just had, knowing they couldn't afford to be focused on that while they were about to go to work. But Casey would be lying if he said he didn't feel like there was a giant weight that had been lifted off his chest, the Lieutenant feeling much lighter now that everyone knew just how much Gabby meant to him.

* * *

Dawson took a deep breath as she closed her locker, swinging her shift bag over her shoulder, her body exhausted from the long shift they'd had. Ever since the call that had disrupted her talk with Boden, the entire house had been in and out throughout the rest of the afternoon, and most of the night as well, it seemingly a never-ending cycle of calls. On one hand, Gabby had appreciated it, because it kept her busy and kept her mind off things, but on the other hand, she was beyond tired, her body moving on autopilot as she began walking out of the locker room, heading towards the bunk area.

With the constant revolving door of who was out on calls during their shift, Gabby hadn't been able to see too much of anyone, aside from Shay, meaning she hadn't really had the chance to speak with most of them about her and Casey's relationship. It had been hours after they originally found out before Gabby saw any of the firefighters again, but, to their credit, they had treated her just as they always had. Although she had a feeling that Matt had a large part to do with that, that he had spoken with them at some point throughout the day and answered all their questions so she wouldn't have to deal with any of that. And everyone had treated her normally whenever they saw her. It was like nothing had changed, and she was beyond grateful for that. In fact the only thing that had changed was that Shay had now taken to teasing her more in public than before, much to the amusement of everyone in the firehouse, as well as Gabby not feeling like she had to shy away from Matt. They hadn't seen each other much, but when they did, Gabby didn't have to worry about whether or not they were being too close, or that they were too obvious; they could just be themselves, and regardless of what had happened earlier in the shift, she felt relieved because of it.

Aside from what had happened with Walker, the house seemed to handle finding out about her and Matt's relationship well, whatever original awkwardness and confusion she was sure was present in the beginning long gone by the time she saw them. No one was treating them any differently, and, as Herrmann had told her when he pulled her aside during dinner, he was glad they were happy.

And that was all she wanted. Was for everyone to know about her and Matt's relationship, and for them to be okay with it.

If they hadn't been, it wouldn't have changed anything for her and Matt, of course it wouldn't have, but it would've made things harder. It would've been an added challenge to navigate their relationship at work, and that was something she really didn't want. But luckily, everyone had been more than okay with it, or if they weren't, they were keeping it to themselves. As far as she could tell, everyone had been supportive of her and Matt.

Everyone except the one person she knew wouldn't be okay with it.

Gabby knew Walker would be angry, she had expected that. But she hadn't expected him to be so… hurtful. Maybe it was naive of her, but she wasn't expecting the terrible words he'd said to her. How he demeaned their relationship, their engagement, to nothing more than him keeping her around for sex.

But for as awful as he'd been to her in that moment, he hadn't said a word to her since then. She hadn't even really seen him too often the rest of shift, but when she did, he wouldn't even look her way. He had listened to Boden, and left her alone.

And she could only hope things would stay that way.

As she turned the corner into the bunk room, Gabby blew out a sigh when she saw Casey's office empty, the paramedic pursing her lips together before beginning the walk towards the exit. She wasn't sure where her boyfriend was, but she'd been hoping she could find him before she left, Gabby not having seen him for a few hours. Figuring he might've been in with Boden, Gabby decided to just go ahead and head out, knowing she could call him in a bit and maybe make some plans for later today or tomorrow.

Walking through the garage, Gabby kept a tight grip on the bag over her shoulder, giving soft smiles to any of third shift's firefighters she passed along the way as she continued to her car, the paramedic moving down the driveway.

As she got closer to the sidewalk, her car came into view, a soft grin forming across her lips when she noticed a certain firefighter leaning against her drivers side door, Gabby walking around the back of her vehicle.

Matt glanced to her when he noticed her presence, the Lieutenant smiling wide as she got closer, Gabby coming to a stop directly in front of him. "Funny running into you here." He spoke first, Gabby shaking her head as a light scoff escaped her lips.

"At my car? Oh, I'm sure." She responded, earning a laugh from her boyfriend as he grabbed ahold of her hand, his other grabbing her shift bag, gently pulling it off her shoulder. Giving his hand a squeeze, Gabby took another step towards him, placing her free hand on his chest.

"How are you doing?" He asked softly, rubbing his thumb along the back of her hand. The times he'd seen her since their talk in his office, she seemed to be doing alright, but with their busy day, they hadn't had a moment to really talk more about everything. And he knew Gabby was very good at masking her emotions when she felt like she needed to, so around the house, he knew she could put on a bit of a front. But she didn't need to with him, so now that it was just them, he hoped he could get a better read on her.

"I'm… I'm okay." She responded, Matt raising his eyebrows slightly. "I mean, I don't know-" She cut herself off, drawing in a deep breath, Matt pulling her closer to him as he stood up straight. "That stuff with Walker… I'm really just trying not to think about it right now, if I'm being honest." She admitted, Casey holding his tongue as he gave her a nod.

"Alright… But you know you can talk to me." He reminded her, a small smile forming across her face.

"I know, and I will." She told him, Matt giving her hand another squeeze. "But right now all I really want to do is take a nap."

Casey raised his eyebrows, Gabby rubbing her hand along his chest lightly, Matt matching her smile. "Well, I think a nap sounds perfect." He replied, Gabby cocking her head to the side. "...Would you like some company?" He questioned, watching as her nose scrunched up adorably.

"I would love some." She responded softly, Matt grinning as he leaned forward, capturing her lips in a quick, gentle kiss before they pulled apart, Casey moving to put her bag in the back seat.

"Your place?" He asked as he shut the door, Gabby opening hers as Matt came to stand beside her, the paramedic giving him a nod.

"That's fine." She replied, Matt nodding before giving her another peck.

"I'll meet you over there?" Casey questioned as he began walking backwards, his truck parked on the other side of the driveway.

Gabby nodded, giving him a little salute in response, Matt chuckling softly before he continued walking. "I love you." She spoke, her chest filling with warmth when she saw the wide grin form over his face.

"I love you, too." He replied proudly, giving her one last nod before he turned around, continuing towards his truck, but Gabby didn't let him get very far before her voice stopped him once more.

"Hey Matt?" She called, Casey turning around, that same smile still plastered on his face.

"Hmm?"

"You were wrong, by the way."

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, Gabby seeing immediate uncertainty cover his face, the paramedic running her tongue along the inside of her cheek before she continued.

"What you said yesterday, about how I'm settling for you…" She elaborated, seeing realization wash over him. "That's not true." His face softened at her words, Gabby shaking her head slightly, her hand resting on the door frame as he watched her with a soft smile. "...You are the best man I've ever known, Matt Casey."

The look that covered his face was enough to make her fall in love with him all over again, Matt running his teeth over his bottom lip, unable to stop his smile from widening.

"I just wanted to make sure you knew that."

Without another word, Casey walked back towards her, Gabby watching his every movement as he came up to her, grabbing her face with her hands, pulling her in for a heated, emotion-filled kiss. Gabby melted into him instantly, her hands resting on his waist as she got lost in him, Matt keeping his hands on her cheeks.

When air became a priority, they pulled back, Gabby's chest heaving as she bit down on her bottom lip, suddenly remembering where they were, Matt stroking his thumb over her skin. It took a few moments for her to regain her breathing, but once she did, she leaned forward, pressing a much more tame kiss to his lips, feeling him smile against her.

"So… are you ready for that nap, now?" She asked, Matt chuckling as he nodded, kissing her again before having to force himself away from her, knowing he'd never leave if he didn't. "I'll see you back at my place in a few minutes."

"See you soon." He replied, giving her one last smile before continuing towards his truck, Gabby watching him, waiting until he got to his vehicle before she climbed into her own, the paramedic eager to get back to her apartment and enjoy the day with her boyfriend. He was all she needed right now, Gabby wanting nothing more than to go and immerse herself in nothing but him for a few hours.


	42. Chapter Forty Two

**Hello everyone! I'm back with the next chapter for you all. This one is a little bit shorter than normal, but you'll see why towards the end. I hope you guys enjoy this one, I can't wait to hear your thoughts!**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**FORTY TWO**

* * *

Gabby stood in the bathroom in Matt's apartment, clad in her bra and her unbuttoned shift pants as she brushed her teeth, Dawson going through her routine as she got ready for work. As she was rinsing off her toothbrush, she heard the shower faucet turn off, Dawson looking up through the mirror just as Matt pushed open the glass door, his body glistening as he reached for his towel, Gabby letting herself appreciate the view while he dried himself off.

It took no time at all for her stares to be caught, Gabby biting back a smirk as they locked eyes through the mirror, Matt chuckling as he shook his head, completing his task before tying the towel around his waist. As she placed her toothbrush back in its designated spot, Gabby saw Matt come up behind her, an involuntary shiver coursing through her spine when he placed his cold hands on her bare sides.

Without saying a word, Matt pulled her back against his hard chest, another chill shooting through her system as he moved his hands around to her stomach, her head resting back on his shoulder.

"You're cold." She murmured, his smooth skin still adjusting to the change in temperature since he got out of the shower, Matt grinning before he placed his lips on the top of her shoulder, pressing gentle kisses there.

"Sorry… But based on the way you were staring at me, I didn't think you'd mind." He replied against her shoulder, grazing his teeth over her skin as he trailed his way towards her neck.

Gabby smiled softly, leaning her head to the side to give him better access, feeling Matt's hand slide dangerously low on her stomach, his fingers teasing the skin just along the edge of her underwear, her unbuttoned pants giving him access as his lips continued their assault on her neck. "Well, you're nice to look at." She responded lowly, feeling him smile against her skin before he continued, Gabby taking a deep breath as she let herself melt into him.

"The same can definitely be said for you…" He started, suctioning her skin between his lips for a moment, hearing her breath catch in her throat. "Especially looking like this." Matt added, Gabby's teeth running over her bottom lip. "I think you should dress this way more often."

"Yeah, I don't think you'd want me going out like this." She responded with an amused tone to her voice.

"Absolutely not." He agreed, pressing another kiss to her skin. "But I wouldn't mind you wearing this around the apartment." He countered, Gabby shaking her head.

"Really?" She questioned, earning a hum from him in response. "I figured you'd just prefer me naked."

Matt pulled back slightly for a moment, a smug grin forming on his face as they locked eyes through the mirror, Gabby raising her eyebrows teasingly. "Well, you'd never hear me complain about it, that's for sure." He responded, the woman pressed into his chest shaking her head in amusement before he reattached his lips to her skin.

They stood together for a few moments, Gabby closing her eyes as she leaned into him, the combination of his lips on her neck and his hand teasing the skin on her stomach driving her crazy, but she knew they didn't have time to finish what he was starting, the paramedic aware their moments were fleeting before they needed to leave for shift.

Her eyes opened when she felt him start to slide a finger underneath the waistband of her underwear, Gabby watching as he sunk his teeth down into her neck, his actions pulling a low moan from deep within her chest.

"Matt…" She whispered, her voice barely audible as he continued his assault on her skin, Gabby taking a deep breath as she reached for his hand, keeping him from going any lower. "As much as I'd love to continue this, we really need to get to work." She breathed out, feeling him smirk against her neck.

"You sure?" He challenged, Matt biting down on her skin again before his tongue darted out to soothe the area he'd claimed. "...Because you know I can be quick."

A soft sigh left her lips as she felt his fingertips tease along her waist, just above where he knew she wanted him, Gabby forcing herself to stand her ground. "We can't be late…" She reminded him, slowly pulling his hand out from underneath her clothes, Matt trailing kisses along her skin as he moved his palm over her stomach. "And be careful with where you're leaving those marks." She added, Matt chuckling as he lifted his head up, catching her gaze through the mirror. "I think you already left more than enough last night."

A proud smile formed over his face as his eyes trailed down to her chest, seeing the remains of their fun last night painted over her skin. Small, purple marks littered the tops of her breasts and upper chest, Matt knowing there were even more that couldn't be seen, more that her bra was hiding from view. He had definitely taken his time with her when they stumbled into his apartment after they came back from dinner, Matt giving her body more than enough appreciation last night, the man having been mindful to keep his marks where they could easily be hidden by her clothes. But he hadn't been nearly as careful this morning, Matt knowing she was bound to have at least one mark on her neck now.

"You seemed to enjoy it…" He responded, wrapping his arms around her body, keeping her close as he rested his chin on her shoulder, his eyes focused on her chest as she breathed. "In fact I believe you enjoyed it multiple times." He continued, a smirk finding its way to his lips as he caught her gaze through the mirror, heat rising to her cheeks as she thought back to their previous evening together. "If my memory is correct, you enjoyed it four times."

"Yeah, I should've known you were counting." She replied with a slight scoff, his proud grin widening as he tapped his finger against her skin.

"It wasn't so much counting as it was… enjoying the experience." He told her, Gabby chuckling as she placed her hands over his arms, the two relaxing into one another as he turned his head to the side, placing a much more chaste kiss against her jaw.

"Mhmm, whatever you say." She responded, her eyes moving towards the clock hanging on the wall, Gabby blowing out a sigh before she tapped her palm against his arm. "We really do need to finish getting ready or we're gonna be late." She reminded him, her words causing him to groan before he reluctantly nodded, pressing another quick kiss against her skin as he pulled himself away from her.

"You're right." He murmured, running his hand along her bare back as he walked past her, Gabby watching him through the mirror. "But I can be ready in about ten minutes… What do you say about us riding into work together?" Matt offered as he got to the door, the man turning back around as he saw her smile widen. "I know we hadn't made any plans for tomorrow yet, and I've got that thing with your mom, but we could ride together if you want."

"I'd love to." She responded softly, Matt shooting her a warm smile before he nodded.

"Great. Well, you hurry up and put a shirt on before neither of us make it to work on time." He replied jokingly, winking at her before he stepped into his bedroom. Gabby shook her head in amusement before looking back at herself in the mirror, her eyes lingering on the proud marks he'd left last night before moving up towards her neck. Immediately, her eyes found the beginnings of another mark he left on her just moments prior, Gabby unable to stop the slight smirk pulling on her lips when she saw the location of the red patch of skin he'd left behind. It was something she knew she'd have to cover, knowing otherwise she'd never hear the end of it from Shay, but even despite that annoyance, she couldn't help but feel a weird flutter in her stomach every time Matt got so caught up in the moment that he'd leave blemishes behind on her body.

It happened often, more often than not whenever they were together, but she didn't mind, knowing how much Matt enjoyed it. He'd always been a little overeager when it came to having his lips on her, something she found out rather quickly when they first started sleeping together all those months ago, but even though she found it a little strange in the beginning, she never stopped him. She could tell he liked it, and there was no harm in it, so she never said anything, and she'd be lying if she said she hadn't enjoyed doing the same to him as well. And now that they were together, it only made it that much more fun.

If it were anyone else who spent the amount of time Matt did leaving his love marks on her, she would assume it was territorial. That he wanted everyone to know she was taken. But with him, she knew that wasn't it, or she at least knew it wasn't the main reason. Matt was Matt, he was sweet, and caring, and attentive, but he was also a guy, so she figured it was safe to say at least part of it was him claiming his territory, but she knew it was also more than that. It was him devoting his complete attention to her, it was him showing her how much he appreciated her, it was Matt doing whatever he could to constantly remind her just how much he loved every part of her.

It was Matt being Matt. And she loved that about him.

She loved everything about him. And the marks he'd leave on her were just a reminder that he felt the same way.

"God dammit, what did I say about putting a shirt on?" Matt groaned, his playful tone snapping Gabby from her thoughts as she saw him walk into the bathroom through the mirror, a genuine smile forming over her face when she watched him move towards the sink, clad in his clothes for work. "We're gonna be late, and I'm not trying to explain to Boden that the reason we weren't there on time was because I just couldn't control myself because you wouldn't get dressed." He continued as she turned to face him, his bright eyes shining back at her. "Now move, before we're really late."

Before he could chastise her any more, Gabby took a step forward, her hands reaching out to grab his face, guiding his lips to hers as they connected in a feverish kiss. Matt was stunned momentarily, not expecting the action, but he quickly recovered, Casey's hands moving to her waist, his palms running along her warm, bare skin as he kept her close.

They pulled back when air became an issue, Matt's chest heaving as he tried to replace the air his girlfriend has stolen from him, Gabby smiling softly as she found his gaze. "...What was that for?" He asked in between breaths, his words earning a slight shrug from her, her warm smile sending shivers down his spine.

"Just cause." She replied nonchalantly, Matt raising his eyebrows as his head tilted slightly, his hands roaming over her sides, Gabby comforted by the action.

"Just cause, huh?"

"Mhmm." She hummed, Matt's smile growing as she stroked her thumb along his cheek, the firefighter leaning forward to give her another kiss, this one much more gentle.

"You taste minty." He spoke against her lips, Gabby chuckling as she opened her eyes, pulling away from him slightly. "I like it." Matt added, leaning in to kiss her again, the two moving slowly as they stood in his bathroom. Her hands slid down to his neck, coming to rest on his chest as he pulled her closer, their bodies flush together as their kisses stayed soft and tame, Matt pulling back when he felt her smile. "...Okay, but for real this time, we really need to get to work." He whispered, Gabby chuckling as she nodded in agreement.

"I know." She murmured before stealing another kiss, Gabby putting a little more force behind this one before she pulled away completely, stepping out of his grasp.

"But I meant what I said," He told her, Gabby's eyebrows raising as he ran his tongue over his lips. "If you don't get a shirt on, we're both calling in sick."

Scoffing lightly, Gabby shook her head in amusement, patting his cheek lightly as she passed him, moving towards the bedroom, knowing she now had limited time to finish getting ready.

* * *

Dawson slid down out of Matt's truck, planting her feet firmly on the sidewalk and slinging her shift bag over her shoulder as she waited for him to come around to meet her, Casey locking up his truck before jogging towards her. As the couple started walking, Gabby reached for his hand, Matt glancing to her as she laced her fingers in his, the goofy grin onto his face filling her chest with warmth.

"You sure you don't mind?" He asked softly, tightening her palm in his as she shook her head.

"I don't mind." She assured him, Matt nodding in response. "You're my boyfriend, I want to be able to act like you are."

"You'll hear no objections from me." He replied, rubbing his thumb along the back of her hand as they walked up the driveway, moving in step with one another.

It had been a little over a week since the house found out about their relationship, and in that time, nothing had really changed for them. They still acted as they always had, they weren't all over one another all the time or trying to flaunt their relationship, they just weren't afraid to be close to one another, either. They definitely didn't shy away from being near each other, or touching one another, Matt taking every opportunity to rub over her back, or her leg; anything to be close to her that was appropriate for work, he'd do it. But only when he knew she was comfortable with it.

Just as he had with most things in the sharing of their relationship, he let her take the lead with how they acted around the house. Especially after everything Walker had said to her, he didn't want to do anything to make her uncomfortable, or make things harder, so he just tried to follow her lead. Even though the house knew, there was still a learning curve to all this, them figuring out how to navigate dating and working together. Luckily, they'd had weeks of practice, but everyone knowing changed things. They didn't have to hide anymore, which they both loved, but that meant they now had to find a new rhythm together. They had never done this before, so they were just taking it day by day, shift by shift, trying to figure out what worked best for them.

And Matt absolutely loved it.

He loved getting to sit next to her in the common room and not have to worry about being too close, he loved getting to spend all his time on shift with her and not have people question it, he didn't even mind the teasing that a few members of 51 had taken to since Walker abruptly announced their relationship, and he certainly loved getting to hold her hand whenever he wanted.

"Oh look at the lovebirds." Shay called from her seat at the squad table as Gabby and Matt entered the garage, her words earning a few laughs from the firefighters around them.

"Good morning to you too, Shay." Casey responded, Gabby keeping her hold on his hand as they got closer to the table.

"It is, isn't it?" She replied, Gabby raising her eyebrows as her partner stood up, coming to walk in step with them.

"You need something, Shay?" Matt asked as they got to the double doors, the firefighter dropping Gabby's hand to hold the door open, letting the paramedics enter first.

"No, I don't need anything." She answered with a shrug, the three friends rounding the corner. "Just wanted to see Chicago's most elusive couple."

Gabby's eyebrows furrowed while a look of confusion covered Casey's face, neither of them understanding what she was talking about.

"Oh, don't give me that look, it's practically impossible to drag you two out of bed and get you to do anything." She spoke, Matt shaking his head in amusement as they continued towards the locker room. "I know you both are in love and want to spend every single second of every single day staring into each other's eyes and probably engaging in some sort of inappropriate activity while doing it but I swear, that thing's gonna fall off, Casey if you two don't take it easy." Shay ranted, Matt's eyes widening in amusement as Gabby shot her friend a less than impressed look.

"Jesus, Shay." Casey muttered, the blonde paramedic waving him off.

"You know I'm right." She responded, the three of them turning the corner to their lockers, Gabby's steps slowing when she saw Bryan standing at his locker. His head was ducked behind the door, and while she couldn't be sure how much of Shay's words he'd heard, from how tense his body was, Gabby assumed he'd heard some of them.

The previously light feeling in the air was replaced with a heavy one, Casey silently moving towards his locker, making no effort to speak with his firefighter as Shay stayed by Gabby's side, her partner shooting daggers into Bryan's head.

The way Casey and Shay acted towards Walker wasn't unusual as of late, Matt only speaking to the man when out on a call, and Shay talking to him less than that. And the same could be said for many members of firehouse 51, most of the firefighters in the house wary of the man since his outburst towards Dawson a week ago. Some were trying to include him, knowing that despite what he'd done, he was still a member of this family, but Walker didn't seem too interested in the pity. He had kept to himself, he'd kept his head down.

And, thankfully, he'd left Gabby alone.

She didn't know what to expect from him after he blew up at her, and said those terrible things about her and their relationship, but if there was any more he was wanting to say to her, he kept it to himself. Walker hadn't spoken a word to Gabby over the last week, which was something she was grateful for. And she knew Matt was, too.

Without saying a word, Walker finished putting his things away, the man closing up his locker and leaving the room as quickly as he could, Shay glaring at him as he went, the three friends now stationed at their respective lockers.

"Anyway… Back to you being a terrible friend, Gabby." Shay spoke up jokingly, Dawson rolling her eyes before glancing to Matt, seeing his gaze moving back and forth between the best friends.

"Shay, what are you talking about?" Casey spoke up, resting his hand on the top of his locker door as he angled his body towards the other blonde.

"Well Casey, I'm so glad you asked." She started sarcastically, Gabby sighing loudly before she muttered something under her breath that Matt couldn't make out. "I mentioned to good old Dawson here that her and I should have a girls night last night, considering we haven't seen each other that much lately since you have been taking up all her time." Shay spoke pointedly towards the firefighter, Matt raising his eyebrows in amusement. "But anyway, we had talked about this, and then what does she do? Take a guess."

"Oh, I don't know Shay… she's with me, instead?" He asked with a teasing tone to his voice, Shay narrowing her eyes while Gabby chuckled softly.

"Precisely, Lieutenant." She responded. "She ditches me for her boyfriend, that's some cold betrayal right there-"

"Oh my God." Gabby huffed out, turning towards her friend, feigning annoyance. "Shay, you do remember how our conversation of making plans went, right?" Dawson asked, crossing her arms over her chest as Shay pursed her lips together, her eyes flashing to Matt. "When we discussed this, I believe my exact words were 'call me and we can figure it out'... then you never called." Gabby told her, Shay smacking her lips together as Casey chuckled, Shay narrowing her towards the firefighter.

"Okay you know what, that's irrelevant." She responded, waving her hand in the air. "The point is, Casey, you've changed Dawson."

"Oh boy." Gabby muttered, Matt raising his eyebrows.

"Oh, I have, have I?" He asked with a grin.

"Yes. Yes you have." Shay replied, her playful glare focused on Casey. "You, and your dick, probably, have put her under some sort of spell-"

"God, Shay." Gabby spoke, Matt shaking his head, unable to take the blonde paramedic seriously.

"You've turned her into the woman who ditches her friends for their boyfriend." Shay finished, Matt chuckling softly as Shay closed her locker. "Yes, I understand she's changed in good ways, too. You love you, you treat her right, she's happy, all that crap, but what about me?"

"Just tell me when you're done." Gabby spoke up, Matt smirking as he glanced to his girlfriend, Gabby going back to putting her things away.

"The point is, Casey you have stolen my best friend and I don't appreciate it." Shay repeated, Matt clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he looked between the paramedics, a light chuckle escaping his lips before he walked towards Gabby.

"Babe, I think Shay's jealous." Matt spoke, Gabby laughing as he wrapped his arms around her, Shay rolling her eyes, but she was unable to stop the smile that fell onto her face, noticing the way Gabby immediately lit up as Casey turned her around. "Maybe you've been neglecting her." He continued the joke, Gabby smiling as she looked up at Matt.

"Well, you should tell her to pick up her phone next time." Gabby replied pointedly, sparing a glance at Shay, seeing her friend watching them with a soft smile. "But, seriously, I am sorry Shay. I should've called, but we could hang out tomorrow night if you want." Dawson offered, Shay smirking proudly. "Matt and I are going to help my mom at her church tomorrow afternoon, but in the evening, I'm all yours."

"Ah yes, Matt spending quality time with the parents, I remember reading those messages." Shay responded, Matt's eyebrows furrowing as he glanced to his girlfriend.

"What?" He asked, Gabby shaking her head.

"Don't worry about it." She told him before looking back towards her friend. "So, tomorrow night?" Gabby asked, Shay nodding in agreement.

"Tomorrow night." She agreed, the blonde walking towards the exit. "Now that I've guilted you into hanging out with me, I'm gonna get out of here before Casey starts moving those hands any lower." She teased, eyeing Matt's hands that were resting on Gabby's waist.

"Shay, we're in the middle of the locker room, what do you think we're gonna do?" Casey asked, Shay raising her eyebrows challengingly.

"I don't know, but considering the way you all look at each other like you're gonna rip each other's clothes off, I don't wanna be here when Casey puts his di-"

"Goodbye Shay." Gabby prompted, cutting her friend off before she got any more graphic, Shay smirking as she continued walking, Matt shaking his head while she left the room.

"She's in fine form this morning." Matt spoke, running his hand along her side before releasing his hold on her body, Casey knowing there was no guarantee of how long they'd have before someone else came in. "But I guess she might have a little bit of a point," He started as he moved to sit down on the bench in front of her, Gabby raising her eyebrows as she glanced at him. "I have been taking up a lot of your time lately." He said, Gabby shrugging lightly as she closed her locker, leaning her back against it.

"I guess… I know we haven't gone out to hang with everyone that much, but- I don't know, I just haven't really felt up for it." She responded, Matt nodding in understanding.

It was something he'd noticed, but not something he'd questioned, how Gabby didn't seem to really want to do much outside of work lately, at least not with anyone besides him. She went to Molly's once, only because she was scheduled to work, but other than that she never wanted to go out with their friends, Dawson opting to just be with Matt, usually at one of their apartments. It wasn't something he had thought much of at first, Matt knowing his girlfriend was more of a homebody anyway, but after their conversation with Shay, he couldn't help but think there was more to it.

"Cause of Bryan?" He asked softly, Gabby gnawing on her bottom lip before shrugging reluctantly, clenching her hands together in front of her.

"I guess, kind of, yeah…" She trailed out, blowing out a heavy breath. "I know it's stupid, but I'm sure he's been at Molly's a lot- he was there the night I was working, and I just… I don't want to put myself in a position where he could say or do something, if I can help it."

"That's not stupid." He responded instantly, Gabby running her tongue along her bottom lip as she met his comforting gaze. Despite his constant reassurances to her over the last week, Matt knew Walker's harsh words had stuck with her more than she cared to admit. He could tell there was a part of her that was holding onto what he said, he just hadn't realized it was keeping her from living her life, and he was annoyed at himself for not realizing it sooner. "Believe me, it's not stupid… I know it's hard for you to have to see him here, and while I don't think he's dumb enough to do anything again, I know you don't like being around him if you can help it. And it's completely fine for you to feel that way." He told her, holding his hands out, prompting her to come towards him, Gabby pushing herself off of the lockers. She grabbed ahold of his hands, Matt pulling her closer until she was standing in between his legs, Gabby focusing on his calming blue eyes. "But, I don't want you to feel like you have to hide because of him… or that we have to hide. Because we don't. You don't." He reminded her, Gabby nodding softly. "We did nothing wrong, you did nothing to him. He doesn't get a say in what you do… So if he's the reason you've only really wanted to stay home lately, I don't want you to feel like you have to. I know you don't wanna see him, or spend time with him when you can help it, I completely understand, but I also don't want you to shy away from your other friends just because of him."

"I know." She murmured, feeling him squeeze her hands comfortingly. "I don't want to, either… I guess things are just easier when it's you and me." She told him, his face softening as the vulnerable words left her lips.

"I get that, I do… And I felt the same way when all that stuff with Hallie and my old house came out." He told her, Gabby nodding understandingly. "And I like when it's just us, I'll never complain about getting to spend time with you, but I also don't want you feeling like you can't do things just because of him. What he thinks, that doesn't matter. Everything he said couldn't have been more wrong…" Matt repeated the words he'd said dozens of times, knowing it could never hurt for her to hear them again. "I know it hurts you, I know he hurt you, and I'm not saying you should just get over it, but I don't want him dictating what you do... I have the feeling he's done that enough already."

Gabby could sense his frustration, not at her, but the situation, the paramedic knowing Matt had been bothered by everything Walker had said to her, and how Bryan treated her. She knew his already low opinion of the man was even worse now after the scene he'd made last week. Even though they hadn't talked about Walker much, aside from when Matt would help her through her weaker moments about what had happened, she knew her boyfriend was angry at Bryan. That he felt a lot of contempt for the man who had hurt her, the man who kept hurting her.

"And plus, you know I'd beat his ass if he does anything like that again." Matt spoke up, his voice light to diffuse some of the heaviness in the room, Gabby shaking her head in amusement. "I know it might not be the most professional thing, but if we're off shift… fair game." He continued with a shrug, Dawson raising her eyebrows, Matt taking a deep breath before speaking up again. "But in all seriousness, you know I won't let him hurt you like that again… You can handle yourself, I know that, but you also shouldn't have to deal with that bullshit." Matt spoke, Gabby dropping his hands to place her palm against his cheek, stroking his skin softly. "So when you feel up for it, and you want to start hanging out with everyone again, just say the word… And if he tries anything, I'll handle it."

"So you'll be like my knight in shining armor, huh?" She asked with a soft smirk, Matt matching her grin as she slid her hand down to his neck.

"You definitely don't need one of those…" He chuckled, Gabby's smile widening. "But you can just think of me as the man who loves you, and who would do anything for you." Matt spoke, watching as she bit down on her bottom lip. "Including making sure jealous ex's leave you alone."

"Yeah, I know you can definitely get all protective when you need to," She responded, Matt raising his eyebrows. "...Shay thinks it's hot."

A soft chuckle escaped his lips, Matt shaking his head before meeting her gaze again, bringing his hand up to rest over hers against his neck. "Well, you can tell Shay I protect what's important to me."

His sincere words hit her harder than she anticipated, Gabby's body flooding with warmth as their eyes stayed locker on one another, the paramedic seeing nothing but love and truth shining back at her.

Without saying a word, Gabby leaned down, capturing his lips in a firm kiss, Matt smiling softly before reciprocating the gesture. Remembering where they were, they didn't stay connected very long, but Casey could feel her every emotion when she kissed him, Gabby pulling back first, stroking her thumb along his jaw. "I love you."

"I love you too." He replied, his words causing another smile to form over her lips, Gabby leaning down to give him one last quick kiss.

"Oh, isn't this sweet." Severide's teasing voice hit their ears, Gabby and Matt pulling back from one another, Gabby not moving very far from her boyfriend when she saw it was only Kelly. "Now I know why Shay told me to be careful before I came in here." He added lightly, Matt shaking his head before moving his hand to Gabby's side, rubbing his palm along her lower back.

"Good morning Severide." Dawson greeted, patting Matt's neck softly before dropping her hand, Gabby staying close to him.

"Morning Dawson… Mr. Dawson." He greeted them, Gabby chuckling as she glanced to Matt, seeing an unimpressed look on his face.

"You're as bad as Shay." Casey replied, Severide shrugging as he continued towards his locker.

"And you two are too easy to mess with… I swear, now that everyone knows, Shay's never had so much fun in her life." Kelly added, Matt pursing his lips together.

"Yeah, I can tell." Gabby responded, her words being interrupted by the sound of the bells going off, calling ambo and engine to assist at a house fire.

Casey rubbed over her back before she stepped away, Matt giving her a soft, supportive smile as she headed for the exit. "Be safe out there." He told her, Gabby giving him a nod and a little salute before she turned the corner, leaving the two Lieutenant's alone in the locker room.

"Things between you and Dawson seem to be going well." Severide spoke up, his head in his locker as he put his things away.

"Yeah, things are going great." Casey replied, Kelly looking over to see a content smile on his friend's face. "I mean, there's been some challenges neither of us really saw coming, everything with Walker… that didn't help anything, but things with us are good. Better than I could've ever imagined." He breathed out, catching the amused look on the squad Lieutenant's face. "...What?"

"She's got you so whipped." Severide responded with a laugh, Matt rolling his eyes. "It's nice, though. I'm glad you guys are good… I was a little worried after how everything went with Walker telling the house, and everything he said." Kelly spoke, Casey's eyebrows furrowing.

"Worried about me and Gabby?" He questioned, Kelly giving him a nod.

"A little bit, yeah." He replied, Matt waiting for him to continue. "I just… I didn't really recognize it at the time because I was so caught up in all the lies Walker told me about his and Dawson's relationship, but whenever things got hard between them she'd shut down." Kelly elaborated. "I was kind of expecting her to fall back into that, but I'm glad she's not. At least with you anyway."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Matt replied, pressing his palms into his thighs. "I've seen her do it a few times, but I can only imagine how it was before I got here… It's something we're working on, though, the both of us. Her and I both do it." Casey continued, Kelly giving him an understanding nod. "Everything Walker said to her, it messed with her head a little bit, but we're working through it. She's doing alright."

"Good, I'm glad." Severide responded, taking a deep breath, Matt sensing his friend had more to say. "I… I never really paid attention to what all Walker was putting her through back then, I just didn't notice it, or I ignored it, I don't know. But after hearing what all he said to her, I can't imagine that was the first time he's talked to her like that…" Kelly trailed off, shaking his head as Matt gripped his legs tightly, trying to keep himself calm. "And, obviously this isn't about me, but I feel awful for not seeing it sooner, you know? Because looking back on it, I feel like there were a lot more signs to this kinda stuff going on that we all just ignored.."

Casey listened closely to Severide's words, hearing a slight frustration in the man's tone, Matt understanding this was something that was really bothering him. And Casey understood it. Hearing Walker's words to Gabby alone had set him off, but it wasn't just that one incident, it was the implications of what that outburst meant. It meant that this was something that Gabby had probably dealt with before, that she had been on the receiving end of in the past, and hearing Kelly's words only confirmed that. And while he didn't blame Severide, or anyone other than Walker, for things that happened in Bryan and Gabby's relationship, he hates hearing about how isolated she was. He hates the thought of her going through something like this on her own.

But he also knew Gabby, and he knew that even if someone reached out, which he could only assume at least Shay had, that she probably wouldn't have been very receptive to it. She didn't like to ask for help, she was wary to rely on people, and he was sure it had been the same before he got here. She always tried to handle things on her own, whether because she felt like she had no other choice, or she didn't want others knowing what was happening, Gabby didn't like depending on other people. He knew that from the moment they met. But it was a habit they were working on breaking, and Matt knew that was one thing that had gotten a lot better for her.

Even though he never found out much about the inner workings of her and Bryan's relationship, he's seen up close the way Walker has treated her since, and he knew that situation had left her a little broken, if not a lot broken. He didn't know the details, but he knew Bryan had put her through a lot. A lot that a person doesn't just get over. But things were getting better, she was getting better. And Matt was as happy as anyone to see that Walker's outburst from last week hadn't derailed her too much.

"But, regardless of what all happened, I'm just glad she has you." Severide spoke, his voice pulling Casey from his thoughts as Matt looked back towards his friend. "I don't know specifics, but I'm realizing now that Walker put her through a lot of shit… stuff she didn't deserve. I'm just glad to see her happy, yanno?" He finished, Casey unable to stop the slight smile that tugged on his lips.

"Me too, Sev." Matt responded.

"I'm glad to see you both happy, really. I know things haven't been easy for you, either." Severide continued, Matt raising his eyebrows. "I know, I know, I'm acting all soft this morning, I don't even know why." He breathed out, Casey chuckling softly. "I've just been thinking about it since everything that happened last week, it's nice that you two found each other after everything you've both been through... All I know is that I've never seen Gabby this happy before. So I think it's safe to say you have something to do with that." Kelly added with a laugh, Matt grinning as he shook his head.

"Well, I'm the happiest I've ever been with her, too, so it works out." He replied lightly, Severide flashing him a smile. "But really Kelly, thank you. That means a lot to me… and I know it does to Gabby, too." Matt added, Severide unable to respond as the bells rang out, instructing truck and squad to a car accident.

Casey stood up as Severide closed his locker, both men knowing their conversation was over for the time being as they both headed for the garage, Kelly patting Matt's back before they left the locker room.

* * *

Walker sat at the small circular table in the common room, his fork clenched tightly in his hands as he watched a certain paramedic and her boyfriend sit together at the long table across the room, the couple chatting with Shay, Severide, and Herrmann while everyone ate their dinner.

It had been a long day at Firehouse 51, everyone on the move since the beginning of shift, but it felt even longer for Walker, the firefighter feeling a mix of exhaustion and rage as he sat here moving his food around his plate. He was exhausted because of the busy day, the multiple back to back calls really taking it out of everyone. But the rage… that came from the scene playing out in front of him, Bryan feeling his muscles tighten as he had to sit here and watch Dawson and Casey throw their relationship in his face.

At first it hadn't been so bad. The first shift after everyone found out, nothing really seemed to change around the house. But then he started to notice little changes in how they'd act around one another. He'd notice the lingering touches, the longing stares, and how frequently they'd be together when they were both at the house. And Walker couldn't help but find it infuriating. Because they were flaunting their relationship in front of his face, and no one seemed to care.

Dawson and Casey, he understood. He knew whatever stunt this was, of course they'd show off in front of him, Walker's glare tightening when he saw what looked like Casey rubbing Gabby's back as they ate. He'd been expecting them to be all over each other, how else would Gabby try and make him jealous? He had been anticipating that… But what he hadn't anticipated was everyone in the house being fine with it.

He didn't understand that at all. He couldn't understand how everyone here, his friends, were fine with Gabby stabbing him in the back and fucking his Lieutenant. He could never understand that.

Gabby had betrayed him, and no one cared. In fact a few had even gone so far as to wish them well in their relationship, which was something that really had Walker seeing red. Everyone in this house had seen him and Gabby when they were together, they knew that Gabby was his, so for them to go and bless this sham of a relationship between the Lieutenant and Dawson was hurtful. Walker didn't understand how any of them could do that to him.

All he did know was that it made him so incredibly angry. And he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep putting up the front that this was okay, when everyone in the house knew it wasn't.

"So, Dawson roped you into hanging with the family tomorrow, huh?" Severide asked, Bryan hearing his voice clearly through the other chatter, Walker watching as Gabby turned to look at Casey, a soft smile forming over her face as her and Matt locked eyes.

"I didn't rope him into anything." Gabby defended with a laugh, Walker's hand tightening around the utensils in his hands as he watched Dawson squeeze Matt's arm. "He and my mom were talking and she asked him to come help, if anything I'm the one who got roped into going… I wasn't originally invited." She added, chuckles being heard from the firefighters sitting around them, Bryan watching as Matt leaned into her side for a moment.

"You've become best friends with the parents, eh?" Herrmann asked, Casey shrugging before taking a bite of his food.

"You should see him and my dad, I swear he's my dad's favorite." Gabby responded, Bryan not bothering to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Having had his fair share of run-ins with Ramon over the years, he knew first hand there was nothing special about being on good terms with Gabby's parents, the older Dawsons almost as insufferable their daughter. "I think my dad sees Matt as one of his best friends."

"Sounds like things are going well with you and the family there, Lieutenant." Herrmann added, Matt shrugging before glancing to Gabby, giving her a soft smile.

"Yeah, we have fun. Her parents are great." Casey responded, Gabby giving his arm another squeeze before she went back to her food, the conversation shifting elsewhere.

But Bryan couldn't keep his eyes off the couple, Walker clearly noticing how they were still sitting so close to one another, their arms touching as they ate, and he couldn't help but feel like Gabby was only doing that because she knew he could see them. She was throwing this fake relationship in his face every chance she got, and he was growing sick of it. He didn't even want her anymore, he wasn't going to take her back after this stunt, so she could stop trying. She didn't need to try and keep making him jealous, to try and get him to take her back. He refused to ever be with her again, not after she whored herself out to the first guy she knew would piss him off. He wanted nothing to do with her, all he wanted was for her to quit this charade her and Casey had going, because it was seriously irritating him.

Walker's harsh gaze met Gabby's uncertain one for a split second as her eyes moved around the room, Bryan seeing her immediate confusion as they accidentally locked eyes for a moment, Dawson looking away as quickly as possible. But Bryan kept his eyes on her, seeing how she shifted herself closer to Casey, her eyes darting around uncomfortably. And that alone told him all he needed to know.

That this was fake. This entire relationship, if you could even call it that, was nothing more than Gabby trying to make him jealous. He knew they weren't really together and that they were just putting on a show, but it had gone on for too long. Gabby had taken it too far by sleeping with Casey, and he could never forgive her for that. But regardless of whether or not Walker would take her back, that didn't mean Casey got to have her.

Because Gabby was his. It didn't matter if he didn't want to be with her anymore, she still belonged to him.

And he was gonna make sure everyone knew it.

* * *

"Ah dammit." Gabby breathed out as she and Casey got close to his truck, Matt glancing towards her, the man halting his steps when she stopped walking, the firefighter giving her hand a squeeze.

"What's wrong?" He asked, flipping his keys in between his fingers in his free hand, Gabby blowing out another breath.

"My phone, I think I left it in my locker." She replied, Matt nodding in understanding.

"Want me to go get it? You can get the truck started." He offered, Gabby dropping their conjoined hands as she shook her head.

"No, that's okay, I'll just run in a grab it real quick." She responded, Matt giving her a nod as he lifted his hand up to her shoulder, pulling her shift bag down to take it from her, Gabby shooting him an appreciative smile. "I'll be right back."

"Okay, don't take too long. I'm starving. And I'd love to have time for a nap before we go meet your mom." He practically pouted, Gabby shaking her head in amusement before stepping away from him, patting his chest as she passed him.

"I'll be right back, then we can go get you breakfast. And hopefully a nap." She assured him, her boyfriend smiling widely as he gave her a nod, Gabby chuckling before continuing towards the firehouse, Matt moving towards his truck.

As Dawson walked the familiar path towards the locker room, she greeted any of third shift's firefighters that she passed, all of second shift having cleared out by now. When shift ended around half an hour ago, Matt was in a meeting with Boden, the two discussing something about one of their calls from yesterday, Gabby having waited around for him in his office. And by the time he was done, all of second shift had been long gone.

Releasing a soft sigh, Gabby walked into the locker room, finding herself alone in the room as she moved towards the last row of lockers, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth while she moved to hers.

Within seconds, she had the door open, Gabby humming to herself as her eyes immediately found her phone sitting in the exact place she left it, the paramedic pocketing the device before shutting the door, making sure to lock it in place. Having completed her task, Gabby turned to leave, but didn't get very far as someone came barreling around the corner, Dawson stopping instantly, having been startled by the unexpected person.

They stopped, clearly surprised to see her as well, Gabby's neck clenching as he stared her down, his shock soon morphing into a look of anger, the paramedic taking a slight step back when she saw his eyes darken. He hadn't come into the room mad, but it was clear that the second he saw her, he couldn't mask whatever anger he was feeling.

"Oh, uh- sorry. I didn't see you coming." She replied after a beat of silence, the air turning thick around them as Walker's glare focused in on her.

She subconsciously took another step back, the rage in his eyes causing her heart rate to quicken in her chest, Gabby feeling nerves creep up her spine as she saw the complete and total anger he was holding onto. It was something she'd seen from him before, and from her experience, she knew what followed it was never good.

Gabby wasn't sure exactly what had him acting like this, although she figured it was about her and Casey. But what she didn't know was what had happened specifically to make him this upset, and she certainly didn't know what he was about to do. And in this moment she couldn't help but wish she'd had Matt come and get her phone, Gabby blinking quickly as she saw him take a step closer to her.

"I really should-"

"Shut up." He growled, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek, taking another step away from him. "Just shut up."

"Bryan-"

"I said shut up!" He shouted, grabbing Gabby by the shoulders and slamming her back into the lockers, a sharp cry of pain escaping her lips as her body collided roughly with the metal. Bryan kept her pinned to the lockers, Dawson pushing against him as she tried to get away, but he had about six inches and seventy pounds on her, Gabby unable to get out from his hold.

"Let go of me!" She yelled before Walker slammed his forearm against her upper chest, knocking all the air out of her lungs as she began coughing, Bryan using his weight to keep her pinned.

"I told you to shut up." He spat, his face inches away from hers, Gabby's anger and fight morphing into fear as she felt it becoming harder to get air into her lungs, the paramedic choking on her own breath. "And you're gonna fucking listen to me for once."

"Bryan, please, stop-"

"I swear to God, if you don't shut up right now." He repeated, Gabby swallowing the thick lump in her throat, Bryan smiling in satisfaction when she got quiet. "Good. Now listen to me, before you make me do something you'll regret." He warned her, Dawson doing what she could to breathe normally, but the pressure against her chest made it nearly impossible. "I know you're really proud of yourself for this little stunt you're pulling with Casey… I know you probably feel like you've won, that you got me jealous because you're fucking my boss, but this isn't over, Gabby. You haven't won. And I'm not gonna keep letting you make things harder for me around here."

"What are you talking about, I-"

"What all have you told him?" He cut in roughly, Gabby coughing again as confusion filled her features.

"What?"

"Casey. What all have you told him about what happened between us?" He asked again, Gabby continuing to push against him, trying to get out from under him, but it proved useless. "I'm guessing since he hasn't tried to bash my head in, you haven't said all that much? Although I doubt much of your relationship is talking anyway, considering all you know how to do is spread your legs."

"Walker, you're hurting me-" She choked out, Bryan pressing his forearm harder into her chest.

"Answer the question." He snapped, Gabby wincing as she sucked in a breath.

"I didn't tell him anything." Dawson replied quickly, Walker narrowing his eyes, clearly not believing her. "I swear, he doesn't know anything except for the cheating… but everyone found out. I didn't tell him."

"...And you're not gonna tell him anything... Right?" He added, but his words weren't really phrased as a question, Bryan removing his arm from her chest, Gabby sucking in deep breaths the second she could, her mind hazy as she inhaled some desperately needed air. "I mean, everything that happened… it only happened because you were making things difficult." He bit out, Gabby's fear-ridden eyes meeting his rage-filled ones, her mind racing as she tried to ignore the dull ache in her back. "And the last thing I need is for you to keep being difficult."

"Bryan…"

Before she could get another word out, he grabbed her body, slamming her back into the lockers again, a whimper of pain escaping her lips.

"Promise me you're not going to say anything." He spoke through gritted teeth, his voice dangerously low as Gabby shook her head, blinking back the tears forming in her eyes. "Gabby…"

"I-I won't… I promise." She stuttered out, panic taking over as Bryan released his tight grip on her shoulders, her skin burning where he'd just grabbed her.

The second he stepped back, Gabby scrambled to get away from him, Walker chuckling as she moved to the other side of the room. Her eyes darted around nervously as her back ran into the wall, Bryan shaking his head, an almost amused expression covering his face.

"I'm glad we had this talk, Dawson." He spoke, the light tone still present in his voice while he kept his eyes on her, Gabby flooded with a hundred different emotions as he moved towards the exit, Bryan stopping just before he was out of her line of sight, taking in the image of the frightened woman across from him. "...This stays between us, you hear me?"

Not knowing what else to say, she merely nodded, her voice caught in her dry throat as Bryan disappeared around the corner, leaving her alone in the locker room.

She felt unsteady, Gabby's legs feeling like they would collapse out from under her at any moment, Dawson glancing down, seeing her hands shaking as she held them out in front of her, the paramedic unable to control her body's reaction to what had just happened. She blinked back the tears sitting in her eyes, Gabby doing what she could to stop her hands from shaking as she registered the throbbing pain in her back and shoulder, Dawson knowing that feeling would likely only get worse before it got better.

Closing her eyes, she did what she could to steady herself, Gabby trying to focus on anything other than the fear she felt when she was pushed up against those lockers, and the feeling of his hands on her, her jaw trembling as she tried to will the thoughts away. But she couldn't. And not only could she not stop thinking about what had just happened, but it was bringing back other memories… Memories of times Walker had gotten a little too angry, and hadn't been able to control himself. Memories she never wanted to relive.

Her phone buzzing in her pocket pulled her from her headspace, Gabby jumping slightly at the unexpected noise before reaching in her pocket to pull out the device, seeing Matt's name and a picture of them on her screen. Shaking her head slightly, Gabby answered the call, wiping away the lone tear that had fallen down her cheek.

"Hello?"

"Hey, just called to make sure you didn't get lost." Matt's soft voice comforted her instantly, Gabby's eyes falling closed as she leaned back into the wall, the paramedic taking a slow breath. "...You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm good." She replied, masking the fear in her voice. "I'm about to head out, just got sidetracked." She told him before she could even think of the words coming from her mouth, Gabby hearing him laugh softly through the phone.

"Alright, I'll see you in a sec." He responded lightly, Gabby nodding as she blinked furiously.

"Okay." She murmured, pulling her phone away from her ear and ending the call. Releasing a shaky breath, Gabby slid her phone back into her pocket before running her hands over her face, knowing she needed to compose herself before she went outside, or Matt would immediately know something was wrong.

It took her a few minutes, but once she got her breathing steady, Gabby shoved her hands in her pockets, knowing she hadn't quite gotten the shaking under control, Dawson ignoring the stinging pain shooting through her back as she walked out of the locker room, doing everything she could to forget about what Bryan had just done.


	43. Chapter Forty Three

**Hello hello hello fellow Dawsey fans, I'm back with the next update for you all. I want to take a second to thank you all for 600 reviews on this story. That's so crazy to me that so many of you are enjoying this little AU that's been in my head for over two years now. Your support truly means the world to me, just thank you all so much. But I know you all are eager to see what happens after how that last chapter ended, so let's get into it.**

**Also, there is a little M-rated scene in this one. It's nothing too crazy, but it's there.**

**I hope you enjoy. Happy reading!**

* * *

**FORTY THREE**

* * *

Gabby sat at a table down in the dining hall of her mother's church, her hands clasped tightly in her lap as she stared straight ahead, her gaze focused on Matt, but her mind a thousand miles away as her thoughts kept going back to what had happened this morning.

She didn't understand it. She didn't understand what Bryan had done today. Why he had been so angry, why he threatened her the way he did, why he slammed her into the lockers, multiple times. She didn't understand why he'd done that, and a part of it didn't even feel real. It didn't feel like it actually happened, especially when Walker knew how short of a leash he was on.

But if the tingling pain that had yet to leave her shoulder or back was any indication, it was very real. If the rush of fear she felt course through her system at just the thought of having to see Bryan again told her anything, it was that there was nothing fake about what had happened in the firehouse.

It had definitely happened. And she wouldn't be forgetting it anytime soon. Not when his words were still ringing around in her head. Not when she could still feel his arm pressed against her chest as her back dug into the unforgiving metal lockers. Those memories weren't going away, and she knew the fear probably wouldn't either.

Bryan was angry. She knew he was, that he had been for awhile, she was well aware of that fact. He'd been angry with her long before he found out about her and Matt, and then the news of their relationship only worsened that rage. It wasn't the anger she was hung up on, but rather how he wasn't keeping it in check anymore. What happened today at the firehouse, him pinning her against the lockers, him hurting her without a care in the world, that told her that things had changed. Something with Walker had changed to where he now didn't feel the need to control that anger. He wasn't trying to hide it anymore, and that scared her. It scared her almost as much as what he actually did today, because she knew it would only get worse.

Throughout their relationship, Bryan had done a masterful job at hiding his rage, at least from everyone else. There'd be many times, more than she could count, where he'd get very angry with her. Whatever the reason, she'd done something to set him off, and he couldn't control his need to release his frustrations with her. But he'd never let it bleed into the firehouse. For as angry as she knew he could get, he never once let it affect work. He never brought it to shift with them.

But now that's changed. It had changed when they broke up, but this was something completely different. All the stunts he's pulled up until now; him messing with her, getting a little too close to her, him cornering her in the showers, none of them had gotten physical. He'd managed to control himself and not put his hands on her at work. Up until today. Today was different.

His anger had boiled over to the point where he couldn't stop himself, and that terrified her. Because if being in a busy firehouse wasn't enough to deter him from hurting her, nothing was.

They were surrounded by people, by first responders, people whose entire life is dedicated to helping others, and he had no issues hurting her. Matt was just outside, and Bryan didn't care about threatening her. And that's what scared her. Because she knew that meant nothing would stop him. If he managed to get her alone again, he'd have no problem hurting her, no matter who else within earshot, and that was something she didn't know if she could handle.

She'd always seen the firehouse as a safe space. No matter what was going on with her and Bryan, no matter the state of their relationship, she'd seen 51 as a shelter. Because she knew that regardless of what was going on at home, no matter how angry he'd been with her, he never brought it into work. At least not in the ways he did at their apartment. They'd argue, and bicker, and there'd be some tension between them when things were especially hard and they couldn't hide it from their coworkers, but he never put his hands on her there. He never hurt her at the firehouse. Despite those handful of times he just got so angry and couldn't help but take his aggression out on her, he never brought that to work.

But clearly, he didn't feel the need to stop himself anymore. After this morning, it was clear he didn't feel like he had to hide his anger towards her any longer, and the safety she felt within those walls was just another thing he'd taken from her. He had chipped away at it when he messed with her that day after her shower, but this… this had completely robbed her of her security there. The firehouse wasn't a safe place for her anymore. And that was a hard thing for her to come to terms with.

She didn't know if it _was_ something she could come to terms with.

Across the room, Matt stood with Camila and a few of her friends who attended this church, all of them going over the plans for what else needed fixing around this older building. It was all relatively easy stuff, nothing that would take him more than a few days to finish, but it was a long list nonetheless, and Matt knew he'd have to spend most of his free time around here over the next couple of days to get these things done for Camila.

"Now are you sure you don't mind, Matthew?" Camila asked, Matt looking up from the piece of paper in his hands, finding the eyes of all four women on him, his gaze quickly moving towards Gabby's mom. "I know this is more than we originally discussed, I just didn't realize how much stuff there was to get done." She added regretfully, Matt shooting her a warm smile.

"It's fine, Camila." He assured her, the woman placing her hand on his shoulder, rubbing his back gently.

"You're positive? I don't want you to feel pressured to help. I know you're busy." She gave him another out, wanting to make sure he truly didn't mind, but Matt simply smiled, shaking his head.

"Really, I don't mind. It's nothing that should take me too long." Casey responded, a soft smile of her own forming over Camila's face. "I'd say I could probably have this stuff done by the end of the week, as long as it's okay that I pop in and out."

"Oh, of course." Linda spoke, Casey's eyes moving towards the older lady he just met earlier today, the woman giving him a nod. "We just appreciate you helping us out… I know most of the stuff to do around here is more the work of a handyman, and Camila told us you usually do more construction work, but we're so grateful you agreed to come help. The first person we asked was trying to charge us an arm and a leg just for a few of those things."

"It's no problem." He replied softly, feeling Camila rub over his back again before dropping her hand. "They're all easy fixes, I'm happy to help however I can."

"Oh Camila, he's just wonderful." One of the other ladies gushed, Matt's ears turning pink as he glanced down towards the list in his hands, Camila shaking her head in lightly.

"Yes, he is." Camila agreed, Matt lifting his head to look towards her, finding a gentle smile waiting for him, Casey reciprocating the gesture before taking a slight step back, lifting the piece of paper in his hands up.

"Some of these things I'll be able to go ahead and get done, and I can already mark off fixing the doors," He started, his eyes running over the list. When he and Gabby had first arrived here an hour ago, his first task, the task he knew he was coming for, was to tighten up some of the hinges on the doors, as well as replace a couple of the locks. Since he'd been aware of those fixes, he had all the necessary things to complete it, he just hadn't expected everything else they wanted him to do. But he meant what he told Camila, he truly didn't mind to help out, it would just be more of a task than he originally realized. "But some of the other stuff I'll have to get the materials for. I'll get everything done as soon as I can, though."

"There's no rush, Matthew. Just whenever you find time. You're kind enough to be doing this already." Camila responded, Matt giving her a nod before he took another step backwards, his eyes moving across the room towards Gabby before he looked back at the women in front of him.

"Alright. Well, I'm gonna go ahead and get started on some of this, I'll do what I can today."

"Thank you, sweetheart." Camila spoke, Matt giving her one last smile before turning around and walking away from the small group.

"Are you sure he doesn't mind not to be paid?" Linda questioned once he was out of earshot, Camila peeling her eyes from Matt's retreating figure to look back towards her friends.

"He said he didn't want any money." Camila replied with a gentle shrug. "Believe me, I tried. All he asked was to be paid back for the materials he has to buy, but other than that he refused anything… Although that might change now that we've given him a longer list." She spoke jokingly, her words bringing some smiles to her friends' faces.

"Well, that we can definitely do… But, uh, Matthew seems like a great young man." Linda responded, Camila giving her a nod.

"He is." Camila agreed instantly, matching her friends' smiles. "He absolutely is. He's an amazing man, Ramon and I both love him… I think Ramon practically sees him as a second son at this point."

"Really? ...Already?" Linda asked, unable to hide her surprise as Camila nodded. "They haven't been together all that long, have they?"

"A little less than two months, yes… But it's complicated."

"What do you mean?" She pressed, Camila crossing her arms over her chest as she took a deep breath before responding.

"Gabriela and Matthew… They've been in love with each other longer than they've been together. It's kind of a long story, but they've had strong feelings for one another for awhile, two months ago is just when they decided to do something about it." She spoke, earning a few understanding nods from her friends. "So when we first met him, I don't know how to explain it, but it just felt like they had already been together for awhile… And, my sweet Matthew, he is such a kind and genuine person, Ramon and I never stood a chance." She added lightly, hearing a few laughs from around the group.

Admittedly, though she knew how long they'd been together, Camila didn't know all that much about her daughter's relationship with the firefighter before they became official, but she had a few ideas about what the situation was there. Between vague comments and explanations from her daughter, and Antonio's inability to keep anything from her, Camila had a pretty clear understanding of had been going on between Gabriela and Matt, and while she couldn't say she agreed with it, they were adults and she knew they could handle themselves. And though it wasn't the most conventional, she knew everything that had happened between them led them to where they are now, and that's what mattered.

"And they work together?" Linda asked, Camila glancing towards her friend. "They work with her ex?"

"They do." She confirmed.

"I'm sure that can't be too comfortable for any of them."

"Yeah, it was hard on Gabriela at first. Before her and Matt got together, just being there, working with him, it was difficult… But she's happy now, her and Matt both are, and they're my only concern here. I'm not sure how _he _feels about the situation, and if I'm being honest I don't really care." Camila spoke, a hint of bitterness in her tone, the woman still holding onto a good bit of resentment towards her daughter's ex. She knew she should let it go, that Gabriela was out of that relationship now, and had moved on to, in her opinion, a much better man than Bryan could ever dream of being. But it was hard to forget how much pain and suffering Bryan had put her through. "Gabriela's happy, she's doing well, and in a much better relationship now. That's what's important." Camila finished, her words earning a few nods from her friends, all of the women knowing not to push the topic any further.

Out in the main dining area, Matt took a detour from his original path to walk towards Gabby, seeing his girlfriend seeming lost in her own head, the woman staring off into space as he approached her.

Casey wasn't blind. He knew something was going on with Gabby. She was acting a bit off, and she had been since they left the firehouse. When she'd gotten out to his truck, she was distant, and she seemed uncomfortable, he just didn't know what was causing her sudden change in behavior. She had been fine when they were leaving, she was just Gabby. But when she'd come back from retrieving her phone, it was like a switch had flipped. Something was bothering her, something had caused the immediate shift in her demeanor, but if the way she brushed him off when he asked about it earlier was any indication, it wasn't something she wanted to talk about. At least right now.

So he left it alone, opting to provide some silent gestures of reassurance throughout the morning instead of trying to get her to talk. Matt was hoping that once they got some food, and they got back and were able to get some sleep before coming to meet her mom that she'd feel more open to talking about whatever it was, but that hadn't been the case. If anything, it was the exact opposite, Gabby seemingly more closed off than she had been earlier in the day.

It worried him, and he wanted to know what was going on so he could try and help her with whatever was affecting her so badly, but he knew better than to force it out of her. Even though Gabby was doing much better about opening up to him, and relying on him when something was bothering her, he still knew she did better when he let her come to him. While she had made a lot of progress in trusting herself with him, they hadn't quite broken all of those old habits, and Matt knew it was easiest on her to just let her take the lead. But what wasn't so easy was him having to sit by and watch her struggle on her own, especially when all he wanted to do was help her.

Walking up towards her table, a slight frown pulled on his lips as he came up in front of her and he still hadn't gotten her attention, Gabby not registering his presence as he continued towards her.

"Gabby." He spoke softly, gripping her shoulder as he came up beside her.

But his frown deepened when he heard a sharp hiss escape her lips, Gabby all but ripping herself from his grasp, pulling away quickly when he had put pressure on her shoulder, like he'd hurt her. Without another word, he pulled his hand back, watching as her eyes darted around the room, like she was confused as to where she was, Gabby bringing her hand up to rest over her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" He asked immediately, Gabby's eyes coming into focus as she looked up, finding Matt's worried gaze on her.

Plastering a smile onto her face, she nodded, trying to hide her grimace as she rubbed over her sore shoulder. "I'm good." She replied, her words met by instant skepticism from her boyfriend, Matt pulling out the chair beside her and sitting down, his gaze flickering towards her shoulder before he met her eyes.

"Is your shoulder okay?"

"Huh?"

"Your shoulder." He repeated, even though he knew she heard him. "Did you hurt it?" He asked her, concern shining in his eyes as he glanced back towards it, watching as she continued to rub over the area he'd grabbed onto.

"Oh, uh… Yeah, I guess I did." She spoke vaguely, Matt clearly waiting for more of an explanation, Gabby's next words spewing from her lips before she had even thought them through. "We had kind of a rough patient yesterday, he was out of it and I got knocked back into the ambulance." She blurted out, Matt's eyebrows furrowing as a frown formed over his lips. "I fell kinda hard, and my shoulder and back are a little sore."

Seeing the clear worry covering his face, a heavy feeling settled into her gut, guilt flooding her body as he lifted his hand up, gently rubbing along her back.

"Does that hurt?" He asked, wanting to make sure he wasn't making anything worse, Gabby immediately shaking her head.

"No, no it doesn't, I'm fine. My shoulder took the worst of it, but I'm alright." She responded, wincing slightly as she saw his frown deepen. She hated lying to him, she _didn't_ want to lie to him. But if she told him the truth, that look of concern would morph into one of anger and she knew this wasn't a conversation to be had here.

Truthfully, she didn't know if this was a conversation to be had anywhere.

She didn't know what to tell him about what had happened earlier today, or how to tell him, Gabby knowing that would open up a whole new aspect to her and Bryan's relationship that Matt had no idea about. And she didn't know if she could do it. She didn't know if she could relive that again. She didn't feel like she could, she didn't feel strong enough. Because that's what Bryan does to her, it's what he's always done; he makes her feel weak. Even after all this time since their split, that hasn't changed. And she absolutely hated it.

"I'm sorry, babe." He murmured, Gabby shooting him a soft smile, reaching out to grab ahold of his hand. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I, uh- I kinda just forgot about it." She covered, feeling more guilt flood her body as she continued to lie to the one person she never wanted to lie to. "It didn't hurt so much yesterday, but today it's kind of sore." Gabby continued when he kept looking at her, knowing Matt would want as many details as possible of the incident that never occurred.

"You sure you're okay?" He asked, sliding his hand up to rub along the back of her neck, Gabby giving him a reassuring nod as she squeezed his hand.

"I'm fine. Promise." She replied, Matt's eyes tracing over her face before he reluctantly nodded, leaning forward to press a kiss to the side of her head.

"Good." He murmured against her hair, pressing another kiss to her head before pulling back. "I know you can get rough patients sometimes, but I'm really sorry that happened." He told her, Gabby simply nodding, unsure of what to say. "...Although if something like this happens again, will you tell me?" He requested softly, Gabby catching his gaze. "I mean, I know you're alright and everything, but I'd like to know when something like this happens."

A soft smile pulled at her lips, Gabby giving him a nod in response. "Yeah, I will."

"Thank you." He replied, leaning in to kiss her again before he stood up, holding his to-do list in his grip. "As long as you're okay, I'm gonna get to work here…"

"I'm good, Matt." She assured him again, even though she knew he probably would still worry regardless.

"Alright, good… Now, I'm not sure how long this is gonna be, but you can take the truck and get out of here if you want. I know this isn't the most fun thing in the world." He told her, Gabby shaking her head as her smile widened.

"I don't want to leave you stranded… You keep your truck. But I might have my mom take me back to your apartment to get my car." She responded, Matt nodding understandingly. "I love you, but I don't want to sit here and watch you work all afternoon."

Chuckling softly, Matt placed his hand on the back of her head, rubbing over her hair gently before leaning down to kiss her, feeling Gabby smile against him.

"I get it." He told her, giving her another innocent peck before standing up straight. "And I love you, too. Just say goodbye to me before you leave."

"I will." She promised, Matt wearing the grin reserved only for her as he began walking away.

But he didn't get very far, Matt stopping his path abruptly as he turned back to look at her, Gabby raising her eyebrows in question. "Oh, I almost forgot. Are you still going out with Shay tonight?" He asked, Gabby nodding in response.

"I think we're just hanging out at her and Severide's place, but yeah." She replied, Matt giving her a nod.

"Well, I hope you two have fun. I know she's missed you." He spoke with a gentle smile. "Maybe you and I can meet back up for dinner or something tomorrow? I'll probably be over here most of the day, but we could meet up to get some food tomorrow night, maybe go out, or order in. Whatever you wanna do." He offered, Gabby giving an immediate nod.

"Dinner sounds great." She agreed.

"Good. It's a date." He replied, his words causing her eyes to light up, Matt seeing a happiness in her he hadn't seen all day. "...But now I've really gotta get back to work." He added, lifting up the list in his hand for effect.

"I know, you're in high demand around here." She joked lightly, Matt shaking his head in amusement. "But really, thank you for doing all this… I know my mom really appreciates it."

"Nothing to thank me for, I'm happy to help." He repeated the words he said earlier to her mom, Matt taking a quick glance around to see if anyone was paying attention to them before walking back towards her, Gabby raising her eyebrows as he leaned down to steal another kiss.

"I thought you said you had to get back to work?" She teased, Matt chuckling as he pulled back.

"I do, but I just wanted to kiss you again, and remind you that I love you."

"You already told me that." She replied, gripping his forearm as he stood beside her chair, Matt shrugging softly.

"Yeah, I know, but I figured it couldn't hurt to tell you again." He told her, Gabby's chest filling with warmth as they locked gazes, his bright blue eyes shining down at her, showing her nothing but love and admiration. "So I'm gonna say it again, I love you." He repeated, Gabby biting on her bottom lip as heat rose to her cheeks, Matt happy to see her in much better spirits than she had been a moment ago.

"I love you, too. Now get to work."

"Yes ma'am." He responded, giving her a salute before he turned in the direction of his next task, Matt glancing back at her one last time. "Remember to say goodbye before you leave." He reminded her, Gabby shaking her head in amusement at her boyfriend, waving him off just as he turned around the corner, disappearing out of sight.

* * *

"Whoa, easy there Dawson." Shay spoke as she walked back towards the couch, seeing Gabby already finishing up her first glass of wine; the glass that Shay had just poured her thirty seconds prior.

"It's been a long day." She muttered, Shay's eyebrows furrowing as she reached for the wine bottle, expertly pouring her friend another glass.

"What happened?" The blonde asked, watching as Gabby took a sip of her freshly refilled glass, this one much smaller. "...Was it something with Casey?" Shay pressed, Gabby immediately shaking her head as she made herself comfortable on Shay's couch.

"No, no, Matt and I are good… We're great, actually." Gabby responded without missing a beat. "Things with Matt are better than I could've ever imagined."

"Then what's the problem?"

"There's no problem, it's just been a long day." Gabby replied weakly, taking another sip of her wine, seeing Shay's unimpressed look out of the corner of her eye.

"Mhmm." She hummed, clearly not buying it. "...You sure nothing's going on with Matt?" She checked, Gabby sucking in a deep breath, shooting her a glare.

"Matt and I are fine, Shay. Why do you just automatically assume something's wrong?" Gabby questioned, Shay responding with a knowing look of her own.

"Because you're acting all weird, and anytime in the past you acted like this, it was usually because something happened with Walker," She started, Shay missing the slight grimace that flashed across Gabby's face. "So I just figured it'd be the same now-"

"Matt isn't Bryan." Gabby bit out quickly, her forceful tone taking them both by surprise, Shay's eyes widening slightly as she glanced towards her friend. Taking a deep breath, Gabby shook her head, placing her wine glass down on the coffee table. "Sorry, I'm sorry…" She added, the blonde watching her closely.

"It's okay." Shay replied carefully, pursing her lips together as she thought over her next words. "...I wasn't trying to say I think they're the same, because they're definitely not."

"No, I know you weren't… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you, I'm just-" She cut herself off, running her hand over the side of her face. "I'm just tired, I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize, it's fine." Shay assured her, reaching out and rubbing her hand over Gabby's leg. "I know the whole Walker thing is a sore subject, I'm sorry for bringing it up… You've got Matt, your relationship with him is nothing like what you had with Walker, I shouldn't have even mentioned it."

"You're fine, Shay. Really… I didn't mean to get so defensive. I know what you meant, I'm sorry." She replied, Shay nodding understandingly. "But, uh, since we're already on the subject…" She prefaced, her partner watching her curiously. "Has Walker said anything to you?"

Shay's eyebrows furrowed at her friend's words, the blonde eyeing Gabby closely as they sat next to one another on the couch. "...About what?" She questioned, unsure of what Gabby was wanting to know, Dawson releasing a soft sigh before continuing.

"About me… Matt and I." She clarified, Shay shaking her head.

"No. Not to me, at least. Though from what I can tell, he hasn't really been talking to anyone these days." She replied, Gabby giving her a nod before reaching for her wine glass, taking another sip. "...Why?"

"Just curious." Gabby responded vaguely, Shay's eyes staying locked on her friend as Gabby shifted in her seat, the blonde trying to get a read on her. But she was having a little bit of trouble figuring out what was going on in her head. From the second Dawson showed up here tonight, she seemed a little off, and Shay wasn't sure why. But it was clear something was on her mind.

"...Did something happen?" Shay asked after a few minutes, Gabby furrowing her eyebrows as she glanced to her partner.

"What?"

"I'm just wondering why you're asking about him." Shay spoke with a shrug, Gabby's gaze staying on her. "He didn't do anything, did he?"

"No." Gabby answered before the blonde could even finish getting the words out, Shay's eyebrows raising at how quickly her friend responded. "He didn't, I just wasn't sure if he's said anything to you or Kelly about it." She added, Shay keeping a close eye on her for a few more seconds before shaking her head, relaxing back into the couch.

"Well, good." Shay replied, seeing Gabby take an extra long sip of her drink. "Because if he does mess with you, I'll kill him." She added lightly, even though they both knew she was serious, her words gaining a weak smile from Dawson, the PIC's demeanor raising some more red flags in Shay's mind. "Are you sure you're okay, Gabby?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm good."

Before Shay could question her again, the paramedics heard the door open, both women glancing towards the entrance to the apartment just as Severide came inside, Shay immediately huffing out a breath.

"What are you doing here, Kelly?" She asked, annoyance laced in her voice.

"I live here, Shay… Hey Dawson." Severide greeted, Gabby giving him a nod as Shay placed her glass down on the table.

"I know you live here, but what I don't know is _why_ you're here, I thought I told you to get out." She groaned, pushing herself up from the couch, following him towards the kitchen.

"I know you did, and I did get out. But then I came back." He spoke with a smirk, Gabby only able to make out bits and pieces after that as they went into the kitchen, the paramedic shaking her head before focusing her attention back on her wine, Gabby feeling a bit thankful that Severide appeared when he did. Had he not, she knew Shay would have continued to press her on why she was acting so strange, and that was a conversation she didn't have the energy for. Especially not tonight.

* * *

Dawson released a heavy breath as she ripped the keys from her ignition, Gabby grabbing her purse from the passenger seat, making sure she had all her belongings before climbing from her car. After double checking that she'd locked her vehicle, she made her way up the familiar path towards his front door, holding her keys in her hand as she was surrounded by the crisp night air.

She hadn't planned on coming here tonight, especially not this late, Gabby knowing it was well after midnight last time she looked at a clock, but when she left Shay's around half an hour ago, it didn't take her long to come to the conclusion that she didn't want to go home. The last thing she wanted to do tonight was sleep in her big bed alone, the thought of Matt's warm, inviting one, preferably with him in it, much more enticing. She just wanted to be with him tonight, and she followed that feeling here.

Climbing the steps to his front door, she found his apartment key on her key ring, sliding it into the lock. Gabby knew he wouldn't be expecting her, not after they had only made plans to meet up tomorrow night, so she wasn't going to wait around and hope he'd hear her knocking. For starters, she was sure he was asleep by now, Gabby knowing he usually went to bed early the nights after he'd worked a long day. And, regardless of if he was awake or not, she didn't need him to let her in, the key she'd had since his accident all those months ago having come in handy more than once.

With the door unlocked, Gabby slowly walked inside, being met by a completely quiet apartment, the woman softly closing the door behind her and locking it back into place. Being as quiet as possible, Gabby left her shoes and jacket by the front door, placing her keys and purse down next to his wallet before she slowly walked further into his home, intent on heading straight for the bedroom, Gabby wanting nothing more than to curl into bed with him and fall asleep.

From her position in the foyer, she could see the light from the TV in the living room, Gabby assuming Matt had left it on by accident before he went to bed. But as she walked further inside his apartment, her steps slowed when she saw the real reason for the television being on, a soft smile pulling on her lips when she saw her boyfriend asleep on the couch. She almost missed him, Gabby not noticing him at first in the dark living room, Dawson changing her path to walk towards Matt, her grin widening as she saw the content look covering his face. She was surprised to see him out here, Gabby not expecting him to be asleep anywhere other than his bed, but from the state of things in his apartment, it was pretty clear that he had unintentionally fallen asleep out here.

Taking a step closer, her eyes moved over his sleeping form, seeing his hand resting across his stomach, while his other arm was raised up on the pillow, propping up his head as he laid on his back. He didn't have a blanket or anything, that being another clue that he'd fallen asleep accidentally, his pajama pants and t-shirt being the only thing keeping him warm. Releasing a soft sigh, she debated on whether or not to wake him, Gabby not wanting to disturb his peaceful rest. From their many texts throughout the day, she knew he'd been working hard over at her mom's church, and that he had been there all afternoon and well into the evening. And the last thing she wanted to do was wake him up when it was obvious he needed the rest, but selfishly, she wanted to be with him. Wherever he was sleeping, that's where she wanted to be, but she knew there was no way to do that without waking him up in the process.

Before she thought about it too much longer, Gabby moved the rest of the way to her boyfriend, resting her hand on the back of the couch for support before she carefully climbed on top of him, Gabby straddling his hips as her body weight covered him. She felt him stir immediately, Matt subconsciously moving his hand off his chest to get it out of the way, his hand blindly moving to her hip as her chest pressed into his, Gabby feeling his other arm come down to circle her waist.

"Gabby?"

His voice was thick with sleep, Gabby hearing his confusion as she nuzzled her head into his neck while she laid on top of him, Matt lazily running his hands up and down her back, the tired man barely applying any pressure.

"Hi." She murmured against him, pressing a soft kiss to his neck, Matt pulling her closer to him, trying to clear the haze his mind was in.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, clearing his throat as he felt her breath hitting his skin, Matt still not having opened his eyes.

"I just missed you…" She responded quietly, Gabby feeling his palms come to rest below her hips, his hand sliding into her back pocket. "I'm sorry I woke you up, though… I wasn't expecting to find you out here."

"It's okay, I didn't mean to fall asleep here anyway." He replied, his voice clearer as he slowly became more alert. "What time is it?"

"After midnight." Gabby answered, feeling him nod against her, Matt sliding one of his hands up along her lower back, her shirt moving up as he stroked her back. "Hope you don't mind me stopping by."

"Never." He responded without missing a beat, feeling her smile against his neck. "I wasn't expecting you, but I'm glad you're here." Matt told her, Gabby nodding before she cuddled herself further into him, feeling Matt adjust his position under her to make himself more comfortable.

A peaceful quiet fell over them, the only sound coming from the soft murmur of the television Matt had left on, his hand still lazily moving over her lower back while his other stayed in her back pocket, Gabby feeling his breathing slowly begin to even out, his steady heartbeat calming her down.

"You wanna go to bed?" He asked after nearly five minutes of silence, Matt doing what he could to stay awake, the firefighter expecting her to agree to his suggestion.

But instead of responding, Gabby turned her head to the slide, Matt's eyebrows raising when he felt her start to press kisses against his neck. At first they were slow and gentle, but her kisses soon became more intense, Matt groaning when he felt her sink her teeth into his skin before she soothed the area with her tongue.

"Gabby…" He spoke softly, his voice unsteady as she continued kissing his neck, Matt feeling her hand move down his chest, slipping in between their bodies as she continued down towards his waist. His breath hitched when she gripped him through his pajama pants, Gabby smiling against his skin as she felt the effect her simple actions had on him.

She trailed his kisses around to the front of his neck before moving towards his jaw, Matt doing what he could to keep his breathing steady as she tightened her hold on him. His palm gripped her ass tightly, pressing her hips down into him, the added pressure sending shivers through his spine as she continued stroking over him, Gabby's lips trailing across his face until she found his, the two connecting in a heated kiss.

Every movement was full of passion and want, Matt's hands moving to the ends of her shirt, pulling at the material hastily, trying to urge her to help him get it off, Gabby releasing her grip on him as she sat up straight, her hips grinding down into his. Without him needing to prompt her again, she quickly pulled her shirt off her body, Matt's eyes darkening when he saw her heaving chest, his hands immediately finding her bare skin as his palms ran over her sides and her stomach, Casey just needing to feel her.

Moving quickly, he unbuttoned her jeans, his hand ghosting over her center before sliding back up her torso, his fingers creeping up underneath her bra. Matt gripped her breast in his palm as he cupped her flesh, Gabby breathing deeply as he held onto her sensitive skin.

"I could just get that out of the way for you." She spoke lightly, Matt brushing his thumb over her nipple before he slid his hand out from under her bra.

"That's my job." He nearly growled, his hands sliding along to her back, searching for the clasp of her bra. But before he could find it, his hand pressed into her upper back, Gabby immediately shying away from his touch, a grimace covering her face as she tried to move away from the pressure.

His mind cleared instantly, Matt dropping his hands down to her thighs as he saw the look of discomfort on her face, the firefighter immediately remembering what had happened earlier today when he touched her shoulder, remembering how she'd gotten hurt the day before. "You okay?" He asked, concern shining in his eyes as their gazes locked, Gabby giving him a weak smile as she nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She replied, Matt raising his eyebrows skeptically, waiting for her to elaborate, which she reluctantly did. "My back is just sore, that's all. But I'm fine." Gabby repeated, his eyes narrowing in worry as his gaze moved towards her shoulder, the woman straddling him shaking her head before grabbing his chin, getting him to look at her. "I'm okay."

"You're sure?" He asked, Gabby nodding as she stroked her thumb along his jaw.

"I'm alright, I promise." She assured him, Matt taking a deep breath before nodding, his hands running along the top of her thighs.

Sensing his hesitation, Gabby leaned back down, her hands cradling his cheeks as she kissed him, this one much more tame, both of them relaxing into each other as his hands slid around to her lower back.

"Does that hurt?" He asked as they pulled back, Gabby shaking her head.

"It's just my shoulder and upper back that's a little sore, but I'm fine." She assured him, Matt stroking his thumb along her lower back, just above her waistband.

"Okay… I just don't want to hurt you." He murmured, Gabby's face softening before she leaned down to kiss him again, her fingers scratching lightly over the side of his head.

"You won't hurt me." She promised, Matt nodding as she lifted herself back up, Gabby's hands snaking around her back and unhooking her bra, the material hanging loosely off her chest before she removed it, tossing it to the ground. His eyes darkened when he stared at her bare chest, Matt's body tightening at the sight of her, Gabby pulling at his own shirt, desperate to get the material off. With her help, Matt managed to sit up slightly, Gabby all but yanking his shirt off, throwing it in a similar direction before she collapsed down against him, their bare chests pressing into one another as their lips connected again, their kisses picking up speed as their hands roamed each other's bodies.

Within a matter of minutes, they had both managed to get the rest of their clothes off, every movement deliberate as Gabby trailed her kisses from his lips back down to his neck, Matt sensing a bit of urgency from her he didn't necessarily understand, but he didn't question it either, not when he felt her hand snake down in between them and grab ahold of him, his breath catching in his throat as she stroked him quickly.

The combination of her lips on his skin, and her impossibly tight grip on him were enough to send shivers down his spine, but it was nothing compared to the feeling seconds later when Gabby sunk down onto him, a low moan escaping his mouth as she took all of him, her chest rising and falling quickly as her body adjusted.

When she was ready, she slowly began grinding her hips into his, Matt's hands flying to her waist to help aid her movements, the two easily falling into that familiar rhythm with one another, the air thick around them as they gradually picked up speed.

Despite his surprise at this being where his night ended up, it was impossible to tell he'd just been woken up so abruptly moments prior, Matt giving her everything she wanted, and more, as he helped her begin to move up and down, their quick pace taking them both by surprise.

He wasn't sure what it was, but something about this definitely felt different. It reminded him of how they used to be, how moments like this were back before they'd gotten together. It was hard to explain, but something about her just felt off, and he couldn't figure out why. But he wasn't able to focus on that too long as she tightened around him, nearly strangling him as she moved up and down, a loud moan escaping his lips as she continued her assault on his body.

"God- baby." He choked out, Gabby digging her nails into his chest before she increased her speed, their pants and moans filling the dark room as their rough movements continued.

He could feel her body starting to give out, that she was nearing her release as her thighs began trembling around him, Matt having to do most of the work as he tightened his hold on her hips, a surprised gasp escaping her lips as her nails dug in harder into his chest. She was barely holding it together at this point, Gabby doing all she could to remind herself to breathe as he thrust in and out of her, her body overwhelmed as he brought her closer and closer to the edge.

Her release hit her hard and fast, Gabby's entire body going numb as Matt continued sliding in and out of her, never letting up his relentless pace, cries of pleasure escaping her lips as she rode out her high. Within seconds, Matt followed her lead, rough groans leaving his mouth as he held her down against him, releasing deep inside her as they finished what Gabby had started.

Her legs were shaking as Matt held onto her, the two trying to catch their breath as they recovered from their unexpected evening together, Gabby all but collapsing down against his chest. His hands carefully moved over her body, trying to calm her down as he felt her still trembling, Matt biting back a groan as she kept clenching around him.

Slowly, they disconnected from one another, Gabby not moving very far as she cuddled herself into his chest, Matt's hands moving lightly along her back, applying barely any pressure, not wanting to risk hurting her.

"Well… that was definitely worth coming over here." Her unsteady voice spoke, Gabby still trying to catch her breath, a grin tugging on his lips as he ran his hand down to her lower back.

"So, you're just coming by for the sex, huh?" He asked, feeling her body vibrate as she chuckled, Gabby tucking her head into his neck as an unexpected chill coursed through her.

"I came here because I wanted to see you… this was just an added bonus." She replied lightly, Matt smiling before he pressed a kiss to the side of her head, her body heat keeping him warm as they laid together on the couch.

"I'm very glad you came by." He murmured, kissing her head again as she curled deeper into his embrace, something he didn't think possible. "...Do you wanna stay here, or go to the bedroom?" Matt asked her, knowing they'd need to make a decision here soon if the way her breathing evening out was any indication.

His question was met by a heavy sigh from his girlfriend, her lips tickling his skin as she shifted her head against his shoulder. "We should probably go to bed." She answered, Matt giving a nod as he continued rubbing her back, a smile tugging on his lips when she made no effort to move.

He gave her a few more seconds to see if she was going to get up, but when it was clear she wasn't, he tapped his hand against her waist, his action being met by a groan from her. "...What?"

"I think for us to be able to sleep in my bed, we actually have to get off the couch." He reminded her, Gabby groaning again before slowly pushing herself up, ignoring the different aches present through her body. Some were good, her body euphorically achy after the time her and Matt spent together, but there were some that were not nearly as pleasant, Gabby grimacing as she felt that similar stinging moving through her shoulder, the needle-like pain reminding her of exactly what had happened this morning.

"Your shoulder still hurting you?" He asked, seeing the clear look of discomfort on her face as she moved off of him, Gabby getting up off the couch as Matt moved to sit up.

"I'm fine, just tired." She responded, Matt watching her closely before giving her a reluctant nod, Gabby already moving towards the hallway, not bothering to grab any of her clothes as she walked towards his bedroom. Sighing softly, Matt turned off the TV before following after her, knowing they could clean up their clothes tomorrow, the firefighter hurrying to catch up with her as they walked into his room.

As he stepped in behind her, he saw the outline of her body as she moved towards the lamp beside his bed, flipping it on so they had some light to get around. But the second he got a look at her, his eyebrows furrowed, worry flooding his system as he took in the sight of her back, Matt looking at the deep bruise along her shoulder blade, and the lighter bruising over her upper spine.

Gabby started to move towards the bathroom, but he didn't let her get too far, Matt gently grabbing ahold of her arm, stopping her movements as she glanced at him with curious eyes. But he wasn't focused on her face, Matt moving around to stand partially behind her, his fingertips trailing along her discolored skin.

"...Is this from that guy pushing you?"

His voice was soft, barely above a whisper as the words left his lips, Gabby taking a deep breath as she felt him tracing his thumb over her shoulder . "Oh, uh, yeah I guess so… I haven't gotten a chance to look at it." She replied, suddenly feeling very self conscious knowing his eyes were on her battered skin. Taking a slight step forward, Matt immediately dropped the hold he had on her arm, following her towards the dresser.

"It looks pretty bad, babe." He murmured, Gabby shrugging as she pulled out one of his t-shirts, throwing it over her body, Matt following her actions as he grabbed a new pair of boxers for himself.

"It's okay." She assured him for what felt like the hundredth time that day, feeling a little more relaxed once his shirt was covering her. It wasn't that she cared about him seeing her naked, that obviously wasn't a concern, but him seeing those bruises on her, bruises she hadn't even seen herself, when she couldn't tell him the real reason for them, it all left a heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach. And she didn't want him focused on it any longer than he already had been.

"Do you want an aspirin or something? It might help you sleep better." He offered, Gabby glancing towards him just as he brought his hand up towards her face, brushing some loose hair behind her ear. "If you're back is hurting, it'll probably help."

"Uh, yeah, sure I'll take some." She replied, Matt nodding immediately before he stepped around her towards the bathroom. "It couldn't hurt." Gabby added, earning a soft smile from her boyfriend before he disappeared through the doorway, leaving her alone in his bedroom as she heard him shuffle around his medicine cabinet, followed by the sound of him turning on the faucet, her mind wandering as she heard the water running.

She had done what she could to try and not think about Bryan, she had tried so hard to not let him consume her thoughts all day. But it was becoming nearly impossible. It felt like there was this weight on her chest, a weight she couldn't get to ease up no matter how hard she tried. And it was almost suffocating. This entire thing, what he'd done to her this morning, what she was afraid he'd do next, it was like she couldn't focus on anything other than him. She couldn't stop thinking about his hands on her, and the fear she felt being pinned up against those lockers, and the longer she thought about it, the more it felt like it was getting harder and harder to breathe.

She didn't know what to do, she didn't know how to handle this. She wasn't sure what to tell Matt, or even _if_ she should tell Matt, and she just felt like she was losing control. It felt like she didn't have a handle on any of this, and that all of this would only get worse. That Bryan wouldn't stop, that his one threat wasn't enough.

She couldn't help but feel like he was just getting started, and that thought alone terrified her.

The feeling of a hand sliding along her waist pulled her from her thoughts, Gabby immediately jumping at the unexpected action, her arm swinging around as she practically ripped herself from his grasp, her forearm crashing into his chest, causing him to drop the pills and the glass of water within his grasp. Her eyes widened almost instantly when she realized what had just happened, Gabby feeling water hit her leg as the cup hit the floor, Matt's entire body rigid with concern as his eyes moved across her features.

"Gabby…" He spoke carefully as he kept some distance between them, knowing how badly he'd frightened her, even though that was in no way his intention.

"I- I'm sorry, God, I'm sorry." She stuttered out before she squatted down to pick up the glass and look for the pills he'd dropped, Matt shaking his head as he bent down beside her.

"I can get this, it's fine." He said calmly, hoping his soft voice would keep her grounded, Matt seeing her hands trembling slightly as she picked up the cup.

"I got your floor all wet, I'm sorry." She repeated, Matt not sure she had even heard him. She sounded upset, like she was worried he'd be mad at her for this, and that didn't sit well with him.

"It's just water." He replied softly, Gabby finally looking up towards him, finding his warm blue eyes waiting for her, the sight instantly relaxing her. "It's fine, nothing to worry about."

With a slight nod, Gabby stood back up, placing the empty cup on his dresser as he found the two pills he dropped, placing them beside the glass as he got up. "Why don't you sit down, I'll get you some more." He prompted gently, Gabby doing nothing more than giving him a nod before moving towards his bed, sitting down on the edge as he moved back towards the bathroom.

He was gone for all of thirty seconds, Gabby finding his gaze as he came back into the room, shooting him a small smile as he handed her the aspirin and water. "Thank you." She told him, Matt giving her a nod as he sat down beside her, waiting to make sure she took the medicine and was done drinking before he took the glass from her, placing it on his nightstand. "I'm, uh-" She cleared her throat, Matt watching her closely. "I'm sorry about that, I just didn't hear you." She murmured, earning a nod from her boyfriend.

"It's okay." He was quick to assure her, even though he wasn't sure if he believed her reasoning. She'd been acting off all day, and it seemed to only be getting worse; he just didn't know what was causing it, and he was worried. She seemed genuinely scared when he touched her, and he had no idea why. But now wasn't the time to talk about it, not when it was one in the morning. "I shouldn't have come up behind you." He added, Gabby pursing her lips together as she looked down to her hands in her lap, Matt rubbing his hand along her lower back, knowing he wasn't going to get anymore out of her tonight. "...I know it's pretty late, are you ready to get some sleep?" Matt questioned as she glanced back towards him.

He wasn't sure if she was expecting him to want to talk about what just happened, but based on the look of relief that flashed in her eyes, Matt couldn't help but think that was exactly the case. He could see her entire body relax when she realized he wasn't even gonna ask her about her little freak out that just happened, and all that did was make him worry more. Enough to almost make him want to bring it up. But he stopped himself immediately, her reaction telling him that whatever was going on, all him pressing her on it would do was make this worse. And he didn't want that, he never wanted that, especially not when it was clear she was struggling with something already.

"Yeah, I am." She replied, Gabby finding her voice as Matt gave her a nod in response. Wordlessly, Gabby shuffled her body across the bed, Matt turning off the lamp before making himself comfortable as well. The room was completely dark, Gabby lying on her side as she settled underneath the covers. Moving carefully, Matt came up behind her, making sure she had time to feel his presence before he placed his hand along her side, wrapping his arm around her stomach.

"I'm not hurting you, am I?" He spoke into the darkness, Gabby shaking her head as she pressed herself back against him, immediately comforted by his hold on her.

"You're not." She responded softly, Matt giving her stomach a soft squeeze in response before leaning forward to press a light kiss over her shoulder. "I love you." Her voice was barely audible, but he heard it in the otherwise silent room, Matt stroking his thumb over her stomach.

"I love you, too… Try and get some sleep." He prompted, feeling her nod before she let herself relax into him, it barely taking any time for her exhaustion to take over.

Matt, on the other hand, didn't find sleep nearly as easily, Casey forcing himself to stay away until he was sure she was asleep. He could feel her steady breathing underneath his touch, Matt making sure to keep as tight of a grip on her as he possibly could while she slept, having the strong feeling that she needed it.

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**Well.. What are your alls thoughts on everything? Obviously, Gabby hasn't told Matt what happened yet, and she's not sure if she will. Though it seems like he pretty aware that something's going on with her. And then there's Walker on top of everything else, I'm curious as to what you all think about him, do you think he's done messing with her? Or is he just getting started? I'm interested to hear your thoughts on that.**

**I hope you guys liked this one, and I'll see you all next week for the next chapter. All I'm gonna say is settle in, cause things are gonna get a little crazy here soon.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	44. Chapter Forty Four

**Surprise. Here's an extra little update for you all. I know some of you were disappointed with the last chapter, and I was kind of sad to hear that, so I figured I'd get another update to you all this week. **

**As I'm sure most of you have realized by now, I do have a certain pace that I tell this story at, but I know that sometimes in the past that has frustrated you all, and that's never been my intention. It's just the way I have the storylines mapped out, sometimes it takes a little bit of time to get to the resolution you all are looking for. I know a lot of you were hoping Gabby would go and tell Matt, or someone, what happened with Walker, and I get it, I do. I'd probably feel the same way if I were reading along with you all, but there's certain storylines that need to happen first, and things that need to be addressed a certain way before we can get to that point, if that makes any sense. But I'm sorry to those of you who didn't like the last one, I write this story for you all, so truly, I am really sorry to those of you who were disappointed by it. I hope this chapter is better.**

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**FORTY FOUR**

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Gabby clutched her bag tightly over her shoulder as she walked through the hallways of 51, the paramedic keeping her head down as she mentally prepared herself for the day ahead, Dawson feeling a few nerves settling in her stomach at the thought of being back here already. The two days that had passed since last shift seemed to go by quicker than normal, Gabby waking up from her restless night of sleep this morning which an immediate sense of worry in her gut.

She was anxious to be back here after what happened last shift, that feeling having settled in her like a rock since the incident happened, and she couldn't help but feel like some of her anxiety stemmed from her not having seen Matt since yesterday morning.

The thought felt a little ridiculous, Gabby knowing that it had only been a day since she'd last seen her boyfriend, but she didn't so much care right now. He was able to keep her calm and grounded, and that was something she desperately needed. Even though he wasn't sure exactly what had happened, Gabby was aware he knew _something_ was going on. She could tell in the way he was with her, either in person or through text; Matt always acted a little differently with her when he knew she was upset. He was a little gentler with her, he would reach out more often than normal, it was like he just knew exactly what she needed when she needed it, even when he didn't know what was going on.

He knew about the bruises on her back, and what he was told to be the reason behind it, but Gabby wasn't sure how much he bought it. Or at least she wasn't sure he bought that was the thing that was upsetting her, not when she'd told him it happened during shift, but her demeanor hadn't changed until the morning after. If it was anyone else, she wouldn't expect them to put it together, that they'd just assume that 'incident' is what was causing her strange behavior and move on. But this was Matt, and he was about as perceptive as they come, especially when it involves her. He pays attention to everything, and Gabby knew that regardless of whether or not he believed her made up story about the call, that Matt was aware there was more going on than just that. He knew she was upset about something, but he hadn't pushed her. Even after she'd freaked out on him a few times when he'd inadvertently startle her, he never tried to get her to talk, which was something she hadn't been expecting, but she was beyond grateful for it.

This thing with Walker, a part of her knew she needed to tell him; that she needed to tell _someone_. But she was scared… She was scared because she'd seen up close and personal just how angry Bryan could get when she upset him. It was a rage she'd become familiar with over the years, but it was something she never wanted to experience again. It was something she thought she was done dealing with, but clearly that wasn't the case.

The rational part of her knew that if she told someone, the situation would be dealt with, and she'd probably never have to deal with him again. That with one call to her brother, this would probably all be over, and she wouldn't have to feel this overwhelming sense of worry and fear every time she came into work.

But that fear, and that worry… those were the exact things _keeping_ her from saying anything. She wished she could just be strong enough to move past it, that she could just go and tell Matt, or her brother, and hopefully put an end to all of this. But she didn't feel like she could. She didn't feel capable of going and reliving what he'd done to her. She felt weak. _He_ made her feel weak. And that feeling is what was stopping her from saying something.

She knew it was stupid, that her staying silent might only end up making things worse, but a part of her felt like if she just kept her head down, and showed Bryan she wasn't going to do anything, he'd leave her alone. That method had worked in the past when they were together and she had to spend time outside of shift with him, and in her mind she couldn't help but think it would work again. Especially when them spending time together outside of shift wasn't even a factor anymore. She was holding onto the hope that if she just left it alone, Bryan would do the same.

But there was a little thought that kept creeping up in the back of her mind telling her that this wasn't over. That, knowing Bryan, what happened last shift was probably only the beginning. And that thought alone made it impossible for her to figure out how to handle this.

Over the last few days, she'd had a lot of time to think about all this, and she kept ending up in the same place she started; she didn't know what to do. Part of her wanted to run to Matt's office right this instant and lay it all out in the open, but the other part of her never wanted to utter those words to anyone, most of all herself. And this constant war in her head hadn't helped matters at all.

It felt like she was drowning, like her inability to handle this was causing her to sink, and she had no way out. It was a helpless feeling; a feeling she'd experienced a lot over the years because of Bryan. A feeling that made her feel weak, and isolated, like she had no one to turn to. Except there was one huge difference this time.

And that difference was Matt.

Matt was the only reason she was keeping it together. He was the only reason this hadn't completely grabbed ahold of her like it had in the past, he was the only reason she wasn't totally falling apart.

When things got like this in the past, before she met Matt, her first instinct had been the pull away. She had Shay, and she knew her partner would do anything and everything for her, but her relationship with everyone else in the house hadn't been what it was now. When her and Bryan were still together, they were all enamored by him, and it felt as if they merely tolerated her. She didn't feel like she'd have anyone, aside from Shay, on her side. And that hadn't helped her feeling of hopelessness at all.

Bryan had been very good in the past at keeping a lid on who he truly was when they were at the firehouse, and everyone had fallen for it. _She_ had fallen for it. He fooled her like he fooled everyone else, he let her fall in love with him, and then he used that to his advantage. He would make her feel small, like he was the best she could ever expect out of a relationship. That she deserved everything he did to her, that she was lucky he wasn't doing more to her.

She suffered in silence for years. Time and time again, she'd had Bryan's horrible words ingrained in her head, repeated to her like a mantra. She'd been on the receiving end of his wrath more times than she could remember, and she'd gone through all that alone. And now with everything she'd locked away for a long time coming back up again, that wasn't an easy habit to break. She'd dealt with this all on her own for years, she'd felt alone for a long time. That wasn't something that would just go away overnight, no matter how much she wished it would.

He made her feel like she was broken, like everything that happened, she had coming. And sometimes she still felt that way.

But Matt was slowly making her let go of that feeling. That lonely feeling wasn't completely gone, and she was still scared, there was no denying that, but, even though he didn't know what was going on, he made her feel like everything would be okay. He made her feel safe, and secure, despite him not really knowing what she was struggling with, he knew how to make her feel better. He always had. He had become the person she held onto, the person she knew she could turn to when she needed it. The person who would be there for her, no questions asked. He saw her in that deep hole she was in when they met, and he pulled her out. He refused to leave her in there, even though she hadn't made it easy on him. He gave her a reason to trust him, he made her believe that everything would be fine. That, as long as she had him, nothing else mattered.

He gave her hope, and it was a feeling she tried to hold onto. It was something she had to hold onto, until she was ready to let him in to that part of her she'd kept hidden for a long time. She knew that when she felt ready to tell him what was going on, he wouldn't judge her for anything that had happened, or any of the things Bryan had put her through. She knew she could trust him with that part of herself when the time came.

But right now, more than anything else, she just needed _him_.

And maybe that wasn't fair. Maybe it wasn't fair to ask that of him, to ask him to be there for her when he had no clue as to what was going on. That it wasn't fair to expect anything from him when she was keeping him in the dark, but she didn't feel ready. She didn't feel ready to confront her past head on, not yet; and that's exactly what she would have to do. And not even just with Matt, but with everyone. She wouldn't just be able to tell Matt and then it would be over. She'd have to tell her brother, and Boden, and Shay, and the rest of the firehouse to some degree. This didn't just end with her telling Matt, and that's part of what was holding her back. She couldn't handle everyone knowing, not right now.

She knew she needed to tell him. But there was a lot more to this than just running to Matt's office and sharing her painful, and at times embarrassing, past with him. There was more to it that she didn't feel ready for. And she knew Matt could sense that.

He knew that, whatever it was, she didn't feel ready to talk about it yet. So he'd left it alone, opting to show his support in other ways, Matt constantly showing her that he was here for her, just as he always had. Even though they hadn't really seen each other since she left his place yesterday morning, he'd kept in constant contact with her while he was working at her mother's church, Matt always checking in to see how she was doing. Either through calls or text messages, he tried to talk to her as often as he could during the day. Which was something she needed more than she could've ever even realized.

And that was a realization that scared her a little.

With every passing day, Gabby was understanding more and more of just how much she'd come to rely on him. And that made her a little nervous.

It was something she promised that she'd never do again. She promised she'd never given herself completely to someone else ever again, not after she'd trusted Bryan and he completely destroyed her. She couldn't go through that again, so she made a promise to herself that she'd never put herself in that position.

But she did. With the first man she'd been with since Bryan, she had let him in. And, although it hadn't been easy for either of them, she let herself rely on him. She relied on him more than she's ever relied on _anyone_. She had completely given herself to him, they both knew it, and that was a scary thought. Knowing that Matt held onto so much of her heart, of _her_, and, if given the opportunity, he could completely crush her. Just like Bryan had done so many times. Although now, the fallout would be so much worse, because what she felt for Matt, she's never felt this way about anyone before, not even Bryan. Not even at their best did she ever feel for him what she feels for Matt. And that thought alone was terrifying.

Because he had her. Without her even realizing it was happening, Matt completely had her. And it was scary to open herself up to that. But there was no going back now, and truthfully she didn't want to. Regardless of where they ended up, she'd never regret opening herself up to him, and allowing him in. Not when he made her happier than she'd ever been in her life. She let herself trust him, she trusted herself with him, and seeing where they were now, she'd never regret that.

Now all that was left to do was let him into the last part of her life, the part no one, aside from her and Bryan, knew about. The part she'd so desperately hoped to never had to deal with again. It was something she knew she needed to tell him, she _wanted_ to tell him. If she was going to let anyone in on the painful details of her past relationship with Bryan, it was Matt.

But she needed time. And she knew Matt would give her that.

"Hello Dawson."

Gabby's back tightened as she turned the corner into the locker room, finding Walker, and no one else, in there with her, the man standing at his locker with a proud grin on his face.

Time was what she needed to be able to open up about that part of her life, and while she wholeheartedly knew Matt would give her that, she was just as sure about the fact that Bryan probably wouldn't.

Bryan wasn't going to say anything, that much she was sure of. But what she didn't know was how much farther he was going to take this. She didn't know what his plan was, if he had one at all, if he was just trying to scare her, or if he wasn't anywhere close to being done. She had no idea, and that alone caused pressure to rise within her throat, Gabby feeling nauseous at just the idea of being alone with him.

"What? No good morning?" He asked, his voice soft as Gabby narrowed her eyes, refusing to give him the satisfaction of knowing just how much he had frightened her. Even though she knew he had a pretty good idea of just how much his little stunt had affected her.

Without a word, she continued to her locker, pushing her fear aside as she began to put in her combination, ignoring the chuckles she heard coming from the other side of the bench. She knew exactly what he was doing, and despite that nerves she felt building in her stomach, she wouldn't show him the fear she currently felt being alone with him. He had enough power over her already, even though she hated it; she wouldn't give him any reason to think he had more.

"So, I'm guessing since I didn't get called into Boden's office this morning, you listened to me and kept your mouth shut?" He asked after a few tense moments, Gabby refusing to acknowledge him as she heard his locker close, the paramedic focusing on putting her things away so she could get out of here as soon as possible.

Her body froze when she felt him come up behind her, his chest brushing against her back as he slid past her, Gabby's neck tightening as he stayed way too close for comfort.

"I was speaking to you." He bit out, running his hand along her back, her body going rigid underneath his touch, Walker smirking proudly.

"I didn't say anything. Now get off me." She spat, shrugging out of his grip and slamming her locker shut, Bryan raising his eyebrows in amusement.

"Someone's feisty today." He spoke with that same smirk across his face, Gabby taking a step back as his eyes trailed up and down her body. "Where was that attitude last shift? Cause all I saw was the same old scared Gabby… But this version of you is a lot more fun." He added with a laugh, Gabby feeling her skin crawl as he looked her up and down again. "Well, fun to an extent. You running your mouth was only fun for so long."

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Gabby turned around, intent on heading out this locker room and getting as far away from his as possible, but she barely got two steps before he grabbed her shoulder, a soft gasp of pain escaping her lips as he put pressure on her sore body.

"Remember what I said." He stated quietly, Gabby not even looking back at him as she ripped herself from his grasp, Dawson moving as quickly as she could to get out of the room, forcing herself to take deep breaths as she moved.

As she got out into the hallway, she noticed her hands trembling a little, Gabby shaking her head in aggravation as she shoved them into her pockets, hating that he still had so much control over her. His actions still affected her, and he knew it. And that infuriated her as much as it scared her.

Gabby was pulled from her thoughts as she rounded the corner to head towards the common room, her steps being stopped abruptly as she nearly ran into two firefighters, her surprise evident as she nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Sorry Dawson." Severide spoke up first after glancing towards Casey, Gabby shaking her head before she met Matt's gaze, seeing his eyes holding much more concern than Kelly's. "We didn't see you there."

"It's okay." She responded softly, suddenly thankful her trembling hands were hidden away, Gabby not wanting to give her boyfriend anything else to worry about.

Sensing a thick heaviness in the air he didn't really understand, Severide decided it best to excuse himself, Kelly unsure of what was causing his friend to look so worried, the squad Lieutenant patting Gabby's arm as he walked past her. "I'm gonna get ready for shift, we'll finish that conversation later Casey." He spoke, Matt giving him a nod before Kelly disappeared around the corner.

"You doing okay?" Matt asked the second they were alone, Gabby flashing him a soft smile before she nodded.

"I'm good, yeah. What were you and Kelly talking about?" She quickly shifted the subject, Matt running his tongue along his bottom lip before responding, knowing exactly what she was doing.

"He wants us to go fishing." Matt replied, Gabby's eyebrows raising.

"Really?"

"Mhmm… He thinks it would be fun."

"I'm sure it will." She responded, her smile growing, Matt unable to stop one from forming over his face as well.

"Yeah, it'll be a good time. I'm not sure when we're going, probably sometime here soon. Kelly's seemed a little antsy lately, it'll probably do him some good to get away for a day." Casey spoke, Gabby nodding in agreement as they stood off to the side of the hallway.

"Well, I hope you guys have fun, whenever you end up going." She replied, Matt nodding as his eyes moved over her face.

"Whenever we figure out some actual plans, I'll let you know. Maybe I'll talk to Kelly, see if he cares if I invite Ramon along." He said, Gabby's eyebrows raising as she leaned her side into the wall. "I've heard him mention a few times how he enjoys fishing."

"My dad said that?" Gabby asked with an amused expression, clearly not buying it, Matt smiling sheepishly.

"Well, okay fine, he said he'd like to go sometime, that he's never been. I figured I could take him, show him the ropes and everything." Matt rephrased, Gabby's smile widening as she bit down on her bottom lip. "I told him I like to fish, and he said it's something he'd like to do… What better way for some more bonding time than being stuck on a boat for hours." He added with a smirk, Gabby shaking her head slightly.

"I don't think you really need to worry about the bonding thing anymore, my parents love you… But I think that would be fun for you guys. I know my dad would love it." Gabby responded, standing up straight when the pressure of her shoulder against the hard wall began to hurt.

"That's what I was thinking. I still need to run it past Severide, but I think it would be a nice time for all of us." He responded, his eyes glancing down to his watch. "I, uh, should probably go get my stuff put away before the beginning of shift. You going to the common room?" He asked, wanting to know where to find her once he'd gone through his routine before work.

"Yeah, I am." She responded, Matt giving her a nod before he leaned forward, kissing her quickly, Gabby relaxing into the action.

"Just give me a few minutes, and I'll meet you in there." He replied, earning a nod from his girlfriend before he slid past her, but he didn't get very far before her voice stopped him.

"Wait, uh- before you go," She started, Matt turning back around to face her, moving the few steps towards her, "I'm sorry for missing your text last night." She spoke, Matt's eyebrows furrowing. "I had already fallen asleep, and I didn't see it until later."

Along with his multiple texts and calls yesterday to check in on her, he had sent her one last message a little after 9:30 last night, asking if he could come over since he finally finished up working at the church. But his message had been left unanswered, Gabby having already fallen asleep before he sent it, and it wasn't until maybe the second or third time she'd woken up during the night from her restless sleep when she finally saw it. But by that time, it was way too late to respond, Gabby not wanting to risk waking him when he'd been working most of the day, despite how much she wished she'd hadn't missed his message, Dawson knowing she would have slept much better had he been there with her.

"Nothing to apologize for, I'm glad you got some rest." He replied with a soft smile, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek before nodding, Matt leaning forward to press a quick kiss against the side of her head. "I'm not sure what my schedule is looking like this week, I've got some other jobs to finish up along with getting that stuff done for your mom, but maybe we can plan a nice night together sometime soon." He added, Gabby giving him another nod, a gentle smile forming over her face.

"I'd like that." She responded, Matt flashing her his signature Casey grin before taking a few steps backwards down the hallway.

"Hopefully here in the next few days I'll have a better idea of what my schedule is, then we can plan something… Maybe go out to dinner or something, just something nice for the two of us."

"It's a date." She agreed softly, Matt giving her a quick wink in agreement before turning the corner to head for the locker room, Gabby unable to wipe the smile off her face as she continued to the common room.

Similarly to his girlfriend, even though he wasn't aware of it, Matt was unable to stop smiling as well, a seemingly permanent grin plastered across his face as he maneuvered the hallways of 51, quickly getting to his destination.

When he got to the locker room, he heard Shay's loud voice before he even saw her, Matt turning the corner to find the paramedic and Severide talking, Shay cutting herself off when she noticed his presence.

"Well hello there, Lieutenant." She greeted warmly, Matt shaking his head as he walked towards his locker, Shay turning to face him. "How are you this morning?"

"I'm alright, Shay… A little tired, but good." He replied as he pulled open his locker, missing the way Shay cocked her head to the side and crossed her arms over her chest.

"What? Dawson keep you up late last night?" She asked, Matt rolling his eyes as he heard chuckles from both Shay and Severide. "Though that was more a rhetorical question, I already know the answer to that, I don't need to hear any details."

"You'd never hear details from me, Shay." He responded without missing a beat, placing his bag in his locker.

"Don't I know it, you never share any of the good stuff." Shay breathed out exasperatedly, Kelly shaking his head in amusement.

"And, though it's none of your business, Gabby and I didn't even see each other last night. I was working at her mom's church all day. That's why I'm tired." He explained, turning around to give her a pointed stare, Shay raising her eyebrows.

"Okay, well that's not nearly as exciting." She responded, Matt huffing out a breath before turning back around to his locker, hanging up his jacket. "Where is Dawson, anyway? I haven't seen her this morning."

"We just saw her in the hallway." Severide responded, Matt turning back around as he shut his locker. "Casey and I were walking in, and he got all distracted by his girlfriend so I left."

"Ah, of course." Shay responded knowingly, Matt shaking his head.

"She's in the common room, Shay, if you wanna go see her… That's where I'm headed."

"Of course you are." She repeated, Casey narrowing his eyes as the blonde laughed. "You are so easy to mess with when it comes to Gabby, I swear." Shay added, Casey stifling an eye roll as he shook his head.

"...Well as fun as this has been, I'm gonna go see my girl." He replied with a grin, Shay narrowing her eyes slightly as she followed him out of the locker room.

"You know, she was my girl first." She countered, the paramedic squeezing his shoulders as the three first responders walked out into the hallway, Matt shaking his head in amusement. "Then you swooped in and stole her from me."

"Mhmm, sorry Shay…" He replied, the tone in his voice telling both Shay and Severide that he was in fact not sorry. "Although speaking of Gabby, can you do me a favor?" Matt asked as they walked through the firehouse, the air around them turning serious, Shay raising her eyebrows as she came up beside him.

"What's up?" She questioned, the three of them coming to a stop where he and Gabby had been standing earlier.

"Next time some guy is pushing Gabby around, can you tell me?" He asked, Shay's eyebrows furrowing in confusion as she glanced towards Severide, seeing the same uncertainty shining over his face.

"What?" Shay was clearly confused, but mostly worried, the paramedic having no idea what Casey was talking about with some man hurting her partner.

Before Matt could respond, the bells rang out, calling truck, engine, and squad to an accident, Casey blowing out a breath before he walked a few steps away from Shay. "The patient from last shift," He started as he continued towards the doors, Shay no less confused. "The guy who knocked her into the ambulance, and hurt her shoulder. If that happens again, can you please tell me?" He asked, giving her a nod before disappearing through the double doors, Shay's lips parted slightly in uncertainty.

"What is he talking about?" Severide asked his best friend as he followed the same path Casey had just taken, Shay shaking her head.

"I have no idea, we didn't have any rough patient last shift." Shay responded, Kelly raising his eyebrows as he got to the door.

"Alright, well I'll let you deal with that." Kelly spoke, shaking his head. "I hope Dawson's okay." He added before he too disappeared, leaving Shay alone in the hallway.

"Yeah… so do I." She muttered, shaking her head before continuing towards the common room, knowing if Gabby was still there, she should be there alone, meaning Shay could get to the bottom of whatever Casey was talking about.

Shoving her hands into her pockets, Shay moved down the hallway, the paramedic seeing her partner sitting in the common room alone through the windows, Gabby sipping on her cup of coffee as she looked at something on her phone. Coming around the corner, Shay's steps slowed as she took in the sight of her PIC, the blonde trying to get a read on her. She seemed okay, she didn't seem any different from when she saw her the night before last, even though she had been acting a little weird then, too. But from first glance, Shay couldn't see anything wrong with her.

"Hey girl." Shay made her presence known, Gabby lifting her head up from her phone, shooting her partner a small smile.

"Hey Shay." She responded, the blonde moving towards the coffee pot, her gaze occasionally moving back towards her friend, seeing Dawson's attention returned to her phone. Pouring her coffee, Shay spared a few more quick glances towards the other paramedic, the air around them quiet as they were the only two first responders left in the firehouse.

"Whatcha lookin at?" Shay asked as she walked towards the table, Gabby lifting her head up as Shay came to sit beside her, Dawson putting her phone down on the table.

"My mom was texting me." She replied softly, Shay giving her a nod as her eyes traced over Dawson's face, Gabby quickly noticing her friend's concerned look. "...What is it?"

"Hmm?"

"You're looking at me weird." Gabby elaborated, Shay clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth before taking another sip of her of her drink, her prolonged silence irking the PIC. "What, Shay?"

"Did something happen last shift?" She asked quickly, Gabby giving little in the form of a reaction as she bit down on the inside of her cheek.

"What are you talking about?"

"Casey said some guy pushed you into the ambulance…" Shay started, seeing a flash of something she couldn't read flicker in Dawson's eyes, Gabby quickly recovering. "He asked me to tell him if it happened again, that you hurt your shoulder?" She pressed, Gabby saying nothing. "But I have no idea what he's talking about… Nothing like that happened last shift, unless I'm missing something." She finished, shooting Gabby a pointed look.

Gabby's spine straightened as she tried to think of something to say, anything to try and explain away what Matt had said. She guessed she shouldn't have been surprised Matt brought it up to Shay, she just hadn't thought that far ahead when blurting out the excuse to him the day before last. And now she had to figure out something to tell her friend, anything that could excuse Matt's words.

"I tripped into the ambulance." She spoke suddenly, Shay's eyebrows furrowing as she placed her coffee mug back down on the table.

"What?" She asked, confusion laced in her voice.

"Last shift, I tripped and fell into the ambulance." She repeated, seeing the hesitation on the blonde's face. "I nailed my shoulder pretty hard and it got a little bruised, but I just tripped and fell." She continued, Shay pursing her lips together.

"Then why did Matt say some guy pushed you…" She asked, clearly trying to understand why there was such a difference in what she was hearing from Casey and from her partner.

"I don't know, he must've just misunderstood me." Dawson replied quickly, Shay's eyes narrowing slightly. "I told him what happened, but we were at my mom's church, and it was busy, maybe he just heard me wrong." Gabby said, Shay clasping her hands together on the table.

She didn't believe Gabby's story for a second. She didn't know why, but for whatever reason, Gabby was lying to her. Shay could tell by her demeanor, Gabby wasn't being truthful about whatever happened to hurt her shoulder. She wouldn't have bought her excuse regardless, but especially after how strange Gabby had been at her place the other night, Shay couldn't help but feel like there was something more going on with her friend.

"Okay…" Shay responded after a few seconds, Gabby running her tongue along the inside of her cheek. "Well, I guess you should probably make sure Casey knows that, because he thinks some guy hurt you." She added pointedly, Gabby giving her a nod.

"I'll talk to him." Gabby replied before taking another sip of her drink, Shay's eyes never leaving her friend.

Something was going on with her, but having known Gabby for years, Shay could tell it wasn't something she wanted to talk about. She wasn't open to having this conversation, that was obvious, so Shay wouldn't push her. At least not yet.

"Alright, good. I really had no idea what he was talking about, I thought I missed something." She spoke lightly, seeing Gabby visibly relax when Shay had pushed the topic any further. "But you're okay though?" Shay asked, Gabby meeting her eyes. "Your shoulder's good?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." Dawson assured her, plastering a smile on her face. "I'm a little sore, but it's nothing. I'm good."

"Okay, good." Shay responded, giving her friend as supportive of a smile as she could muster. "Just don't overdo it or anything, I can do more of the heavy lifting today if you need me to." She offered, Gabby giving her an appreciative nod before she picked up her phone.

"Thanks Shay, I'll be careful." Gabby promised, her eyes moving from Shay to the device in her hands, her attention clearly focused back on whatever she was looking at, giving the blonde the opportunity to look over her PIC.

Something was definitely off with her. She was acting different, and it was clear that something had happened since last shift to make her behave so strangely. Shay just wasn't sure exactly _what_ had happened. But if Gabby's behavior was any indication, she probably wouldn't be finding out anytime soon.

* * *

"_Walker, I need you over here with me._" Casey's voice came through the radio, Severide standing over by one of the cars they'd been assigned to when 51 rolled up to the multi-car accident this morning, all companies having gone their separate ways when they showed up at the gruesome scene. While none of them were exactly sure what caused the accident, there were at least ten vehicles involved in this mess, and there had been quite a few casualties already.

"You good, Casey?" Kelly asked back, his eyes focused on Cruz and Capp who were working on getting the door of the car in front of him off.

"_I'm good, we've just got some kids stuck in here._ _Walker?_"

"_Coming Lieutenant._" Bryan radioed back, Severide refocusing his attention on the task at hand.

Across the street, Casey was hunched over on the ground, looking into the car that was currently upside down, Matt doing what he could to keep the kids strapped in the backseat calm, despite the fact that they were currently hanging upside down, and that their mother was dead in the front seat about a foot away from them.

The scene was rough, there was no doubt about it, and while when they pulled up to the scene, Matt wasn't sure why 61 hadn't been called out with them, now he couldn't help but feel grateful they hadn't been. This was one of those calls that had the potential to stick with first responders, and he didn't want that for Gabby, or Shay. He didn't want either of them to have to see the things he'd seen today.

"It's okay, we're gonna get you guys out. You're gonna be fine, I promise." Matt repeated the words he'd said to them many times already, Herrmann and Otis currently working on getting the crushed door open on the other side.

"Momma!" The younger boy in the back cried out, Matt grimacing as he took in the sight of the two terrified children. He couldn't be sure exactly how old they were, but from the looks of it, he'd say the oldest couldn't be more than six or seven, the smaller boy maybe a year younger.

"Hey, look at me." Matt spoke, the two boys glancing towards him, tears flowing down their cheeks, both of the kids having various injuries. None of them looked life threatening, their car seat and booster seat doing their job, but they did have some blood on them, and the quicker they got them out and could assess their injuries properly, the better. "You boys are gonna be fine, we're gonna get you out, okay? It's fine." Casey assured them, the older boy nodding.

"Casey, we're ready." Herrmann called across the car, Matt lifting up his hand, telling his firefighter to wait.

"Alright guys, it's about to get really loud. And then we're gonna get the door off, but I promise you'll be alright. It might be a little scary, but it won't last long, okay?" Matt warned them, the boys nodding, even though he wasn't sure how much they understood.

"Lieutenant, where do you want me?" Walker asked as he came up beside Casey, crouching down on the pavement beside him.

"We're about to get these kids out, once the door's off I need you to slide through the window and help get them collared before we get them out." Casey instructed, Walker giving him an immediate nod. Although Bryan wasn't his first choice, he knew the man was more than capable to do this. In fact, aside from Matt himself, he knew Bryan was the best choice. He was strong enough to help maneuver the boys out of the car, but he was smaller than Casey, meaning it was easier for him to get in and out through the window.

"Alright."

"Okay Herrmann, go ahead." Casey called, Herrmann giving him a nod before they started working on the door.

It was loud, loud enough for the younger boy to start crying despite Matt's attempts to soothe him, but the Lieutenant knew until that boy was out of this car, they wouldn't be able to get him calmed down. And even then, there was no telling what kind of state he'd be in.

The rest happened in a blur, Herrmann, Otis, and Mouch managing to get the door off, the paramedics swooping in to help guide Walker through getting the boys out, the task made more difficult by their upside down position. But within minutes, both boys had been safely removed from the car and put onto back boards, the paramedics on the scene taking them away, Matt knowing their job here was done. At least at this vehicle.

Walker began sliding out from the window, Casey helping the man up once he was cleared, Matt patting his shoulder.

"Good work, Walker." He spoke, his words eliciting a slight smirk from the man in front of him.

"Thank you, Lieutenant." He replied, his smug look never lifting as he bent down to grab his helmet before walking away from Casey, Matt's narrowed gaze focused on his firefighter as he walked back towards the rig.

Casey had no idea what to make of Walker lately, and their brief interaction seconds prior wasn't clearing anything up, Matt still a little hesitant to trust the man out on calls. Personally, he hated him. After the things he said to Gabby, Casey felt nothing but disdain for the man on his truck, and he would gladly never see him again if possible. But professionally, Walker had pretty much kept his head down. He'd given Matt no reason to have any issues. Since his outburst about a week and a half ago now, he'd been quiet. Even though Matt knew the firefighter absolutely hated him for dating his ex, Walker hadn't been a problem, for him or for Gabby, as far as he knew. He'd just focused on the job, which was all Matt could ask of him as his Lieutenant.

But what Casey didn't understand was that stupid smirk Bryan had been walking around with since last shift. It was a look similar to one he'd worn back when he'd been misinformed about everything with Hallie, a look he'd have when he would walk around thinking he had the upper hand in any given situation. It was a look Casey had seen from him a few times, Matt just wasn't sure what was causing it now. All he knew was that he didn't like it.

But it wasn't something he could focus on right now, not with everything going on in front of him. Walker was doing his job, that's all that mattered. But Casey knew he'd have to keep an eye on it, the Lieutenant aware that whenever Walker was like this, it usually didn't end well.

* * *

Gabby stepped through the double doors as she saw firefighters from truck, squad, and engine filter down out of their rigs, the exhausted looks on their faces telling her as she needed to know about how their last call had gone. Shoving her hands in her pockets, she slowly walked closer, but kept her distance, the paramedic waiting for one firefighter in particular.

As more of them began walking towards the firehouse, Gabby moved towards 81, shooting Severide a soft smile as he passed her, the squad Lieutenant rubbing over her arm momentarily.

"You alright, Kelly?" She asked, Severide giving her a nod.

"I'm good, Dawson… Shay inside?"

"Mhmm. In the common room." Dawson answered, Kelly shooting her an appreciative smile, giving her arm one last squeeze before continuing inside.

Not having seen the firefighter she was looking for, she knew he must've still been by the rig, Gabby continuing around the back of squad 3 as a few of the firefighters were still lingering around.

As she turned the corner, she nearly ran into one of 81's firefighters, Gabby's body tightening when she almost collided with Walker, the paramedic immediately putting some distance back between them. The second he saw her, he glanced back towards the rig before a scoff left his lips, Walker shaking his head as he moved past her, roughly bumping his shoulder into her.

"Your fuck buddy's by the truck." He bit out as he walked by her, Gabby clenching her jaw before continuing towards the rig, pushing Bryan's words out of her head.

As she kept walking, more of truck 81 came into view, Gabby not seeing her boyfriend anywhere, the paramedic continuing her path around the other side of the truck, her steps slowing when she saw him. Matt was leaning up against the side of the rig, his legs crossed at the ankles as he had his head bent down, his hand covering most of his face. His body language alone was enough to tell her he'd had a rough morning, Dawson picking up her pace again as she continued moving towards him.

The sound of her boots hitting the ground alerted him to her presence before she could, Matt lifting his head up towards her, a soft smile immediately forming over his face when they locked eyes.

"Hi." She spoke softly, Matt nodding as he moved his hand down, reaching out for her.

"Hey." He replied, Gabby grabbing ahold of his hand once she was close enough, Matt pulling her close to him, Dawson stroking her thumb along the back of his hand. It was in moments like this where Gabby was thankful they had finally made the house aware of their relationship, the paramedic wanting to be able to comfort her boyfriend without worrying about who else was around.

"You doing okay?" She asked quietly after a few moments, her eyes tracing over his tired features, Matt giving her a nod in response as he squeezed her hand.

"You heard about the call?" He questioned back, Gabby responding with a nod of her own.

"A little bit… We heard some of it over the radio." She answered, lifting her free hand up to run over the side of his face. "It sounded rough."

"Yeah, it wasn't pretty." He replied, Gabby nodding understandingly. "I'm glad you didn't have to see it."

Sighing softly, Gabby dropped her hand from his face, the paramedic closing the distance between them as she let go of his hand, wrapping her arms around his waist, hugging herself against him. His eyebrows furrowed slightly when he felt the tight grip she held him with, Matt lifting his arms up to wrap around her waist, the couple leaning into the rig as they basked in this intimate moment only for the two of them.

"Are _you_ okay?" Matt asked after a few seconds, feeling Gabby sigh against him.

"I'm not the one who was on that call." She replied, her voice muffled slightly by his chest, Matt running his hands along her back.

"No, I know-... you just seem a little upset." He explained, Gabby taking another breath, pressing a soft kiss to his chest before responding.

"I'm fine. I was just worried about you." She told him, Matt nodding before he tightened his grip around her body. "...I'm glad you're alright." She murmured, tightening her hold on him as they stood together.

Neither one of them said anything else, Matt letting her take the lead on how long they stayed like this, the firefighter sensing she needed this just as much as he did. But he couldn't shake the feeling that her need for his comfort didn't so much have anything to do with the call he'd just be on, but it had everything to do with whatever had been bothering her these last few days.

In fact he was sure it mostly had to do with what had been on her mind lately, but after the morning he'd had, he wasn't in the right headspace to question it, Matt tightening his grip on her as he ducked his head down into her neck, Gabby running her hand along his back, both of them staying as close as they possibly could.

* * *

Dawson tapped her foot against the ground as Shay backed the rig into the garage, the loud beeping the only noise around them as they returned from their late night call, both paramedics thoroughly exhausted from their busy day. It had been non stop calls for them most of the afternoon and through the evening, the partners silently hoping they could have at least a few hours before getting called out again, though that wasn't a wish they were going to voice out loud.

"God, I can't wait to lay down." Shay groaned as she killed the engine, Gabby nodding in agreement as a yawn escaped her lips, both women climbing down out of the rig. Rolling out the kinks in her neck, Dawson walked around the front of the rig as Shay moved to put the garage door down, effectively shutting down the firehouse for the night until they were called out again, the paramedics beginning the walk towards the house. "I know we didn't even get dinner, and that I should probably eat something, but damn the only thing that sounds good right now is getting some sleep." She continued as they stepped inside, finding an empty common room.

"Yeah, I'm definitely going to bed." Gabby responded, the paramedics moving down the hallway towards the bunk room, the women hearing the sounds of snoring firefighters before they even got the door open.

Quietly, they walked inside, finding everyone asleep for the night, Shay heading straight for her bunk, Gabby intent on following her partner's lead. But her steps slowed when she glanced towards Matt's office, seeing the door closed and the blinds drawn, but there was a dim light escaping from underneath the bottom of the door.

Sighing softly, Gabby changed her path, ignoring the quiet snickers from Shay as she walked towards Matt's office, sparing glances to the firefighters she passed, making sure they were sound asleep. And, to no one's surprise, they were.

Passing the last bunk, she caught a quick glimpse of Walker, Gabby swallowing thickly as she kept walking, ignoring the sinking feeling that seemed to hit her whenever she saw him lately. The firefighter had been watching her all day, Gabby noticing his stares any time she would accidentally look his way, and while she assumed she should be thankful that's all he'd done, the smug looks and grins were unnerving, to say the least. But she'd done what she could to ignore them whenever she saw him, Gabby more focused on making sure Matt was holding up okay after they rough call they'd had this morning.

There had been a somber mood over the house most of the day, 51's firefighter's more affected by what they saw than any of them initially realized, so Gabby had spent her day trying to make sure her coworkers were doing alright; Matt being her main priority.

When they were out in the garage earlier today, Matt had recanted the events of the morning to her, Gabby remaining a quiet, supportive presence as he went through everything, both of them knowing it would help him to talk it out. And, based on his words, she knew the call was a difficult one to experience, and it would be even harder to let go. But all she could do was be there for him, which was something she was determined to do.

As she got to his office, she spared one more glance around the quiet room before she slowly opened his door, seeing the immediate look of surprise that covered his face at the door opening. But that look was quickly replaced with a soft smile, Matt quietly waving her inside as he laid on his bunk. Giving him a nod, Gabby stepped inside, softly closing the door behind her before she walked closer to him, the lamp on his desk illuminating the small room.

From her position by the door, she could see how utterly exhausted he was, Gabby quickly changing her direction, Matt watching her curiously as she moved towards his desk. But he soon understood her intentions as she turned his lamp off, the room blanketed in darkness as Gabby blindly made her way back to him. He adjusted his positioning on the bed, scooting over to the edge before Gabby climbed down into his bunk with him, resting her body partially on top of his as she settled into his side, Matt's arm holding her around her back as her arm wrapped around his waist. Her head settled on his chest, Gabby listening to the rhythmic thumping of his heartbeat underneath her ear as she cuddled into his body.

"...I talked to Maggie." Gabby murmured into the quiet room, Matt rubbing along her hip as he waited for her to continue. "Those boys are alright." She felt him relax underneath her, Matt releasing a heavy breath before pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "Their dad is with them, but they're both gonna be fine."

"Thank you." He whispered, Gabby nodding against his chest as he brought his other arm across his chest to wrap around her, Matt desperate to keep her close.

"Try and get some sleep, baby." She spoke, pressing a kiss against his covered breastbone, the two settled together comfortably in the cozy bunk, neither of them able to fight against their exhaustion for very long before they both fell asleep, the two resting peacefully as they held onto one another.

* * *

**I hope this chapter has given you a little more insight into why Gabby isn't saying anything. I know a lot of you don't agree with the decision for her not to tell anyone, and I get it, I do. But that decision plays into the bigger picture of where this story is headed, and I just need you all to hang on with me for a little bit until we get there. I'm sorry to those of you who are disappointed by that, I really am, but I know how I want this to all play out, and I don't feel like I should change that now. **

**But I understand your frustrations. I know some of you feel like by her not saying anything, she's just protecting him. But it's not about him, it's about Gabby needing to be ready to deal with that part of her relationship she never dealt with. I know I'm rambling, I'm just trying to help you guys see why I'm doing what I'm doing. Hopefully you all will stick around to see how it all unfolds. I promise it won't take forever to get there. But until we do get there, at least Matt and Gabby are still leaning on one another, and Gabby hasn't pulled away from him, which I know some of you were worried about.**

**I know those of you who were wanting Gabby to tell someone might not have enjoyed this chapter either, but I hope you did. I appreciate all the feedback on the last one, and I'm looking forward to seeing your feedback on this one as well, good or bad. Thank you for reading.**

**I'll see you next time.**


	45. Chapter Forty Five

**FORTY FIVE**

* * *

Gabby laid quietly in her bed, resting on her back as she stared straight up at the ceiling, the room blanketed in darkness, her curtains doing their job of shutting out the street lights as she focused on the thick quiet around her. Tapping her fingers against her stomach, she did anything she could to try and get her brain to shut off, anything she could to try and focus on something other than the rampant thoughts running through her mind, but she couldn't.

She couldn't stop thinking about _him_.

It had been over a week since Bryan first confronted her in the locker room, since he pushed her up against the lockers and threatened her. And in the time that had passed since, things had only gotten worse.

Her hope, or maybe it had just been wishful thinking, that he'd let her be if she kept quiet was not going as planned. If anything, it was the opposite.

He wouldn't leave her alone. It was like he was going out of his way to catch her when she was by herself, to try and do anything he could to mess with her, and it was becoming more and more difficult to manage. She tried to never put herself in that position, Gabby not wanting to give him any opening to harass her more than he already was, but sometimes it was out of her control, and she'd end up alone in the locker room, or in the garage, without even trying. And it was like he knew exactly when those moments were, because it would take all of a couple of minutes before he'd find her, and do what he does best.

Scare her.

In the week that had passed, his threats were more verbal than anything else, Walker constantly reminding her what he'd do to her if she told anyone, the paramedic knowing he got some sort of twisted pleasure out of frightening her. But he had gotten a little too rough one other time, the only time Gabby tried to fight back.

It happened last shift, Walker finding her alone in the back of the rig when Shay went inside to get some lunch, the firefighter cornering her when she was doing inventory. And while she didn't think he'd gone there with the intention to get physical, it had certainly ended that way, Bryan unable to control himself when she hadn't just taken the verbal abuse he was hurling at her. She had apparently pushed one too many buttons, something she'd done to him a lot in the past, because before she even knew what was happening he had pushed her back against the side of the rig, Gabby's body colliding with the bed while her head and her arm hit the wall.

The altercation had been quick, Gabby's head ringing while Walker left as soon as he could, almost like he realized what he'd done, that he hadn't come back there with the intent to physically hurt her. But she knew he hadn't felt too much remorse, Walker hurling one last 'don't tell anyone' at her before practically running inside, Gabby needing a few minutes for the pounding in her head to stop.

That was the only other time he'd put his hands on her since shoving her up against the lockers, Walker more focused on the mental abuse than the physical, but that one moment had scared her more than anything else he'd done to her, because she knew it had happened without thought. She made him angry, and his first instinct was to hurt her. And that incident had almost been enough for her to run inside and tell Matt what was going on. Almost.

But by the time the ringing in her head stopped, and Gabby worked up the nerve to go find her boyfriend, the entire house had gotten called out to an apartment fire, and when they had finally all returned hours later, she had lost that courage, Gabby only left with more fear, and another bruise on her arm she'd have to explain away.

Over the last week, there had been multiple times she almost worked up the courage to go and talk to Matt. To go and tell him what all Bryan had been doing, but each time, usually for different reasons, she chickened out. Bryan's harsh words would bounce around in her head, and keep her from going to talk to the person she trusted more than anyone else. So many times she'd gotten close to talking to him, one time Gabby even having started the conversation, but she didn't get very far before they got interrupted, and it was never brought up again.

It was like every time she'd think she was ready to talk to him, and then she couldn't, she had to start all over; like she was starting from the beginning every single time. And that, along with everything else, was exhausting. And she wasn't sure how much longer she could take it.

She knew she couldn't keep doing this, she couldn't keep being afraid to go to work, to be by herself. She couldn't keep walking around the firehouse looking over her shoulder, wondering what he was going to do next, and when he was going to do it. She couldn't take it anymore, Gabby knowing she was going to reach her breaking point very soon, if she hadn't already.

It felt like every day she was losing more and more of herself, that Bryan was breaking her down and taking parts of her that she'd never get back. And it wasn't just affecting her and her relationship with Matt, but it was affecting her relationship with everyone.

Gabby wasn't sure what all had been said about her, but she knew she'd been a topic of discussion around the house as of late. She'd been withdrawn, especially from her coworkers, and they all noticed. While she'd be around, and she'd sit with them in the common room, or talk to them when someone addressed her, it was clear her mind was elsewhere. The only reason she wasn't completely pulling away from them is because if she didn't spend her time with them, she knew that just gave Walker more of an opportunity to get her alone, and that was something she couldn't deal with. So she made sure to stay around people as often as she could, but just because she was physically there, that didn't mean her mind was, and everyone had noticed. And they were all concerned about her.

But no one was more worried than Matt.

She knew he was trying, that he was trying his best to be supportive while not pushing her, but all of this had been hard on him, regardless of him knowing the reason or not. While she hadn't been physically distant from him, she knew he could tell that mentally she wasn't always there. Those moments when she'd snap out of her headspace, the times she'd need a second to remember where she was because she'd get so lost in her own head, more often than not whenever she'd look to him, he'd already be watching her with that same look of concern she saw from him a lot these days. It was something that happened quite frequently, something she knew worried him.

And she couldn't say she blamed him.

She'd been all over the place this last week, she knew she had, and she was tired of it. She was tired of Bryan having this hold on her, and she didn't want to deal with it anymore. She just wanted this to be over. And the first step to that was telling someone… telling _Matt_.

But it was too late to have that conversation tonight.

Feeling a headache beginning to form behind her eyes, Gabby lifted her hand up, pinching the bridge of her nose harshly, trying to get rid of some of the pressure in her head, but it hadn't helped. Rolling over onto her side, Gabby's eyes found the clock on her bedside table, a soft sigh escaping her lips as the red numbers shone back at her.

_11:13_

She knew it was late, too late for her to be calling him when she knew he'd had a long day today. From their last text conversation a little over an hour ago, she knew he was just heading home after working at her mom's church off and on all day, the work he was doing there taking longer than any of them anticipated. And with Matt working at the firehouse, as well as having other construction jobs, finishing up those things for her mom was taking longer than he thought. And she knew he'd been working himself hard all day, the two only communicating through a few messages since they left shift this morning, and the last thing she wanted to do was risk waking him up, especially when she knew he was getting up early tomorrow morning as well.

Tomorrow, he and Kelly, along with her father, were going to go fishing together, the three finally making plans for the activity they discussed last week, and she knew how excited both Matt and her dad were. But she also knew that they were getting up early tomorrow to get out and have a full day out on the lake. So if he'd already fallen asleep, which she was sure he had, she didn't want to disturb his much needed rest.

But on the off chance he hadn't fallen asleep yet, she couldn't help but want him here with her. She'd been trying to go to sleep for an hour, and had yet to get anywhere close to feeling relaxed enough to do so. But she knew if she had Matt by her side, that sleep would come much easier. Since Walker had started tormenting her, the only nights she got any decent rest was when she had Matt with her, and it was clear tonight would be no different.

Huffing out a heavy breath, Gabby pushed herself up onto her elbows, reaching out towards her nightstand to grab her phone, disconnecting it from its charger before holding it closer to her face, her eyes needing a moment to adjust to the bright light. Once her vision came into focus, she went to her texts, clicking on Matt's name and typing out a message, Gabby figuring this was the safer option. If he was up, she was hoping that maybe he wouldn't mind to come over. But if he wasn't, she knew one text shouldn't wake him.

'_You awake?_'

Gabby gnawed on her bottom lip, a feeling of relief washing over her when she saw that he read her message almost immediately, those three grey dots giving her an answer to her question before he even responded.

'_Barely, about to lay down. Just finished packing up the truck for tomorrow._'

Taking a deep breath, Gabby bit down on the inside of her cheek, knowing she couldn't ask him to come over. He needed his rest, and all she'd be doing was prolonging that by at least a half hour if she asked him to come.

'_Why? You alright?_'

He texted again before she could respond, Gabby breathing deeply as she sent him a message back.

'_I'm good, it's nothing. I hope you have fun tomorrow._'

Matt read her text immediately, but he never began to respond, Gabby watching her screen closely to see when he'd start typing something. But he never did.

Just as she was about to put her phone back down, it began buzzing in her hands, Gabby seeing Matt was calling her, the photo of the two of them she had as his contact picture covering her screen, Gabby pursing her lips together before answering the call, putting the phone up to her ear. "Hello?"

"_Hey… What's going on?_"

She could hear the same worry he'd had for her for over a week now present in his voice, Gabby also picking up on his exhaustion, the paramedic silently cursing herself for ever texting him in the first place.

"Nothing, I was just wondering if you were up." She replied, hearing him take a deep breath on the other end of the line.

"_I am. I wasn't expecting you to be, though._" He spoke pointedly, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip. "_Did you need me for something?_" Matt questioned when she had yet to say anything, her prolonged silence only worrying him further. "..._Gabby_?"

Sighing softly, Gabby rolled over onto her back, resting her palm over her stomach as she relaxed back into her pillows. "It's nothing, really… You should get some sleep, I know you had a long day."

"_Gabby…_" He repeated, his tone telling her he wasn't going to just let this go, Dawson blowing out a heavy breath before giving in.

"I… I can't sleep." She told him, hearing him a release soft breath. "And I was just gonna see what you were doing, and ask you to come over if you were up, but I know you're tired and that you've got an early morning, and you need to rest, so you don't-"

"_I'll be there in fifteen minutes._" His words cut off her rambling, Gabby swallowing the lump in her throat.

"You really don't have to..."

"_I'll be there soon._" He said again, Gabby feeling a wave of relief wash over her, mixed with slight guilt knowing she was delaying his rest.

"Okay… Thank you." Her voice was quiet, Gabby listening as he was shuffling around his room, no doubt changing into clothes much more presentable than what he slept in.

"_Nothing to thank me for. I'll be there in a bit… I love you._"

"Love you, too." She replied without hesitation. "Be safe."

"_I will_." He promised, the couple exchanging a few more goodbyes before they hung up, Gabby feeling much more relaxed knowing that Matt would be here soon.

True to his word, Casey arrived at her apartment a little more than fifteen minutes after they got off the phone, Gabby having been waiting for him out in the living room, the paramedic sitting on her couch when she heard a knock at her door. Not having changed from her sleep attire that was nothing more than a thin tank top and a pair of underwear, Gabby wrapped the throw blanket from the back of the couch around her body before heading for the door, the tired woman undoing the locks before pulling the door open, immediately being met by the sight of her boyfriend. He was exhausted, she could tell the instant she saw him, but the soft smile he wore across his face made her grin as well, Gabby stepping aside to let him in.

"Hi." She murmured as he walked into her apartment, Matt carrying a small duffle bag in his hands, Gabby assuming that contained whatever he was wearing tomorrow. "Thanks for coming." His face softened when the quiet words left her lips, Matt's eyes quickly trailing over her before meeting her gaze.

"I told you, you don't need to thank me." He replied, Gabby giving him a nod before she closed the door, locking it back into place.

When they were securely inside, Gabby turned around, finding Matt still watching her closely, standing barely a foot from her as they stood in her foyer, his worried eyes tracing over her face. She wasn't sure what he was thinking, or if he was planning on saying something, but she didn't give him the chance to do much before she closed the distance between them, Gabby wrapping her arms around his torso as she held onto the blanket, hugging herself to his chest.

He was stunned momentarily, not expecting the hug, but he soon reciprocated the action as he wrapped his arms around her as well, moving slowly as to not hit her with the small bag he was carrying.

"Thank you…" She whispered again, Matt's eyebrows furrowing as he rubbed over her blanket-covered back.

"Gabby-"

"No, not for that… Well, not just that." She clarified, Matt hanging on her words as she spoke, her voice bouncing off his chest. "I just meant thank you for being the guy that you are." She told him, Matt no less confused, but she kept talking before he had the chance to ask. "For being the type of person who'd come here at midnight when I can't sleep, and for everything else you do for me… You're just a great man, and I want you to know how much I appreciate it. And you."

Her admission took him by surprise, Matt unsure of where this burst of honesty came from, but he continued rubbing his hand along her back regardless, feeling her loosen her grip slightly as she lifted her head, the two locking eyes.

"Well, I appreciate that… but it's still not something you need to thank me for." He replied after a few seconds, Gabby stroking her thumb along his lower back as his eyes focused on hers, trying desperately to get a read on her. "...Did something happen?" He questioned carefully, Gabby raising her eyebrows, clearly wanting him to elaborate. "You not being able to sleep, you thanking me for being here for you… I wasn't sure if something was going on." He added, Gabby shaking her head slowly.

"I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate you." She replied simply, Matt hesitating for a moment before nodding in agreement, Casey leaning forward to press a quick kiss on her forehead.

Without any more words being exchanged, the pair walked the familiar path back towards her bedroom, Gabby stopping to return the blanket to the couch and turn off the lamp she'd turned on while waiting for him, Matt waiting for her before they continued on towards her room. Quietly, Gabby climbed into bed as Matt stripped down to his boxers, tossing his clothes over the back of her chair. When he turned around to face the bed, he could barely make out the image of Gabby sliding underneath the covers, the dark room making it hard to see her clearly as he got into his side of the bed, Gabby clinging to him before he could even lie down.

When he was settled on his back, Gabby hooked her leg up over his thighs, her arm wrapped around his side as she hugged her body to his, Matt adjusting the covers over them before resting his palm over her back. The air around them was quiet, Matt slowly rubbing his hand up and down her side as he felt her chest rise and fall against him, Gabby's head tucked into his neck comfortably. The longer they laid there, the more he could feel her begin to relax, her breathing slowly evening out as they were surrounded by nothing but dark and quiet.

"...Do you wanna talk about it?"

His voice was barely audible, Matt feeling her sigh softly as she thought over his words, the firefighter finally asking the question he'd been wanting to ask since he got here. Her needing him to come over because she couldn't sleep had been enough of a red flag, but then the moment when he got here, with her thanking him for nothing more than common decency, that hadn't set well with him either, and he didn't feel comfortable going to bed without reaching out. He knew she'd been struggling recently, and he felt compelled to at least offer for her to open up to him, as he'd done so often during the last week, even if she turned him down, Matt continuing to rub comforting circles along her back, knowing how much that had soothed her in the past.

Casey's question hung in the air for a few moments, Matt giving her all the time she needed to answer him, feeling Gabby tighten her grip around his waist.

"I do." She eventually murmured, her thumb stroking his side, Gabby feeling safe under the cover of darkness as he held her in his arms, Matt nodding in response. "I do want to talk about it. But not tonight… Right now I just- I want to sleep." She finished hesitantly, unsure of what type of reaction her words would get from him.

But Matt simply nodded, Gabby feeling him press a lingering kiss to the top of her head as his other arm moved across his body to wrap around her, completely enveloping her into his embrace.

"Okay." He whispered, kissing her head again before he relaxed back into her mattress, Gabby following his lead as she let herself melt into him, his strong arms wrapped around her providing her with a sense of security that she desperately needed. "We can talk later, just try and sleep."

Giving him a nod, Gabby huddled into his chest, her body practically covering his by the time she finished making herself comfortable, the paramedic letting the steady thumping of his heartbeat underneath her ear slowly lull her to sleep.

* * *

A heavy yawn escaped Gabby's lips as she sat at the island in her kitchen, the throw blanket from the back of the couch wrapped around her body like a cocoon as she sat and sipped her coffee, the dark skies outside reminding her just how early it was.

"Alright, I've got everything ready to go, I think."

She heard her boyfriend's voice fill the apartment soon after the front door shut, Gabby watching as he soon came into view, the man looking way too alert for the sun not even being up yet.

"I hope you guys have fun." She responded, covering her mouth as another yawn left her lips, Matt's face softening as he came to a stop beside her. "You'll have to let me know how it goes."

"I will." He replied, pressing a quick kiss against the side of her head, Gabby flashing him a small smile as he began rubbing over her back. "...I'm sorry I woke you up." Matt added, Gabby giving him a shrug before she took another sip of her coffee. "Do you think you can get back to sleep?"

"Right now, maybe not. But here in a few hours, I'll probably crash." She answered him, Matt shooting her a knowing grin.

"Well, I hope you at least get a nap sometime today… You're working at Molly's tonight, right?"

"Mhmm. I don't close though, so I should be done around eight or nine." Gabby responded, Matt nodding before he ducked his head, capturing her lips in soft kiss.

"Alright. I'm not sure how long I'll be gone, but maybe I can stop by… if not, I'll see you on shift tomorrow." Casey spoke before kissing her again, this one much quicker than the last, Matt rubbing his hand along her back before he pulled away.

"Sounds good... Don't get into too much trouble." She replied with a gentle smirk, Matt shaking his head as he bit back a grin of his own.

"I make no promises."

Gabby rolled her eyes at her boyfriend as he began walking away from the island, her bottom lip falling in between her teeth as he pocketed his keys and wallet off the counter. "I'll see you later." He told her, flashing her a warm smile before he started towards the door. But he slowed his steps suddenly, Gabby raising her eyebrows as he turned back to face her, an expectant look covering her face as she waited for him to say whatever it was that had stopped him.

"You're sure you're alright if I go?" He questioned, his voice soft as he stood a few yards away from her, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "I mean, after last night…" Matt started, clearing his throat before continuing. "If you'd rather I stay, so we can talk, I can reschedule all this." He told her, Gabby's eyes falling closed as she took a deep breath. "Just say the word, and I'll stay."

"I want you to go." She responded quietly, Matt eyeing her closely. "I still want to talk… But I know how excited you are for this, and so is my dad." She added with a small smile. "I'm alright, I want you to go." Gabby repeated, her soft voice barely reaching his ears.

"Okay." He replied, clearly a little reluctant to leave, but he nodded nonetheless. "I'll have my phone on me if you need to talk, or just wanna check in." Matt reminded her, Gabby giving him a nod.

"I know." She said with a soft grin. "If I need you, I'll call you... Even though Severide might get pissed because it'll scare all the fish away." Gabby added, her nose scrunching up slightly, a soft smile forming over his face, Matt finding the childish look covering her features quite adorable.

"He'll get over it." Matt responded lightly, Gabby chuckling before she slid down off her chair, bringing the blanket with her as she walked towards her makeshift desk area at the end of the counter. He kept his curious eyes on her as she pulled open the drawer, Matt unsure of what she was doing while she shuffled around the contents inside before grabbing something he couldn't see.

"I do hope you guys have fun though, and that my dad doesn't bore you to death with all his stories," Gabby started when she walked towards him, Matt raising his eyebrows as she got closer. "But before you go, I want you to have this."

His curious stare moved towards her clasped hand, Matt holding out his before she placed whatever she was holding into his palm, a slight smirk tugging on his lips when he saw what she'd given him.

The look on his face was enough to fill her chest with warmth, Gabby ducking her head slightly as he kept his eyes on her, the paramedic clutching the blanket wrapped around her.

She'd been wanting to give this to him for awhile, in fact she had planned on giving it to him before everything with Bryan happened, but that entire thing had derailed her a little bit. Gabby had planned to surprise him with it last week, and even though that obviously didn't end up happening, she didn't want to wait any longer. Walker had caused enough problems for her over the last week, over the last few years really, and she wasn't gonna let him do that with this.

All she wanted was just one good thing. She wanted to have one thing that he couldn't touch, that he couldn't ruin; and that one good thing was Matt.

Walker had taken enough from her, he had messed with her head enough as it was, but the one thing she wouldn't let him do was affect her relationship with Matt. She had planned on giving him this before everything happened in the locker room, and she wasn't going to go back on it now, even if it took her a few extra days to get there.

Her and Matt were serious about not rushing things, they didn't want to go too fast and have it all fall apart, but what her and Matt had wasn't a regular relationship either; at least it didn't feel like one. It felt like nothing else she'd ever had before, and all she knew to do was follow her gut, which was telling her she wanted him to have this. It felt right, and based on the growing smile forming over his face, it felt right for him, too.

"I, uh-... I know I already have one to your place, from when you got hurt and I helped you out, and then I never really gave it back to you." She started, the goofy grin on Matt's face causing her heart rate to speed up. "But I want you to have one for here, just in case you ever need it."

Matt's smile widened as he glanced down to the gold key in his hand, the firefighter flipping it between his fingers before he looked back up at his girlfriend.

"That way if you're ever coming over late, or you, I don't know, leave something and I'm not here or something like that, you can just come by… Make it easier." She rambled on when he had yet to say anything, Matt's face showing the pure joy he felt in this moment.

Without saying a word, Matt fished into his pockets for his keys, Gabby biting back a smile as she watched him put her apartment key next to his on his key ring, Matt smiling proudly as he held them in his hand.

"...So I guess you like your surprise?" She questioned when he had yet to say anything, Matt chuckling softly before taking a step forward, capturing her lips in his, Gabby smiling into the kiss before reciprocating.

"I love it." He murmured against her, kissing her again quickly before pulling back. "And I love you."

"I love you, too… Now go." She instructed, smacking his ass as he began turning away, Matt glancing towards her with raised eyebrows, to which she responded with nothing more than a shrug.

"Yes ma'am." He agreed, Gabby narrowing her eyes playfully as he shot her a smile, Matt just glad to see his girlfriend in a little better spirits. "I'll lock up when I leave." He added, Gabby shoving against chest lightly, prompting him to move towards the door. "I love you." He called from down the hallway, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek as she heard the door open then close, followed by the sound of him locking up with his new key.

As she stood there in her apartment, she couldn't stop the smile that fell onto her face, Matt's presence lingering in the air even after he'd gone, keeping her calm as she focused on how she felt when she saw how happy he'd been. It was a feeling she wanted to hold onto, a feeling that made her feel truly content for the first time in over a week.

But, as nice as that feeling had been, it was also fleeting, Gabby's smile soon falling when it hit her that she was alone yet again, with nothing but her thoughts to keep her company.

* * *

"Dawson, can you go to the back? We need some more glasses." Herrmann called over the busy crowd, Molly's packed to the brim with customers as the three first responders behind the bar did what they could to keep up with the demand.

"Sure thing, Herrmann." Gabby replied, handing her customer their drink before heading for the back, sliding past Shay as she worked on serving a rowdy bachelor party, the blonde clearly not impressed by all the men hitting on her.

Dawson slipped into the stock room, the noise out in the bar quieting down considerably as she moved towards the back wall, going in search of the glasses Herrmann had asked for.

She had been back here for all of thirty seconds when she heard the door open, Dawson continuing on with her task, assuming it to be the older firefighter when she heard his boots on the ground.

"Hey Herrmann, I'm coming, I'm just-"

Her sentence stopped short when she turned around and saw Bryan standing in the doorway, the man wearing an unreadable expression on his face as he blocked her exit. Pursing her lips together, Gabby did what she could to keep her face emotionless, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing just how nervous his presence made her. Though, from all the times he'd cornered her over the past week, she was sure he knew already.

"I have to get to work." She replied dryly, Gabby holding a stack of beer glasses in her hands, the glasses leaning up against her shoulder to steady them. But Bryan didn't move, the man keeping his gaze locked on her. "Walker-"

"Oh, not the last name bullshit again." He finally spoke up, Gabby blinking quickly as she tried to step around him, but he adjusted his positioning, continuing to block her path. "...Why are you so eager to get away?"

"I need to get back to work." She repeated, Bryan raising his eyebrows as Gabby kept her firm glare on him. But her exasperated tone only encouraged him, Bryan smirking as he took a step closer to her.

"Where's your boy toy tonight?" He questioned, completely ignoring her words as he closed the distance between them, Gabby taking a slight step backwards, trying to ignore the rush of nervousness she felt in her body.

"That's none of your business-"

"Don't tell me he's gotten bored of you already." Bryan cut her off, Gabby remaining quiet. "I mean, I guess I shouldn't be surprised… Honestly, the only surprising thing is that he kept you around this long." He continued, his proud smirk widening. "Although I do know how crazy you are in bed, so if you're still anything like you used to be, I'm sure that's enough incentive to put up with you for a little while longer." His voice turned rigid the longer he spoke, Gabby clenching her neck as she averted her eyes, hearing him scoff lightly before taking another step closer to her. "What? No need to get shy on me now, I've seen what you can do… I'm sure you've been doing that same slutty bullshit to the Lieutenant that you used to do to me."

Clenching her eyes shut momentarily, Gabby swallowed the thick lump forming in her throat before she looked straight ahead, ignoring Bryan's words and his eye-contact as she tried to get past him. But he wouldn't let her, Walker shoving her shoulder back to keep her from leaving, the aggressive action causing panic to flood through her body, Gabby doing what she could to keep herself steady.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked quietly, Gabby flinching when he got too close, her involuntary response causing him to laugh. "God, you're pathetic." His voice was soft, but his tone was anything but gentle, his harsh words ringing in her head as he stepped closer to her, practically cornering her against the wall. "I'll never understand how Casey agreed to date you, considering the both of you claim this is more than just him using you for a quick fuck, even though I still don't believe that, but Jesus I don't get how he could ever want to be with you. I've seen his ex-wife… Guy really downgraded." Bryan spat, Gabby biting down roughly on the inside of her cheek. "But forget about Casey, I don't understand how _anyone_ would wanna be with you. Hell, I don't know why I didn't kick you out sooner."

"Bryan-"

"You're a nightmare Gabby, and Casey's gonna figure that out here soon." He spoke angrily. "This sham of a relationship, if you could even call it that, is gonna be over quickly when he realizes he can't put up with you anymore. It may have taken me awhile, but I figured out how impossible you are to deal with." His voice was rough, Gabby blinking back the tears forming in her eyes as Walker kept his dark eyes on her, the man releasing a heavy scoff. "Casey, that poor bastard, he'll find that out, too. And no amount of sex will be worth all your bullshit." He bit out, his irritation growing when she refused to meet his eyes. "...Look at me." He ordered, but she didn't move, Gabby's eyes plastered towards the ground. "I said look at me." Bryan reached out to grab her chin as the angry words left his lips, the tight hold he had on her face hurting her as he forced her to meet his gaze. "Sooner or later, the Lieutenant is gonna see you for what you are, and that's nothing but an easy fuck. And he'll leave your ass faster than I did when he realizes he can get the same thing somewhere else, without the headache."

Bryan tightened his grip on her jaw, Gabby grimacing in pain as her grip on the glasses slipped, sending them crashing to the ground, the loud noise of glass shattering competing with the rowdy crowd out in the bar. Shaking his head, Bryan chuckled lightly dropping his hand from her face, Gabby taking a few steps back as soon as she could, the broken glass crunching underneath her shoes.

"I just- I don't get it at all…" He huffed out, Gabby's teary eyes tracing over his face as she took another step backwards, the paramedic soon running into the wall as she did what she could to ignore the stinging pain in her jaw. "I don't understand how I ever wanted to be with you- hell, I was gonna _marry_ you. What the fuck was I thinking…" The words left his lips lightly, like they had no affect on him despite the way they tore through her. "I mean, I know what attracted me to you in the first place, you were a hot head and I wanted to see what you had to offer, but that person hasn't been around for very long… Pretty soon you just became whiny, and needy, and fucking annoying. I mean, no one can blame me for cheating on you when all you ever did was bitch and complain." His words got more vicious as he got more and more angry, like whatever thoughts were going through his head were causing him to have more hatred for her than he already did. "And you know what the crazy part is? Is that I was actually considering taking you back." He laughed after the words left his lips, Gabby wincing as saw a look of disbelief flash over his face. "God, you wanna talk about dodging a bullet. You whoring yourself out to my Lieutenant did nothing but save me from ruining my life again."

"Bryan, please-"

"One of the only good things you ever did for me was leave when I told you to." He cut her off, his glare narrowing towards her as he continued to say every thought he'd had towards her, Gabby biting down on the inside of her lip so harshly, she began to taste blood, Walker shaking his head as a scoff escaped his lips. "And the only other good thing you ever did was lose that damn baby."

Her eyes widened as the jarring words left his lips, Gabby blinking quickly to try and keep her tears at bay, his demeanor telling that he completely believed what he was saying.

"I couldn't imagine having to raise a child with you. In fact I'm grateful it didn't happen, thank God you had a miscarriage and we never had that kid-"

"What the fuck are you doing?"

Gabby's teary eyes flashed towards the door, Bryan whipping his head around to see Shay standing there, her eyes shooting daggers towards him as she took a step inside.

"Get away from her." She spat, Bryan rolling his eyes as he turned himself towards her, Shay glancing back and forth between the two of them.

"Ease up, Shay. We're just talking." He fired back, the blonde standing her ground.

"I said get away from her." She repeated, Walker huffing out a breath before walking towards the blonde, not even sparing another glance in Gabby's direction.

"What are you even doing back here? Shouldn't you be working?"

"This is the stock room, dumbass." She bit out roughly, her eyes flashing to Gabby, seeing her gaze plastered on the floor, Shay seeing all the broken glass everywhere. "I heard something crash, what did you do?" She questioned again, her glare zeroed in on Walker, but the man merely chuckled, shaking his head before sparing a glance back to Dawson.

"I didn't _do_ anything… It's not my fault she's clumsy." He responded with a smirk, Shay taking another step forward.

"Get out of here, Walker." She snapped, Bryan raising his eyebrows challenging. "I'm not gonna tell you again."

Releasing a light scoff, Bryan shook his head before walking towards the door, the man not saying another word as he left the back room.

Once they were alone, Shay focused all her attention on her friend, the blonde's harsh glare quickly morphing into a look of deep concern, Gabby refusing to meet her eyes.

"...Are you okay, Dawson?" Shay asked carefully, Gabby nodding as she looked up, forcing a smile onto her face, even though Shay could see the tears in her eyes. "What did he do?"

"Nothing, I'm fine." Gabby was quick to respond, Shay pursing her lips together before she took a deep breath.

"You look like you're about to cry." She spoke gently, Gabby shaking her head, widening the fake smile covering her features.

"I'm fine." She repeated quickly, the blonde's eyes tracing over Gabby's face.

"Honey-"

"I'm fine, Shay." She said again, her forceful tone telling Shay she didn't want to talk about it anymore, even though they hadn't really talked about it much at all.

"Alright, okay." Shay quickly responded, not wanting to upset her partner any further. "...But if you need to talk, I'm here." She added, Gabby giving her a nod before quickly walking out of the back room, leaving Shay in there alone with the broken glass all over the floor.

* * *

Casey released a tired sigh as he carried the last of his fishing equipment inside, the firefighter's busy week catching up with him as he felt his body was in desperate need of some rest. He had just gotten back from his relaxing day on the lake with Kelly and Ramon, Matt having had a great time with his best friend and his girlfriend's dad, the three men equally enjoying their time together. It had been a much needed day to unwind after his busy schedule recently, but now all he really wanted to do was take a quick shower and get some rest before shift tomorrow.

Blowing out of a heavy breath, Matt sat down on his bed while pulling his phone out of his pocket, seeing he'd gotten no calls or texts since they last time he checked after he'd dropped Ramon off at home. He wasn't exactly sure he should've been expecting anything, but after the minimal communication he'd had with Gabby today, he couldn't help but feel like she'd reach out to him soon.

He knew she was still working, that she still had maybe half an hour left on her shift at Molly's, even though he knew well enough to know she'd probably be working a little later than planned, especially if they were busy, but her radio silence now wasn't so much what was bothering him. It was her lack of communication throughout the day that had left a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach. Aside from one text this afternoon, they hadn't talked at all, which was unusual for them, especially with everything going on.

After what happened last night, with her needing him there to get some sleep, and her telling him she finally wanted to talk about whatever was bothering her, he wasn't able to get that out of his mind. He had no idea what was going on with her, aside from the fact that whatever it was had happened suddenly, but until last night she'd showed no desire to open up to him about it. He wasn't taking it personally, he knew how she was; that until she felt ready, there was no need to push her. But it was hard seeing her so upset, and not being able to help her in the ways he wanted.

All he wanted was for her to be okay, but right now she wasn't. And he absolutely hated it.

But there was only so much he could do until she talked to him.

Running his hand tiredly over his face, Matt tossed his phone down on the bed, knowing that sitting here and waiting for a call or message that probably would never come wasn't the best use of his time, the tired firefighter pushing himself up off his mattress, intent on heading towards the bathroom to take a shower. But he'd only taken a few steps when he heard his phone start to ring, the device buzzing against the bed as he turned back around, Matt taking the few quick steps towards his phone.

His eyebrows furrowed when he saw the number trying to reach him, Matt unsure of why they'd be calling him right now, but he quickly answered nonetheless, knowing they were with Gabby.

"Shay? Hey, what's up?" He asked, his confusion growing when he heard her sigh on the other end of the line.

"_Hey Casey, are you back from fishing yet?_"

"Yeah, I just got back home a few minutes ago." He replied, running his tongue along the inside of his cheek. "What's going on?"

"_...I think you need to come to Molly's._"

"Why? Is something wrong?" He asked, Matt walking out of his bedroom and heading straight for the front door.

"_It's Dawson._" She spoke, those couple of words causing his body to tense as he quickly grabbed his keys and his wallet. "_I don't know what all happened, but you need to come get her._"

* * *

Casey jogged up the steps of Molly's, hearing the raucous crowd inside before he could even get the door open, the firefighter seeing bodies packed into the bar as he stepped inside, Matt's eyes moving around the busy room, quickly landing on who he was looking for. Navigating his way through the crowds, Matt quickly got to Shay, the man opening his mouth to say something before he quickly closed it, his eyes moving towards his girlfriend who was seated at the bar, barely able to hold herself up as Shay tried to get her to drink some water.

"Dawson, come on girl, you need to drink something other than tequila." Shay tried, for what Matt assumed was not the first time, to get her to drink the water, but Gabby pushed it away, groaning something unintelligible that he couldn't make out.

Gabby hadn't seen him yet, Shay lifting her head when she noticed his presence behind her friend, the blonde wearing a look of clear concern before Matt looked to his girlfriend, her drunken state taking him by surprise. He wasn't sure what had caused her to drink so much, especially when she was supposed to be working, but it was obvious something had upset her; upset her to the point where she was absolutely drunk.

"Look who's here." Shay spoke softly, Gabby narrowing her eyes at her friend before following her gaze, Dawson turning around to find Matt right behind her, his blue eyes already focused on her.

"My boyfriend!" She practically yelled, Matt wincing at the volume of her voice, the alcohol in her system making it nearly impossible for her to behave normally. "My boyfriend's here, hi baby." She greeted with a bright smile, Gabby reaching out for him almost immediately. But she definitely misjudged the distance, Matt having to step forward to catch her so she didn't fall out of her chair, Gabby continuing on like nothing had happened as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Before he could even register her actions, she leaned forward, capturing his lips in a sloppy kiss, Matt immediately tasting the alcohol on her, Gabby pulling away after a few seconds.

"I'm so glad you're here!" She exclaimed, Matt's eyebrows furrowing in worry when he saw her glassy eyes, the tears hiding behind her lashes telling him more than her rambunctious demeanor ever could. He'd never seen her like this, so upset to the point where she'd turned to alcohol for relief. Sure, he'd seen her drunk before, usually in the aftermath of one of her and Shay's girls night. But this was something entirely different. She was here to work, yet something had upset her to the point where she'd started drinking, and drinking a lot by the looks of it, to try and forget whatever it was. But based on the defeated look he saw in her eyes, it hadn't worked.

Keeping a firm grip around her waist to make sure she stayed upright, Matt glanced to Shay as Gabby tucked her head into his neck, the drunk woman clinging onto him like her life depended on it.

"What happened?" He asked quietly, grimacing as the smell of alcohol filled his nostrils, Matt not entirely convinced there wasn't more liquor in Gabby than there was in the rest of this bar.

Shay pursed her lips together, her gaze moving across the room momentarily, Matt following her line of sight towards the back of Molly's, the firefighter immediately seeing who she was staring at.

"...I think Walker did something." She replied just as softly, Gabby not even registering their conversation as she held onto Matt.

Casey's body tightened immediately, his grip subconsciously tightening around Gabby's body, the woman too buzzed to pay attention to anything going on around her, Dawson enjoying the warmth his arms provided.

"What did he do?"

"I'm not sure. But he and Gabby were in the back room, and she looked really upset… Scared, almost, like she was about to cry." Shay replied, Casey clenching his jaw as he looked back towards Walker, finding the man now staring at him with that same smug grin on his face, it taking every ounce of will power Matt had to not go over there and punch that smirk right off of him. "He had her cornered against the wall, and when I got in there, there was broken glass all over the floor. I don't know what happened, but she just kept saying she was fine."

"Because I am fine." Gabby slurred, the inebriated woman clearly having started paying attention to them at some point, Matt releasing a heavy breath as he ran his hand along her side. "Shay doesn't know what she's talking about." She continued, pulling her head back, glaring towards her friend.

"Gabby, I'm just trying to help." Shay responded, Dawson huffing out a breath as Matt caught movement out of the corner of his eye, Casey seeing Herrmann watching them closely, finding him with the same look of concern Shay had when he got here. It was clear just from their reactions alone they were worried about his girlfriend, and he couldn't blame them.

"You don't need to help me, I'm fine." She responded, beginning to shift down off her seat, Matt keeping his arm around her to make sure she was steady, though she clearly wasn't. "I'm fine, Matt." Gabby repeated loudly as she glanced to her boyfriend, even though Matt hadn't said anything to dispute her. "I'm fine, I was just having fun." She huffed out, Matt nodding slowly before shooting her a soft smile, not wanting to do anything to agitate her further.

"Well, I'm glad you were having fun." He replied gently, a drunken smile forming over her face before she lunged towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight hug.

"I love you." She breathed out in his ear, Matt's face softening as he ran his hand over her back, catching both Shay's and Herrmann's unsettled glances.

"I love you, too." He replied, Gabby squeezing his body even tighter, his presence relaxing her. "But how about we head home." Matt added, Gabby pulling back with a slight pout tugging on her lips, Matt seeing her eyes glazed over.

"But I was having fun." She repeated her earlier words, Matt sure she didn't even remember saying them as he gave her a nod, rubbing his hand along her side.

"I know, but I think we should get home… It's late, and we've gotta work tomorrow." He tried again, even though it wasn't really late at all, Gabby releasing a heavy sigh before she ultimately agreed, giving him a haphazard nod before turning back around, grabbing her purse off the bar.

"Alright, I guess I'm leaving." She responded, Matt catching a glimpse of Shay's worried eyes still focused on her best friend. "Bye Shay." She spoke like she hadn't just been annoyed at her partner seconds prior, Shay shaking her head after Gabby started heading for the exit.

"Take care of her, Casey." Shay urged him, Matt giving her a nod.

"I will… Thank you for calling me." He replied before heading off in the direction Gabby went, knowing she was in no state to find her way to his truck, Matt apologizing to the people she bumped into as they left, his girlfriend barely able to stand up straight, let alone walk normally.

He was practically holding her up by the time they got outside, Gabby stumbling over her own feet as they walked towards his truck. It was a process, to say the least, Gabby practically fighting him every step of the way, even though he was sure she didn't even realize she was doing it, the drunk paramedic lifting her head up when they got closer to his truck, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"This isn't my car." She spoke, Matt glancing down towards her. "I need my car."

"Your car isn't here." He replied patiently, her confusion only growing as she looked between him and his truck, Matt sliding his key into the passenger side door to unlock it. "Shay picked you up, you rode with her."

It was clear Gabby didn't know what he was talking about, but she didn't question him any further, her memory hazy as he pulled the door open for her, Matt moving to help guide her into the car. But Gabby had other plans, a surprised gasp escaping his mouth when she grabbed his shirt, turning them around and pinning him up against his truck, her lips covering his in seconds. Her movements were sloppy, Gabby barely able to stand up straight and nearly falling over herself as she turned them around, but once she got him up against the truck, she kept him there, her lips hungrily attacking his.

Casey was stunned, to say the least, the heavy amounts of alcohol on her breath enough of a reminder as to what was going on, Matt pulling back while simultaneously gently pushing against her, trying to stop this before things got out of hand.

She was in no state to know whether she truly wanted to be doing this or not, and considering how upset she was, Matt was sure the only reason she was kissing him at all was to distract herself from whatever pain she tried to numb with alcohol.

"Gabby…" He spoke softly, trying to push her back, but she was putting up quite the fight for someone who could barely see straight. Though he wasn't trying very hard to move her, Matt not wanting to risk hurting her. "Baby, we can't do this right now." He tried again, Gabby groaning in annoyance before she tried to kiss him again. She wasn't giving up, but Matt knew he had to be the one to put a stop to this, Casey placing both hands on her shoulders before gently pushing her back, keeping a steady grip on her to make sure she didn't fall.

"What is wrong with you?" Gabby questioned, releasing a frustrated sigh as she stood on the sidewalk, Matt standing up straight as he pushed himself off his truck.

"We're not gonna do this here, not when you're obviously upset." He countered, Gabby shaking her head as she ran her hand over the side of her face, clenching her eyes shut tightly when Walker's harsh words from earlier in the evening started ringing in her head.

His words about how Matt didn't want her. How he was only with her for sex. How pretty soon he'd realize he couldn't put up with her anymore.

Those words, and every harsh word he'd said to her recently bounced around her head, Gabby feeling more lightheaded than she had moments prior, the alcohol in her system combined with her high emotions causing a pounding headache to begin forming behind her eyes, Gabby pressing harshly against the side of her head.

"Gabby?" Matt asked, seeing her clear distress as she stumbled back slightly, Casey reaching out to grab her. "Gabby? What's wrong?"

"I'm fine." She replied, shaking her head as the dizziness passed, Gabby all but ripping herself from his grasp, Matt pursing his lips together as he took a step back, not wanting to touch her when she clearly didn't want him to. "...Can we just go?" She asked weakly after a few tense moments, Matt watching her closely as she lifted her head, the firefighter seeing fresh tears shining in her eyes, his heart breaking at the sight of her so upset.

"Gabby-"

"Please." She cut him off, Matt's eyes falling closed as he drew in a deep breath. "I wanna go home." Her voice faltered at the end of her sentence, Gabby swallowing thickly before she dropped her gaze to the ground, missing the nod Matt gave her in response.

Without a word, Matt stepped back, letting her get into the car, Gabby shrugging off any of his attempts to help her, muttering something about how she could do it on her own as she got situated in the passenger seat, Matt shutting the door once she was in safely.

When he climbed in on his side, it was obvious how she'd shied away from him, Gabby practically glued up against the door, her body facing out the window, clearly not wanting to talk to him. So he didn't try, Matt revving up the engine before heading towards her apartment.

The drive was tense for both of them, neither saying a word the entire time as Matt pulled up outside her place, Gabby getting out of the car before he could even turn it off. And the walk inside hadn't been much better, Gabby refusing his help as she stumbled up to her door, the alcohol in her system making every task difficult to execute as she slowly climbed the stairs. It wasn't until she tried to unlock her door that she finally let him help her, Gabby unable to get the key in properly, and she was getting too frustrated to continue trying, Dawson holding it out to him to let him do it.

As soon as he got the door open, Gabby stumbled her way inside, Matt sighing softly as he followed after her, making sure to lock up before walking further into her apartment. He caught a glimpse of her walking down the hallway, Gabby disappearing out of sight into her bedroom. Before he went after her, Matt stopped in the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water and some aspirin for her, knowing she'd definitely need it in the morning, especially with them having to be at work in about ten hours.

With the pills and water in hand, Matt continued towards her bedroom, hearing her walking around before he could see her. When he turned the corner into the doorway, he saw her already stripped down to her underwear, Gabby throwing one of his t-shirts over her body before she walked towards her bed, completely ignoring his presence as she climbed underneath the covers.

She was lying on her back, Matt taking a deep breath as he stepped further into the room, coming up bedside her and placing the water and pills down on her nightstand before he sat himself down on the edge of the bed. Before he could even say anything, Gabby shifted away from him, turning on her side as her back faced him, Matt biting down on the inside of his cheek as she shut herself off from him.

He knew he should just leave it. That she was in no state to have any sort of conversation with him, but he was concerned. Seeing the way she was tonight worried him more than he could even fully comprehend. And he couldn't let it go, not after she'd drank to the point she could hardly keep herself up.

"...I wish you'd let me help you." He murmured, hesitantly reaching out to place his hand over her side, Gabby clenching her eyes shut as she heard the desperation in his voice. "I want to help you, with whatever this is… Whatever's been going on with you, it's killing me to see you like this." He added, Gabby feeling a lone tear escape down her skin. "And I don't know if it's about Walker, and that's why you don't want to talk about it, or if it's something else, but I don't know what to do here, and I just-" Matt cut himself off, trying to gather his thoughts before he said anymore. "I want to help you. But I don't know how when you won't talk to me."

His words hung in the air, Gabby trying to digest what he was telling her despite the alcohol clouding her brain, Matt sighing softly as he rubbed over her side.

"I know you said you want to talk about it, you're just not ready… And I understand that, I do. I'm not trying to push you, and I'll be here until you feel like you can tell me what's going on… But you're scaring me." He admitted, his honest words causing a few more tears to escape down her face. "I just want you to be okay, and I know right now you're not."

Gabby stayed quiet when he finished talking, Matt pursing his lips together when he realized he said all he could, that until she felt comfortable talking about this, there was only so much his words would do. Releasing a soft sigh, Matt gently squeezed her side before dropping his hand back into his lap.

"Try and get some rest, Gabby." He spoke quietly, the firefighter pushing himself up from the bed, Matt heading for the door.

Blinking quickly, Gabby listened as he walked down the hallway, her mind slowly clearing as she tried to hear what he was doing, but pretty soon she wasn't able to make out anything. She waited for a few moments to see if he was coming back, but when minutes had passed and she hadn't heard anything, she started to worry, Gabby slowly pushing herself up.

"...Matt?" She called out, Gabby grimacing as she slowly got herself out of bed, her head already pounding as she moved towards the hallway. "Matt?"

She continued walking towards the living room, her steps slower than normal due to her inebriated state, Gabby looking up when she saw Matt come into view.

"You okay?" He asked as he got closer, Gabby releasing a relieved sigh as she continued towards him. "Why aren't you-"

His words got cut off by Gabby crashing into him, Dawson wrapping her arms tightly around his waist as she hugged herself to him, his hard chest and the rhythmic sound of his heartbeat confirming that he was still here.

"What's wrong?" He asked softly as he wrapped his arms around her back, Matt not entirely sure what was going on, or why she'd gotten out of bed.

"Don't leave."

Her already quiet words were muffled by his chest, Matt's eyebrows furrowing when he registered what she said.

"I'm not." He responded, rubbing his hand along her back.

"Please don't go." She repeated, her alcohol-induced vulnerability causing more concern to flood his body, her words making it seem like she hadn't even heard him.

"I'm not leaving." He told her again, feeling her tense body relax in his hold, Gabby burying her head into his chest. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise." He assured her, Matt pressing a kiss to the top of her head before resting his chin there, letting her take the lead as they stood just outside the hallway.

Tonight had done nothing to clear up what was going on with her, in fact the only thing it had accomplished was making him worry about her even more. But even though he was certain he wouldn't be getting any answers tonight, Matt had every intention of keeping his promise to her.

He wasn't going anywhere. No matter how long it took, he'd be right here until she was ready to face whatever this was.

And he'd remind her of that however many times he needed to.

* * *

**So yeah, Gabby's a little bit of a mess. Or a lot of a mess. Especially after what Walker said to her at Molly's. I don't wanna give too much away, but let's just say the next chapter is gonna get… explosive, I think is a good word for it. The way I had this chapter mapped out, originally half of what happens in the next chapter was supposed to be in this one, but it just got way too long, so I decided to split it up. I'm sorry for making you wait, but I have a feeling most of you are gonna like the next one. Hopefully it'll be worth it.**

**I do want to thank you guys for all the feedback you've been giving me on the last couple of chapters. The response has been pretty divided between those who like how things are going, and those who don't. I know that I can't please everyone, but I want you to know that I am trying. I'm trying to get good chapters out to you guys, that you all enjoy, but I'm sorry to those of you who aren't right now. For those of you who aren't liking the pace of things, things are gonna pick up here in the next chapter. We're getting close guys, I promise.**

**I'm sorry again if you didn't like this one. But I appreciate any feedback you have for me. **

**I'll see you next week.**


	46. Chapter Forty Six

**Trigger Warning: There is a scene where an assault takes place in this chapter. It is in the second section of this chapter, so please skip it if you need to.**

* * *

**FORTY SIX**

* * *

Casey blew out a heavy sigh as he shut the side compartment on the rig, Matt running a tired hand over the side of his face as he tried to shake some of the lingering exhaustion from his system. With shift having barely just started, he knew he needed to wake himself up, and try and get rid of the tiredness he still felt, but that was easier said than done.

It had been a very long night for the truck Lieutenant, sleep not coming easily at all for him, or for Gabby, last night after her unexpected drunken evening at Molly's. It hadn't helped that the firefighter was already exhausted before he had to go and take care of his girlfriend, but her inebriated state had definitely presented more of a challenge than he was expecting.

Once he'd managed to convince her he wasn't leaving last night, which hadn't been easy, Matt had eventually been able to get her back to bed, Gabby stumbling over herself as they tried to get there, Matt practically carrying her by the time they'd gotten to her room. And while it didn't take too much longer to get her into bed, it hadn't exactly been a peaceful night's rest for either of them. They'd maybe been asleep for two hours when Matt woke up to her scrambling out of bed, Gabby running as quickly as she could to the bathroom. Matt had gotten up immediately, his body moving on autopilot before his brain could even register the reasoning for her getting up so abruptly, Matt soon pulled from his sleepy haze when he saw her hunched over the toilet, expelling all the contents of her stomach, which he feared was mostly just alcohol. Matt moved quickly to hold her hair and rub her back, the tired firefighter doing all he could to comfort his girlfriend while she got sick, even though the smell was absolutely nauseating. But he knew for as unsettling as all this was to him, it was much worse for her.

He could tell she felt horrible, the way her body was shaking and how she clutched her stomach once she'd finished throwing up telling him enough of exactly how bad she was feeling, Matt wishing he could do anything to help her feel better. But he couldn't, and it had led to a pretty long night for the both of them. Gabby had a very difficult time getting back to sleep, her nausea nearly debilitating for most of the night.

He'd done what he could to help; he stayed with her in the bathroom when she felt like she was going to be sick again, he rubbed her head when she finally felt okay enough to go back to bed, Matt trying to help alleviate the pressure in her head, and he'd held onto her for most of the night, doing what he could to try and lull her to sleep.

But nothing worked all that well, Gabby near tears at some points during their restless night. He wasn't sure if it was because she felt awful, or because she wanted to sleep and she wasn't able to, or if it had more to do with whatever had been bothering her so deeply lately. He wasn't sure the exact reason, but if he were to guess he figured it was probably a mix of all three, Matt doing what he could to help soothe her.

Eventually, Gabby had managed to fall asleep around four this morning, but it hadn't exactly been a peaceful sleep, neither of them getting much rest before their alarm went off for shift.

It had been a difficult night, one that hadn't been helped by Gabby's distant behavior this morning. For as clingy as she'd been while they were trying to sleep, Gabby practically refusing to let go of him throughout the night, when they woke up this morning she could barely look at him. He knew she was hungover, but it was definitely more than that. He wasn't exactly sure, but it was almost like she was embarrassed. Embarrassed by what had happened last night, even though he wasn't exactly sure how much she remembered. He wouldn't be surprised if she didn't recall much, but something in his gut told him she was very aware of what had happened, if her behavior this morning was indication.

But, whatever the reason, he hated the distance she was putting between them. Because she didn't need to. She didn't need to feel embarrassed with him, or feel like she had to hide because of her near break down the night before, but it felt like that's what she was doing, Gabby barely saying ten words to him this morning as they got ready and came into work together.

While he wouldn't say this morning had been tense, it had definitely been different from what he was expecting, so much so that Matt had been tempted to call Boden last minute and tell him that he and Gabby wouldn't be able to make it into work today, but that thought had quickly gone out the window when Gabby practically ran out of the apartment to head to the firehouse.

Needless to say, it had been a confusing, and concerning, twelve hours for the truck Lieutenant, Matt consumed with nothing but worry for his girlfriend.

He knew she was struggling, that much was obvious, but he didn't know with what. And, aside from Shay's belief that Walker had something to do with it, Casey had no idea what might've been causing her behavior as of late. But what he did know was that it wasn't anything good.

Rubbing his hand over the back of his neck, Casey shook his head as he began walking beside the truck, Matt knowing he desperately needed some coffee if he had any hope of making it through this shift. But he'd only taken a few steps when a familiar face came around the back of the rig, the blonde wearing a pensive look on her face as she moved towards him, Matt soon understanding she'd come here looking for him, the firefighter giving her a soft nod.

"Hey Shay." Casey greeted softly, the blonde shooting him a weak smile as she came to a stop in front of him, the two friends alone in the garage.

"Hey Casey." She responded, the paramedic leaning her body into the the rig, Matt's tongue poking out between his teeth as his eyes traced over her face, the firefighter seeing the same look of worry he'd seen last night at Molly's, Shay still clearly concerned over what had happened. "I, uh-" She cut herself off, shaking her head as she released a heavy breath, Matt's eyebrows furrowing slightly. "I'm sorry, I can't do the whole small talk thing right now, I just… Did Gabby say anything?" She asked bluntly, Casey pursing his lips together before he matched her stance, Matt leaning his side against the truck.

"Shay…"

"If she doesn't want people to know, okay. You don't have to tell me _what_ happened, but I just need to know she's okay." Shay continued, her rambling telling Matt just how upset this entire thing had made her. "How she was last night… I've seen Gabby when she's drunk, but that wasn't just what that was. I don't know if I've ever seen her like that before." Her voice got quiet, Shay drawing in a deep breath. "...I'm worried about her, Casey."

Matt gave her a nod, his face softening as he heard the concern laced in her words, the firefighter understanding the feeling well. "I know you are, Shay. And so am I." He responded softly, Shay gnawing on her bottom lip. "But I don't know what happened… She didn't say much. She was just…" Matt trailed off, knowing he had to be careful of how much he divulged to the paramedic. It had nothing to do with her, but the last thing Matt wanted to do was say too much when Gabby might not want him to. If he was right, and Gabby had been as embarrassed as she seemed this morning with just him, he was sure she wouldn't want anyone else knowing what had happened when they got home last night, even though it was only Shay. "She was drunk, and didn't have much to say." He settled on, Shay giving him a slight nod.

"She's really worrying me, Matt." The blonde repeated, Matt nodding in agreement. "Something's going on, and I have a very strong feeling it has everything to do with Walker." She added, her voice turning rigid at the mention of the firefighter, Matt clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

"...I don't know what's going on." He replied, Shay hearing the slight edge of frustration in his voice. But she knew it wasn't so much directed towards Gabby as it was him just wanting to be able to help her. "I don't know if this is something to do with Walker, or something else entirely, I don't know. All I do know is that something's wrong, but she won't talk to me." He breathed out, Shay letting him vent. She could tell this had been bothering him, and considering this definitely was not a conversation he could be having with Dawson, at least not right now, she was more than willing to let him get this off his chest. "Then after what happened last night, I just-... I really don't know what to do to help her. I'm trying to be supportive, and give her time, but I can't stand seeing her like this." He admitted softly, Shay's lips turning down into a frown. "She's not okay, and it kills me not being able to help her."

"I know." She agreed sadly, reaching out to place her hand over his arm, Matt sighing heavily as his words hung in the air for a moment. "I don't know what's going on, I know when things get hard, or something's going on, she's shut down in the past… Usually when something was going on with Bryan, is when she'd get like this." Shay continued, Matt swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat, waiting for her to continue. "It had never been this bad before, to the point where she drank so much she could hardly walk, but this reminds me a lot of how she'd get when they'd have problems… And him talking to her last night, I can't help but feel like he's the cause of this."

Matt pursed his lips together, the firefighter remaining quiet for a moment as he thought over Shay's words, the blonde giving his arm a squeeze before she dropped her hand back to her side, Casey meeting her gaze. "...What exactly happened last night?"

While his question was somewhat vague, Shay knew exactly what he was referring to, the paramedic knowing he wanted the details as to what had happened between Dawson and Walker. The only issue was that Shay didn't know most of it.

"I don't know what they were talking about, but when I got back there… I don't know if I've ever seen Gabby look that… small." Shay admitted, Matt's neck tensing involuntarily. "She looked so scared. I don't know what he was doing, but he did something to cause her to drop like, ten beer glasses. When I got in there, there was broken glass all over the floor, and he had her cornered against the wall." She continued, Casey feeling his entire body tighten with anger as he listened to the paramedic. "I didn't hear much, but he was definitely messing with her. And, well if his intentions were to upset her, it worked." She spoke quietly, Matt running his hand over his mouth as he released a heavy sigh. "I mean, Gabby never drinks like that. Never… He had to have done something, because she was fine before she went back to the stockroom."

Casey gave a slow nod, the firefighter digesting Shay's words as they stood in the garage, Matt biting down on the inside of his cheek as he tried to process everything. "I… I don't know what to do here, if this is because of Walker, we've got more problems than just trying to help Gabby." Casey huffed out, the paramedic waiting for him to elaborate. "He's been told time and time again to leave her alone, and clearly he can't… If he can't listen, he can't be at this house anymore."

Her eyes widened slightly as the firm words left Matt's lips, Shay meeting his gaze before she spoke up. "What are you gonna do?"

"I don't know- I need to figure out what's been going on first, but if all this is because of him, he's gotta go. Boden has given him chance after chance, and it's been made very clear if he does anything else, he's gone."

"So you're gonna go talk to the Chief?" She asked, Matt nodding slowly.

"I am… But I need to talk to Gabby first. And Walker, too. I don't wanna force her into talking about this, but if Walker is the reason for this, he can't stay here." He spoke, Shay gnawing on her bottom lip before her eyes moved to the ground, Matt catching a look of something he couldn't read flash over her face, the paramedic having gone uncharacteristically quiet. "...What is it?"

"Huh?" She asked as she looked back up, seeing a hesitant look covering his features.

"That look on your face… Do you not think I should go to Boden?" He questioned, Shay's eyebrows furrowing before she immediately shook her head, Matt pushing himself up off the rig as he waited for her to respond.

"No, no, it's not that. I do think you should." She was quick to reply, Matt raising his eyebrows slightly. "I think Walker needs to be dealt with, because clearly he's at least doing something to her. And, even if he's not the only reason she's been upset lately, she shouldn't have to be dealing with his bullshit." She spoke, Matt nodding in agreement.

"Then what's the problem?" He asked, Shay releasing a heavy sigh before she glanced around the garage, needing to make sure they were still alone as she took a step closer to Casey, Matt's eyebrows furrowing in confusion, unsure of where this was headed.

"It was something Walker said to her last night… Something he said before they realized I was there." She started, Matt trying to brace himself for what she was about to say. "And I don't know if I should be bringing this up to you, or if you even know, but I don't want to go to Gabby because I just-... I don't want to make things worse for her right now."

"What is it, Shay?" Casey asked, urging her to say whatever it was, the firefighter having a feeling he wasn't going to like whatever Walker had said to his girlfriend, Shay eyeing him cautiously before she spoke up.

"...He said something about her having a miscarriage."

Casey's entire body tightened, his eyes moving to ground as Shay's words washed over him, his reaction giving her the answer to her question that she hadn't yet asked, Shay shaking her head sadly as her lips turned down into a frown, Matt still avoiding her gaze.

"Gabby was pregnant, wasn't she?" Shay asked quietly, Casey swallowing the thick lump that had formed in his throat, Matt knowing he didn't need to give her a verbal answer as he slowly met her gaze. Shay clenched her eyes shut, the blonde paramedic bringing her hand up to rub over the side of her face as a hundred different emotions flooded her body, though she didn't know which one to follow. "I… I don't even know- When was this?"

"Shay…"

"Casey, please." She responded before he could even get the words out, Matt wincing slightly. "Walker said enough for me to know she lost the baby, but I just… I had no idea she was ever pregnant."

"No one did." Matt breathed out reluctantly, the firefighter knowing Shay wouldn't stop until he told her what he knew, even though that wasn't much. "Only her family, and Walker, knew… I don't know a lot about it- really, I don't." He spoke when he caught the look of doubt that flashed in her eyes. "I don't even know when it happened, just that it was earlier on in their relationship, and she wasn't very far along when she-" He cut himself off, Matt shaking his head as he took a deep breath. "I don't know how it happened, or what caused it, but she lost the baby."

"Oh my God…" Shay breathed out, the paramedic trying to digest what she was hearing, her heart breaking for her best friend. "I… I had no idea, I didn't know."

"She didn't want you to." Matt responded quietly, Shay turning so her back was resting against the truck, a look of disbelief still covering her face. "She didn't want anyone to know."

Shay gave him a slow nod, their heavy conversation feeling almost suffocating as they fell into a tense quiet, Matt pursing his lips together as he straightened his back, the Lieutenant watching his friend closely, trying to gauge when he should ask his next question. He knew this was a shock to her, for Shay to learn that her best friend and partner had gone through this, and she had no idea. That even though Shay had found out last night, getting the confirmation from him was probably like finding out for the first time all over again. He knew it was jarring, to say the least, because it had been for him, too. So he was trying to give her a second to digest all this, but there was something else he needed to know.

"...What did Walker say to her?" Casey asked after a few long moments, Shay lifting her head to look up at the firefighter, blowing out a heavy breath to clear her mind before answering him.

"I couldn't hear much. It was loud, and they weren't exactly yelling, but I heard him say something about a miscarriage… And, uh- how he was grateful that she lost the baby." Matt's entire body tensed, rage coursing through him as Shay spoke, the Lieutenant doing what he could to keep his anger under control. "How he couldn't imagine having to raise a kid with her…"

Casey's fists clenched at his sides, Shay turning to look at him as she saw the way his entire body tightened, Matt clearly beyond angry at this point. And she couldn't blame him, Shay feeling that same sense of rage, mixed with hurt, at how Walker had spoken to Dawson. At what Gabby had gone through, presumably on her own.

Before either of them could say anything else, the bells rang loudly throughout the house, calling engine and ambo out to a fire, Shay pushing herself off the truck as Matt stayed rooted in his spot, both blondes locking eyes for a moment as the paramedic began to move towards 61.

"Can you…" Casey started, clearing his throat as Shay slowed her steps. "Will you watch out for her?"

"Always… I got her, Casey." Shay assured him, Matt giving her a small, appreciative smile before she continued to the rig, Casey beginning to walk towards the firehouse.

As he walked around the back of the rig, his steps slowed when he saw Gabby walking towards him, Matt flashing her a warm smile when she noticed his presence. To his surprise, she reciprocated the gesture almost immediately, her exhaustion evident as he took her in.

"Stay safe out there." He told her as she got closer, Gabby giving him a quick nod. But as she was about to pass him, Matt stopped her, confusion evident across her face before he wrapped his arms around her, Casey pulling her against his chest in a tight hug. He felt her relax almost immediately, Gabby quickly wrapping her arms around his waist, both of them knowing they didn't have much time. "I love you." He murmured against her head, pressing a kiss over her hair as Gabby snuggled into him for a fleeting moment before reluctantly pulling back.

"I love you, too." She told him, Dawson leaning up to place a quick kiss on his cheek, her hand cradling the side of his face as she lingered there for a moment.

Knowing they were out of time, she pulled back, continuing her walk towards the ambulance, Gabby flashing him one last smile before she disappeared behind truck 81. Matt kept his eyes in that direction momentarily, despite not being able to see her, a heavy weight settling in his gut as he tried to figure out what he was feeling.

He was worried. Beyond it, actually, knowing Gabby was going through something and he couldn't help her. Knowing that Walker most likely had something to do with that. And that's where the anger set in, Matt's body overflowing with rage at the thought of what Walker had been saying to her as of late, the Lieutenant knowing that most likely, there was more that had been said that he had no idea about.

The thought was unnerving, Casey doing what he could to keep his emotions under control as he continued towards the firehouse, trying to figure out the best way to handle this. There were many conversations that needed to be had, he just didn't know which one to have first. But when he walked in through the double doors, and saw Walker's smug grin while he was laughing along with some of their firefighters, Matt knew the answer.

He may not know exactly what all had been said, but he knew enough. Enough to know that Walker needed to be talked to.

"Hey Walker." Matt called, keeping his voice very steady as all the heads in the common room looked up towards the entrance, seeing the truck Lieutenant standing there with his hands shoved into his pockets, an unreadable expression covering his face. "I need to see you for a moment."

Without another word, Casey turned to walk down the hallway, Bryan releasing a sigh before pushing himself up from his seat, ignoring the stares from his coworkers as he followed the path Casey had taken, Walker seeing him come to a stop at the end of the hall by the far set of double doors.

He couldn't be sure what this was about, but Casey didn't look too angry or anything, so Walker didn't really know what to expect, the firefighter coming to stop a few feet away from his boss.

"What's up, Lieutenant?" He asked, Matt pursing his lips together as he crossed his arms over his chest, taking a step closer to Walker before responding.

"Whatever you're doing to Dawson, stop it."

His voice was low, Walker's body tensing momentarily as the Lieutenant's words registered in his brain, Bryan straightening his back as Casey's eyes darkened.

"What?" Walker asked once he found his voice, Matt shaking his head.

"You've been messing with Dawson, and it needs to stop."

"I don't know-"

"Whatever lie you're about to tell me, I don't want to hear it." Casey interjected, his words getting firmer by the second, Walker sensing how upset the man across from him was. "You've been told time and time again to leave Gabby alone, yet you can't seem to accept that she wants nothing to do with you." Bryan's shoulders tensed in anger as Matt spoke, the Lieutenant taking another step forward. "You're out of chances, Walker. Leave her alone." He finished, Walker swallowing down the words he so desperately wanted to say, Bryan forcing himself to remain calm.

"Lieutenant, I don't know what you're talking about, I haven't done anything-"

"'Thank God you had a miscarriage'." Casey spoke roughly, Walker's eyes widening slightly as his boss repeated the words he'd said to Dawson the night prior, anger flooding Bryan's system. "You telling Dawson you're glad she lost the baby is 'not doing anything'?"

"...She told you about that?" Walker's voice was barely audible, Matt running his tongue along the inside of his cheek as he nodded.

"About her being pregnant? Yeah, she did. And then you go and throw her losing the baby back in her face as a way to… what?" Casey questioned, Walker remaining silent as his neck clenched tightly. "Exactly. You're messing with her, and it stops now. I don't know what your problem is, aside from the fact you can't accept she's happy without you, but leave her alone."

Casey turned to walk away without another word, Bryan fuming as he turned to look at his Lieutenant, his mouth moving faster than his brain as he spoke up, his rough words immediately causing Matt to stop.

"Yeah, and are you saying this as my Lieutenant or as the guy that's fucking her?"

Casey's back tightened as he stood in the hallway, Matt turning around quickly, seeing an angry look covering Walker's face as Matt stomped back towards him, neither man backing down.

"I'm saying this as the guy who will destroy you if you hurt her again." Casey spat, his words firm and honest as they stood toe to toe, anger radiating off the both of them as they glared at one another. "Now leave her alone." He said one last time before marching down the hallway, leaving an infuriated Walker behind in the hallway.

* * *

Dawson pulled open her locker, grimacing as the pounding in her head continued, the paramedic searching around the top shelf of her locker as she looked for her bottle of aspirin, Gabby desperate for some relief. She hadn't been feeling that well all morning, thanks to the obscene amount of alcohol she'd consumed the night before, but while her nausea had passed, the pounding headache was one thing she couldn't shake, Gabby's entire body feeling as if she'd gotten hit by a truck. And ambo's last call hadn't helped matters.

It had been a typical house fire, nothing out of the ordinary, but the usual chaos that accompanied that type of call had done nothing to help the pounding in her head. The loud rigs, along with the sirens and all the shouting had only worsened the pressure behind her eyes, and in this moment she wanted nothing more to crawl into bed, preferably in the dark, and sleep off this insane headache. But she knew that wasn't an option right now, Dawson popping a few pills into her mouth before replacing the lid on the bottle, the paramedic wincing as she swallowed the medicine.

Releasing a heavy sigh, Gabby pressed firmly against her forehead, the pressure distracting her from the pain in her head momentarily before she dropped her hand, knowing she should probably try and get some fluids in her before her next call. Closing the metal door, Gabby began walking away from the row of lockers, her headache only seemingly getting worse the more she moved, but she had to push through it. She had no other choice.

"Hey!"

Dawson jumped as the angry voice startled her, Gabby looking up to see Walker stomping towards her, his rage evident as he got closer to her. She immediately stepped back, Gabby moving backwards quickly until she ran into the wall, Walker seeing red as he came up to her.

"What the fuck did you tell him?!"

"What?"

"Casey! What did you tell Casey?!" He all but shouted, the firefighter towering over her as Gabby shrunk against the wall, the lack of distance between them causing her heart rate to skyrocket.

"I didn't tell him anything-"

"Bullshit." He spat, the blinding pain in Gabby's head only getting worse as his loud voice hit her ears. "He knew about what happened last night, he came and threatened me, telling me not to hurt you again. You had to have told him something."

"I didn't say anything." She tried again, Walker scoffing as he closed the distance between them, Gabby's eyes darting around nervously as she experienced what felt like a thousand pound weight sitting on her chest, her anxiety through the roof.

"I made it very clear you weren't to tell him anything."

"I didn't-"

"Quit fucking lying!" He shouted, shoving her shoulders back against the wall, Gabby crying out in pain at the force of his movements. "You told him after I told you not to!"

"Bryan-" She shoved her hands against his chest as he got closer, Gabby desperate to get him away from her. But her movements only angered him further, Bryan gripping her wrists tightly, yanking them down out of the way, a stinging pain radiating through her arm at the abrupt action. "Walker, you're hurting me." She nearly cried, but it was like he couldn't even hear her, Bryan fighting against her every movement, his grip on her arms tightening. "Please, stop- please." She begged, a lone tear sliding down her cheek as she tried to get away from him. But he was persistent, Walker pinning her to the wall as she tried to break free.

She wasn't sure how far he was going to take this, but she didn't want to wait too much longer to find out, Gabby seeing her window closing to be able to get away, his grip tightening more and more by the second. Without a thought, she began shoving against him, doing anything she could to get him to let her go, but within seconds she knew she wasn't having much luck. He wasn't giving up, Bryan seemingly only getting more and more angry as she fought him.

He wasn't letting her go, the pain in her wrists beginning to move up her arms, fresh tears sliding down her cheeks as he slammed her into the wall. She didn't know what to do, she didn't know how to get him to stop as he was overtaken by rage, her attempts to claw and scratch at him not doing much of anything to deter his efforts. Nothing she was doing was working, so she did the one last thing she could think of.

She screamed.

"Help!" Her loud voice echoed through the locker room, Gabby praying someone was within earshot, the paramedic opening her mouth to yell again.

But she never got the chance to. Not when Walker clasped his hand around her throat, pressing her into the wall until she was unable to speak. Her eyes widened in panic as she registered what was happening, her airway getting cut off as Bryan tightened his grip around her neck.

She immediately began fighting him, Gabby doing what she could to suck in any air possible as she hit, smacked, and clawed at any part of him that she could, Bryan's eyes dark with nothing but rage as he tightened his grip.

Gabby felt herself being cut off from her air supply as she began to feel lightheaded, the paramedic continuing to fight against him.

"Bryan-" She choked out, smacking any part of him she could. "I can't- Stop. Please." She tried, Gabby barely able to get the words out as she nearly ran out of air, but he said nothing, the man only continuing to hold her tighter by the throat.

It wasn't until she clawed across his cheek, her nails breaking the skin, that the look in his eyes softened, like the pain from the fresh scratches marking his face made him realize what he'd done. And when that realization hit him, Bryan immediately let go of her.

Her body crumbled to the ground as she began sucking in air, Bryan stepping away from her slowly, Gabby coughing loudly as she did anything she could to get air into her system. But it's like her own lungs were fighting against her, the task not as easy as one may think as she did everything she could to breathe, her mind in such a haze she didn't notice Bryan stumbling backwards until he ran into the lockers. She didn't notice the wide-eyed look covering his face. And she definitely didn't notice him practically sprint from the locker room when the weight of his actions hit him, Walker leaving her alone on the ground without another word.

She didn't notice any of that, Gabby too focused on breathing in the oxygen her brain was starved of, Dawson trying to keep her tears at bay as she scrambled to the corner, her body pressed up against the side of the lockers as she breathed in frantically.

She wasn't able to focus on much, not until her coughing subsided, and she was able to get deep breaths in. But when her mind cleared, it was like the reality of what had happened hit her full force, Gabby's entire body beginning to shake as she pulled her knees up to her chest, the paramedic completely shutting down.

* * *

Shay walked into the common room, her eyes bouncing around the nearly vacant area before her gaze landed on her best friend, the blonde walking towards the table he was seated at. As she walked behind him, her hand ran along his back, Severide looking up from his phone as she came to stand beside him.

"Hey Shay." He greeted, placing his phone down as she tapped his shoulder. "Where'd you come from?"

"The garage. Just finished up some inventory." She replied, placing herself down in the chair beside him, Kelly wincing slightly in disgust as he turned towards her.

"Sounds like fun." He replied dryly. "Was Casey still out there?"

"Mhmm." She hummed, reaching to take a sip of his water. "He had taken up residence in your seat at the squad table." She added with a grin, Kelly shaking his head before glancing back towards the door.

"...Dawson not with you?" He asked, Shay shaking her head.

"She came in a little bit ago to get some aspirin… Her head was still killing her."

"Ah yes, the hangover." Severide replied, Shay narrowing her eyes before smacking his arm and giving him a pointed look, both of them knowing they weren't exactly alone in the common room. When she had gotten home from her shift at Molly's last night, and confided in her roommate about how worried she was for her partner, she hadn't intended for him to bring up the conversation with other people around. But it was too late to do anything to change that now, Shay seeing Herrmann turn around from his seat on the couch, the older firefighter wearing a clear look of concern.

"You guys talking about Dawson?" He asked carefully, Shay pursing her lips together, giving Severide one last glare before returning her attention to Herrmann. "Is she doing alright?"

"She's fine, Herrmann." Shay replied, knowing this was not a conversation they should be having. But, in typical Herrmann fashion, he wouldn't drop it.

"Are you sure?... The way she was last night, I don't think I've ever seen her like that."

"She's fine." Shay replied a little more forcefully. "And I don't really think she'd like us talking about her behind her back. She's alright." She added, Herrmann giving her a slow nod, both of them knowing he didn't really believe her.

"Why didn't she just get something from the rig?" Severide asked, slightly shifting the subject away from Herrmann's line of questioning.

"Huh?"

"For her headache." Severide elaborated. "Why didn't she just get something from the ambo? You guys have all sorts of medication in there."

"Yeah, but it all has to be cataloged and inventoried. So we usually just take our own stuff." Shay replied, Severide giving her a nod.

He opened his mouth to respond, Shay unsure of what he was going to say next, but he never got the chance to when the sound of a distant scream filled the air around them, the few first responders in the common room immediately going silent.

Severide's eyebrows furrowed when he heard the noise, the squad Lieutenant trying to figure out what was going on, his confusion only growing when he saw the color drain from Shay's face, his friend looking absolutely mortified.

"What was that?" He asked just as Shay pushed herself up from her chair, her quick movements causing him to stand as well.

"That was Gabby." She replied without hesitation, the air in the room turning thick as the words left Shay's lips, the blonde paramedic running from the room without another word, going in search of her distressed friend. Severide, Herrmann, and Mouch followed after her, everyone wanting to help however they could as they tried to find Gabby.

They knew there were only so many places to look, the sound coming in the general direction of the bathrooms, but it was faint enough to where they couldn't be exactly sure where to go, Shay becoming more and more frantic when she couldn't find her.

But soon they did, Shay abruptly halting in her tracks when she caught sight of her friend, Severide nearly running into her as the first responders stopped walking, all of them taking in the image of Gabby curled up against the side of the lockers. It was unnerving, to say the least, to see her huddled on the ground, her body shaking as her head was buried against her knees, cowering almost like she was protecting herself, the usually strong PIC reduced to a crumbled mess on the floor.

Taking slow steps forward, Shay's eyes glazed over with concern as she cautiously approached her partner, knowing she had to play this carefully. She'd had enough experience on the job to know what she was dealing with; this was someone who had just gone through something traumatic. This wasn't just Gabby right now, this wasn't just her friend who was upset about something, and she couldn't approach her like she normally would. From the second she laid eyes on her, Shay knew something was seriously wrong. But if she mishandled this, she'd only make it worse.

"Dawson…" Shay spoke quietly, squatting down on the ground beside her friend, the few firefighters watching on with immense worry as Shay tried to get her to talk. "Honey, what happened?"

Her soft voice wasn't enough to get Gabby to look up, Shay pursing her lips together before carefully reaching out to place a gentle hand on Dawson's arm. But she immediately pulled back when Gabby shied away from her, Shay holding her hands up as a soft whimper left Dawson's lips.

"Okay, okay… It's okay." Shay spoke softly, doing what she could to stay level-headed. She couldn't think of this as her best friend right now, she had to think of her as a patient. As someone who needed help.

"Guys, give them some space." Severide said, lightly pushing against Herrmann's chest, all of the firefighters' clearly concerned for one of their own, but Kelly knew the last thing Dawson needed right now was an audience.

"Kelly." Shay spoke up, Severide turning to find his friend staring at him, his sad eyes flashing to Gabby before looking back to Shay. "Go get Casey… Now." She told him, Kelly nodding before hurrying from the room. "Matt's coming, Gabby… It's okay, alright? You're okay." She whispered comforting words to her friend, Shay continuing to keep her distance, knowing there was only one person who could help Dawson right now.

As he ran through the hallways, Severide's pace picked up, Kelly running as quickly as he could, only slowing down when he got to the double doors, the firefighter all but ripping it open as he hurried outside.

"Casey!" He called, all of the firefighters looking up from the squad table at the sound of Kelly's frantic voice, Matt's spine straightening instantly, sensing something was wrong the second he saw him. "I need you to come with me."

"What's going on?" Matt asked as he pushed himself up from his seat, Kelly beginning to walk backwards towards the door.

"It's Dawson."

Casey's face fell the second those few words left his lips, Matt not needing any more of an explanation before following after his friend, the two men running through the firehouse as Casey let Severide take him where he needed to go.

"Kelly? What happened, what's-" He cut himself off when they came around the corner, Matt's steps stopping instantly when he saw his Gabby huddled on the floor, her head buried in her arms as her body trembled slightly. His heart sank into his stomach the second he laid eyes on her, Shay standing up and getting out of the way, knowing the best thing she could do right now was let Casey step in. The paramedic placed her hand on Matt's shoulder, Casey not tearing his gaze from Gabby, nothing but an overwhelming amount of worry shining in his eyes. "...Guys, get out of here." Matt spoke firmly, Shay squeezing his arm before walking past him.

"Lieutenant-"

"Out." Casey cut off Herrmann, his head snapping back towards the small group of firefighters. "Now."

His voice left no room for argument, Severide gently pushing against Herrmann's shoulder, encouraging him to move, which he reluctantly did, Kelly and Shay waiting around to make sure everyone cleared out before leaving as well. When he knew they were alone, Casey slowly approached his terrified girlfriend, Matt crouching down beside her.

"Gabby…" He spoke softly, clearing the emotion from his voice, the woman having yet to look his way. "...Baby."

Slowly, Gabby lifted her head, Matt's heart breaking all over again when he saw the tear tracks down her cheeks, her eyes filled with what he could only describe as fear. But he saw the exact moment she registered it was him, more tears filling her eyes as they locked gazes, Matt noticing her relax slightly, her body not nearly as tense as it had been seconds prior.

"Baby, what happened?" He questioned, his voice barely audible as she drew in a shaky breath, Gabby haphazardly wiping the tears off her cheeks as she looked away from him, Matt carefully reaching out to place his hand on top of her knee. When she felt his warmth, she cautiously looked back towards him, seeing nothing but compassion and worry staring back at her. A few more tears escaped her eyes, Matt slowly reaching out to wipe them away, Gabby trembling slightly underneath his touch. She reached out to grab his leg, Matt shuffling closer to her now that he was sure she was okay with him being near her, Gabby gripping him tightly as she leaned into his hand that was now cradling her cheek. "...What happened?" He asked her again, Gabby's jaw beginning to shake as a look of panic flashed in her eyes, Matt's concern for her only growing.

"I…" She started, her voice barely audible as she tightened her hold on his leg. "I need to tell you something."

* * *

Walker gripped the back of his neck tightly as he paced outside the firehouse, the man still trying to grasp what exactly had just happened back in the locker room. The second he realized what he'd done, he bolted. He ran as quickly as he could to get out of the firehouse, not wanting anyone to see him anywhere near Dawson. He had no idea if anyone had heard her yell, or if she would say anything, but he didn't want to be there to find out. He didn't want to stick around long enough to be caught near Dawson when she was like that.

Blowing out a heavy sigh, he continued walking back and forth, doing what he could to shake the fear from his system. He wasn't sure if Gabby would say anything, if she was in any state to say anything, but something in his gut was telling him she wouldn't. While he hadn't gone in there with the intention of doing _that_, he knew that should be enough to keep her quiet.

She wouldn't say anything, not after what just happened. She wasn't stupid enough to run her mouth again. Hell, they wouldn't even be in this mess had she not opened her mouth at all. What happened back there, that wasn't his fault. And he knew Gabby knew that. She caused that to happen; by running her mouth to Casey, she had it coming. And while he never meant for it to go that far, at least she was reminded that there were consequences to her actions. And hopefully now she wouldn't forget it again.

Knowing he couldn't hide out much longer without raising suspicion, Bryan swallowed the lump in his throat before he walked back towards the firehouse, trying to shake the nerves from his body, the firefighter constantly reminding himself that no one knew what happened. Gabby wouldn't tell anyone, no one was going to find out, he was sure of that.

Rolling out his neck, Walker continued towards the common room, making himself as relaxed as possible before he walked inside, his eyebrows furrowing slightly when he saw everyone talking in hushed tones. Every single first responder in the room seemed concerned, Bryan clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he stepped further inside.

"...What's going on?" He asked, his words gaining the attention of the room as everyone glanced towards him. His eyes locked on Shay first, seeing nothing but concern shining back at him, Bryan noticing the same look in pretty much everyone else's eyes.

Herrmann pursed his lips together, the man glancing around the room, waiting to see if anyone was going to answer Walker. But no one made any move to, the older firefighter releasing a soft sigh before stepping away from the counter next to Shay. "...Something's happened to Dawson."

Walker's neck tightened involuntarily, the man giving a slow nod before stepping further into the common room. "Is she alright?" He questioned, keeping his voice steady as his eyes landed back on Shay, the woman's previous look of worry now replaced with a narrow glare.

"What happened to your face?" Shay asked before anyone could answer him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What?"

"Your face." She repeated, coming up to stand beside Herrmann. "It looks like you got scratched or something. What happened?" She questioned again, her voice firm as all eyes in the room were on him.

But Bryan never answered the question, the firefighter unsure of how to respond to her as everyone continued looking at him.

"I…"

"Walker!"

Casey's loud voice filtered into the common room as he stormed down the hallway, the man sounding angrier than they'd ever heard him before, Bryan turning around just as Matt came around the corner, no one able to get a word in before the truck Lieutenant punched him square in the jaw.

The force of the blow caused Bryan to stumble back, everyone seemingly frozen in their spot as they watched the scene unfold in front of them, shock coursing through their bodies.

But as soon as Matt landed a second punch, that snapped a few of them out of it, Severide and Herrmann hurrying over to try and break them up.

"Casey, man- stop. Stop." Severide tried, but Matt shrugged him off, his rage taking over as he landed another hit on Walker's cheek, Bryan swinging back as he connected a blow to Matt's face.

"I'm gonna kill you!" Casey shouted, his anger taking over as the two men kept swinging, both of them eventually getting pulled apart.

"Casey. Casey, calm down." Severide tried again, pinning Matt's arms back behind his body, Herrmann helping keep Casey back while Cruz and Capp held onto Walker, pushing the men towards different sides of the room, a few of the members of 51 noticing Gabby appear in the entrance to the common room.

"I swear to God, I'll kill you!" Matt repeated, his tone telling everyone he was completely serious, Walker shaking his head before wiping the blood from his lip, Bryan's eyes flashing behind his Lieutenant to see Gabby standing by the wall, her eyes shining. A proud smirk formed over his face, Matt's chest heaving as his glare focused on Walker.

"You better watch that anger, Lieutenant." Bryan spat, looking back towards his boss as a soft chuckle escaped his lips. "Wouldn't want to scare Dawson, now would you?" He continued, Casey's blood boiling when he mentioned Gabby, Matt feeling Kelly's grip on him tighten to keep him back. "I know from experience, she spooks easy."

Casey lunged at him again, but Severide and Herrmann were able to keep him back, Walker chuckling as everyone looked to him in disgust.

It was clear between the state Gabby was in, Casey's behavior now, and what Walker had been saying, that Bryan was the one responsible for whatever had been done to Gabby. They just didn't exactly know what that was. But if the Lieutenant's reaction was any indication, it wasn't good.

"You're done at this house, Walker." Casey growled, continuing to fight against the men holding him back as Bryan's face faltered slightly. "You're fucking done here. Hell, you're done working anywhere. Your ass belongs in a jail cell."

Before anyone could get a word in, the bells rang throughout the house, calling all companies to a warehouse fire, Matt drawing in a deep breath before shrugging out of Severide's grip.

"You're done Walker. When we get back, we're talking to Boden and you are done." Casey spoke roughly, turning around without another word.

His face immediately softened when he caught sight of Gabby, his girlfriend gnawing on her bottom lip nervously as unshed tears sat in her eyes, her arms wrapped around herself protectively. Matt moved to her immediately, gently guiding her down the hallway as the stunned firefighters began heading towards the garage, knowing they had no time to dwell on what had just happened.

Gabby ignored the stares she was getting from her coworkers as they passed through the hallway, the PIC focusing on Matt as he gently placed his hands on her shoulders, Casey wincing when he saw the redness covering her throat.

"You don't have to do this." Matt told her softly, Gabby catching a glimpse of Shay behind her boyfriend, her partner clearly waiting on her. "We can get another ambo, you don't have to go."

"It's okay." Gabby responded, her voice a little raspy.

"You're sure?" He asked, Gabby giving him a nod, Matt sighing softly before pressing a quick kiss on her forehead.

"Okay." He replied before the three moved towards the garage, knowing they didn't have anymore time to waste, Shay and Dawson heading for 61 while Casey moved towards his rig.

The drive to the scene was tense, Casey seething as he sat in his seat, the air around them thick with uncertainty as the rest of the firefighters occasionally glanced back and forth between their Lieutenant and Walker. No one really knew what to make of what had just happened back at the firehouse, but clearly it was something serious. Something Walker could get fired for, and that left an uneasy feeling in the air around the firefighters of 51 as they sat in the back with Bryan.

Soon enough, they pulled up to the scene, all the men and women from 51 unloading from their respective rigs as they took in the sight of the blaze in front of them. It was definitely a bad one, one where Casey immediately knew they didn't have much time.

"81, with me… We need to be quick." Casey shouted orders over the chaos of the scene, Matt's narrow eyes landing on Walker as they moved towards the fire. He didn't want to send Bryan in at all. He didn't trust him, and it was taking everything in him to not slam him to the ground and do to him what he had done to Gabby. But Matt knew he couldn't. He couldn't deal with Walker right now, not when there were people who needed help. And while the last thing Matt wanted to do was go into this building with Walker, Casey knew they needed as many hands as possible. "Walker, you stay on my hip. You don't do _anything_ without my say so." He spat, leaving no room for argument as Bryan stayed silent, the man simply giving him a nod despite the complete and utter rage coursing through his system.

All the companies of 51 went inside the fire, Boden taking point from outside while Dawson and Shay, along with the other six or seven ambulances called, helped the people who had managed to get out. The scene was rough, to say the least, and everyone knew there were bound to be many casualties. But that wasn't something any of them could focus on, everyone knowing they just had to help who they could.

"Casey? Severide? How's it looking?"

"_Pretty hard to see in here, Chief._" Severide's voice filtered through first, quickly followed by Casey's.

"_The smoke's pretty thick._"

"Alright, the smoke out here is getting black. I'd say maybe another minute- two tops. Everyone keep your radios live."

"_Understood, Chief._"

While she tended to someone with a few minor burns, Gabby could hear the various sounds of the firefighters making their way through the building, Dawson occasionally hearing her coworkers voices' as they maneuvered through the flames. She did what she could to focus, but the stinging pain in her arm, and the burning she felt in her throat were harsh reminders of what had happened maybe half an hour earlier, and it was hard to completely push that from her mind. But she was trying. She was trying so hard, though Shay's constant worried stares and glances weren't helping matters.

"Severide? Time to head out." Boden spoke, Gabby snapping from her thoughts when she heard his voice.

"_Got it, Chief. Squad, let's roll out._"

"Casey?"

"_Copy, Chief. Everyone from truck is headed out, Walker and I are just coming down no-_"

Casey's words got cut off abruptly, Gabby's head snapping towards the fire when she heard what sounded like wood breaking, and the sounds of Matt calling out and gasping in what she could only assume to be pain.

"Casey?!"

"_They floor gave out, I'm- Walker!_" Casey called, Gabby's throat tightening as her gaze stayed trained on the fiery building, her hand holding on tightly to her radio.

"Casey, where are you? Where's Walker?"

"_Walker, please- Come on-_"

"Walker!" Boden yelled through the radio, everyone trying to understand what was going on.

"_Bryan, please, I can't- I can't hold on, please-_"

Every single member of 51 could hear Casey's pleading, Matt's near cries for help only continuing, telling everyone what they already knew; that Casey needed someone to help him, and Walker wasn't.

"_Casey, where are you?_" Severide's voice came through the radio, thick tears clouding Gabby's vision as she felt Shay place a comforting hand on her back.

"Walker!" Boden shouted again, a lone tear sliding down Gabby's cheek as she stared helplessly at the building.

"_We're on the second floor, east side stairwell- I can't- Walker, please-_"

The heard Casey's grunts, like he was using all the strength he had to keep himself up, Matt calling out for help one more time.

But then it went quiet for a moment, the sound of the creaking building the only noise to be heard through their radios, until Casey's piercing scream filled the air around them, soon accompanied by a loud, bone-crushing thud, that debilitating sound followed by nothing but silence.

Absolutely nothing.

* * *

**Well… how do we feel? There's a lot to unpack there, but hopefully this chapter didn't disappoint. Matt finally knows what's been going on (don't worry, you all will see the conversation between them, I wouldn't not include that), and, probably to no one's surprise, Casey didn't take it too well. And then clearly something went down in that warehouse fire… Lot's going on, that's for sure.**

**I hope you guys liked this one, thanks for reading. I'm eager to hear your thoughts on everything.**

**Until next time.**


	47. Chapter Forty Seven

**Hello everyone, I'm back with a new chapter for you all. The response on the last one was incredible, I loved seeing your reactions to everything. I hope you guys enjoy this one as well.**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**FORTY SEVEN**

* * *

Cold.

That's the best way Gabby knew how to describe how she was feeling right now as she sat in the corner of the dim waiting room, her body shivering involuntarily as she sank further down into the uncomfortable chair. She was curled up into her seat, Gabby's head resting against the side of her arm as her gaze focused on the scuffed tile floor beneath her, the PIC not even registering to comforting motion of Shay constantly rubbing her hand up and down the side of her bent leg. She didn't register Severide pacing back and forth in front of her, or the occasional looks of sympathy and pity that would be thrown her way from her coworkers. She didn't register any of it, Gabby not able to stop herself from replaying what had happened at the scene an hour prior.

How Matt was hanging on for dear life between floors, in desperate need of help.

How he begged Walker, over and over, to come and help him.

How Walker seemingly stood there and did nothing.

And, maybe worst of all, she couldn't forget the sound of his screams when he lost his grip and fell through the floor. She couldn't forget the sound of impact when his body collided with the unforgiving ground. And she definitely couldn't forget the sound of his pass alarm going off, Matt knocked unconscious from the force of the fall.

She wasn't able to forget any of it, but she desperately wanted to.

She wanted to close her eyes and not see the image of Severide, Cruz, and Herrmann carrying Matt's limp body out of the fire on a backboard. She wanted to forget those agonizing moments while she waited outside the burning building, unsure if he was even still alive or not. She wanted to forget how he didn't wake up the entire ride to the hospital. She wanted to forget all of it. But she knew she probably wouldn't be able to for awhile, especially not until she knew he'd be okay.

Because right now, she had no idea. She knew some of his condition, but nothing substantial. She knew he was alive. That he, miraculously, didn't sustain any visible trauma. But she also knew that meant nothing. There was no way for her to know what kind of internal damage had been done; he could've broken his ribs, he could've had organ damage, he could've hurt his spine. There was no way for her to know, and the uncertainty was mind-numbing. All she wanted was to know how he was doing, and to be able to see him. But no one had let her yet.

She hadn't been able to see him, or even find out anything about his condition. And she didn't know how much longer she could wait. It felt like she couldn't breathe, like there was this pressure on her chest that wouldn't let up, and every breath was so physically demanding, she could barely do it anymore.

She felt like she did back in the locker room earlier today, that overwhelming sense of panic flooding her body, like at any moment she'd just break. Except this time was different, because she didn't have Matt here to help her through it.

"_I need to tell you something."_

_Gabby drew in a shaky breath as she met his eyes, watching his frown deepen before he nodded, his eyes shining with concern as she gave his hand a squeeze. Before she could say anything else, he reached out to grab both her hands, Matt keeping a tight grip on her palms as he slowly stood up, gently pulling her up with him. Her legs felt unsteady, and she knew Matt could sense that, the firefighter wrapping an arm around her waist before leading her towards the benches. He guided her down, Gabby facing the back row of lockers while he sat down next to her, Casey straddling the bench so he directly facing her, the man always making sure he was touching some part of her, most likely so she knew he wasn't going anywhere._

"_What's going on?" He asked gently, his knee brushing against hers as he sat as close to her as possible, Matt rubbing his hand up and down her back._

"_I, um…" She was having a difficult time getting this conversation started, but Matt gave her all the time she needed, Casey remaining a strong, comforting presence by her side as she reached out, gripping his leg tightly. "I know- I know I've been distant lately, but it hasn't been because of you." Her words were shaky, Gabby's voice sounding unsure as he continued rubbing her back. "But, um- I, uh-"_

_Matt inched closer to her, Gabby seeing his frown deepen as she stumbled over her words. "It's okay." He murmured, sliding his hand down to her lower back as she released a heavy breath._

"_Um, that day- the week before last when you first started helping at my mom's church… Before we left, when I came back in here to get my phone." She started, glancing towards him._

"_I remember." He replied, Gabby nodding before she continued, doing what she could to focus on the comforting feeling of him rubbing his hand across her back._

"_Well, uh, when I was leaving, Walker came in here, and he- he, uh-" She had to stop to take a breath, Gabby looking down towards the ground, noticing how Matt's hand stopped moving for a split second before he continued. "He threatened me." She felt him tense beside her, but she didn't look up, Gabby knowing she just needed to keep talking or she'd never get the words out. "...He told me not to say anything to you about things that had happened in our relationship- that he didn't want me talking to you about him. He was really mad, I hadn't seen him that mad in awhile, but he, uh- he slammed me into the lockers."_

_Gabby heard him intake a sharp breath, the paramedic reluctantly lifting her head up, finding a look of disbelief, mixed with anger and worry playing across his face, his entire body looking like it was about to snap._

"_He what?" Casey's voice was low, Gabby drawing in a deep breath, tightening her hold on his leg for comfort._

"_He pushed me into the lockers and held me there… He had his arm pinned against my chest so I couldn't move." She saw the anger take over, Matt doing what he could to keep a handle on it, but she could tell it was a battle he wasn't winning. "He kept saying that I wasn't allowed to tell you anything, that he knew I wouldn't, and he wouldn't let me go… He finally did, after I agreed, but he slammed me into the lockers again before he left." Tears were building in her eyes as the shaky words left her lips, Matt sucking in a deep breath, his gaze never leaving hers. "But he's been messing with me ever since."_

"_What's he been doing?" Matt's voice was rough, Gabby wincing slightly as she felt his muscles constrict underneath her touch._

"_He's… He's just been trying to scare me. He'd try and get me alone a lot… he grabbed me a few times, and he shoved me into the wall in the ambulance-" Gabby saw Matt's eyes darkened for a split second, the firefighter going against his every instinct as he tried to control his rage. "Those bruises… the one on my back and my shoulder, and then the little ones on my arms, the ones you kept asking me about… They were from him."_

"_He hurt you." Matt spoke lowly, like he was trying to digest what he was being told, Gabby giving him a slow nod. _

"_And last night at Molly's, why I was acting like that… he cornered me in the back room and wouldn't let me leave." She breathed out, Matt's jaw tightening. "I know he was just messing with me, but he was talking about us, and you… and then he-" She cut herself off, shaking her head. "He brought up me having a miscarriage." She told him quietly, feeling him slide his hand around to her side, pulling her even closer to him. "He said he was glad I lost the baby, and everything, all of it, it just- it was too much and I wanted to forget it." _

_Matt gave her a slow nod, clenching his eyes shut for a split second before opening them once more, finding Gabby's hesitant and hurting gaze on him._

"_But, um, that's- that's why I've been a little off lately, or whatever you want to call it." She spoke shakily, his eyes softening. "I just- all of this… he got in my head." Gabby admitted, wincing slightly as the words left her lips. "And I hate it, I know I should've said something, or not let him affect me but he did and I just-" She cut herself off, shaking her head as she tried to keep her tears at bay._

"_...Why didn't you?" His voice was soft and non-accusatory, Gabby swallowing the thick lump that had formed in her throat as they locked eyes with one another. "Why didn't you tell me when it first happened?"_

_She could tell he wasn't angry, at least not at her, but he was confused. And he was worried, his glassy eyes not doing much to hide just how concerned he was._

_Pursing her lips together, she lifted her hand from his leg, bringing it up to pinch the bridge of her nose, Gabby trying to get rid of the headache she'd had since last night, her breathing becoming a bit shallow. "I- I wanted to, but I was scared." She voiced quietly, her eyes plastered down to her lap as she continued pressing her fingers against her head. "I know I should've, and I'm sorry- I'm sorry for not telling you before, I'm sorry."_

_Her words were getting quicker, Gabby feeling that all too familiar sense of panic flooding her system as more tears filled her eyes, her heart dropping into her stomach when she felt him remove his hand from her back._

"_Hey, hey, it's okay." He soothed, Gabby's rapidly beating heart beginning to settle slightly when she realized he wasn't going anywhere. "It's okay, alright? This isn't your fault, I'm not mad at you… You hear me? None of this is your fault. You have nothing to be sorry for." He told her strongly, Gabby closing her eyes as she felt him reach for her hands, Matt clasping them strongly in his. "Gabby… can you look at me?" He requested gently, Gabby slowly lifting her head, a lone tear siding down her cheek. "None of this is your fault." He repeated, letting his words resonate in her head before continuing. "I'm sorry this happened, I'm so sorry baby, but we'll deal with this, alright? I'll never let him hurt you again." He told her strongly, Gabby giving him a slight nod, doing what she could to hide the panic she was feeling. "I promise you, he'll never lay another hand on you. If it's the last thing I do, I'll never let him hurt you again."_

_Gabby's jaw quivered before giving him a slow nod, blinking back the heavy tears sitting in her eyes, Matt's lips turning down into a frown as he lifted his hand up to her head, resting his palm carefully over her cheek. He wouldn't take his eyes off of her, Gabby feeling herself slowly losing out to her emotions as he stroked his thumb across her cheek. She wasn't sure what he was thinking, but she saw a flicker of what appeared to be realization in his gaze, Gabby sniffling as another tear fell down her skin._

"_Can I-" He cut himself off, his tongue darting out to wet his lips as he thought over his next words. "Can I ask you something?" He questioned, Gabby slowly nodding without any hesitation, Matt releasing a heavy breath before opening his mouth. "Was this… was this the first time he's hurt you?"_

_Gabby's entire body tightened the second she registered his question, her bottom lip beginning to shake as more tears filled her eyes, Matt eyebrows knitting together as she saw a quick flash of anger in his gaze, before it morphed into a look of complete devastation, Casey shaking his head slightly. She didn't need to say it out loud, she knew he got his answer based on the sadness she saw shining in his eyes._

"_I-" His words got caught in his throat, another tear falling down her cheek, Matt releasing a shaky breath before slowly pulling her body into his. "I'm so sorry." He murmured as he held onto her, Gabby's head resting on his shoulder as she leaned into his chest, Matt's hand cradling her head as he held onto her. She could feel how tense he was, like he was trying his best to not show her his anger, but she felt comforted by his embrace nonetheless, Gabby relaxing into him as a few stray tears slid down her face, falling down onto his shoulder. "I'm so, so sorry."_

_He kept whispering those words, Gabby feeling him press occasional kisses to her head, her resolve fading as gripped onto his arm, Matt rubbing his hand up and down her side. After a few moments, she slowly felt herself beginning to settle down, her breathing becoming more and more steady as she focused on nothing but Matt. She focused on his touch, his breathing, the reassuring words he'd murmur into her ear; she let herself get completely lost in him, that being the only thing that was able to calm her down in this moment. _

_All she needed was him, and he was there. Just like he always promised._

_She felt him shift underneath her, Gabby keeping a tight grip on him, not wanting to leave the comforting warmth his embrace provided her, Matt kissing the back of her head again before she heard him take a deep breath._

"_...What happened today?"_

_His words were soft, yet deliberate, Gabby sensing he'd had them on the tip of his tongue for awhile, her eyes clenching shut as she suddenly felt a little bit of nerves creep up her spine, her body's immediate reaction reminding her of how she'd felt moments prior before Matt got here. She knew she needed to tell him, just like she needed to tell him everything, though this wasn't the time for that, Gabby drawing in a shaky breath as she let her body weight completely rest against him, Matt keeping a tight hold on her while gently rubbing his fingers back and forth over her hair._

"_He, um- he was mad…" She started, feeling safe enough in his presence to open up to him. "He thought I'd told you what was going on, after he told me not to say anything. And he just- he was so angry." She felt his body tense slightly underneath her before he tried to relax, Gabby assuming he was doing what he could to not make her nervous. "He… He started choking me."_

_She felt his body go rigid again, but this time he never relaxed, Gabby feeling his breathing stop momentarily as he digested her words. For as angry as he'd been up to this point, she could tell from his body language alone that what he was feeling right now was an entirely different type of rage. But he said nothing, Gabby knowing she just needed to continue before she lost her nerve._

"_...He grabbed my throat, and I couldn't breathe… I was trying to get him to stop, but he wouldn't- he wouldn't let me go." She told him from the safety of his embrace, Matt still motionless. "I, uh- I scratched his face, to try and get him to stop and I think that snapped him out of it, and he let me go… then he just ran."_

_Her words hung heavily in the air, Gabby trying to steady her breathing as she clutched onto his arm, the paramedic blinking quickly to keep more tears from falling as she waited for any kind of verbal response from the man holding her. But he never gave one._

"_...Matt?" She spoke up after nearly a minute of silence, Gabby reluctantly pulling herself out of his embrace, sitting up straight as she met his gaze. There was an anger in his eyes that she'd never seen before, at least not from him. And when his gaze trailed down towards her neck, she saw his eyes darken even more, Gabby figuring there were some visible reminders of what Bryan had done to her on her skin. But still, he said nothing, Matt shaking his head before slowly pushing himself up from the bench, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing as he began walking towards the exit. "Matt?"_

_But he didn't stop, Gabby hearing him mutter something about how he was 'going to kill him' before he disappeared out of sight, the paramedic mustering up all the courage she had before following after him._

"Dawson."

Gabby jumped slightly at the sound of her name being called, the PIC blinking quickly before turning towards the voice, feeling Shay give her leg a soft squeeze as they locked eyes, Gabby quickly wiping under her eyes, knowing if she didn't the tears she'd been holding onto since they got here would start to fall.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Shay spoke softly, Gabby shaking her head before glancing around, seeing everyone pretty much in the same spot they'd been in since she last looked, Dawson pushing herself up slightly in her seat.

"It's okay." She replied, her voice rough from lack of use, Gabby crossing her arms protectively over her chest as she caught Walker's gaze from across the room. The man had kept his distance from practically everyone since they got here as he leaned against the wall, Bryan knowing he wasn't exactly in anyone's good graces after what happened on the call, as well as back at the house, Dawson looking away from him quickly. "What'd you say?"

"I asked if you wanted a drink." Shay repeated, Gabby quickly shaking her head, but the blonde was persistent. "Or maybe a snack or something."

"I'm alright, Shay." Dawson replied, watching as her partner raised an eyebrow, Shay angling her body towards her slightly.

"You sure? I don't mind going to the vending machine. I'm not sure when you last ate, but we might be here for awhile." The blonde continued, Gabby pursing her lips together. "Or I could even run to the cafeteria, get you a sandwich or something."

"I'm not hungry." Gabby spoke, her voice a bit firmer than it had been moments prior, telling Shay to drop it. "I appreciate it, but really, I'm fine." She continued, earning a reluctant nod from her partner.

"Alright… If that changes, let me know."

Dawson nodded to appease her friend, though she already knew her lack of appetite wouldn't be changing any time soon, the thought of eating anything right now making her nauseous. She knew Shay was trying to help, that she was just trying to look out for her, but she didn't really care about herself right now. All she cared about was finding out how Matt was, and the longer she went without knowing anything, the more stressed she became.

They shouldn't be here. This should've never happened, and this entire thing could've been avoided. Had Bryan just pulled him up when Matt first fell, they wouldn't be here right now. And Gabby couldn't let that go.

For as terrified as she'd been of Walker hours prior, now when she looked at him all she felt was rage. She felt nothing but complete and utter anger whenever she saw him. She was angry because there was only one reason, and one reason alone, why Bryan didn't help Matt in that fire; and that was because of her. He'd taken his wrath towards her out on Matt, and it could've gotten him killed. And that, more than any other emotion she was feeling right now, pissed her off.

Maybe she should still be scared of him, and a part of knew if not for the situation they were in, she still would be. That once her mind cleared, and she knew Matt would be okay, that fear might settle back in if she were to ever be alone with him again. But right now, all she felt was anger.

She was angry, because this never should've happened. She was angry, and she was worried, because they'd gone this long without hearing any updates on Matt's condition. And she was scared, but that fear wasn't because of Walker.

She was scared because she had no idea if her boyfriend was alright. He was somewhere in this hospital, but she didn't know where, or how he was doing and if he was okay, and that didn't sit well with her. None of this sat well with her.

And she just wanted Matt.

She wanted to see him, to hear from him that he was okay. To get the confirmation she so desperately needed that he'd be alright. She _needed_ that, and every second she went without getting that, it was becoming harder and harder for her to keep herself calm.

Today had been a hard day, for a lot of reasons, but Matt was her priority right now. She could deal with everything else later, all she needed right now was to know he was fine, to be able to see for herself that he was alright. And until she got that, nothing else mattered.

"Surely they know something by now." Severide huffed out, the man having not stopped his pacing since they got here, Gabby being pulled from her thoughts as she glanced towards him, his words earning a few nods from the other first responders.

"They'll come and tell us what's going on as soon as they can." Boden replied, even though they all already knew that. Unfortunately, they'd been in this position more times than they would have liked. While, luckily, it wasn't too common of an occurrence, everyone in this room had been in this situation multiple times before, they all knew the process. But that didn't mean it ever got any easier.

"I'm sure he'll be fine."

Walker's voice spoke up for the first time since they all arrived, heads snapping to the other side of the small waiting room, looking at the man who was leaning up against the wall. Gabby couldn't help but look his way too, the PIC trying to get a read on him. She knew he wasn't sorry, she wasn't even sure he was capable of having remorse for what he'd done, at least not for the right reasons. If he was sorry at all, it was because of how this incident would affect him. He didn't care about how he'd hurt Matt, and he certainly didn't care about how he'd hurt her, but what he did care about was how everyone at the firehouse saw him, and she was sure even he knew there was no coming back from this.

Bryan caught sight of all the harsh stares on him, the firefighter taking a deep breath before pushing himself off the wall, taking a few small steps forward. "He was stable when we got him out, I'm sure he's fine." His voice was light, but hesitant, Severide's eyes narrowing as the Lieutenant stopped pacing.

"You mean when _we_ got him out." Severide emphasized, waving his hand around in a circle around the group of firefighters near him, excluding Walker from his gesture. "We're the ones who got him out. _You're_ the one who left him." Kelly spat angrily, his rage being felt by everyone in the room.

"Severide-"

"What are you even still doing here? What, are you waiting around to try and see the damage you caused up close?" Severide continued, his sharp words cutting through the tense air, Bryan drawing in a slow breath.

"I'm sorry, Kelly. I didn't mean for this-"

"You're _sorry_?" Severide cut him off, shaking his head angrily. "You're sorry for what? For whatever you did to Dawson before this call?" Kelly snapped, Gabby wincing slightly when she caught Bryan's hard gaze, Shay reaching out to place a supportive hand on her back as everyone, aside from Kelly, glanced her way. "You're sorry for that? Or you're sorry for trying to get Casey killed? What exactly are you sorry for?"

"Kelly…"

"What?!" He nearly shouted, his anger getting the best of him. "What could you possibly say that could excuse what you did?" Bryan's jaw tightened as Severide continued to yell at him, his loud voice surely getting the attention of most of the floor by now. "Casey was in there, _begging_ for you to help him. And you just let him fall."

"That's not-"

"You had time to get to him." Severide interrupted roughly, Walker taking another step closer. "We all heard it over the radio, he asked for your help, over and over and over again, and you just stood there!"

"You weren't there, Kelly!" Bryan yelled, the firefighter unable to mask his anger any longer. "You have no idea what happened! Casey and I were the only ones there! So don't stand there and berate me when you weren't there! I-"

"You tried to kill him."

Gabby's soft voice broke through the shouting, everyone stopping and turning to look at her, finding her cold, dark eyes trained on her former fiancé. She saw a flash of uncertainty in Bryan's gaze, like he was almost confused she was talking to him. And maybe she shouldn't have been. After what he did to her, she should do nothing but avoid him, knowing there was no way to know what he'd do next. But at this moment, she didn't care. She didn't feel that fear or that worry he'd caused her over the last couple of weeks. She didn't feel any of that. She just felt anger.

"Dawson…" Boden spoke up, but she ignored him, Gabby slowly pushing herself up from her chair, missing the way Kelly took a step closer, like he was trying to make sure he stayed in between her and Walker.

"You tried to kill him. There's no excuse for that." She continued, her body tense as she took another step forward, feeling Shay come up behind her.

"No, I didn't-"

"You could've helped him!" She shouted, Bryan's eyes narrowing as everyone watched the two of them, no one sure of what to say or do. "We all heard him begging you to help him, and you just left him to die!"

"I didn't do anything to your boyfriend." He spat back, Gabby shaking her head. "You weren't there." He added through gritted teeth.

"It should've been you." She said before he could even finish speaking, the force of her words stunning the room, Walker's eyes widening slightly as he registered what she said. "It should've been you who fell through the floor, I _wish_ it had been you."

"Dawson-"

"Casey didn't deserve that, you should have helped him." She continued, never taking her eyes off the man in front of her. "And everyone in this room knows had the roles been reversed, he would've helped you. He wouldn't have even thought about leaving you there… But you didn't help him. You stood there and watched him fall through the floor, all because you're mad at me."

"This isn't about-"

"It should've been you!" She snapped, barely registering Shay placing a comforting hand on her back. "If this was going to happen to anyone, I wish it had been you."

"Family of Matthew Casey?"

Gabby turned away from Walker instantly, their current conversation getting pushed aside without a thought as she saw the doctor walking towards them, the groups' attire an obvious giveaway as the first responders formed a semi-circle in front of the man.

"I'm guessing you all are here with him." He added, his words earning a few nods from the group, Gabby taking a slight step forward while Walker distanced himself.

"We are. How is he?" Boden asked, the unfamiliar doctor looking down at the chart in his hands, Gabby feeling a bit lightheaded as they all waited for him to say something, but she ignored the feeling.

"Well, considering what happened, he's doing very well." The group released a collective sigh of relief, the air in the room a thousand pounds lighter now that they knew that, overall, Casey was alright. "He, somehow, didn't sustain much damage in the fall. He has some bumps and bruises, a few cuts. And he did bruise a few of his ribs. But nothing was broken. Truly, it's kind of miraculous he didn't have more injuries, but he's fine. More sore than anything else at the moment."

"Is he awake?"

"He is." The man responded, tears of relief flooding Gabby's eyes as she faltered back slightly, a few of the first responders seeing how unsteady she was, Mouch placing a supportive hand on her shoulder as he stood behind her.

"What about his head?" Shay asked, continuing to rub Dawson's back, the blonde becoming more and more concerned for her friend as Gabby was being unnervingly quiet. "Does he have a concussion or anything?"

"All those tests were negative. He woke up shortly after he was brought in. Mr. Casey knew what was going on, he remembered what happened, there were no issues there." The doctor told them. "And all his other scans were clear, there's no internal damage we can see. He's doing just fine. We'll want to keep him overnight, just because he did take a nasty fall, and we want to make sure nothing pops up here in the next few hours, but he's alright."

"Thank God." Herrmann breathed out, a few similar sentiments being heard from around the room.

"Can I see him?"

Everyone glanced towards Dawson, the first responders taken aback by how small and timid she looked, like she still didn't quite believe he was alright. She locked eyes with the doctor, seeing a look of something she couldn't read flicker over his face.

"Please." She continued before he could say anything. "I'm his girlfriend, can I please see him?" She nearly begged, which was something the men and women of 51 definitely weren't used to hearing from her. But in this situation, they couldn't blame her.

Slowly, the doctor nodded, Dawson releasing a grateful breath. "Yes, of course… You must be Gabby." He replied, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing as she glanced around at her coworkers, seeing similar looks of confusion. "Mr. Casey kept mentioning you, he wanted to make sure you were okay." He added, Gabby's face softening as a small smile tugged on the edges of her lips. "I can take you to him now, if you'd like."

Gabby nodded quickly, beginning to move towards him, eager to finally lay her eyes on her boyfriend and make sure he truly was alright. But she barely got a step before she stumbled a little, her legs feeling weak beneath her as the stress of the day finally caught up with her, Severide and Herrmann both reaching out to grab her.

"Dawson, hey, you alright?" Kelly asked, supporting her weight until she was back on her own two feet, Gabby giving a slight nod as she ignored the weird feeling coursing throughout her body.

"I'm fine, I just moved too fast." She waved them off, missing the clear looks of worry among her friends.

"Do you need to sit down? We can take a minute." The doctor offered, but Gabby immediately shook her head.

"No, I want to see him. I'm alright." She repeated, the doctor nodding before beginning to walk away from the group, Gabby quickly following after him.

Shay kept her eyes on Gabby until she disappeared around the corner, the paramedic shaking her head before glancing towards Kelly, seeing a similar look of concern in his eyes.

"Shay…" He spoke quietly, the blonde raising her eyebrows slightly.

"Yeah?" She asked, her eyes narrowing in intrigue when she saw Kelly look back towards the direction Dawson had just gone, before he found her gaze again.

"...Did you see her neck?" He questioned lowly, Shay releasing a heavy breath before biting down on the inside of her cheek, Kelly taking a step closer to her. She had noticed the bruising while they were sitting here, Shay seeing the unsettling marks that covered both sides of her throat, and she wasn't surprised others had noticed as well. "Was that… do you think that's what Walker did to her? And why Casey decked him?"

"I don't know." Shay replied quickly, her gaze flickering behind her best friend towards Bryan, her jaw clenching in anger. "But if he did, I'm gonna kill him."

Across the room, Boden slowly made his way towards Walker, the firefighter having distanced himself from everyone since learning of Casey's condition, Bryan's spine straightening when he noticed the Chief coming to a stop in front of him.

"I believe Dawson and Severide have said enough… that you don't need to hear from a third person how inexcusable your actions today were."

"Chief-"

Boden held his hand up, signaling the man to stay quiet, Bryan reluctantly closing his mouth, knowing unlike with Dawson and Severide, he couldn't fight back. "There's nothing to discuss here. It's pretty clear what happened- that whatever happened between you and Dawson today, which we will be discussing later, that affected how you handled yourself out on the call. And, as I've told you many times- _too many_ times, your actions have consequences." He kept his voice firm and detached, Boden unsure of how the man in front of him had fallen so far from the firefighter he met all those years ago. "You're suspended indefinitely, pending further review." Walker's eyes widened, Boden shaking his head as Bryan opened his mouth to interject. "There's nothing for you to say here. There's no defense for what you did. You left Casey to die in that fire, and that is inexcusable... Don't be surprised if today was the last call you ever work."

Boden turned to walk away, finding the eyes of his firehouse on him, no one sure of what to say, if they should say anything at all, the Chief ignoring their glances as he began walking back to the front of the room.

"Casey came at me."

Walker's voice stopped him, Boden sighing heavily before turning back around, everyone looking back and forth between the two men. "Casey sucker punched me out of nowhere, and he gets off because he got hurt? I'm sorry Chief, but this is bullshit."

"The Lieutenant and I will be having a discussion about what happened today." Boden replied calmly, seeing the man seething a few feet from him. "But I have a good feeling that his actions were not unprompted." He added pointedly, Walker swallowing thickly.

"You don't know the whole story…"

"I know you did something to Dawson." Boden replied roughly, Walker drawing in a slow breath as he caught a few of the tense stares from his coworkers. "You did something to her after you have been told time and time again to leave her alone, which don't think that's something that won't be dealt with just because of what happened on the call today."

"Chief-"

"I don't want to hear it." He snapped, Boden speaking with an anger in his voice they weren't used to hearing from him. "You'll have your chance to tell your side of the story. As will Dawson." Boden responded, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "...And thankfully, so will Casey." He finished, turning around and walking away without another word.

* * *

Gabby clenched her hands together in front of her as she followed the man in the white coat down the hallway, her heart pounding in her chest as her eyes darted around her surroundings. She tried to make herself familiar with the route, Gabby unsure of how long Matt would be staying here. According to his doctor, he was fine. And she believed that, but she knew they had already determined to keep him overnight, and she wasn't sure if he'd need to stay any longer than that. But all she did know was that as long as he was here, she would be as well, Gabby committing every turn and landmark to memory.

"Alright, here we are." The doctor spoke, Gabby blinking quickly as she looked at the closed door. The blinds on his windows were drawn, Gabby having no view of her injured boyfriend as she stood in the hallway, the paramedic glancing up towards the man beside her. "You can stay with him as long as you like. We've finished all our testing, so we'll really just be checking in on him periodically. Nurses will be coming in and out, but that's nothing out of the normal. He might be resting now, he was a bit tired when I left him. But rest is good, sleep is the best thing for him right now."

Gabby paid close attention to everything being said to her, wanting to make sure she had all the information possible to be able to best take care of him, her only focus being on Matt.

"You can go in." He prompted, Gabby giving him a nod before she took a few steps towards the door.

"I, uh- I didn't get your name." She said as she stopped in front of his room.

"Dr. Landry, ma'am." The man, who was maybe a little older than Matt, replied, flashing her a warm smile, one Gabby did her best to reciprocate.

"Thank you… For taking care of him." She murmured as her hand blindly found the handle, the doctor giving her a slight nod.

"I'm just glad he's alright. I'll be back to check in on him a little later." He replied, Gabby responding with a thankful nod before she turned towards the door, the PIC taking a deep breath before slowly pushing it open, doing her best to keep quiet.

When she got through the doorway, she immediately stopped when she took in the sight of Matt's sleeping form, Gabby feeling an instant rush of relief at being able to see him in person as tears flooded her eyes. He looked the same, aside for some bruising that was already starting to form, some of the discoloration peeking out from behind his hospital gown. But, regardless of the few bumps and bruises, he was still Matt. He was still her Matt. And she'd never felt more grateful to see him in her life.

Drawing in a deep, albeit shaky, breath, Gabby slowly walked further into the room, carefully closing the heavy door behind her, not letting go of the handle until it was firmly in place against the frame.

"You don't have to move so slowly, I'm awake."

The sound of his voice was like music to her ears, Gabby unable to stop the smile that formed across her lips before she turned around to face him, her glassy brown eyes immediately finding his bright blue ones.

"Hey beautiful."

Gabby did what she could to keep her emotions under control as he flashed her that wide Casey grin, Matt slowly lifting his hand out towards her, silently encouraging her to come closer. She immediately obliged to his gesture, Gabby walking towards his bed, coming to a stop beside him.

The smile on his face faltered when he saw her red eyes, his features hardening in anger when he got a look at her neck, the irritated skin partially covered by her jacket. But he could still see the bruising, and all that rage he felt before the call came rushing back, Matt doing what he could to keep a handle on it. He could tell just from one look that he'd scared her, and right now his only focus was making sure she was alright. As much as he wanted to go find Walker and beat the shit out of him, Gabby came first. And in his condition, he wasn't sure that was a fight he could win.

"You… You're okay." She breathed out, like she needed to say it out loud to help herself believe it, Matt immediately nodding as he reached out for her hand, lacing his fingers through hers.

"I'm okay." He promised, rubbing his thumb along her skin, his frown deepening when he noticed how her face lacked its usual color, Gabby looking a little more pale than normal. "Why don't you sit down?" He suggested, ignoring the soreness he felt as he shifted his body to the side, Matt giving her more room to place her body down on his bed.

Answering with a nod, Gabby sat down on the edge of his bed, her hip resting against his thigh as she took a deep breath, reaching out to place her free hand over his chest. She could feel the outline of some wires underneath the material, Gabby knowing he was hooked up to all sorts of monitors, but the rhythmic beeping actually comforted her, the sound merely giving her more affirmation that he was alright.

"You feeling okay?" He asked softly, letting their conjoined hands fall down to his stomach, Matt placing his other one over his chest on top of hers.

"I'm not the one in the hospital." She deflected, Matt shaking his head as he gave her a pointed look.

"I know… but you don't look like you feel too good. After everything today, before the call… I want to make sure you're alright." His words were soft and honest, Gabby giving him a nod as tapped her fingers against his chest.

"I'm… I'm alright. I was just worried about you." She replied, Matt's lips turning down into a slight frown. He knew she had more to be upset about than just what happened to him, but he couldn't help but think it made her feel better to focus her energy on him instead of what happened to her. So he wouldn't push it, at least not right now. "...You really scared me, and all this just kind of freaked me out. But you're fine, so I'm alright."

"I am fine." He repeated almost immediately, knowing it could only help her to hear it again. "I'm sorry this happened, I'm sorry I scared you… But I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere." His voice was strong, Gabby feeling more tears well in her eyes as her emotions started hitting her at once. She'd been able to keep them contained up until now, Matt's safe presence letting her feel everything she'd been burying down all day as a lone tear slid down her cheek. "It's okay." He murmured, slowly leading her down towards him, Gabby sniffling as she carefully fell down into his chest, Matt wrapping his arms around her as she laid on her side. He could feel her body trembling slightly as she clutched onto his hospital gown, Matt resting his cheek down against the top of her head, rubbing over her side as he held onto her for the second time today. "We're okay… It'll be okay. I promise."

He kept whispering comforting words to her, Matt ignoring every ounce of pain he was feeling from her weight against his sore body, none of that mattering to him in this moment as focused all his attention on the woman in his arms, knowing they both needed this. They both needed just a second, to try and move past the worry and fear they both felt for each other at different points today.

They just needed each other. And that's exactly what they had.

* * *

"Did he say where they were?" The older woman asked her husband as they stood in the back of the packed elevator, the older man shaking his head as he watched the numbers go up towards the correct floor.

"He didn't say, I'm not sure he knows. He just told me that Leslie told him they were on the fifth floor… and that Gabriela wasn't doing well." He replied quietly, the woman shaking her head sadly.

"I wouldn't expect her to be. We know how much he means to her, and depending on how badly he's hurt, I can only imagine how shaken up she is." She responded, the married couple sliding past everyone to get out of the elevator when they arrived at their floor. "Was it only Matthew who got hurt?"

"He was the only one Antonio mentioned." The man replied, walking down the hallway holding his wife's hand, the entirety of who they knew to be Firehouse 51 coming into view as they came around the corner. While they didn't know everyone their daughter worked with on a personal level, they knew a lot of their names, and they'd met most of them before.

"Leslie." The older woman called, the blonde's head snapping up as she looked at the parents she'd come to know quite well over the years, Shay immediately pushing herself up from her seat.

"Ramon, Camila… I wasn't expecting to see you guys here." She spoke, Ramon catching a few stares from the first responders around them, the older Dawson recognizing most of the faces, though he did his best to ignore one in particular.

"Antonio called us, I'm guessing after he got off the phone with you… How's Matthew doing?" Ramon asked, Camila's eyes darting around the room, soon landing on the one person who wasn't sitting with the rest of the group, Bryan waiting alone in the corner. They locked eyes momentarily, Camila seeing an unreadable expression in his gaze before he quickly looked away.

"He's alright." Shay responded, everyone seeing the immediate relief that came from Ramon and Camila. "His doctor said he's gonna be fine. He doesn't really have any serious injuries, from how they made it sound. Just some bruises, and a few bruised ribs. But he got very lucky."

"Thank goodness." Camila murmured, her hand resting across her chest as Ramon placed his hand on her shoulder. "When Antonio called us, I wasn't sure what to think."

"Yeah, yeah, I talked to him before we found out about Casey. I'm sorry, I would've called you guys, but I didn't realize you knew." She replied regretfully, Ramon shaking his head.

"It's fine, dear. We're just glad he'll be alright." He said, looking past Shay for a moment. "Where is Gabriela?"

"She's with Casey. They just took her back maybe ten, fifteen minutes ago. I'm sure if you go ask one of the nurses, they'll let you see him." She answered softly, Camila giving her a grateful nod.

"Thank you, Leslie." She spoke, bringing her daughter's partner in for a quick hug, a gesture the paramedic reciprocated, Ramon following suit and giving the woman a hug as well. Out of all of their daughter's coworkers, Shay was the one they'd spent the most time with, and they knew how important she was to Gabriela.

"It was nice to see you guys… I wish it were under better circumstances, but I know Gabby and Matt will be glad you're here." Shay responded, earning nods from both the parents before they began walking towards the nurses station, Ramon giving a nod to Severide as well, the older Dawson having spent more time with Kelly recently because of Matt.

"Those were Gabby's parents, right?" Cruz asked once they'd disappeared down the hallway, Severide nodding.

"Ramon and Camila, yeah." Kelly answered, him and Shay moving back to their seats. "They're great." While Severide hadn't spent as much time with them as Shay had, he had met them a lot in passing, and Kelly had spent more time with Ramon recently as he sometimes tagged along with him and Casey. And one thing he did know was that they were very sweet, good-natured people.

"And they came all the way here for Casey?" He continued, Severide shrugging as he glanced at Shay.

"Yeah, I guess… I mean, if all they heard was that Casey had fallen through the floor, I'm not surprised they'd be worried." He replied, unsure of where this conversation was heading, Severide seeing a lot of curious eyes on him.

"No, yeah I get it. I guess I just didn't realize how serious Dawson and the Lieutenant really were...Him being close with her parents and everything." Cruz said, Kelly seeing a few of their coworkers nod as well.

"They love each other, Cruz. That's pretty serious to me." Shay replied, Joe giving her a nod before she relaxed back into her seat, her eyes moving towards Walker, Shay seeing the man tense up as he sat alone, clearly not liking the current topic of discussion.

Down the hallway, Ramon and Camila followed the signs towards Matt's room, the couple eager to get there and check in on their daughter and her boyfriend, knowing today couldn't have been easy on either of them. Luckily, it seemed like Matt would be okay. But they knew it could've been so much worse, and they could only imagine how worried their Gabriela must have been.

"Here it is." Camila spoke, dropping her husband's hand as they approached the closed door. Not exactly sure what they'd be walking into, Camila knocked on the dark wood, waiting for any sign that they could come in. But they never got one, Ramon giving her a nod before he reached for the handle, slowly pushing open the door.

What they saw when they opened the door brought soft smiles to both their faces, the couple taking quiet steps further into the room. Gabby was lying on the bed, her body facing the wall as she was resting against Matt's chest. His arms were wrapped around her while one of her legs hung off the side of the bed, the other tucked up underneath herself, the pair making the most of what small space they had. It was clear to them that Gabriela was asleep, their daughters arms curled up against Matt as he had one hand resting on her waist, and the other arm holding her across her upper body, like he was determined to keep her close. And from what they could tell, it looked like Matt was asleep as well, the man's eyes closed as his chin was resting on the top of Gabby's head.

They looked completely content, something Ramon and Camila could only assume hadn't been the case most of the day.

"We should let them rest…" Ramon spoke softly, Camila nodding in agreement. "I can't imagine the type of day they've had, we'll wait out there with the rest of them."

Just as the Dawsons were about to leave, they saw Casey shift on the hospital bed, the man slowly opening his eyes, blinking quickly to adjust to the light in the room before the two new faces came into view. When Matt realized who it was standing just inside his door, he shot them a small smile as he slowly woke up.

"Hi." His voice was groggy, Camila grinning softly as she moved towards the bed, Ramon following her lead.

"Hi Matthew… I'm sorry, we didn't mean to wake you." She spoke, her smile widening slightly when she saw Matt running his hand lazily up and down Gabby's side, Camila not even sure he realized he was doing it.

"It's alright." He replied, clearing the sleep from his throat before continuing. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We heard about what happened at that fire today. We wanted to make sure you were alright." Ramon responded quietly, all three of them being mindful of the fact that Gabby was still sleeping.

Even though her face was partially hidden being buried into Matt's chest, from their closer view Camila and Ramon could both see how exhausted their daughter was, and they wanted her to sleep as long as possible.

"You guys didn't have to do that." He murmured, wincing slightly as he adjusted his body the best he could with most of Gabby's weight on top of him, a twinge of pain shooting through his ribs.

"We wanted to make sure you were okay." Camila responded, reaching out to rest a gentle hand on his shoulder, neither of them missing the look of discomfort still lingering across his features. "When Antonio called us and told us what happened, we both kind of panicked a little, and we wanted to come and make sure you were alright… I hope that's not a problem."

"No, no, of course not." Matt was quick to respond. "It means a lot to me that you guys came here." He added, Camila smiling softly as she rubbed over his shoulder.

"So how are you feeling, son?" Ramon asked as Matt took a deep breath, the firefighter glancing down to Gabby as she subconsciously curled herself deeper into his chest. He couldn't imagine the position she was in was comfortable, with her body halfway off the bed while she laid sideways, but she was sleeping, which is what mattered.

"Well, I've definitely been better… Luckily I didn't really hurt anything, but it still feels like I fell through a building." He answered, earning understanding nods from both of the Dawsons. "I'm hurting a little bit, but it's mostly just soreness. I'll be fine."

"You've really gotta stop making a habit of falling through floors, Matthew." Camila added lightly, shaking her head as a soft chuckle left Casey's lips.

"Yeah, that's definitely not something I should continue doing. I'd say twice is plenty." He agreed with a soft scoff, Matt looking back towards Gabby. "Luckily this time wasn't too bad… and I'm just glad that she wasn't in there with me." He breathed out, Matt rubbing over her arm as Ramon and Camila shared a knowing look.

Everyone in the room remembered that accident well, and they weren't exactly happy memories of Gabby and Matt falling through the floor. But the parents knew Matt was right, that thankfully, this incident wasn't anywhere near as bad as that one. And, though they felt terrible for what had happened, they agreed with what Casey had sad, that they were glad Gabby hadn't been in there with him.

"But I'm alright, it might take a few days before I really feel back to being myself, but I'm fine. And luckily no one else was hurt." Casey finished, Ramon giving him a nod.

"What all happened in there?" He asked, Matt raising his eyebrows. "Did the floor just give out?"

"Well, um-"

Matt cut himself off when he felt Gabby starting to move on top of him, all eyes moving towards the paramedic as she slowly started to wake up. Casey could feel her tense immediately when she came into consciousness, like she wasn't exactly sure where she was, but she soon relaxed as he kept rubbing over her side, Gabby lifting her head up to look towards Matt.

"Are you okay?" Were the first words out of her mouth, her voice barely audible as Matt gave her a nod.

"I'm fine… Your parents are here."

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, Gabby slowly turning to look beside the bed, the younger Dawson just now registering her parents' presence beside the bed.

"Hi mija." Ramon greeted quietly, Gabby clenching her eyes shut for split second, trying to get her vision to focus as she began to sit up, Matt letting go of her so she could move.

"What are you guys doing here?" She asked, her body still partially angled towards Matt as they stood beside them, Casey returning his hand to her waist.

"Antonio called us, and we came to check on you both. And to see how Matthew was doing." Camila answered the same question Casey had moments prior, Gabby giving them a nod as her mind cleared a little bit, the paramedic feeling a little better after her nap, even though she'd hadn't slept for more than maybe ten minutes. "You both were asleep when we got here… we were about to leave but Matt woke up so we stayed. I'm sorry if we woke you though, you looked pretty tired." She added, stroking her fingers through Gabby's hair.

"It's alright." She replied, a yawn escaping her lips just as she spoke, Matt feeling her lean her body weight into his side, like she was trying her hardest to snap out of her exhaustion.

"We won't keep you much longer, I want you both to get some rest, I'm sure you've had a long day. But Matt here was just telling us what happened." Ramon spoke, Gabby's body immediately tensing. Her parents' both wore their own looks of confusion and slight concern when they saw their daughter's reaction to the simple statement, Camila brushing her hand over the side of Gabby's face.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" She asked softly, Gabby looking towards Matt as she gnawed on her bottom lip, Casey sensing her nerves. "You _are_ okay, aren't you, Matthew?" Camila pressed when neither of them had said anything, the woman worried there was more going on than she was told.

"No, no I'm fine. It's not that…"

"Then what?" She asked, sparing a glance to her husband. "What's-"

"Bryan's the reason he's here." Gabby cut in, refusing to lift her head as she focused her attention on the white blanket covering Matt's body, Casey seeing Camila's confused look immediately.

"What?"

"What do you mean, Gabriela?" Ramon added, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before responding.

"Bryan, he's- he's the reason Matt got hurt. Why we're even here in the first place. None of this should've ever happened." She breathed out, blinking back the fresh tears in her eyes, the taxing day taking its toll on her.

"What does that mean? What happened?" Camila questioned, trying to get more information as she looked back and forth between her daughter and Matt. "What did he do?"

"He, uh… He was there, when I fell through the floor." Matt started, knowing it would be easier on Gabby if he was the one to tell the story, especially considering he and Walker were the only ones there when it happened. "I was able to hold myself up, for a few seconds… I was- I kept asking Walker to help me, to help pull me up before I fell but he… He just stood there." Camila's mouth parted open in shock, Ramon shaking his head angrily as Gabby continued to look at the bed, Matt making sure to keep rubbing soothing patterns along her side. "I asked him over and over to help me up, but he wouldn't… then I couldn't hold on anymore, and I fell."

"Oh my God." Camila breathed out, sparing a quick glance to her husband. "I can't believe he'd- why in the world would he do that? What is wrong with him?" She rambled furiously, Matt seeing how upset this had made her.

"Please tell me he's getting fired." Ramon's rough voice hit Casey's ears, Matt shrugging slightly, ignoring the slight pain he felt from moving his muscles.

"I don't know… Gabby, and you all, are the only people I've seen. I'm not sure what's going to happen."

"I still can't believe he'd do something like that." Camila breathed out, her hand coming up to cover her mouth. "I mean, I know he's been a terrible person, but to do something like _that_? I just-... I don't know what to say."

"He did it because of me." Gabby's voice cut in, Ramon and Camila both looking at their daughter.

"What do you mean because of you?"

"Because you two are together?"

Her mother and father both asked their questions at the same time, Gabby pursing her lips together as drew in a deep breath.

"It wasn't because we're together… at least not directly." She started, her voice soft and a little unsteady. "He… He's been threatening me, and messing with me."

You could hear a pin drop in the hospital room, Gabby keeping her focus trained downwards as a thick silence filled the room, the paramedic missing the anger and uncertainty playing over her parents' features.

"...What?" Ramon questioned first, Gabby hearing an anger in her father's voice she hadn't heard in a long time. "What did he do?"

Unsure of how to voice what she needed to tell them, she quickly found Matt's supportive gaze, Casey giving her a soft nod. "It's okay." He murmured, quietly encouraging her to just get the words out. Sucking in a deep breath, Gabby finally turned to face her parents, seeing their unsettling looks, both of them trying to understand what was going on.

"Honey, what are you talking about? What did he-" Camila cut herself off abruptly, her breath catching in her throat when she saw Gabby's neck, her eyes roaming over the discolored skin covering her throat, the woman stunned momentarily before she found her voice. "...He did that to you?" She asked carefully, like she was afraid of her own question, Gabby's jaw trembling slightly.

"He did what? What are you talking about?" Ramon asked, clearly not seeing what his wife was.

"Her neck." Camila murmured, shaking her head in horror, Gabby having to keep herself from looking away from her parents as more tears filled her eyes. All the fear and pain she'd been pushing down since Matt's accident was coming back a vengeance, Gabby forcing herself to focus on the feeling on Matt rubbing his hand over her back. "...Look at her neck."

Gabby averted her gaze as her father looked back at her, missing the way his eyes darkened in anger when he saw the prominent bruising along her skin, the discoloration consistent around the sides of her throat. Without even asking, Ramon knew there was only one thing that would've caused an injury like that, and that realization sent rage coursing through his body.

"Bryan did that?" Ramon asked quietly, Gabby sniffling as a lone tear slid down her cheek before she answered with a slow nod.

"...It happened today, before the call." She replied quietly, her voice barely audible. "He… He was really mad at me, and he- he started choking me." Her hand involuntarily came up to rest against her chest, Gabby's fingers tracing over her skin.

"Oh, honey." Camila murmured, her eyes shining with devastation as she stepped towards her daughter, wrapping her up in a tight hug, cradling her head against her body, Gabby letting herself relax in her mom's arms.

From the comfort of her mother's embrace, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye, Gabby pulling back slightly when she saw her father beginning to pace beside Matt's bed. "Dad?" She asked softly, Ramon drawing in a deep breath before shaking his head angrily, running his hand over his mouth as he stomped towards the door.

"Ramon?" Camila asked, but he ignored the calls of his family as he disappeared through the doorway, Ramon storming out into the hallway, leaving his wife and daughter with Matt as the rage coursing through his body led him directly towards the source of his anger.

* * *

**I know this one ended kind of abruptly, but the next chapter picks up right where this one left off. I hope you guys liked this one, I know some of you were wanting more of a Casey and Walker showdown, for lack of a better word. I don't wanna give too much away, and it's not happening right away, but they'll definitely cross paths again. And, as I'm sure you can imagine, it won't be pretty when they do. **

**Thanks for reading this one, I'm eager to hear your thoughts!**

**See you next time!**


	48. Chapter Forty Eight

**Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all! I hope you all enjoy it, I can't wait to hear what you think. Happy reading!**

* * *

**FORTY EIGHT**

* * *

Gabby watched the door slam closed as her father stomped out of the room in anger, fresh tears clouding her vision as she pulled back from her mother's embrace.

"He's gonna do something stupid." She spoke to no one in particular, the paramedic beginning to move down off the bed, but her mom stopped her, Camila keeping firm, yet gentle hands on Gabby's shoulders.

"You're not going out there." She said firmly. "I'll go and make sure he doesn't do anything to get himself arrested. You just stay here." Camila told her, Gabby taking a deep breath as she watched her mom begin to move towards the door.

"Mama-"

"Stay here, Gabriela." Her tone left no room for argument as she pulled open the large door. "I don't want you anywhere near Bryan. Just stay here with Matthew." She ordered, Camila's eyes moving towards the man lying in the bed, shooting him a pointed look, one Casey picked up on instantly as he gave her a slight nod.

"I got her." He assured Camila, the woman giving him one last nod before exiting the hospital room, closing the door behind her.

Casey could see how tense Gabby was as her head stayed turned towards the door, Matt continuing to rub his hand over her back before he slid it around her side, giving her body a gentle squeeze. The action was enough to get her to look at him, Casey's frown deepening when he saw the fresh tears welling in her eyes.

"It's okay, baby." He murmured, Gabby blinking quickly as she shifted closer to him, needing the comfort his presence always provided her. "Your mom won't let him kill Walker- although he deserves it."

"Matt…"

"No." He interjected, shaking his head defiantly. "Nothing could excuse what he's done to you… _everything_ he's done to you." Matt clarified, even though he didn't have the details as to what all had happened. But he didn't need to know the specifics to know Bryan should've never laid a hand on her. "He should be in jail. And your mom's right, you shouldn't be anywhere near him." Matt spoke strongly, Gabby sniffling as she looked down in between them, her jaw shaking slightly as she tried to take a deep breath.

"I just…" Her voice was hoarse, Gabby shaking her head before continuing. "I wish none of this ever happened… I wish Bryan would've just left me alone after he broke up with me, I wish he never-" She cut herself off, bringing her hands up to cradle the sides of her face, Matt's lips turning down into a frown as he did his best to comfort her from the confines of his hospital bed. "I wish he never did any of, and that I left him after the first time it happened-"

"This isn't your fault." Casey cut in firmly, not liking the direction this conversation was heading. She was placing blame on herself, when she was the last person who deserved any. There's nothing she could've done that would excuse Walker hurting her, and he didn't like how she was thinking otherwise.

"I know it's not, but now everyone out there is gonna know he was-... they're gonna know what he did." She rephrased, wincing slightly as she couldn't get the words out, Matt drawing in as deep of a breath as he could with his injured ribs before responding.

"He's a monster, Gabby." He said softly, Gabby blinking back the tears in her eyes. "He's an abusive piece of shit. He hurt you, he's _been_ hurting you, and everyone deserves to know what kind of despicable person he is." Gabby could hear the anger in his voice as a lone tear slid down her cheek, Matt lifting his hand up to wipe it away. "I know this is your business, I know this happened to you, and only you get to decide how, or if, people find out how he treated you… but he's a terrible person, and they at least need to know that much."

Slowly, she nodded, Gabby leaning into his hand that was still resting gently against her cheek, Matt feeling more tears hit his skin as her resolve continued to crumble.

"I'm here for you, Gabby. With however much of this you want to share, whatever you feel comfortable talking about, or if you don't want to talk about it at all, I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere… I promise, okay?" He assured her, Gabby giving him a slight nod, Matt still seeing flashes of hesitation in her eyes. But he knew that wasn't so much because of him, as it was because of Bryan. "However much they find out, however much you want to share, I'll be right by your side the entire way. You're not alone in this."

More tears began sliding down her cheeks, Matt stroking his thumb over her skin as she tried to take steady breaths. But she wasn't having much luck, the heavy emotions of the day finally catching up with her as her body leaned further into him.

"Come here." He murmured, slowly guiding her to lie back down with him, Gabby falling into place against his chest as she lifted her legs up onto the bed, Matt helping her adjust so she'd be comfortable as her head came to rest just under his chin. He ignored the discomfort he felt in his ribs, Matt tightening his hold on her as he felt her trembling underneath his touch. "It's alright." He whispered as he ran his hand up and down her arm, Matt wincing slightly as she shifted on top of him, the pressure of her body causing some pain to radiate through his chest. But he didn't say anything, the firefighter knowing a little discomfort was nothing if he could help her feel better, Matt continuing to rub soothing patterns over her side and her back, doing anything he could to help calm her down.

* * *

Ramon stormed with a purpose through the hallways of the hospital, the father ignoring all the confused glances from the people he passed along the way as he stomped back towards the waiting room.

If he'd been thinking clearly, he would've stopped for a moment. He would've stopped and taken a breath, tried to calm himself down before he went and had what he knew was sure to be a combative conversation. But he couldn't stop. He couldn't think of anything other than Bryan putting his hands on his daughter, of Bryan _choking _her. Every time he tried to talk himself into pausing and calming down, he saw an image of that man wrapping his hands around his daughter's throat, and that alone kept him from slowing down.

As Ramon turned the corner, he saw everyone from Firehouse 51 exactly where he had left them moments prior, the older Dawson's steps slowing just enough for him to find the man he was looking for. Within seconds, he saw Walker sitting in a chair away from everyone else, the man hunched over, his elbows resting on his knees as he looked towards the floor, paying no attention to those around him.

The second he saw him, it was like his anger only intensified, Ramon picking up speed as he walked towards the group.

"Ramon, hey, is everything…" Shay trailed off when she saw the tension in his body, everyone watching in confusion as he stomped past them towards the back of the room. "Ramon?"

Bryan looked up just as Ramon got to him, his eyebrows raising slightly when he saw the absolute rage burning in his eyes, eyes that matched his daughter's, Walker straightening his spine as the angry man got closer.

"Ramon-"

Ramon grabbing Walker by the shirt cut him off, the father yanking him up roughly from his chair before slamming his back into the wall, Ramon holding on tightly as he pinned Bryan against the hard surface.

"Ramon!"

"This doesn't feel so good, does it?" He bit out between his teeth, Ramon pressing his forearm into Bryan's chest, knocking the air from the firefighter's lungs. He was so angry, he could barely think straight, Ramon ignoring the pleads of the people around him to stop as he focused his attention on the scum he was holding to the wall.

"Ramon!"

The older Dawson shrugged off whoever was trying to pull him away, Ramon tightening his grip on the man who he, at one point in time, thought would be family, Bryan choking out a breath as Ramon shoved against him harder, Walker surprised at how strong he was for his age.

"Yeah, is this what you did to her? Is this how you made her feel?!" He shouted, Walker fighting against him as Severide and Boden pulled Ramon back, the father blind with rage as Bryan started coughing once he finally was able to suck air into his lungs. "You nearly killed Matthew, then you hurt my little girl! You grabbed her by the throat until she couldn't breathe," all eyes fell on Walker as the words left Ramon's lips, everyone stunned at what they were hearing, "she had to scratch and claw at you to get you to let her go! What kind of man are you, putting your hands on my daughter?!" His voice was getting louder and louder, no one knowing what to say as Kelly held Ramon back, Bryan still trying to breathe as he slowly looked up, finding the confused and angry stares of his coworkers on him, Shay looking ready to kill him.

"I didn't do anything!" Walker fired back, his voice hoarse from his throat being constricted, his words angering the father as Ramon tried to lunge at him, Severide, Boden, and Herrmann all holding him back.

"Ramon, Ramon- stop." Kelly tried, Ramon shoving against him until he was let go.

"Did you know?!" He yelled, looking around at his daughter's coworkers, finding all of them looking back and forth between him and Bryan, Severide standing in between the two, blocking Ramon's path back towards the man who deserved to be in a hospital bed. "Did you all know?!"

The group was silent as an indignant Ramon looked at everyone, seeing the same looks of confusion and anger that Bryan had seen.

"You all had to have known _something_?! She has bruises on her neck! Did you know?!" He shouted, turning to face Boden, Ramon's narrow eyes landing on his daughter's boss. "Did you know he's been harassing her? That he'd been messing with her? Did you really not know, or did you just ignore it?" He asked in frustration, Boden shaking his head slightly.

"Ramon-"

"He put his hands on her!" Ramon yelled, turning back towards Bryan, pointing his finger at him. "He choked her! He choked her so hard she has bruises around her neck, how did you all not know?!"

"Ramon."

Camila's voice filled the room, Ramon taking a deep breath to calm himself down before looking towards his wife, seeing a less than pleased look on her face.

"Let's go back to Matthew's room."

Drawing in a deep breath, Ramon reluctantly nodded, running his hand over his mouth before looking back towards the group, finding varying looks covering their faces. He saw a lot of anger in their eyes, their glances telling him they truly didn't know what had been going on, or at least the extent to which it had been happening, but the protective father had a hard time believing no one had at least _some_ idea as to what had been happening to his daughter. He didn't believe no one knew something was wrong, and that thought didn't sit well with him.

"How was this allowed to happen..." He spoke up softly, shaking his head in disbelief as he looked between his daughter's coworkers before his gaze landed on Boden. "How was this man even allowed to be working at that firehouse? When he's harassing and abusing Gabriela?" He asked, gesturing towards Bryan as his eyes stayed locked on the Chief.

"We didn't know." Boden replied firmly, shaking his head. "I don't think anyone here knew, _I_ didn't know… Had we known, he would've never still been in that house." He continued, Ramon shaking his head as he started walking towards his wife. "This will be dealt with, we-"

"It should've never happened." He interjected, stopping when he got to Camila, turning back around towards the group. "None of this should've ever happened…" He repeated, his narrow eyes landing on Bryan, the man holding his hand over his neck as they locked gazes, Ramon seething as his chest moved up and down rapidly, the father trying to keep as composed as he possibly could. "If you _ever_ lay your hands on my daughter again, I will kill you." Fury was dripping from Ramon's voice, Bryan's jaw clenching tightly. "You stay the hell away from her, do you understand me? If you go near her again, Matthew won't be the only person in a hospital bed."

"Ramon." Camila said again, Ramon releasing a sharp breath before turning towards her, Camila grabbing his hand as the two began heading back towards Casey's room, Ramon sure the gesture was for comfort as much as it was to make sure he didn't run back and knock Bryan out.

The second Ramon was gone, all the focus in the room fell to Bryan, the firefighter drawing in a slow, deep breath, as multiple sets of furious eyes landed on him.

"Guys-"

"I'm going to kill you."

Shay's venomous voice cut him off, Bryan's narrow gaze landing on the paramedic as she began walking towards him.

"God, you're like the third person to tell that to me today." He snapped back, his words causing more anger to flood through the room, Severide clenching his fists at his sides as Shay continued walking towards him.

"It's not like you don't deserve it, you fucking choked her?!" Shay nearly shouted, coming to stop less than a foot in front of him. "That's what you did to her, isn't it? When we found her in the locker room- you choked her!"

"I didn't do-"

His words were cut off by the sharp sound of Shay's palm colliding with his cheek, the paramedic smacking him as hard as she could, the sudden action causing him to stumble back slightly, fire burning in his eyes as his skin began stinging.

"You son a bitch, you choked her! What the fuck is wrong with you?! What else did you do to her?!"

"Watch it, Shay." He growled, but the paramedic didn't back down.

"And when you cornered her last night in Molly's, did you hurt her then, too? You abusive asshole!"

"What did you do?" Herrmann asked after hearing Shay's words, the older firefighter taking a step forward, his rage just as present as Shay's. "You choked her today in a firehouse full of people, what did you do to her at Molly's?" He asked, Bryan rolling his eyes as he caught more harsh looks from his coworkers, Boden eyeing him with an unreadable expression.

"Herrmann-"

"What did you do to her?" Herrmann asked again, Bryan shaking his head as a light scoff escaped his lips.

"How long have you been messing with her?" Shay questioned shortly after Herrmann spoke, the blonde fighting the urge to smack the man in front of her again. "I'm sure you're the reason she's been acting strange lately, what else did you do?"

"Shay-"

"What else did you do?!" She yelled, Bryan's eyes darkening in rage.

"I didn't do anything! God, why do you people always just believe every sad story she tells you?" He shouted, shaking his head quickly as his anger took over.

"There are bruises on her neck, you think she just made that up?!" Severide countered, coming to stand slightly behind Shay, the circle of firefighters closing in around Bryan as he stood by the wall.

"Oh please, she's fine." He huffed out, Boden bringing his hand up to run over his mouth, shaking his head in disbelief as he listened to Walker. "I swear, she cries once and you all fall to her feet and believe anything she says. You don't need to feel sorry for her, she's doing just fine… her and her boyfriend are fine." He said, Shay scoffing as she shook her head in disbelief.

"That's what it always comes back to… You self-obsessed prick, you tried to kill Matt because of Gabby? And you choked her because… what? She's dating your boss?" Shay responded without missing a beat, Walker rolling his eyes.

"I'd say fucking is the better term for it." He bit back, Shay narrowing her gaze. "She gave that sob story today, she was crying at the house, crying when we got here, whatever, she's fucking fine. Her boyfriend's fine, she doesn't have to go find some other poor bastard to fuck, Gabby's got exactly what she wanted, just like always." He replied exasperatedly. "She doesn't need your pity, she got enough of that after I dumped her, even though she was never really even that upset over it, considering she started spreading her legs the second she could-"

"You broke up with her, Walker!" Severide shouted. "How many times do we have to have this conversation before you understand it? You dumped her, she didn't owe you anything!"

"As many times as it takes for you all to understand she wasn't innocent in all this!" He fought back quickly, his anger getting the best of him as his mouth moved faster than his brain. "She caused so many problems between us, I wouldn't have had to break up with her if she'd just fucking listen! But she never did! She never listened to anything I told her! She's not some victim here, she's a selfish bitch… one who's now screwing my boss just to get back at me!" He spat, Shay's eyes narrowing as Bryan continued on his tirade. "She made my life hell for years! And then I finally did something about it, and I'm the bad guy?! I swear, every day was the same damn fight with her. She'd never listen to reason, she always had to go against what I told her to do. I tried so damn hard with her, I tried to make it work, but she was impossible! And you all act like she's some fucking victim! I wasted three years of my life on her, and not a day goes by where I don't regret it because she made my life miserable! She made everything so fucking difficult, I swear to God I wished I dumped her years ago, but I thought maybe if I just stuck it out, she'd change. That I could get it through her thick head that not everything was about her, but damn if that wasn't a mistake. She was awful, and clearly I should've dumped her ass a long time ago considering the second I told her to get out, she went and fucked Casey!" He ranted, Walker unable to stop himself as he continued. "I mean, my God, who does that? You get out of a three year relationship, and you just go whore yourself out to whoever is nearby?" He scoffed, shaking his head angrily. "I swear, her fucking the first guy to look her way just proves she wasn't worth it. She was never worth it, she was nothing but selfish and impossible to deal with. Everything I did to that bitch was justified, she had it coming." He snapped, closing the distance between himself and Shay as his words filled the air around them. "Jesus, if anything, I should've tried harder to beat it out of her-"

Walker stopped short when he realized what he'd said, his words flying from his mouth before he could even comprehend them, the room falling into a stunned silence as they stared at him, a million different emotions playing over their faces.

He said too much. He knew it the second he stopped himself that he'd gone too far, Bryan swallowing the thick lump in his throat as he caught Boden's eye, watching his disbelief morph into an intense anger.

"I didn't-" Walker cleared his throat, shaking his head as his eyes widened slightly, seeing nothing but rage staring back at him from all of his coworkers as the implications of his words washed over them. "I didn't mean it like that, I just-"

"You son of a bitch." Shay cut him off, his furious voice low as her eyes darkened, the paramedic looking ready to murder him as a few of the firefighters stepped closer.

"Shay-"

"You hit her, you fucking asshole!" She nearly screamed, raising her hand up to smack him again, but Bryan stopped her, the firefighter grabbing her wrist tightly before she could make contact with his cheek. In one swift motion, he yanked her arm down, twisting it awkwardly as a gasp of pain escaped Shay's lips.

"Hit me again, see what happens." He growled under his breath, Shay seeing a hatred and anger in him she'd never seen before, a sense of dread building in her stomach when she realized this was probably something Gabby had experienced often.

"Let her go!" Severide barked, pushing himself in between the two of them, Kelly grabbing a fistful of his shirt, Walker reluctantly dropping the tight grip he had on the paramedic's arm asa Shay stumbled backwards slightly, right into Herrmann's side. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Don't fucking touch her! You've been hurting Dawson, now you're trying to hurt Shay?"

"Back off, Severide." He spat, pushing Kelly's hand away from his chest, the Lieutenant seeing nothing but red as their voices got louder.

"Back off? You want me to back off?! After you just admitted to being abusive, God, how fucking pathetic are you?!" He shouted, the scene getting the attention of the entire lobby at this point, Severide shoving Bryan's chest, the man hitting the wall behind him. "Is that what you'd do to her? Would you shove her into the wall? Or would you choke her like you did today? Did that make you feel good about yourself, hurting Dawson?"

"You don't know what happened!" Walker fired back, ignoring the furious stares he was getting from his coworkers. "None of you have any idea what all happened between me and her. She-"

"You're right, we don't." Herrmann cut in, his voice dripping in anger as he took a step forward, dropping his arm from around Shay before he moved. "Clearly we had no idea, because you'd been abusing Dawson and we didn't see it." He snapped, his body trembling in rage. "None of us saw it. Because she loved you, and you took advantage of that- of _her_, you sorry piece of shit."

"Careful, Herrmann." Walker warned, the older firefighter narrowing his eyes as he came to a stop beside Severide.

"Or what? You'll hit me like you hit Dawson?" He questioned, watching Bryan's gaze falter for a split second before he recovered. "Or you'd choke me? Whatever your go-to was when you felt the need to hurt the person you supposedly loved… God, Casey was right. Your ass belongs in a jail cell. And when Antonio finds out what all you did to her, I'm sure that's exactly where you'll be."

"You think I'm afraid of Antonio?" Walker scoffed, a soft grin tugging on his lips, disbelief covering the faces of those around him at the lack of remorse Bryan had. "That's funny, considering Antonio was nowhere to be found when Gabby and I were together…" He continued, Herrmann's entire body clenching in anger, his reaction mimicked by those around him. "I'm not scared of him. He can't do anything to me, because I didn't do _anything_ to her… and she'll say the same thing."

"Why? Because you'll hurt her if she doesn't?" Severide spat, his eyes narrowing when he saw Walker raise his eyebrows, like he was almost amused by the comment. And Kelly could hardly believe it. He couldn't believe he'd been friends with this man, that Walker had not only fooled him, but all of them, into thinking he was a good guy. He couldn't believe he'd been so blind as to what was going on, and that Gabby had so clearly suffered because of it.

"Well… she never said anything before, did she?" He asked with that same proud smirk on his face, Kelly's neck clenching in anger, those words being the last straw as the entire group was stunned silent, none of them really able to believe what they were hearing.

This man, this man they'd called a friend for so long, one they'd trusted, one they'd tried to help when him and Dawson broke up, was nothing more than an abuser. He'd hurt the person he vowed to protect, over and over again he hurt her, and they never knew. He hurt the woman who was family to all of them, who was like a daughter to some, and they had no idea. She'd been hurting, for God knows how long, and they were oblivious.

And that didn't sit well with any of them.

"You fucking bastard." Herrmann growled, the firefighter cocking his fist and swinging, landing one solid punch on Bryan's jaw before Boden, Cruz, and Severide got them separated, Herrmann fighting against the Chief as he tried to get back to Walker. "How could you?! How could you do that to her?!"

"Herrmann-" Cruz tried, pulling him back away from the firefighter as Herrmann continued struggling to get out of his grip. "Herrmann, stop."

"Let me go, he hurt Dawson!"

"I know, I know, but you gotta stop, man." Cruz tried, pushing him back out towards the hallway, ignoring the stares from the hospital staff. "You know Boden's gonna deal with it, going after him won't help anything." Cruz tried to reason despite the similar feeling of anger he felt coursing through his body.

"Herrmann, take a walk." Boden ordered, the Chief doing what he could to get this situation under control. He felt the same way as Herrmann, and Severide, and probably every other member of 51, but they couldn't keep swinging punches at each other. No matter how badly Boden wanted to.

"Chief-"

"Go." He ordered, the older firefighter clenching his fists at his sides before nodding, shaking his head in disgust as he caught Walker's gaze.

"I hope you rot in jail." Herrmann spat before taking off down the hallway, Cruz following after him to make sure the firefighter didn't do anything stupid.

Once Herrmann was out of sight, the Chief turned back towards Walker, his expression unreadable as an eerie quiet settled over the waiting room, no one entirely sure what to do or how to react. They knew how they _wanted_ to react. They wanted to do what Herrmann had done, and what Casey did earlier, but they knew they couldn't.

Walker's chest heaved up and down as he ignored the stinging pain radiating from around his mouth, Bryan bringing his hand up to his lip, feeling a little bit of blood hit his fingertips, alerting him to the fact that Herrmann, just as Casey had, had broken skin when he punched him.

"Shay." The Chief spoke up, keeping his eyes locked on Walker. Severide's angry glare softened when he glanced back towards the paramedic, seeing her teary eyes looking towards the back of Boden's head. But his anger resurfaced when he noticed her favoring her right arm, the arm Walker had grabbed and twisted, Kelly understanding Bryan had, on top of everything else, hurt Shay. "You spoke with Antonio, do you know if he's coming?"

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Shay took a slight step forward, the blonde catching Kelly's concerned gaze before she responded. "I, uh- I don't know, Chief." Shay did her best to keep her voice steady and under control, but she was having a difficult time, and Severide couldn't blame her.

Her best friend had been abused. To what extent, they didn't know. But what they did know was that Walker had hurt Dawson. The man who had promised to love and protect her had been the one to break her, and learning that was difficult for all of them to stomach. But Shay… this was her best friend, her partner, and she didn't know. Severide didn't blame her at all for being a little rattled.

"He just told me to keep him updated on what was going on." She added after taking a breath, Boden's back tightening as he straightened his spine, his eyes never leaving Walker's.

"Can you call him, get him down here. Tell him we may have a domestic abuse case that needs to be dealt with-"

"Chief, come on!" Walker groaned, his anger building as he took a step towards Boden. "I didn't do anything to her, you can't be serious! I-"

"If I were you, I would think very carefully about the next words that come out of your mouth." Boden interrupted, his voice low and rough, leaving no room for argument as Walker battled against his every instinct to fight back as the Chief continued to address Shay. "Normally we'd just call the cops, but with this situation, I think Antonio is best to deal with this. Can you call him, Shay?" He asked, Walker huffing out a breath, doing his best to hide his panic as he was slowly starting to understand the severity of the situation he was in.

"I, uh- yeah." She stuttered, Severide frowning when he saw her hand shake slightly. Kelly had rarely ever seen Shay so unsettled, and it was something he'd be fine never seeing again, Severide shaking his head slightly. "I can, I'll-"

"I'll call him, Chief." Severide cut in, Boden glancing to him for a split second. "I'll get him down here, as long as you've got this." He added, his dark eyes flashing towards Bryan, finding nothing but a harsh stare waiting for him.

Once he'd gotten a slight nod from his boss, Severide shot one last deathly glare towards his former friend before he walked towards Shay, carefully leading her away from the group. It was clear she was upset, anyone would be in her situation, but this was a reaction he hadn't seen from Shay in awhile, and he was concerned.

"Is your arm okay?" He questioned once they'd gotten some space from the group, Shay blinking quickly as they stopped around the corner.

"Huh?" She asked, like she hadn't heard him speak as she looked up to him, Kelly seeing the tears hiding in her eyes.

"I asked if your arm was okay…"

"Oh, yeah, yeah I'm fine." She waved him off, her bottom lip falling between her teeth as she leaned back against the wall, Severide standing in front of her as her hand came up to run across the side of her face. Kelly's gaze softened as he saw his friend slowly start to crack, Shay shaking her head as she met his eyes, the paramedic pursing her lips together as she drew in a deep breath.

"Shay…"

"I asked her, Kelly." She spoke up, Severide's eyes narrowing in slight confusion as he crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for her to elaborate. "I asked her if he'd been hurting her- if he ever hurt her, and she said no."

"What?" He asked, Shay giving him a nod.

"Remember when you and I talked about it, after that thing in the locker room with Bryan… Where he kind of said the same thing he did today, that she had it coming." She said, seeing realization cover his face. "After that happened, I asked her about it… She told me he hadn't done anything. She looked me in the eye and said nothing. And I- God, why didn't she tell me?!"

"Shay-"

"How long had he been hurting her and I didn't know? No one fucking knew, Lord knows what all he did to her, and she just… she said nothing." She breathed out, her worry and frustration evident as she shook her head. "Why didn't she tell _anyone_, we could've helped her!"

"Shay, breathe." Severide instructed calmly, knowing her continuing to work herself up would only make this harder. "Just breathe, okay?" He repeated, Shay nodding as she sucked in slow, deep breaths, fresh tears forming in her eyes as she found his gaze again.

"I failed her, Kelly." She murmured, Severide's eyebrows furrowing quickly.

"What?"

"How could I have not known something that serious was going on?" She continued, Kelly shaking his head. "She was in pain, she was being hurt, and I did nothing."

"Shay, this isn't on you." He replied quickly. "None of us knew what was going on, we had no idea he was-"

"She's my best friend, and I didn't see it." She cut in angrily, tears forming in her eyes. "I wasn't there for her, she was being _abused_ and she didn't feel like she could come to me. I failed her."

"Shay-"

"Why didn't she tell me?!" She snapped, her emotions getting the better of her as she shook her head, the paramedic taking a deep breath before continuing. "...How did none of us see what was happening?"

She sounded so lost, and confused, and upset, that it broke his heart. But there was also the voice in his head reminding him that no matter how hard they both were taking this right now, it was nothing compared to what Gabby had gone through. This had happened _to_ Gabby, and both of them knew it was impossible to know how victims of abuse would handle something like this. All their training had told them that every case was different, and all their experience with abuse victims had proven that fact to them over and over again. It was impossible to gage how a victim would react in this situation, and they both knew it.

But that was the problem, was that Gabby wasn't just a victim to them. She was their friend. She was Shay's best friend, and they hadn't been able to help her.

"I… I don't know how we didn't see something was going on. Gabby probably didn't want us to… But there's no way for us to know why she didn't say anything. We all know there's no way to know how someone will react to something like this." He murmured, the blonde gnawing on her bottom lip as she nodded slowly. "You especially, you see this all the time in your patients who are victims of abuse… we have no idea what's going on in their head. This isn't on Dawson, or you. Or anyone but Walker."

"...I know that." Shay responded softly, shaking her head. "This is Bryan's fault, and no one else's. And I know you're right, I just-... I wish I could've helped her." She admitted, wiping away the single tear that had fallen down her cheek. "I wish I had known so I could've done something."

"You can still help her." Severide responded, Shay looking up to meet his gaze. "We both know this isn't something she'll just get over… Because clearly the abuse didn't stop once he broke up with her, if it was even happening when they were together. There's a lot to this we don't know. But just because we don't have the details, that doesn't mean you can't help her. Because she's going to need our help, Shay." He spoke firmly, the blonde giving him a nod. "She needs to know that she has us, that we've got her back… There's no way Walker won't be gone from 51 after this, if he doesn't end up in a jail cell first. But she needs to know we're here for her."

"I know." Shay murmured, sniffling as she wiped under her eyes, Kelly placing his hand on her shoulder. "I just… I'm so worried about her. The person I saw today in the locker room, that wasn't-" She cut herself off, her tongue poking out between her teeth to wet her lips before she spoke up again. "I can't get that out of my head… and I can't stop thinking about how many times he might've done that. How many times he might've hurt her." She spoke, her voice unsteady as she shook her head. "...How could he have hurt her?"

"I… I don't know, Shay." He replied sadly, the blonde blinking back the tears in her eyes. "I really don't know how someone could do that to anyone, let alone how he could've done it to Dawson… But she'll be okay. Gabby's as strong as they come, stronger than any of us ever realized." He added, Shay giving him a slow nod. "And she has us, and her family… She has Casey. She'll be okay." He promised, Shay biting down on her bottom lip before giving him another nod, her eyes filling with fresh tears as she fought to compose herself, Severide releasing a soft sigh before he slid his hand from her shoulder around to her back. "Come here." He murmured, pulling her into a hug against his side, Shay relaxing into him as she held onto her friend, Severide running his hand up and down her back.

As he did his best to comfort her, Kelly used his free hand to pull his phone out of his pocket, knowing he still needed to make one very important phone call, the firefighter going to his contacts and finding the number he didn't reach out to too often. Once it began ringing, he put the phone up to his ear, continuing to rub his hand over Shay's back as he waited for the man to pick up.

"_Hey Severide, how's everything there? Any update on Casey?_"

"Hey Antonio. Yeah, um- he's doing fine. He'll be fine." Severide responded, the sound of the detective's relieved breath reminding Kelly that he hadn't gotten an update since before they found out Matt would be alright.

"_That's great news._"

"It is, yeah… but uh- you need to get here as soon as you can."

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line, Severide waiting for him to say something.

"_What's going on? Is everyone alright?_"

"It's, uh- It's about Gabby." He replied, hearing Antonio's breath catch slightly through the phone. "You need to get down here."

* * *

Matt laid in bed with his eye closed as he listened to the rhythmic sound of his heart monitor beeping, the firefighter feeling Gabby's body rise and fall underneath the weight of his arm as she slept soundly in his hospital bed with him. They were in the same position they'd been in after her parents left Matt's room in a hurry, Gabby having fallen asleep shortly there after curled up against his chest. And that had been nearly an hour ago now, and she hadn't woken up since. He was glad for it, Matt knowing better than anyone that she hadn't been sleeping lately, he just didn't know until today the reason behind it, but nonetheless he was glad she was able to rest. Arguably, she needed rest just as much as he did, and even though it was definitely a little uncomfortable for him, he'd rather experience some pain and get to hold onto her, then have her sleep in an uncomfortable hospital chair.

The room was comfortingly quiet, despite the multiple bodies still present in here with him, Matt sparing occasional glances to Gabby's mom and dad as they sat at his bedside, both of them keeping quiet so the couple could get some rest, even though Matt hadn't really been able to completely fall asleep. He wasn't entirely sure why, considering his body was screaming at him to get any rest he could, but since her parents had been here, he hadn't really been able to completely fall asleep. But Gabby was resting, and that's all that mattered to him right now.

"Do you need something, Matthew?"

Camila's soft voice hit his ears, Matt not even realizing she knew he was awake as he turned towards her, finding a weak smile waiting for him. He shook his head slightly, being mindful not to move too much, Matt not wanting to risk disturbing Gabby as he gave her a small smile of his own.

"I'm fine." He replied, Camila nodding before her gaze moved back down to her lap, Matt's eyes bouncing back and forth between the quiet parents sitting a few feet from him.

He'd tried to tell them they didn't need to stay for his benefit, that he was fine, and that he knew spending the long hours at the hospital probably wasn't how they envisioned their day going. But every time he said they didn't need to stay, they insisted on being here, one or both of them saying how they wanted to be here in case they needed something.

It was a sweet gesture, and while he very much appreciated it, he had a feeling they were staying more so to keep an eye on their daughter than on him. And he understood it, if it were him in that situation, he would've done the same thing after the day Gabby'd had. In fact he _was _doing the same thing, Matt not wanting Gabby out of his sight.

He completely understood them wanting to be close by for their daughter, and he'd never ask them to leave, but he felt bad, them being stuck at the hospital all day because of him. He didn't want any of them to be here, he especially didn't want to be here, but he didn't really have a choice. And though he knew Gabby was going to put up a fight and insist she stay with him, he was hoping that, when the time came later tonight, between him and her parents they could convince her to go home and rest, and come back in the morning. But even now, he knew that was a battle they'd probably all lose.

Taking a deep breath, Matt looked back down at Gabby, the firefighter unable to see much of her face at the position they were at, but he could tell she was still fast asleep. She hadn't moved much at all, Gabby not even waking when her parents came back a little while ago, or when her mother had placed a blanket over her, Gabby simply snuggling into it before falling back into her deep sleep. She had hardly moved since he pulled her down to lay with him an hour ago, her body exhausted as Matt lightly ran his hand up and down her back, the movement barely visible underneath the blanket now covering both of them.

As he laid here in this moment, feeling her chest moving against his while she slept peacefully, he couldn't help but be filled with an overwhelming sense of anger. He was trying to ignore it, he was trying not to let it consume him, but it was a fight he was losing. He was just angry, and nothing he did was making that feeling go away.

He tried to focus on Gabby, he tried to focus on the fact that he was alright, and, with time and a little help, Gabby would be fine, too. But every time he thought back to what had been done to her, and how much she'd been hurt by Walker, he became furious. He was so angry at the thought of what Bryan had done to her today, at what he'd done to her in the past, that he couldn't help but be filled with rage.

He didn't care about what Walker had done to him, he didn't care about what happened on that call, at least not right now. None of that mattered to him. But what did matter was Gabby, and right now he knew she wasn't okay. She wasn't okay after what had happened at the firehouse, she wasn't okay after what happened on that call, and she wasn't okay after having to confront things Matt was sure she'd done her best to forget.

She wasn't alright, at least not right now, and that absolutely destroyed him as much as it angered him.

Walker deserved to get his ass beat for what he did, that much Matt knew. He wasn't sure of everything that had been done to the woman resting on top of him, but he knew enough to know that Walker deserved to be put through a wall. For what he did to Gabby today alone, he should be arrested, but there was a sinking feeling in his gut that the abuse she suffered at the hands of Walker today at the firehouse wasn't even the tip of the iceberg in terms of how she'd been treated by him. He didn't know the details, but if Walker wasn't able to stop himself from choking her in the locker room, where any number of people could walk in at any time, Matt could only imagine what had been done behind closed doors. And that thought made him absolutely sick.

He couldn't imagine anyone hurting her, anyone putting their hands on her and causing her pain; he couldn't picture anyone _wanting_ to do those things to her, but he knew it had happened. It had happened more than just today. And that wasn't something he couldn't get past. This was something that had happened more than once, and that wasn't okay.

Walker was a lot of things, and he had a lot of issues professionally that had made Casey dislike him. But this? There was no excuse for this. There was no explaining why he'd put her hands on her, why he'd hurt her throughout their relationship… Nothing could excuse that, and all Matt knew was that if he got the opportunity, the next time he saw Waker, it would play out a lot like it had earlier at the firehouse. He would start swinging, and he couldn't promise he'd stop. Because not only had he hurt the last person in the world he deserved that kind of abuse, he'd done it more than once. For how long, and what all he'd done, Matt didn't know, at least not yet, but what he did know was that today wasn't the first time something like that had happened to her because of _him_, and that was unforgivable.

Bryan Walker was abusive. He'd abused Gabby, and Lord knows how many other women before, and after, her. And nothing he said or did could change that. There was nothing that could redeem him after this, all that could be done now was getting him out of the house, and ensuring he never got a chance to get near Gabby again. Matt would make sure he never got near Gabby again, and the firefighter knew he wasn't alone in that.

The sound of the door opening pulled Casey from his less than pleasant thoughts, Matt opening his eyes just as Antonio and Halstead slowly walked into the room, Camila getting up to greet them. From first glance, Casey could see the concern in Antonio's gaze as his eyes focused on his little sister. Matt wasn't sure what all he knew, but from that look alone, he had to have known something.

"Hey." The detective greeted his mother quietly, Camila bringing him in for a tight hug, the woman doing the same with Detective Halstead as well. "Hey Casey." Antonio added, Matt assuming because he felt like he should, even though it was clear Gabby was really his only concern right now; rightfully so. "You doing alright?"

"I'm fine." Matt replied as softly as possible, not wanting to disturb Gabby's rest, his words earning a nod from the older Dawson sibling before he turned back towards his mom.

"What happened?" He asked, Matt barely able to hear him as he lowered his voice even more, Antonio having the same concern about waking his sister. "Severide told me I needed to get down here, that something happened with Gabby?" He continued, sparing another glance towards the sleeping paramedic, his eyebrows furrowed in worry. "He wouldn't say much, and neither would Boden or Shay when I got here… just told me to come here. What happened?"

Antonio's gaze bounced around the room as he spoke, his concern only growing when he took in the looks of the people around him. His mother looked like she was about to cry, like she _had_ been crying. Casey looked upset, and what could be described as filled with anger. But his father is what worried him the most, the elder Dawson sitting there silently in the hospital chair, his entire body rigid as he looked at his daughter, Ramon not having moved a muscle since Antonio walked in, his face blank with rage. It wasn't something he saw all that often from his father, not unless something serious had happened, but how he looked right now, that was an anger he wasn't sure he'd _ever_ seen from his dad, and Antonio didn't know what to make of it.

"What's going on? Is she okay?" He asked again when no one answered him, Camila opening her mouth to respond before she slammed it shut, the mother trying to keep herself composed.

The conversation was halted when Gabby began shifting around on Casey's chest, Matt wincing slightly as she put pressure on his ribs, the firefighter waiting to see if she was waking up, as was everyone else in the room. But within seconds, she settled again, Gabby subconsciously burying her head under his chin as she fell back asleep curled up against her boyfriend, Matt continuing to rub soothing patterns over her side as she held onto him in her sleep.

Seeing that they may have been disturbing Gabby's rest, Camila nodded towards the door, signaling Antonio and his partner to head outside. "Let's talk out in the hallway, I don't want to wake her." She practically whispered, Antonio nodding as he and Halstead followed his mother outside, the detective sparing one last glance towards Casey and his sister before leaving the room, quietly closing the door behind him.

"Is 51 still here?" Camila asked before he could get a word out, Antonio's eyebrows furrowing slightly before he shook his head.

"Shay is, and Boden's here with Walker, but everyone else was gone. I guess they got a call." He replied, Camila nodding as she ran her hand through her hair. "What's wrong?" He asked once they'd gotten a few steps away from the door, Antonio crossing his arms over his chest as he and Halstead stood opposite his mother.

"Your sister… Something happened." Camila started, Antonio's spine straightening as he heard the tone in her voice, Halstead sparing a concerned look towards Dawson before looking back to the older woman who seemed close to tears.

"What's going on?" He asked again, swallowing the lump in his throat as he watched his mom take a deep breath.

"Bryan, he-" She cut herself off, Antonio's eyes narrowing as he waited for her to say more. Hearing the name alone made his blood boil, but considering how everyone was acting in regards to his baby sister, Antonio could only imagine he'd done something. And that it hadn't been good. "He hurt Gabriela."

Antonio's neck clenched tightly, feeling Jay's eyes on him as his face remained rigid. "What?"

"Bryan hurt her, today on shift, at the firehouse. Before the call happened, he hurt her."

"What did he do?" His voice was full of venom, Antonio's entire body feeling as if it were on fire, his dark eyes staying locked on his mom.

"...He choked her."

Antonio's eyes widened in shock, his entire body going numb as his mom's words washed over him, the man nearly stumbling back as he tried to process what was being told to him. At first he wasn't sure he heard her right, that he had to have misunderstood what she said, but the look on her face was enough to assure him he had in fact heard her correctly. And he'd never felt so angry in his life.

"Antonio…"

Wordlessly he shook his head, running his hand over his mouth before he started walking past his mom.

"Antonio." She said again, grabbing his arm but he shrugged her off. "Antonio, don't."

Camila wasn't able to stop him, but Halstead was, Jay jogging to catch up with him, cutting him off before he could turn the corner to head back towards the waiting room, Halstead pushing against his chest.

"Antonio-"

"Get out of my way, Halstead." His voice was dangerously low, Jay shaking his head as he pushed him backwards, not shoving enough to hurt him, but enough to keep him back.

"Antonio, just take a second." He continued, pushing him back until they were next to his mom, Camila placing her hand on her son's back, trying to get him to calm down, just as she'd had to do with her husband earlier in the day. "I know what you want to do, and I don't blame you for that. But you going out there and bashing his head in isn't gonna help anything." Jay continued to reason, Antonio sucking in a deep breath as he stepped back towards the wall, shaking his head.

"Jay's right, Antonio." Camila echoed, walking towards her son, placing a soft hand over his chest. "Hurting him won't change anything. Besides, your father already did that… and from what I hear, Casey landed a few good punches as well." She told him, Antonio clenching his jaw tightly as he took a few slow breaths. "So please just calm down, and don't do anything stupid… Gabriela doesn't need anything else to deal with right now." She reasoned, Antonio giving her a slight nod.

"...Is she okay?" He asked quietly, his voice laced in worry as Camila's eyes softened, the mother shaking her head slightly.

"She's… she's being Gabby." Camila answered with a sigh, Antonio knowing exactly what she meant before she elaborated. "We haven't gotten the chance to talk about it much, she's been asleep most of the time we've been here… But she's trying to act like she's alright, even though she's not." She sighed, shooting her son a knowing look. "And I don't think this thing with Matthew helped anything, either. It really scared her." She added, earning a nod from her son. "But she's just… she's different. And I think that's because of Bryan. She said he's been messing with her…" She trailed off when she saw her son's face harden, Camila shaking her head. "I don't know exactly what that means. I don't know what else he's done, or how long it's been going on, but I don't think what happened today was the first time he's done something."

Antonio took a deep breath, pursing his lips together as his eyes flashed towards Halstead, seeing a similar look of concern in his partner's gaze before he looked back at his mother. He'd seen his mom upset before, it wasn't something that happened all that often, but he knew what it looked like when she was bothered by something. But what he was seeing from her now, she looked broken in a way he'd never seen before, and if what had happened to his baby sister wasn't bad enough, seeing how it affected his mom only made it worse.

"Did she give any other specifics of what he did?" Antonio asked after clearing his throat, forcing himself to try and focus on this as if it was just another case he was working on, and not his little sister being abused by her ex. "Anything he'd done aside from- from choking her?" He asked, shaking his head slightly as he tried to keep calm.

"No, she didn't." Camila answered sadly. "There wasn't really time… When we got here, as soon as she told us what he'd done, your father went and confronted him. Then by the time we got back, Gabriela was asleep." She told him, Antonio nodding slightly as he blew out a sharp sigh.

"Alright… I need to talk to Gabby, get the exact story of what happened today, and then we'll go from there." He spoke, glancing to Halstead who gave him a nod. "We'll also need to get a statement from Walker-"

"I'll do that one." Halstead cut in, Antonio shooting him a look, but Jay held his ground. "This is your sister, Antonio. Depending on how far this goes, if she decides to press charges, you really want it on the record that you're the one who took this guy's statement? It's better if I do it, and we both know it." Jay told him firmly, Antonio biting his tongue before nodding, knowing the detective had a point.

Antonio knew he had no business going anywhere near that man, not professionally at least, and that if he did get alone in a room with him, it probably wouldn't end well. Jay was right, the best thing he could do was stay away, but that felt nearly impossible knowing that Walker had put his hands around his sister's throat.

"Okay." He gave in. "Go and take his statement, I'll talk to Gabby." Antonio replied as Jay nodded, the man giving his shoulder a supportive squeeze before turning and heading back for the waiting room, leaving Antonio alone with his mom.

"I know you need to speak with Gabriela… but can we let her rest for a little while longer?" Camila requested, Antonio biting down on the inside of his cheek. "She's just-" She cut herself off, shaking her head sadly as Antonio placed a supportive hand on his mom's shoulder. "She needs to sleep. I know you haven't really seen her, but she looked like she hadn't gotten any rest in weeks. She looked exhausted… mentally and physically exhausted."

"That's fine, Ma." He replied, Camila shooting him an appreciative smile. "We can let her sleep for now. I'm just gonna call Voight, let him know what's going on, then I'll be in there."

"Okay." She replied softly, giving her son's hand a squeeze before stepping away from him, Antonio pulling his phone from his pocket, getting ready to call his boss. "But, um, Antonio…" She spoke up as she stood in front of Gabby's door, the detective lifting his head to look at his mom with expectant eyes. "You should know, before you see her, that there are-... she's bruised. From where he grabbed her."

Antonio's entire body went rigid as the words left his mother's mouth, Camila watching him with a sad look as she took in her son's anger.

"There's what looks like a handprint… around her throat." She continued when he hadn't said anything, Antonio having to remind himself to breathe as the weight of this hit him all over again. "I just didn't want you caught off guard when you first saw her, because they're visible, and also I don't want Gabriela feeling uncomfortable, if you were to see them and not know they were there… I just wanted you to know." She told him, Antonio blinking quickly before he gave her a slight nod, signaling that he'd heard her. "I'll see you in there." She finished, flashing him a weak smile before stepping inside the dim room, leaving the door slightly ajar behind her as she left Antonio alone in the hallway, the detective's body weight collapsing back into the wall behind him as his hands shook slightly, the older brother still trying to come to terms with everything that had happened to his baby sister.


	49. Author's Note

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

* * *

Hello. As I'm sure you can tell, this isn't an update or anything, there's just a few things I wanna talk about.

First off, I deleted the last chapter. I wasn't crazy about it when I posted it, and after some thinking, and some notes from you all, I think it needed to be re-worked. So I'll be rewriting that, and working on making that better. But then there is another thing I want to discuss, as well.

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, and based on where I'm at currently, and some concerns you all have had, I think it's best for me to take a step back from this story for a moment. I love this story so much, it's my favorite that I'm writing, but my heart definitely hasn't been in it as of late. And I think that's come across in the last few chapters, and that you all can tell. I know my last few chapters haven't been the best, and I think I just need to take some time to regroup and figure everything out.

I'd rather take some time, and post better chapters, then try and force my way through this funk I'm in with this story and continue posting chapters you all don't like and that aren't as good as I want them to be. So that's what I'm gonna do.

This isn't gonna be some long, drawn out absence, I just know this isn't something I can work through during the week between when I update. I've tried pushing through this, lack of inspiration, I guess is the best way to describe it, but I feel like it's just hurt the story more than anything. So I'm gonna take a few weeks and refocus.

I hope you guys understand, and will be here when I get back with, hopefully, better chapters for you all.

Thanks for the support and help you've given me on this story.

I'll see you guys soon.


	50. Chapter Forty Nine

**Well, hello everyone. I'm finally back with the next chapter for you all. There's a few things I wanna say before we get into it, but can I just start by saying thank you. Thank you for all the kind words of encouragement, and nice notes you all have left me this past month. Every single review you all have left me, whether it was just checking in, or to let me know you were missing this story, or whatever it may have been, it truly means so much to me. Your support throughout this story means everything, and I'm so glad to be back posting updates for you.**

**I definitely needed to step away from this story, and I'm glad I did, but I'm even more excited to be back, and getting back into this version of Dawson and Casey. I missed this story a lot, and I'm looking forward to keeping it going.**

**For those of you who had the chance to read this chapter before I deleted it, some of this here will look familiar. I reworked a lot of it, added in some dialogue and a few scenes, and I definitely like this version a lot better. But the main storyline is the same.**

**I'm not entirely sure what updating this story will look like as of now. I'm hoping to get back on my Thursday schedule, but I also don't want to start forcing chapters with this story again. That's what happened last time, and, obviously, it didn't end well. So, while I'm hoping to update weekly on Thursdays, I'm not entirely sure if I'll be able to stick to that as of now. But as soon as I have chapters done, you all will have them.**

**Also, the world has definitely gotten crazier since I last updated this story. With everything going on right now, I hope you all are staying safe and doing as well as you can be.**

**Hopefully this can be a little distraction from everything for some of you. So settle in, we've got a long one.**

**Thank you all for sticking with me and this story. I hope you like it. Happy reading.**

* * *

**FORTY NINE**

* * *

Casey laid in his hospital bed, lazily running his hand up and down Gabby's arm while she rested against him, her head placed on his shoulder while her arm was wrapped lightly around his waist, the paramedic careful not to put too much pressure on his body despite her strong desire to be close to him. It was the same position they'd been in for the last hour, Gabby refusing to move from his side as nurses filtered in and out of the room, coming to do their regular check ups on the injured firefighter.

The sound of his monitors beeping combined with Gabby's soft breaths were the only noises in the room, Matt tracing comforting patterns along her jacket-covered arm as his eyes focused on the muted TV on the wall across from him. After the long, and emotional day, they'd experienced, Casey was finding it difficult to keep his eyes open, his exhaustion trying to win out against his want to stay awake for the woman in his arms. But each time he almost felt himself succumbing to his fatigue, he'd force his eyes back open, Matt glancing towards the clock on the wall, seeing it was still pretty early in the evening.

At this moment, sleep was sounding very good to him, so much so he knew he could easily fall asleep right now if he wanted to. In fact it was encouraged that he get as much rest as possible, all of his doctors and nurses taking every opportunity to remind him of that, but he didn't want to. Not yet.

His mind snapped into focus when he felt Gabby release a shaky breath, the air hitting his neck as he tore his eyes away from the cooking show he'd barely been paying attention to, Matt glancing down to his girlfriend before tightening his grip on her.

"You okay?" He questioned softly, his voice breaking through the quiet in the room as he felt Gabby shift against his side, Matt stifling a groan of discomfort as she accidentally pressed against his sore ribs.

"I'm fine."

Her voice was barely audible, Matt giving her a nod, even though he knew her words were a lie. She wasn't alright, she had no reason to be, not after everything Walker had done to her. And especially not after she'd just had to explain it all to Antonio.

He'd come in around half an hour ago, needing to get Gabby's official statement on what had happened today, and to say that conversation had been difficult was an understatement. Not only was it hard enough as is, but Antonio did not take the news well of not only finding out exactly how she'd been choked today, but learning that this hadn't been the first time Bryan had hurt his sister. It was a long, and painful, talk, one that had been emotionally draining for all three of them. But once they'd finished, Antonio had left them alone, claiming he needed to make a call to Voight, but Matt could only assume his real reason was to give his sister space. That it was clear she was barely holding it together, and the detective knew his anger would only make things worse, so he left to calm himself down while Matt focused his attention on Gabby.

"Alright." He responded quietly, pinching her arm lightly as he felt her hand carefully move up from his waist towards his chest, Gabby resting her palm just beneath his neck.

"Do you, uh…" She started, Gabby clearing her throat as Matt glanced down towards her, pulling his head back slightly so he could see as much of her as possible. "Do you think he's still here?"

Matt's body tensed slightly at the question, Gabby lifting her head up from his shoulder to meet his eyes, the firefighter forcing a weak smile onto his face as he moved his hand from her arm down to her back.

"I just… I don't want my dad, or Antonio… Or anyone else doing something stupid." She continued when he had yet to say anything. "I'm sure they all know now, and I… I don't know, I don't want to make any of this worse."

"_You_ haven't done anything." Casey spoke quickly, Gabby's bottom lip falling between her teeth as she rubbed her thumb over his collarbone. "Whatever's happened out there, none of that is one you." He reminded her, Matt bracing himself for the reality that he'd be having to have this conversation with her a lot over the next few weeks. "But I'm not sure who's out there… If they're still out on a call, I don't know." He answered her, Gabby giving him a slow nod before leaning her head forward, resting her chin on his shoulder. Drawing in a deep breath, Matt pressed a soft kiss against her forehead, his lips lingering on her skin for a few moments. He felt her slide her hand partially underneath the top of his hospital gown, her warm palm resting against his skin as he pressed another kiss to her forehead.

The two of them were content to enjoy this quiet moment together, but they were soon interrupted by the sound of his hospital door opening, Matt looking over just as Gabby's parents came into view, the older Dawsons flashing him soft smiles as they stepped further into his room.

"Sorry… Do you want us to come back later?" Camila asked, Matt shaking his head as Gabby turned to look towards her parents, the paramedic pulling her hand back from his chest as they made themselves a little more presentable.

"No, no, it's fine." Matt responded, Gabby nodding in agreement before her parents moved back towards the chairs they'd be in most of the afternoon, aside from when they'd excused themselves when Antonio came to speak to Gabby.

"Is Antonio still here?" Gabby questioned as she tried to sit up, being mindful of Matt's injuries while he slowly angled the bed up a bit.

"He left to go back to the station." Ramon answered, Gabby finding her father's sad eyes momentarily before his gaze flickered to her neck, the younger Dawson wincing slightly when she saw his face harden in anger, Gabby well aware he was focused on the bruises covering her skin. But as quickly as he looked, he looked away, Ramon not wanting to make his daughter uncomfortable as he found her gaze again, the father flashing her a warm smile. "He said he's going to go get working on everything… Figure out your options once Halstead finished up speaking with Walker."

Gabby nodded slowly, moving her hands to rest in her lap as she felt Matt wrap his arm around her shoulders, the action keeping her close to him.

There was a heavy feeling in the air, Gabby doing her best to ignore the pitiful stares her parents were giving her, the looks that had been on their faces since they walked back in moments ago. The same looks that they'd been giving her since they found out what had happened, and she could only assume that was how everyone else would be looking at her for the foreseeable future, too.

"You still feeling alright, Matthew?" Camila asked after a few moments, just as she had multiple times through the afternoon, breaking the thick silence that had settled over them as Matt glanced towards the older woman.

"I am, yeah." He replied, flashing her a soft smile.

"You looked exhausted." She commented, her words earning a nod in agreement from Ramon. "We can get out of your hair, let you rest some more."

"No, you guys are fine… I appreciate you being here." He responded, Camila giving him a nod.

"Of course, sweetheart. We wouldn't be anywhere else." She replied warmly, Matt feeling Gabby rest her head back down against his shoulder. "Ramon and I were talking, we know all your belongings are still at the station, and since I'm sure Gabriela won't be going anywhere…" Camila spoke, sparing a glance to her daughter.

"As long as he's here, so am I." She murmured, Camila nodding with an understanding smile.

"We figured, honey." She responded, Camila resting her hand on Ramon's leg. "So we were talking with Shay, and since Matthew will be here until at least tomorrow morning, we planned on getting your belongings from the firehouse, and getting them back to…"

"We'll be at Matt's place." Gabby answered her mom's silent question, Camilla nodding before she continued.

"Okay, well we'll bring your bags here, and get your cars back to Matthew's place so you all won't have to worry about that." She finished, Matt flashing her an appreciative smile.

"You don't have to go to all the trouble-"

"Oh, nonsense." Camila cut him off, waving her hand around in the air. "It's no problem at all. Since I'm sure you'll be off work for some time to recover, and Gabriela, I'm not sure what you'll be doing with everything…" She spoke carefully, Gabby swallowing the lump in her throat as her mom gave her a gentle smile. "But I'm assuming you'll be taking some time off, as well." She decided those words to be the safest, Matt turning to look down at Gabby. "And the last thing we want you all worrying about is having to get your things from the firehouse. So we're gonna take care of it in the morning once Shay gets off shift."

"Thank you, both of you." Matt replied.

"Thanks Mama." Gabby added softly, Camila nodding softly. "That'll really help us, thank you."

"Of course, honey."

"We're happy to do it." Ramon added, the older man forcing a smile onto his face, Gabby aware of how quiet her father had been most of the day.

Knocking on the door pulled them from their current conversation, Gabby seeing a look of realization flash over her mother's face, confusion settling across the paramedic's features as she looked between her parents and the closed door.

"Oh, I knew I was forgetting something…" Camila breathed out as Ramon pushed himself up to go open the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's your Chief." Camila responded, Gabby swallowing thickly as she felt Matt tighten his grip around her shoulders. "He mentioned how he wanted to come speak with you, Matthew. I told him he could come back, I'm sorry, I should've asked you-"

"It's fine, Camila." Matt cut her off, giving her a soft smile. "I figured he'd need to talk to me, I'm actually a little surprised he waited this long." He added lightly, Camila flashing him a small grin before Matt returned his attention to Gabby, the firefighter sensing her nerves as Ramon opened the door.

"Do you wanna stay or go?" He asked quietly, his voice only loud enough for Gabby to hear as they locked eyes. "I know I need to talk to him, and I'm sure he wants to talk to you… but you don't have to do this right now." He told her, lifting his hand up to brush her hair behind her ear, Gabby running her teeth along her bottom lip.

"I'm fine." She assured him, Matt giving her a nod before looking back towards the door, seeing Boden speaking with Ramon as he stood just inside the door, the Chief's eyes quickly finding Casey's when there was a lull in the conversation.

"Chief." Casey spoke, Boden giving him a nod, patting Ramon on the shoulder before stepping closer towards the bed. Wallace gave Camila a quick greeting, the woman standing up from her seat and moving towards her husband.

"We'll give you all some time." She spoke, Matt nodding before her and Ramon exited the room, closing the door softly behind them.

Drawing in a deep breath, Boden moved a step closer towards Casey's bed, his eyes moving back and forth between the couple, Matt meeting his gaze while Gabby looked anywhere but. "How are you feeling, Casey?" Boden asked, figuring that the best place to start as Matt gave him a nod.

"I feel fine, Chief." He responded, Matt rubbing his hand along Gabby's side as she stayed firmly in her spot beside him on the bed. "I'm a little sore, but it's just some bumps and bruises." Casey continued, unsure of how much the house had been told in regards to his condition. "I think I'm supposed to have more scans here in a bit, just to double check and make sure everything's alright… But for falling through a building, I feel pretty good." He finished, stroking his hand along Gabby's hip, seeing her hands fidgeting in her lap as she crossed her legs at her ankles, her nervous energy prohibiting her from sitting still.

"Good… That's great to hear. I'm glad you're alright." Boden replied, bringing his hand up to run over his mouth before drawing in a slow breath, Matt's face remaining neutral while he waited for the Chief to continue, Casey catching a slight look of disbelief in his gaze. "I… I'm sure you both know why I'm here… why I need to talk to you." He started, his eyes jumping back and forth between his two first responders. "Everything that happened today, to the both of you, I- I'm still a little stunned, if I'm being honest." Boden spoke, Matt responding with a slight nod. Casey glanced down towards his lap when he felt Gabby grip his leg over the blanket, Matt immediately moving his free hand to rest over top of hers, giving her side a comforting squeeze before looking back to his boss. "But, uh, before we get into anything else, I want to apologize to you, Dawson."

Gabby's head snapped up when the strong words left his lips, Matt gripping her hand as she met Boden's regretful gaze, Dawson staying quiet as she waited for him to continue.

"I… I don't know what all you've been through, what all Walker has done… I can't even begin to understand what all this has been like for you, but I need you to know how sorry I am." Boden spoke, the man clearing the emotion from his voice as Gabby's face remained unreadable to the Chief. "I'm sorry for what happened, I'm sorry you had to come and work with him, I'm sorry for not moving him out of the house after the first incident. I'm just so incredibly sorry." His words were dripping in remorse, Boden shaking his head as he spoke, Matt seeing a side to his Chief he hadn't seen before. He looked… crushed was the only way Casey knew how to describe it, and the Lieutenant couldn't say he didn't understand the feeling.

Tearing his eyes away from Boden, Matt looked to his girlfriend, seeing her gaze had fallen back down to her lap, Gabby's leg shaking slightly on the bed as she drew in a slow breath. "It's not your fault, Chief." She replied quietly, Matt feeling her lean more of her weight into his side, the firefighter knowing she was in search of some silent support as he held onto her tighter.

"Walker should've been gone after the incident in the showers." Boden repeated quickly, Matt feeling Gabby tense slightly as she bit down roughly on her bottom lip, Casey afraid she was going to draw blood from as tight of a grip she had, Gabby slowly looking back up. "There should've been no more chances after that… I thought he would turn himself around, I didn't know there was more going on, or that there had been more going on… But what he did that day was enough to get him transferred and I should've moved him then. But I didn't, and I'm sorry." The Chief continued, shaking his head in disgust. "I didn't understand the severity of the situation, I didn't know he'd been-" Boden cut himself off, knowing he needed to tread carefully as Matt heard Gabby's breath catch in her throat slightly. "I didn't know what all had been going on, but it doesn't matter. It's none of my business, I shouldn't have needed to know in order to protect you, and to make you feel safe at 51. Him cornering you in the shower should've been the end of this, but it wasn't, and I'm sorry for that, Dawson." Boden breathed out, his eyes shining with sadness as he focused on Gabby, the man's usually tough exterior now long gone. "The department failed you- _I_ failed you, and I know my apologizing can only do so much, but I'm so sorry this happened."

Matt watched as she gave Boden a slow nod after a few long seconds before she averted her eyes back down towards the bed, Gabby gripping her thigh tightly with her free hand as her leg continued to shake, the paramedic remaining quiet. Once it was clear he wasn't getting any more of a response from her, Boden turned his attention back to Casey, waiting for his Lieutenant to look at him before he continued.

"Now, this situation… It's something the CFD is taking very seriously. I've been on the phone with them a lot today, and this isn't something that's just going to be handled with a slap on the wrist and then it's over. What happened today is something that should never happen anywhere, at any firehouse, the department agrees with me on that." Boden started, Matt feeling Gabby giving his leg a slight squeeze, Casey returning the gesture by tightening his hold around her side. "They're going to be dealing with this promptly. They want to know exactly what happened, they're investigating the call, as well as everything that happened at the firehouse prior." The Chief spoke pointedly towards his firefighter. "They'll be speaking with all of us, everyone from 51 about this. I'm not sure how long it'll all take, but they're not just gonna sit around and deal with this later. This won't just get swept under the rug."

"And what about Walker?" Matt asked before Boden could continue, the Chief raising his eyebrows. "While this investigation is happening, what happens to him?"

Casey didn't bother to try and hide the anger in his voice, Boden pursing his lips together as he breathed deeply.

"He's been suspended." Boden responded quickly, Matt feeling Gabby's body relax for a split second. "He will not be working anywhere in the CFD while this investigation is ongoing. And I imagine he won't be given a different job in the department once this is over, either." He spoke, Casey giving him a strong nod.

"He better not have a job anywhere." Matt muttered, Boden not responding to his Lieutenant's comment as his gaze flashed towards Gabby.

"And I'm not- I'm not sure what all is being done from the CPD's side of things…" He said, Boden's gaze lingering on Dawson before he looked back to Casey. "I'm sure they'll be working on this along with the CFD, but that's where we stand right now." He continued, clearing his throat. "Walker's done at 51 regardless of the outcome of this investigation. I will not have that man working in my house again." Boden finished, Gabby swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat while she focused on the feeling of Matt's hand rubbing over her hip.

"Good." Casey replied shortly, refraining from saying what he actually wanted to say, Matt not wanting to upset Gabby anymore than she already was, Boden giving him a nod before continuing.

"As I said, I don't know what all the CPD's doing. I'm not sure exactly how involved Antonio and his team are in all this, in fact you might know more than I do, but however you're wanting to handle this, Dawson," The Chief started, Gabby slowly lifting her head up when she heard her name, "just know the entirety of 51 is behind you. Completely." He assured her, Gabby biting down roughly on the inside of her cheek. "We all have you back. Whatever you need from us, you've got it."

"Thank you, Chief." She murmured, tightening her grip on Matt's leg.

"Of course." He replied, giving her a soft nod. "And, uh, I'm not sure when headquarters is going to be starting their investigation of this, with their interviews and everything, but it won't surprise me if we've got some higher ups waiting for us when we get back to the house. I know they're not wanting to waste any time… But they are going to need to speak with you both." Boden told them as Matt glanced towards his girlfriend, seeing a blank look on her face. That information wasn't a shock to either of them, they both knew that, considering they were at the center of all this, headquarters would need to hear their side of things. "But after what happened today, I told them I don't think you're in any condition to go over there and speak with them, that either of you are. So they're going to come here… Tomorrow morning." He relayed the news, Matt giving him a nod. "I told them you'd both be here, and they could speak with you then. Get things from your all's perspective, from both the accident on call, and what happened at the firehouse."

"Alright, Chief." Casey replied.

"They'll be speaking with Walker, as well. I'm not sure when, but he's not even here anymore, so they might track him down elsewhere."

"He's not?" Gabby questioned quietly, Matt feeling some of the tension leave her body as Boden shook his head.

"Where is he?" Casey asked.

"I believe he's at the 21st district, getting his statement taken from what happened today." Boden responded, Matt raising his eyebrows. "I don't believe that's with the CFDs investigation, though. I think it's for the police department's purposes, but Detective Halstead came and asked to speak with him, said they'd talk at the district. I guess he thought it best to not do that at the hospital, which I have to say I agree with him after everything that's happened today… But Walker isn't here, and I told him to just go home once he finished up there." He explained, his words earning nods from both of them.

"Is the rest of the house still here?" Casey asked, Boden shaking his head.

"They're all out on call, aside from Shay. She's out in the waiting room." He responded. "I wasn't sure if you were up for visitors today or not, but with how late it's getting, and you still needing to have more tests done, once we finish up here, I'm just going to tell them to head back to the station once they're done, let them know you're doing okay, but you're not up for visitors." Boden spoke, Matt giving him a nod.

"Yeah, that's probably for the best." He said softly, knowing Gabby wasn't really in any state to be seeing everyone. "Thanks Chief." Casey told him, Boden giving him a strong nod before taking a slight step away from the hospital bed.

"I'm glad you're doing alright, Casey." He spoke, his eyes flickering between the both of them. "I'm gonna go ahead and get out of here, let you both get some rest. I just wanted to come and let you all know what I knew, so you weren't in the dark with what's going on." He explained, Casey giving him a nod. "But, uh- before I go, there is one other thing I want you to know." Boden started, both Matt and Gabby sharing a quick glance when they noticed the shift in his tone. "I don't want you to be blindsided with it tomorrow, although nothing has been finalized yet, and probably won't be until after they speak with you and Walker… but I do believe you have a suspension coming, Casey." Boden told him, Matt giving him little in the form of a reaction.

"What?" Gabby asked, clearly more surprised by the news than Casey was.

"I don't agree with it, from a personal standpoint." Boden continued. "But professionally, I understand it. You started a fight with one of your firefighters, Casey, regardless of the reason… there's been a lot of talk of a suspension. But with the accident, I'm sure you would've been taking a few shifts off, anyway. I know it's not the same thing, and it's not ideal, but it's the situation we're in."

"Alright, Chief." Matt replied, the man completely unfazed. "Thanks for telling me."

Boden gave him a nod, the Chief about to leave the room before Dawson's voice stopped him.

"That's not fair." She spoke up, the tone of her voice telling both men she clearly wasn't happy with this.

"Dawson-"

"It's not fair, Chief. He doesn't deserve to be suspended." She continued, straightening her spine as she removed her hand from Matt's leg.

"Gabby, it's okay." Casey tried, but she ignored him.

"He shouldn't be suspended because of this."

"Dawson, he punched one of his firefighters." Boden replied, Gabby shaking her head as she took a deep breath.

"But he did it because of me, it's not like he was just going around punching people." She argued, Matt rubbing her back as he saw her getting more and more upset. "He was trying to protect me. If Bryan hadn't-" She cut herself off, Matt frowning as he heard her breathing become a bit sporadic, her body tensing underneath his touch.

"Hey, hey hey." Matt murmured, rubbing her back comfortingly. "Look at me." He said softly, Gabby sucking in a slow, deep breath as she turned towards him. "It's okay, alright?"

"But-"

"Me getting suspended doesn't matter." He cut in gently, Gabby taking another breath as they locked gazes, his bright blue eyes calming her down. "I don't care, okay? It's fine." He repeated, Gabby giving him a slow nod as he continued rubbing his hand along her side and her back, Matt sliding his palm underneath her jacket so she could feel him better. "It doesn't matter." He said again, Gabby giving him another nod before he turned back to Boden, seeing a clear look of concern in the older man's eyes. "Thanks for letting us know, Chief." He told him, Boden nodding before continuing towards the door, knowing the best thing he could do right now was get out of the way.

"I am sorry… for all of it. I wish none of this ever happened." Boden told them, Matt and Gabby both giving him a nod before he disappeared out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Once they were alone, Matt focused his complete attention on the woman in bed beside him, Gabby taking shallow breaths while she stared straight ahead, Casey lightly tapping his fingers along her back. The action eventually got her to look at him, Matt seeing a flash of something he couldn't read cover her face.

"I'm sorry." She spoke quietly, Matt's eyebrows furrowing as the apology left her lips, Matt immediately shaking his head.

"This is not your fault." He replied, keeping his voice soft while firm, needing her to believe what he was saying.

"You're gonna get suspended because of me-"

"I'm getting suspended because of me." He corrected, shaking his head. "And because of Walker. You didn't do anything."

"But-"

"He hurt you, Gabby." Matt interjected, trying to do what he could to get her realize she wasn't to blame for this. "He's _been_ hurting you. And that's on him. That is not your fault. Nothing that happened was ever your fault." He said, hoping she understood the true meaning of his words. "What I did today, I'd do it again. And if I see him again, I can't promise I still won't, but I don't regret what I did." He told her, Gabby drawing in a deep breath as he rubbed his hand along her back. "Maybe I should've handled myself better, been more professional, whatever- but I wasn't going to sit there and let him get away with hurting you. I would never let _anyone_ get away with hurting you. But that is my choice, okay? I made that decision, that wasn't your fault. None of this was ever your fault." He hoped by saying those words enough, she'd start to believe him, Gabby giving him a slow, but somewhat reluctant nod as he slid his palm back to her side, Matt pulling her closer towards him.

"Okay." She whispered, Matt releasing a soft breath as they relaxed back into his bed, the injured firefighter reclining a bit so they'd be more comfortable before she cuddled back into him. Casey ignored the twinge of pain he felt in his ribs from the pressure of her body against his as she tucked herself into him, Matt placing a soft kiss to her forehead while Gabby rested her hand on his chest.

"It'll be fine, baby." He promised, Gabby nuzzling her head deeper into his neck as he tightened his hold around her body. "It's all gonna be alright."

* * *

Matt watched his girlfriend closely with an amused expression on his face while she focused diligently on her current task, Gabby's tongue poking out between her teeth as she slowly put his arm through his jacket, the paramedic moving much slower than necessary. He knew she was just trying to make sure she didn't hurt him, but despite his multiple assurances that he was fine, and she could pick up the pace a little bit, Gabby hadn't budged, his girlfriend instead ignoring his words and continuing on at her pace while helping him get dressed. She had managed to turn what should've taken all of five minutes into a near twenty minute process, Gabby being more careful than she needed to be as she got him out of his hospital gown into his boxers, sweatpants, t-shirt, and now his jacket. While he definitely thought her pace was a bit ridiculous, and completely unnecessary, he didn't fight her on it too much. Matt very much preferred her being the one to help him change as opposed to one of the nurses here, so he let her take things at her own speed, even though if you were to ask him, he'd say he didn't need any help at all.

As Gabby worked on zipping up his jacket, Matt took a moment to look at her, the firefighter seeing the exhaustion her red eyes held, Casey well aware of how poorly they both slept last night. As his gaze continued down her face towards her neck, his body tightened involuntarily when he caught sight of the bruises on her skin. They had definitely worsened overnight, Matt now able to really see the outline of Walker's hand around her throat, the yellowish-purple hue to her skin causing his stomach to settle like a rock. Despite her best attempts to hide it as much as she could, Gabby keeping her hair down and her jacket on, with her standing directly in front of him, he was able to see just how tightly Walker had held onto her neck, Matt feeling that familiar sense of rage building in his gut. The same rage that was present every time he was reminded of just how much the woman he loved had been hurt by Walker.

"You're staring."

Matt's vision snapped into focus when he registered Gabby's voice, Casey smiling sheepishly when he saw the intrigued look covering her face.

"Huh?"

"You were staring at me." She repeated, Matt's eyebrows raising as his embarrassed look morphed into a proud one, a soft smirk tugging on his lips.

"Well, can you blame me?" He questioned, reaching out to place his hand on her waist. "You're gorgeous."

His words brought a shy smile to her face, Matt using his hold on her hip to pull her closer, Gabby standing in between his legs as he sat on the edge of the hospital bed. Carefully, she lifted her hand up towards the side of his head, Gabby running her fingers through his short hair as he wrapped his arms around her, determined to keep her close.

"...Are you sure you're ready to leave?" Gabby asked him after a few moments, ignoring his shameless attempt at flattery as she continued rubbing over the side of his head, Gabby feeling his fingers tapping random patterns against her lower back. Matt raised his eyebrows at the question, Gabby sliding her other hand up from his chest to rest on his shoulder. "You're still feeling okay? You weren't just lying to the doctor this morning?"

He could hear the slight worry in her voice, Matt shaking his head slightly as he pulled her closer, Gabby's chest flush against his as he took a deep breath.

"I feel fine, babe." He promised, giving her an assuring smile. "I wouldn't say I did if I didn't." He added, but she still looked a bit skeptical. "Gabby…"

"Fine." She gave in, her gaze softening as her hand slid over to his cheek, Gabby's thumb stroking his skin softly. "But regardless of what you're saying, I know the only reason you've felt okay is because of the pain meds they had you on. So as soon as we get home, you're taking the medication they gave you and we're getting you in bed." She informed him, Matt smiling as he rubbed his hand along her back.

"Yes ma'am." He agreed, his words bringing a soft smile to her face. "But I promise you, I feel alright." He told her again, just as he had every time she'd asked him since yesterday. "I'm just ready to get out of here."

"Well, unfortunately, there's one more thing we've got to do before we leave." She breathed out, Matt nodding slightly as he moved his hand around to her hip.

While Casey had gotten discharged nearly an hour ago, they still were waiting on a few of the higher ups to get here so they could speak to them, something neither of them were exactly looking forward to doing. Matt didn't care so much about talking with them, but he knew it was making Gabby a little anxious. But this had to be done, and he'd rather them get it over with now, instead of this becoming something that kept hanging over their heads.

"Yeah, but hopefully that won't take too long." He replied with a gentle grin, hoping it would relax her at least a little bit. "And after that, we can get out of here, and go do nothing but lay in bed… Or maybe on the couch." He added, Gabby's smile growing as she gave him a slight nod.

"That doesn't sound too bad." She responded, her nose scrunching up slightly, the action causing the smile on his face to widen. "Just as long as we can watch a movie."

"We can watch as many movies as you want." He answered her quickly, Gabby giving him another nod before she closed the small amount of distance between them, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. Their movements were gentle, Gabby rubbing her thumb along his cheek as he kept his arms around her, the two basking in this quiet moment they had together. "I love you." He murmured against her, Gabby smiling softly before pressing another kiss to his lips.

"I love you, too." She said as they pulled back, her voice barely audible while she moved her hand up and down over his shoulder and chest. "...And I'm so glad you're okay." She breathed out as her eyes fell closed, Matt keeping his gaze locked on her.

"Me too." He replied, running his tongue along his bottom lip as he carefully thought over his next words. But he never got the chance to voice them before there was a knock on the door, Gabby slowly pulling herself from his embrace. "Come in!" He called, Matt keeping his arm around Gabby as Camila and Ramon walked in, the parents both wearing soft smiles on their faces.

"Hi, sorry if we're interrupting." Camila spoke, Matt shaking his head.

"You're not." He assured her, Gabby giving her mother a nod as her parents stepped further into the room.

"I was just coming to let you all know that Boden, and the people from the fire department are here." Camila told them, Matt drawing in a slow breath. "And they're ready to speak with you all whenever you are."

"Alright, thanks Camila." Casey responded, his eyes bouncing back and forth between her parents before looking towards Gabby. "You alright to do this?" He asked softly, Gabby giving him a quick nod.

"Yeah… and, I mean, I don't really have a choice." She replied.

"You don't have to do it right now, if you don't feel up for it." He told her, bringing his hand up to brush a loose strand of hair out of her face. "If you need time, we can both just go home. They'll be fine."

"He's right, Gabriela." Ramon spoke up, both Matt and Gabby looking towards her father. In all the time he'd spent with them since the accident yesterday, he hadn't said too much. Matt assumed it was mostly him just needing time to process learning about what had been happening to his daughter, and that he probably didn't want to do or say anything to make it worse for her. "No one can make you do this, if you don't want to. This just happened, if you need some more time, I'll go and talk to Boden right now." He spoke, Camila nodding next to her husband as she rubbed his back. "You're what's important here, mija."

"It's okay, Papa." She responded, giving her parents a reassuring nod. "I'm fine, I'd rather just get it over with." Her words earned nods from both of her parents, Camila giving them another warm smile as she walked closer to the bed.

"Alright, well they're just down the hall in one of the conference rooms waiting for you all. Matthew, are you alright to walk, or do you need a wheelchair?" Camila asked as she grabbed both her daughter's and Matt's shift bags that were resting on the floor, handing them off to her husband. "And you have your medication, right?"

"I do." Matt replied. "And I'm fine to walk, I need to move around a bit." He added, Gabby giving him a weak smile as she took a step away from the bed, holding out her arm for him to grab onto as he slowly stood up. He didn't really need the support, in fact he'd gotten up on his own already today, but he held onto her anyway, Matt flashing her a soft grin once he was upright.

He wasn't moving very quickly, not nearly as quickly as he'd like, but he knew he couldn't push himself too much. Despite his minimal injuries, he had still fallen through a floor, and his body was definitely feeling the effects of that whenever he moved. It was going to take him some time to get back into the swing of things, but if this upcoming conversation with headquarters went as he expected it to, he was sure he'd have a lot of time to recover.

Once he was standing, Matt gave himself a moment to gain his balance, all three Dawsons staring at him as he stood in place beside the bed, Gabby resting her hand on his back.

"Are you alright, Matthew?" Camila asked, concern laced in her words as Matt looked towards her, giving both her and Ramon a quick nod.

"I'm good, just sore." He replied honestly, Camila nodding in understanding as he slowly began walking, Gabby staying close to his side.

"You're sure you don't want a wheelchair? I can get a nurse, or go and find one for you. I don't want you hurting yourself." Camila spoke firmly, Matt shaking his head as he continued moving, slowly leading the group out of the room.

"Nah, I'm good. I'm practically back to normal already." He replied with a grin, trying to lighten some of the tension around them, Camila shaking her head in amusement as Gabby scoffed by his side.

"Glad to see your sense of humor hasn't gone anywhere." Camila mused from behind him, Matt feeling her rub her hand along his upper back for a moment as they all walked down the hallway towards the lobby, Gabby keeping her arm wrapped tightly around his waist.

Even though a walk that usually would've taken all of thirty seconds had taken them nearly five minutes, Matt felt a sense of accomplishment as they got to the nurses station, the four of them quickly seeing Boden standing outside a room just across from the desk, their Chief talking with a man Casey knew well after all his mishaps in the department before being placed at 51.

"Casey." Boden spoke when he saw the group, Matt flashing him a small smile as he pulled himself from Gabby's embrace, the firefighter walking towards his boss.

"Hey Chief… Commissioner." Matt greeted, the older men both nodding, the latter extending his hand out towards Casey.

"Lieutenant… it's good to see you're doing alright." Commissioner Grissom spoke as he shook Matt's hand.

"Thank you, sir. I'm glad, as well." He replied, the older man giving him a tight nod before gesturing towards the conference room.

"I know you probably want to be getting home, so we'll try to do this as quickly as possible. We'll go ahead and get your statement, then we'll do Miss Dawson's, then you all can get out of here." He spoke, Matt nodding in response.

"Sounds good." Casey said, glancing back towards Gabby as Boden and the Commissioner walked into the room, Matt giving his girlfriend a reassuring smile before he stepped inside as well, closing the door behind him.

Casey moved slowly towards the table, wincing slightly at the aches and pains he was feeling as he sat down across from the Commissioner, Boden sitting on Matt's left, as he noticed a woman sitting at the table, as well.

"Lieutenant, this is Rebecca Little, she works in our human resources department. She's just going to be here while we're talking this through." Grissom instructed, Matt nodding, flashing her a weak smile before looking back towards the man. "Now, this meeting is going to be recorded." He continued, nodding towards Rebecca, Matt seeing the woman pull out her phone and place it down on the table before tapping her finger against the screen. "For continuity, and the sake of making sure this is handled correctly, we'll need your exact wording on everything. So, are you alright with this conversation being recorded?"

"I am." Matt replied, Grissom nodding before grabbing a rather large file from the side of the table, the man opening it in front of him, flipping through to a specific page before looking back towards Matt.

"Alright, Lieutenant Casey, how about you just walk me through your side of things… Start from the beginning."

"Are we talking about the call, or what Walker did to Dawson at the firehouse?" Matt asked, the Commissioner releasing a soft breath.

"Start at the firehouse, then we'll go from there."

"Okay, well, I was out in the garage, when Lieutenant Severide came and got me. He told me to come with him, that something had happened to Gabby-"

"Gabriela Dawson?" He interjected, Matt glancing towards the phone before nodding.

"Yes, sorry. Gabriela Dawson, our PIC at 51, Severide told me something had happened, so I went with him to the locker room."

"And you two are dating, correct? You and Miss Dawson?" Rebecca spoke up, Matt giving her a nod.

"We are."

"And Miss Dawson was once engaged to Mr. Walker, yes?" She pressed, Matt giving her another nod.

"She was, but that was before I'd met her." He replied, the woman giving him a nod before he continued. "But yeah, I got to the locker room, and Gabby- Dawson, she was on the ground, up against the wall. Like she was trying to hide. Leslie Shay, our other paramedic on 61, was there, trying to get her to talk, but Dawson wouldn't say anything, or look at anyone. It was like she didn't even know where she was. It was obvious something had happened to her, so I got everyone to leave-"

"Who is 'everyone'?" Grissom questioned.

"Leslie Shay, Kelly Severide, Christopher Herrmann, and Randy McHolland." He responded, his answer earning a nod from the older man. "They were all in there, so I told them to leave."

"Why?" He continued, Matt's eyebrows furrowing as he straightened his back against the chair.

"Why? Because something was clearly wrong with Gabby, and she didn't need an audience." Casey replied sharply, Grissom giving him a pointed stare before nodding, the silent action telling him to continue. "But after they left, I managed to get her to talk to me. She told me that Bryan Walker had stormed up to her in the locker room, he was yelling at her, he was angry- about me." Matt clarified before they could even ask. "He was upset because he thought Gabby had told me things that had happened in their relationship before he broke off their engagement. She tried to tell him she hadn't said anything, but he didn't listen…"

"What things?"

"I'm sorry?"

"You said Walker was led to believe that you'd been told of things that had happened between them, what are you referring to?" Rebecca pushed, Matt rubbing his hand over his mouth as he shook his head.

"I don't see how that's any of your business." He replied, Grissom raising his eyebrows.

"We need to know exactly what happened, Lieutenant."

"And I'm telling you exactly what happened." He fired back, Grissom shaking his head. "All you need to know is that Walker was angry at her, because he thought she'd done something she hadn't, and instead of being able to control himself, he got violent."

"Lieutenant, we're just trying to-"

"No, I know what you're trying to do." Matt scoffed. "You're trying to look for some way to excuse what he did."

"No, we're not." Grissom was quick to interject. "We just-"

"Yes, you are." He cut them off. "You're hoping something I tell you will explain away why he did what he did, instead of just focusing on the fact that he assaulted her." He spat, his anger at the situation coming back in waves. "I mean, this is the same department that lowered his suspension after he cornered her while she was in the shower," He said, catching a flash of something he couldn't read in Grissom's eyes, "I know exactly what you're doing. But I'm telling you, I'm not going to sit here and talk about things that happened to Gabby because of him, and what all she went through. It's not my business to share, and it's not your damn business at all. The only thing you need to know about is what happened at the firehouse, the police department can handle the rest. And what happened at the firehouse was Walker got angry, he shoved her into the wall, and then grabbed her by the throat until she couldn't breathe." He nearly shouted, his voice hard with fury. "He held onto her so tight that there are bruises on her neck, you can see the outline of Walker's hand gripping her throat. That's what happened."

There was a tense silence that had fallen over the room for a moment, Matt doing what he could to calm himself down, seeing Grissom glance towards Boden before looking back towards him.

"...And after that?" Grissom spoke up, Matt raising his eyebrows. "After Dawson told you what happened, what did you do?"

"Well, first I stayed with her. I tried to help calm her down, and make sure she was okay."

"And then?"

"...I went to find Walker." Matt answered honestly, the Commissioner giving him a nod. "I went to the common room, and he was in there with everyone, and I just… I hit him."

"Because of what happened to Miss Dawson in the locker room?"

"Because of-" Matt cut himself off, pursing his lips together as he realized he'd talked himself into a corner, Grissom shaking his head as he took a deep breath, the man leaning his weight into the table when he noticed Casey's hesitation.

"Lieutenant Casey, I understand you think we have some ulterior motives here. You think we're just trying to sweep this under the rug, just get Walker into a different house and move on, but that is not at all what's happening. If what Miss Dawson is saying happened yesterday is true, it should've never happened. But we're just trying to get the full picture here, and ensure that whatever happened at the firehouse today doesn't happen again. But for us to do that, we need to know everything. We need to know exactly what happened." Grissom spoke firmly, glancing towards Boden. "And I know you're trying to protect Miss Dawson, I see that, and you don't want to speak on things that happened to her, but we're just trying to understand. We're trying to deal with this in the best way we can, but in order to do that we need all the information." He told him, Matt clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he digested what was being told to him, the Lieutenant releasing a heavy sigh before responding.

"...I hit him because of what he did to her in the locker room, and because that wasn't the first time he'd hurt her." Matt breathed out reluctantly.

If Grissom was surprised to hear those words, he didn't show it, the man merely nodding before moving onto his next question.

"He'd assaulted her before?" He asked, Matt giving him a nod. "And did any of those instances happen at the firehouse?"

"One, that I know of." Matt replied. "It happened a few weeks back, he threatened her, told her to stay quiet about everything. Then he slammed her into the lockers and held her there." He explained, glancing between the two people across from him. "But the other times… I don't know." He finished, Grissom nodding before looking back down towards his folder.

"Okay, so you hit him, I'm assuming that wasn't just the end of it?" He asked, Casey shaking his head.

"No, we both landed a few punches before they separated us, and I-" He cut himself off, releasing a heavy sigh before continuing. "I said I was gonna kill him, for what he did to her." He told them, Grissom merely nodding. Casey couldn't be sure, the Lieutenant not knowing who all they'd spoken to yet, but he couldn't help but think the Commissioner already knew he'd threatened Walker, considering the lack of reaction he got from his boss' boss. When it was clear Grissom wasn't going to press the issue, Matt continued. "And then Walker turned back on Dawson, said how I needed to watch my anger because she 'spooks easy', and I told him he was done. Right before we got the call, I told him he was done at 51."

"Alright… And nothing else happened between you two before the call?" Grissom asked, Casey shaking his head. "Okay. So let's go through that. You all got to the warehouse fire, what happened?"

"When we got there, I knew it was pretty bad. I could tell as soon as we rolled up, it was a bad fire. And that we needed as many hands as possible."

"So is that why you sent Walker in with you?"

"Yeah… Honestly, I didn't want to. And looking back on it now, I definitely should've kept him outside, but I- I was trying to do what I thought was best for the victims who needed our help. I wasn't thinking about my issues with him, and I guess I hoped Walker could put that aside as well, but… he couldn't. Or didn't. But I should've gone with my gut, and left him outside." Matt replied, earning a few nods from the people across the table.

"Okay, so you brought him inside with you... what happened inside?"

"Everything was fine, at first… We were helping people towards the exit, everyone was doing their jobs, where they were supposed to be. Walker and I got up to the second floor, and we knew we didn't have much more time. Boden was calling us out, so we were heading for the exit, when the floor gave out beneath me and I fell through." Matt spoke, his voice firm and lacking emotion. "I was able to hold on for a second… Walker saw me fall, he was standing maybe five feet away from me, but he just stood there. I kept asking for his help, I asked him over and over again to help me up, but he wouldn't. He didn't move, he stood there and stared at me, until I fell through the floor. And I don't remember anything after that." He told them, Grissom nodding as he took a deep breath. "I know my radio was live, I don't know how much anyone else heard, but that's what happened. I couldn't hold on any longer, he wouldn't help me, and I fell. Then the next thing I knew, I woke up here."

No one said anything for a moment, Grissom taking a deep breath as he focused his attention down at the file in front of him, Matt watching him closely as the Commissioner lifted his head, looking between him and Boden, before he glanced towards Rebecca, giving her a nod. The woman understood his silent gesture, Casey seeing her pause the recording of their conversation.

"Alright Lieutenant… thank you, for doing this. I know it's been a challenging twenty four hours for you, so I appreciate you doing this before you went home." He started, Casey giving him a slight nod, everyone in the room knowing he didn't have much of a choice. "I still need to speak with Miss Dawson before I can really get the full picture here, but I think we can all agree that your actions at the firehouse, before the call, were unprofessional." He spoke, Casey running his tongue along the inside of his cheek.

"He assaulted one of our paramedics, I think it was warranted." Matt snapped before he could stop himself, Grissom taking a deep breath.

"A paramedic who happens to be your girlfriend." The man replied, his words earning a scoff from Casey.

"So because she's my girlfriend, that makes it okay that Walker choked her in the locker room?" He responded quickly, shaking his head in disbelief.

"That's not what we're saying, Lieutenant. I feel very sorry for Miss Dawson, and what she went through, but, even after we hear from her, her and Mr. Walker were the only two people there. No one else knows exactly what happened, and you only heard her side of the story. Then you ran out there and started swinging."

"Unbelievable…" Casey muttered under his breath, Grissom raising his eyebrows.

"Is that not exactly what happened?" The man replied, Matt narrowing his eyes. "You heard what happened, from her point of view, and then took matters into your own hands. And, in dealing with your actions, that's all we're focused on right now…"

"She has a bruise in the shape of a hand on her fucking neck!" He spat, anger burning in his eyes. "What other points of view do you need exactly?!"

"Lieutenant, I suggest you calm down." Grissom warned, Matt taking a deep breath as he crossed his arms over his chest. "This, right here, right now, is us deciding how to handle _your_ actions yesterday. And you going after your firefighter, and threatening him, was unprofessional, that's the beginning and end of it. And after what happened at your old house, with firefighter Jacobs…"

"You're seriously bringing that up?" Matt scoffed, shaking his head. "You're bringing up the time _you_ moved me from my firehouse, because one of my firefighters was having an affair with my wife, and you're comparing that to me trying to protect Dawson-"

"There's a pattern, Lieutenant, is the point here." Grissom responded sharply. "And while I understand your desire to protect your girlfriend, I don't know if it was so much that, as it was you were angry and wanted to hurt Walker. You acted on emotion, I think we all can see that." He said, Matt pursing his lips together as he waited for him to finish. "And while there's no denying you're good at your job, the department thinks you need some time to get your head on straight before returning to work."

"How long is it?" Casey questioned as soon as he was done.

"I'm sorry?"

"My suspension, how long is it?" He asked again.

"You'll be suspended four shifts, without pay." Grissom replied, Matt giving little in the form of a reaction. "I am truly sorry for what happened at the call, and I'm sorry for what happened to Miss Dawson, but your consequences have actions, Lieutenant. As I'm sure you know by now."

Matt simply nodded, the firefighter staying quiet for a moment as he stared down at the table in front of him, his leg bouncing up and down rapidly against the carpeted floor.

"...And what about Walker?" He asked after a few moments of quiet, Grissom raising his eyebrows questioningly. "What's gonna happen to Walker?"

"Lieutenant-"

"I'm being forced to take time off, I lose a week and half's worth of my salary because I defended one of our paramedics who had just been _assaulted_, so what's happening to Walker?" He asked again, his voice full of anger. "After he choked Gabby, and then tried to kill me in that fire… he better be getting a hell of a lot more than a suspension."

"Bryan Walker will be dealt with." Grissom responded, Casey shaking his head. "His actions yesterday were inexcusable, this is not going to be something that just gets fixed quickly and we move on. Everyone is taking this very seriously, which means we need to do it right. We won't be able to figure out what exactly we're doing with him until we've finished getting statements, but he's already been suspended. He won't be working anywhere in the department until this gets sorted out, and possibly never again. And we've already been informed that the police department is conducting their own investigation, into what I assume is a domestic abuse case." Grissom spoke carefully, Matt's jaw clenching tightly, but he said nothing. "So we'll be working with them as well… I promise you, Lieutenant. Everyone here is taking this very seriously. Whatever it was that went on, it's clear _something_ happened to Miss Dawson, and I hate it. I truly do. And we're gonna do everything we can to make it right."

Casey gnawed on his bottom lip, shaking his head as he lifted his hand up to run along the side of his face, the firefighter clearly trying to hold his tongue. But he couldn't.

"...Nothing can make this right." He spoke quietly, swallowing the thick lump that had formed in his throat. "There's nothing any of us can do that would make this right, because it already happened. It happened to Gabby, and no matter what, we can't change that."

"No, we can't." Grissom agreed, tapping his hand against the table. "But we can try and handle it correctly now. And I promise you, we'll do everything we can to get this right. This isn't something we're taking lightly, Lieutenant. We know things yesterday could have been much worse than they were, and they were already terrible enough."

Taking a deep breath, Matt nodded, his eyes moving towards the door, knowing Gabby was just on the other side of it.

"...Are we done here?" Casey asked as he looked back across the table, Grissom giving him a slight nod.

"We are… Thank you for doing this, Lieutenant." He replied, Matt slowly pushing himself up from his seat, his body not liking staying in the seated position for so long as he felt his muscles screaming at him. "I'm glad you're going to be okay."

"Thank you, sir." Matt spoke before moving towards the door, Casey feeling Boden walking behind him.

"Boden, if you could bring Miss Dawson in here." Grissom said as Matt opened the door, Casey hearing his Chief agree to the request as he stepped out into the hallway.

The second he was in view, Gabby pushed herself up from the seat in between her parents, Matt giving her a warm smile as they walked towards each other, Gabby moving much faster than he could.

"Hey, what'd they say?" She asked as Ramon and Camila came up behind her, Matt knowing exactly what his girlfriend was wanting to know.

"I'm suspended for four shifts." He told her, watching as her face fell immediately, Matt quickly shaking his head. "But hey, it's fine. Just more time for me to heal up and get to one hundred percent." He added with a soft grin, Gabby nodding as she placed her hand on his arm.

"They're ready for you, Gabby." Boden spoke up, the paramedic giving her boss a nod before looking back towards her boyfriend.

"You'll be fine. And I'll be right out here." Matt spoke encouragingly, lifting his hand up to cradle her cheek, Gabby leaning into his touch. "And then we can go home and get started on all those movies you wanna watch." He said, his words eliciting a soft laugh from Gabby before she gave him a nod.

"Sounds perfect." She replied softly, Gabby leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to his lips before she moved past him, Matt watching her and Boden until they disappeared into the room he'd just been in.

When he turned back around, he found Camila and Ramon both still standing there, each wearing different looks of concern on their faces. Though he wasn't sure if that was more for him, or for their daughter.

"Let's sit down." Camila urged softly, reaching out to grab Matt's arm before leading him back towards their seats, the firefighter following her without question. "...So, four shifts?"

"Yeah. Honestly, I'm surprised it's not more. I'm assuming it was the circumstances, but I get it. They have rules to follow." Matt replied with a shrug as he settled into his seat. "I don't really care about the suspension though, I'm more concerned about what they're going to do with Walker." He breathed out, Ramon looking towards him.

"Did they say anything about that?"

"Just that they're taking this very seriously," Matt started.

"Well, I would hope so." Ramon replied under his breath, his frustration at the situation evident.

"And that they won't make any decisions on what to do with him until after they've spoken to everyone… But he's suspended until then." Casey finished, Camila giving him a nod.

"Well, that's good." She replied, Matt responding with a weak smile. It definitely wasn't enough of a punishment, they all knew that, but they could only hope between the CFD and the CPD, that he would get the punishment he deserved.

"I, uh-" Ramon spoke up, Matt glancing towards the older man as he cleared his throat. "With Gabriela around, I didn't want to mention it or bring it up, but I never got the chance to thank you." He told his daughter's boyfriend, Casey raising his eyebrows in question. "For what you did at the firehouse, for punching that piece of-"

"Ramon." Camila interjected, but the father shook his head, Ramon leaning forward in his seat to look at his wife.

"He hurt our baby, Camila." He replied in anger. "He put his hands on her, he did God knows what else to her… The least he deserves is a few good punches."

"I'm not saying I disagree with you." She fought back. "I want him behind bars, and believe me, there's a big part of me that wants to see him in pain the way he's hurt our daughter, but because of this, now Matthew's been suspended, and-"

"I'd do it again." Casey spoke up before she could finish her thought, both of her parents looking at him. "I told Gabby the same thing, I don't care about the suspension, or anything like that. And truthfully? There's a part of me that wishes I got another swing in… Or ten." He told them, Ramon glancing towards Camila before looking back to Casey. "I just… I saw how he hurt her, I saw how much pain she was in and I- I lost it." He said, shaking his head as he brought his hand up to rub over the back of his neck. "But I don't regret it, and I'd do it again… If it meant keeping her safe, I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

Ramon and Camila locked gazes again once Matt had finished speaking, the father raising his eyebrow when he saw Camila smile softly, Casey looking back and forth between them.

"...He's exactly like you, Ramon." She spoke to her husband, her words diffusing the heavy situation as Matt chuckled lightly, Ramon shaking his head in slight amusement as Camila looked between the two men. But before they said anything else, Camila stood up, coming towards Casey and wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. The firefighter was a little thrown by the gesture at first, but quickly hugged her back, Camila rubbing along his back as she took a deep breath. "Thank you." She murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of his head as she pulled back. "Thank you for always looking out for her… After all she went through, whatever she's gone through, I don't even know, but I just-" She cut herself off, shaking her head as her hand rested on Matt's shoulder. "Thank you for taking care of her."

Slowly, Matt nodded, placing his hand over Camila's forearm, the woman flashing him a sad smile.

"She's gonna be okay." Matt spoke softly, Camila blinking back the tears that had formed in her eyes, the mother unable to keep a hold on her emotions now that she wasn't with her daughter. "We'll get her through this."

* * *

"Would you like some water Miss Dawson?" Grissom asked, Gabby shaking her head before she looked back down towards her clenched hands that were resting in her lap.

"I'm fine."

"Alright, well, I'm sorry to make you go through all of this again. Lieutenant Casey told us you spoke with him about what you experienced, so I'm sorry we have to bring this up again, but, from your point of view, we just need to know what happened at the firehouse yesterday."

"Okay…." She replied, clearing her throat before beginning to explain what happened, Gabby trying to ignore how the two people across from her were clearly staring at her neck. "I, um, was in the locker room, and Walker came in… He was really angry, he was yelling, wanting to know what I had told Matt about things that had happened in the past between him and I. I kept telling him I hadn't said anything, but he didn't believe me, and he was getting more and more upset." She began explaining, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Then he, uh.. He shoved me into the wall. I tried to get away from him, but he grabbed me and held me there, and he just kept holding me tighter so I couldn't move… I didn't think I'd be able to get away from him, so I started screaming." She spoke, running her tongue along the inside of her cheek. "I yelled for help, and that's when- that's when he started choking me."

"And then what happened?" Grissom questioned after a moment of silence, Gabby pursing her lips together.

"I, uh- it's kind of a blur… I remember feeling really lightheaded, and fighting against him. I… I think I cut his cheek, when I was trying to get him to let me go. But that part is kind of fuzzy." She admitted with a wince, earning a few nods from the people across from her. "I remember being on the ground, and Shay, my partner… she found me. And then Matt was there."

"Lieutenant Casey?"

"Mhmm."

"And you two are romantically involved, yes?"

"We are." She answered, earning a nod from the woman before she continued. "He came, and he, uh… he helped me calm down. And I started telling him what was going on, and how Bryan had-" She cut herself off, Gabby forcing herself to take another slow, deep breath. "About how Bryan had hurt me in the past, and then when I told him about him choking me, that's when Matt left."

"To go confront Walker about what you told him?" Grissom pressed, Gabby giving him a nod. "And how much of that did you see? Of the Lieutenant assaulting his firefighter?"

Gabby's head tilted to the side slightly, the paramedic not liking how he was framing everything that happened. "I didn't see much." She replied, her defenses rising as her spine straightened, both Grissom and Little noticing the shift in her tone of voice. "By the time I got there, they had been pulled apart."

"Alright, Miss Dawson. Now, after the alleged assault that took place in the locker room," He started, Gabby shaking her head in disbelief before glancing towards Boden, seeing a similar look across his face. "You all responded to a call, correct?"

"Yes."

"And during that call, Lieutenant Casey ordered Bryan Walker to go in with him, is that right?"

"I don't know." She replied, sparing another glance towards the Chief.

"Dawson isn't a part of the decision making when it comes to Casey and his firefighters. She was doing her job, as a paramedic." Boden spoke pointedly, Grissom nodding before looking back towards Dawson.

"Alright, well let me just ask you this… Were you able to hear anything through your radio about what was happening inside that fire?" He questioned, Gabby giving him a nod.

"I heard Matt calling for Walker to help him, begging for him to help him. And Walker never said anything back… Matt kept asking him what he was doing, and kept pleading for him to help. But he didn't, and then I heard what sounded like Matt falling and hitting the ground, then his radio cut out."

"Very well." Grissom responded, leaning back in his seat before glancing at the woman beside him. "Now, we've spoken with a lot of your fellow first responders, we spoke with Mr. Walker yesterday, and you know we've spoken with Lieutenant Casey… Based on what I'm hearing from you, and some things I heard from Mr. Casey, I have one last question for you, then you'll be free to leave." He spoke, Gabby nodding slightly. "I need to know if anything like what you're saying happened yesterday has ever taken place before…"

Gabby's eyebrows furrowed, the paramedic looking towards her boss before her eyes moved forward again. "What?"

"Has Bryan Walker ever assaulted you at the firehouse before yesterday?" Rebecca interjected bluntly, Gabby's body tensing at the question, her eyes darting back and forth between them. Sensing her hesitation, Rebecca sighed, leaning forward in her seat as she focused her gaze on Gabby. "I know this is personal, and I'm sorry… But right now, this entire thing is your word against his. Mr. Walker gave us a very different version of events than what you have, and what you told Mr. Casey. So we're just trying to get the full picture here, Miss Dawson." She explained, Gabby's leg beginning to shake up and down as nerves flooded her body. "We wouldn't be asking you if we didn't need to know… Has Mr. Walker assaulted you at Firehouse 51 before yesterday?"

With her jaw trembling slightly, Gabby slowly nodded, feeling Boden's eyes boring into the side of her head as she focused her gaze down on the table.

"Okay… when?" Rebecca asked softly, Gabby's leg continuing to shake as she forced herself to take a deep breath.

"A few weeks back, he, um- he shoved me into the lockers and pinned me there." She replied, seeing Rebecca write down something on the paper in front of her. "I had a few bruises and a sore shoulder from that, and maybe a week after that happened, he'd cornered me in the garage, and pushed me into the ambulance."

"Was anyone else there when those incidents happened?" Rebecca asked, Gabby shaking her head slightly. "Alright… were there any other times?" She questioned, Gabby clenching her eyes shut as she took another deep breath, her leg shaking almost violently as she tried to calm herself down.

"Um, yeah… there was, one time, a few years ago." She responded quietly, her voice barely audible as she tried to ignore the stares she felt on her.

"Did this incident occur when you and Mr. Walker were together?" Rebecca continued to press, Gabby giving her a nod. "What happened?"

"He, uh… He-" She cut herself off, Gabby sparing a quick glance towards Boden, seeing a mix of concern and anger shining in his eyes, the paramedic quickly looking away. "He… I was working, in the back of the ambulance one day on shift, doing inventory and everything. And he stopped by." She explained, her hand shaking in her lap. "He started… We were kissing, and he was wanting to have sex. But I said no… I tried to stop him, and he got angry." Gabby spoke, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat, feeling Boden's gaze on her, but she couldn't get herself to look towards him. "He pushed me onto the floor in the back of the ambulance, he was yelling.. I hit my head pretty hard. Then he, uh, grabbed my face- he was holding onto my jaw, told me I had to listen to him. And he tried to… continue, but then he got called out, and he left."

There was a heavy feeling in the air as she finished speaking, Gabby drawing in a shaky breath while she kept her eyes down towards her lap, missing the sad, concerned looks from everyone else in the room.

"Miss Dawson, I…" Rebecca trailed off, shaking her head as she glanced towards Grissom, the man wearing a similar look of shock on his face, Gabby refusing to look at any of them. She didn't want their pity, she was embarrassed enough as it was, she didn't need to see the looks on their faces to know exactly what they were all thinking. And she especially didn't want to dwell on the fact that these people, including her boss, now knew personal details about a relationship she just wanted to forget. "I'm very sorry that happened to you… Was it ever reported?"

"No." She replied quickly, Rebecca giving her a nod, even though Dawson didn't see it.

"Alright… Were there any other times at the firehouse?" She questioned, Gabby shaking her head. Knowing better than to push anymore, the woman nodded before closing the file in front of her as Grissom leaned forward to pause the recording of their conversation. "Okay Miss Dawson, thank you."

"Is that all?" Gabby asked, her nerves rising the longer she sat in this room, the paramedic feeling like she could throw up at any second.

"That's all for now, yes." Grissom spoke, sparing a glance at Chief Boden, who had yet to tear his devastated gaze away from Dawson. "We're going to figure out the best way to handle all this, but you've done all you need to do. You're free to leave now, Miss Dawson."

The second those words left his lips, she pushed herself up from her seat, Gabby hurrying towards the door and out of the room that just felt like it kept getting smaller and smaller. The second she was out in the hallway, it started to feel like she could breathe again, Gabby sucking in a deep breath as her nervous eyes darted around the room, quickly landing on exactly who she was looking for, finding his blue eyes waiting for her. She saw the concern in his gaze, Matt getting up as quickly as his injured body would allow while Gabby walked towards him and her parents, all three of them wearing similar looks of worry.

"Honey, are you alright?" Camila asked as Gabby came up to them, the mother reaching out to rub her daughter's arm, no one missing the tension coming off Gabby in waves as she was clearly upset about whatever had gone on in that room.

"I'm fine." She replied quietly, her eyes locking with Matt's yet again, the firefighter seeing more in one quick look than her words could ever explain. Casey's gaze flashed back towards the conference room, like he was debating whether or not to go back in there and yell at them for whatever had caused Gabby to be so rattled.

"You sure, mija?" Ramon asked, Gabby never taking her eyes off Matt. "What'd they say?"

"It's nothing, can we just-... I want to go home."

The words left her lips quickly, Camila and Ramon sharing a concerned look while Matt stepped closer, the man flashing her a soft, comforting smile, the gesture instantly putting her at ease. He, just like her parents, wanted to know what happened in that room, and what had been said to leave Gabby so upset, but those weren't answers he needed right this second. The hospital was not the place for this conversation, and Gabby didn't need to be forced into talking any more right now.

"Yeah, let's go home." He agreed, Gabby flashing him a weak, appreciative smile before they slowly began making their way to the elevators, Camila and Ramon following behind the couple as Gabby did what she could to help support his movements, all four of them just wanting to put these awful last twenty four hours behind them.

But with everything that had come to light since yesterday about their daughter's past relationship, and what all she'd gone through, they all knew that was something that would be easier said than done.


	51. Chapter Fifty

**Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all. Thank you for the support on the last one, I'm so glad to be back and working on this story for you all.**

**I'll go ahead and let you all know now, this chapter isn't super Dawsey-heavy. There's other aspects and dynamics of this story that I felt needed to be shown, but don't worry, they're still in this one, and there'll be a lot of them in the next one.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Stay safe, everyone.**

* * *

**FIFTY**

* * *

Matt stared up at the ceiling of his pitch black bedroom, his chest rising and falling steadily despite the extra weight resting on top of him as his girlfriend was nestled into his side. Her cheek was pressed against his bare chest, her hand resting lightly on his stomach as she slept, Gabby thankfully completely unaware of her boyfriend's current state of consciousness. He'd been awake for a while, but he'd opted to stay in his current position so he wouldn't wake the woman wrapped around him, Matt slowly moving his hand up and down along her bare lower back, his palm resting in the space where her tank top had ridden up during the night. His other hand was placed over hers on top of his torso, their legs tangled together underneath the sheets as they laid in the same position they'd fallen asleep in hours prior.

As he continued to move his palm in soothing circles over her skin, Matt did what he could to try and fall back asleep, his healing body screaming at him to get some rest. Which, admittedly, was something they'd both been struggling with since he returned home from the hospital.

Releasing a soft sigh, Matt spared another quick glance to the clock beside his bed, despite having checked in just moments prior, the red numbers quickly blinking back at him.

_4:45AM_.

If this were a normal day, his alarm would be going off here in a little while, and the couple would begin the process of getting ready for shift. They'd wake up, maybe spend some quality time in bed together, or share a shower with one another, before getting cleaned up and ready for work. One of them would make breakfast, and they'd spend their morning just being together before heading out to the station and going on about their day. But those things wouldn't be happening today, because this wasn't a normal day. They hadn't had any normal days, not since their last shift.

It had been three days since the accident that had landed him in the hospital, since Walker had choked Gabby in the locker room, and their lives had definitely not been business as usual since then. They'd been anything but. Since Camila and Ramon brought them both home from the hospital, Gabby and Matt hadn't left his apartment, nor had they barely even left his bedroom. And Gabby hadn't left his side once.

Aside from some lingering soreness and bruising, and a few scrapes here and there, he was fine, and fortunately for him, something that could've been life-threatening had left very little damage. But despite that, from the way Gabby had been acting, you wouldn't think he was fine at all. Not only had she not left him alone for more than a minute or two, it almost felt like she was afraid to. Like she was worried if she left him, something would happen to him. So they'd spent nearly every moment of these last few days together, locked away from the outside world safely in his apartment. Aside from Camila stopping by once with some food, and Matt having spoken to Antonio on the phone a few times, they'd had no communication with anyone, and the injured firefighter couldn't help but think that was for the best right now. And, thankfully, since Boden had told her she could have whatever time off from work she needed, Gabby was able to have time and space away from everything, and everyone, while she dealt with this.

Although, from what he could tell, and what he'd seen, he wasn't sure how much she was actually dealing with any of it.

In the couple of days that had passed since they got home, they hadn't really talked about it. They hadn't talked about Bryan, what happened in the locker room, or what had been happening… Gabby hadn't brought it up, and he was afraid to push her. From what little he did know, he knew how painful all of this was, and the last thing he wanted to do was make things harder for her. So he was fine to do this on her terms, and let her come to him when she was ready.

Casey was pulled from his thoughts when he felt movement against his chest, Matt glancing down towards his girlfriend, despite not really being able to see her in the dark, as he felt her head moving around slightly. Her hair tickled his skin while she shifted around, Matt continuing to move his thumb against her back as he waited to see if she was waking up, or simply readjusting in her sleep. But he soon got his answer when he heard a soft whimper escape her lips, Matt feeling her leg beginning to shake slightly against his underneath the covers as the muscles in her back tightened. It soon became clear to him what was going on, a frown pulling on his lips as he gave her side a slight squeeze, Matt doing what he could to pull her from whatever bad dream she was currently experiencing.

"Gabby…" He murmured against the top of her head as another sharp whimper escaped her lips, Matt shaking his head before he reached over and extended his arm to turn on the lamp, soft light flooding the room as he was able to get a better look at his distressed girlfriend. "Baby, wake up." He tried again, squeezing her side tighter and rubbing over her arm.

Before he could say anything else, she suddenly shot up in bed, Matt biting back a groan when she inadvertently pressed against his ribs in the process of sitting up. But he wasn't focused on the pain he was feeling right now as he saw Gabby sucking in deep breaths, her body hunched forward while she had her hand resting over her chest.

"Gabby." He spoke softly, his frown deepening when he rubbed his hand over her back and she jumped slightly at his touch, Matt applying a little more pressure on her exposed skin to help ground her as he carefully sat up, his body sore from the movement. "It's just me." He murmured, Gabby nodding slowly as she brought her hands up to her head, the startled woman pushing her hair back from her face as she continued to focus on steadying her breathing.

Keeping one firm hand on her back, he placed the other on her leg on top of the covers, Matt giving her a few seconds to gather her bearings as she fully woke up. He took slow breaths as well, knowing she could feel the rise and fall of his chest pressed against her arm, Gabby eventually dropping her hands back down to her lap and lifting her head up to meet his concerned gaze.

"Was it the same one?" He asked softly after giving her a once over, Gabby nodding slowly before relaxing back into him, Matt sliding his hand around her waist as she continued to take slow breaths.

The same thing had happened last night, Gabby being startled awake by a bad dream that was pretty much a repeat of what had happened that day in the locker room. Except for this time, she hadn't been able to fight him off. Thankfully, her waking up tonight hadn't been nearly as jarring as last time, it having taken Matt a lot longer to calm her down once she woke up. But he still hated that this was happening at all.

"You're alright." He murmured before pressing a kiss against the top of her head, Gabby nodding slowly before she began tossing the covers off of herself, exposing her bare legs to the cool temperature in the room. "Let me go get you some water." He offered as he returned his hand to her leg, his warm skin against hers hopefully bringing her some more comfort as she shook her head.

"No, you don't have to.. I'm fine." She responded softly, her voice barely audible as Matt drew in a slow, deep breath.

"You sure?" He questioned, Gabby giving him a quick nod.

"Yeah, I'm alright." She told him, flashing him a weak smile. "And plus you don't need to be up and moving around too much. You should be resting, I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't." He replied, Gabby catching his gaze before nodding slightly.

"Okay.. Well you should still try and get back to sleep. I'm just, uh- I'm gonna go to the bathroom. I'll be right back." She spoke quietly, Matt giving her a slight nod as she slowly began pulling away from him, his hand sliding down off her back as she pushed herself up out of bed.

"You sure you don't need anything? I don't mind." He offered again as she got to the doorway leading into his bathroom, Gabby reaching out to turn on the light in the small room before glancing back towards him, Matt seeing the clear exhaustion written across her face.

"I'm fine.. Promise." She assured him, Gabby watching him nod before she stepped into the bathroom and shut the door behind her, leaving it partially open before walking towards the counter.

Drawing in a deep breath, she turned the faucet on, leaning down to splash some water onto her face while she continued to calm herself down, the freezing cold water like a shock to the system as her mind began to clear. Letting the water continue to run, Gabby lifted her head up, focusing on her reflection in the mirror, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she fought off the memories of what had happened that seemed to keep creeping back in.

As she continued staring at herself in the mirror, Gabby felt anger begin to settle in the pit of her stomach as her eyes moved down towards the discoloration covering her neck, the bruises having gradually faded as the days went on, but not enough to where they weren't noticeable. And because of that alone, she could barely stand to look at herself, the sight of her bruised skin making her skin crawl as she forcefully turned the faucet off before turning away from the mirror, her breathing becoming more and more labored as she did what she could to ground herself. Gabby grabbed the wash cloth from the rack and began patting her face dry, wiping away the water that had mixed with a few tears that escaped down her skin, her anger continuing to build as more and more frustrated tears filled her eyes.

She hated what happened; what Walker had done to Matt, and to her… what she'd let him do for years. She hated that he'd put his hands on her, that he'd continuously hurt her, and that she'd continued to let him get away with it. She hated that she could still feel his hand gripping her throat, and how when she closed her eyes, all she could see was him charging at her in the locker room. She hated all of it, she hated every damn thing that had led to this happening.

But most of all, she hated that she couldn't help the small voice in the back of her head that kept telling her that she was to blame for this ever happening in the first place.

* * *

Severide shoved his hands into his pockets as he walked through the hallways of 51, the Lieutenant releasing a heavy breath as he continued the familiar path towards the common room, Kelly flashing weak smiles to the few people he passed on the way. As he stepped into the room, he couldn't help but notice the immediate uneasy feeling in the air- the same feeling that had been present since last shift, as no one really knew how to react to what had happened. What Walker did to Casey was bad enough, but finding out what had been done to Dawson… it was a shock to everyone, and to some of them it still didn't feel real. And they didn't know what to do.

"Hey."

Severide looked up at the voice, watching as Shay came up to stand beside him at the counter, Kelly seeing the concern rolling off of her as she tapped her foot quickly against the ground.

"Hey Shay." He replied, placing the pot of coffee back down before turning towards her, the blonde gnawing on her bottom lip. She still looked just as nervous as she did when he saw her this morning at home, Kelly reaching out to place a comforting hand on her arm. "Who's covering for Dawson?"

"Marc Hendrix." She responded softly, Kelly giving her a nod in response.

"Is he a good paramedic?" He questioned, his eyes moving around to make sure the man wasn't within earshot. Though Severide didn't know the relief paramedic personally, the name was familiar, and he wanted to know what kind of guy they'd have in the house for however long Dawson was out.

While they weren't positive Gabby would be taking some time off, no one was expecting her to be here today when they arrived, and when Shay and Kelly got in this morning and the paramedic was quickly whisked away into Boden's office, it wasn't surprising to learn that 61 would be having a relief paramedic for the time being. In fact, it would've been more shocking if they didn't.

"He is… Dawson and I have worked with him on a few calls before, he seems to know his stuff." She told him, shrugging softly. "He's no Gabby, but he'll be fine, until she's back."

"Yeah, until she's back." He repeated, squeezing her arm before he moved towards the small circular table behind him, Shay following his path.

"You still haven't heard from Casey at all?" The blonde asked, standing beside Kelly as he took a seat, the man glancing up at his best friend. "Sorry, I know I asked you already this morning, I just-" She cut herself off, waving her hand around in the air to express something she didn't know how to verbalize.

"It's fine, but no, I haven't." He told her, even though they both already knew the answer. "I'm guessing you still haven't heard from Dawson, either."

"No… I texted her again this morning, but she still hasn't responded to anything." She breathed out, Shay pulling out the chair beside him before practically falling down into it, Kelly clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth before responding.

"She's dealing with a lot right now." He spoke, the paramedic nodding quickly. "She'll talk when she's ready."

"I know she will, and I know she's got Matt to help her... I just- Part of me wants to go to Casey's place right now, just so I can see her and so I know she's okay." She told him, Kelly sucking in a sharp breath between his teeth as he shook his head.

"I don't think that's a good idea…"

"I know it's not a good idea, that's why I haven't done it." She replied quickly, Kelly nodding before he reached out to rub his hand along Shay's back, the firefighter sensing his friend's growing anxiety towards the situation. "I know the best thing I can do for her right now is to give her time, and to let her deal with all this however she needs to, but I just want her to know that I'm here."

"She does know that, Shay." He assured her, seeing her bite down on the edge of her lip. "She knows, and so does Casey. I know you want to help her, but I think the best thing you can do for her right now is to give her space… Let her deal with this however she needs to."

"Yeah, you're right…" She reluctantly admitted, shaking her head as she rested her hands down on the table. "But, if you can… can you at least try and talk to Matt today. Just so I know she's alright?"

"I will." He promised, Shay nodding thankfully just as movement behind her caught Severide's attention, the Lieutenant seeing Boden walk in with two new, yet familiar, faces following in after him.

"Hello everyone." He greeted, the Chief immediately gaining the room's attention as everyone turned towards him, seeing an unreadable expression covering his face. "As I'm sure you all figured out, we have some personnel changes happening here after everything that transpired last shift." He spoke, clearing his throat before continuing, ignoring the glances between his firefighters. "The department is still figuring things out on their end, but what I can tell you is that we will have some permanent changes coming here. But, those are decisions that will be made in time. For now, I want you to welcome back Allison Jenkins, who'll be filling in on truck." Boden spoke, clasping the firefighter on the shoulder.

"Welcome back, kid." Herrmann said from the couch, Allison flashing a grateful smile before nodding, everyone in the room giving her similar grins. While their last encounter with her had been a bit awkward, most of them remembering how she drunkenly kissed Casey after finding out she'd be moving on from 51, none of them had any issues with the firefighter. And, after all the changes they'd had around here, having someone back in the house who everyone knew was a bit of a relief.

"And Herrmann will be our acting Lieutenant, as well." Boden referenced the man who'd just spoken, his words earning a few more nods. "Now, I know that still leaves us one short on 81, which I'm working on rectifying. But for this shift, you'll be a man down."

"Understood, Chief." Herrmann replied without hesitation. "We'll be good to go, don't worry."

"Thank you… Also, we've got Marc Hendrix filling in for Dawson for the next few shifts. I know this is a lot of changes all at once, but under the circumstances, I assume you all understand."

"Absolutely, Chief." Cruz responded, his words and similar ones like it being echoed around the room.

"Good. Now, Jenkins, I know you know your way around, and Shay I trust you can help Hendrix here get the lay of land here."

"Of course."

"Good, well I-"

Boden's words were cut short as the bells rang out, signaling all companies out to an apartment fire. Smacking his lips together, Boden nodded as his firefighters and paramedics headed out towards the garage, all of them knowing this conversation could be finished later.

* * *

The squad Lieutenant blew out a tired sigh as he stared down at his phone, seeing the few simple words meant to answer his many texts from the last couple of days, Kelly running his hand over his mouth as he tried to decide if he should send a response or not.

'_We're hanging in there. Gabby's alright_.'

Matt hadn't given him much to go on, in fact he'd barely given him anything at all, but it was the assurance they were looking for that the couple was okay, even if Kelly had wished he'd gotten more out of his friend.

The sound of the door opening pulled his attention away from the screen, Severide looking up just as Shay and Hendrix walked inside from their latest call, Kelly flashing his best friend a soft smile when he caught her gaze.

"Hey, how was it?" He asked, Shay shrugging as she walked straight towards him.

"Nothing too bad."

"Good." He replied, the blonde nodding as she sat down in the same chair she'd occupied this morning. "So, I heard from Casey."

Those words caused Shay's ears to perk up, Kelly noticing that not only did she seem very interested in what he had to say, but the rest of the room did, as well, Severide seeing multiple pairs of eyes suddenly on him.

"What'd he say?" She asked quickly, Kelly handing her his phone, the paramedic reading it eagerly. "...That's it?" She questioned after a second, Shay tossing the phone down in frustration as she shook her head.

"Shay, what were you expecting? They've got a lot going on."

"Are they okay?"

Severide and Shay both looked towards the sound of Herrmann's voice, finding the older man's worried gaze focused on them, his eyes flickering between them and the phone now sitting on the table.

"Dawson and Casey… are they holding up alright?"

"They are." Kelly responded, Herrmann releasing a heavy, relieved breath as Severide's words hit his ears.

"Good." He said, rubbing his hand along the back of his neck as everyone was now focused on the conversation the two firefighters were having. "I've been worried about them… about Dawson, since everything that happened."

"Yeah, me too Herrmann." Severide agreed, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he leaned back in his seat. "But they're handling it, as best they can."

"Good, that's good." He repeated, his eyebrows furrowing as he was clearly deep in thought. "After hearing about what happened, and seeing Dawson at the hospital, I just- I haven't been able to stop thinking about it… all of it." He continued carefully, Herrmann knowing he was approaching dangerous waters. "Had he really been hurting her this entire time? And we just didn't see it?"

The entire room fell silent, everyone looking around at one another as Herrmann's words hung in the air. This was the first time any of them had directly mentioned Walker hurting Dawson since they'd left the hospital last shift, and though they'd all had a few days to stomach the news of what had gone on in that relationship, that didn't make it any easier to hear out loud.

"I… I don't know, Herrmann." Severide responded after a few heavy seconds, Christopher shaking his head.

"I can't believe it… I still just can't believe it. That he'd hurt her like that. And that we had no idea… Poor Dawson, I just- I can't believe this is happening. That it's been happening."

"Me neither." Otis spoke up, Severide glancing towards Shay, noticing his friend had been awfully quiet, the paramedic keeping her eyes down as she fidgeted in her seat.

"How did we not know?" Cruz continued, clearly still in shock over the whole thing. "Dawson had to have known we would've helped her, that if he was-" He cut himself off, shaking his head in disgust. "However long Walker had been hurting her, we would've helped."

"Guys, we have no idea what was going on, alright?" Severide interjected, seeing Shay tense by his side, his words causing everyone in the room to look at him. "Whatever he's done… that's not on Gabby."

"No, God no, that's not what I meant." Joe clarified, shaking his head. "I just meant I hate that she was going through that, and we didn't know… They were together for a long time, I can't imagine what that was like for her."

"You're right, we can't." Shay cut in bitterly as everyone looked towards the paramedic. "We have no idea what he put her through, or for how long. We don't know anything, except that she was going through it alone."

"So you didn't know, Shay?" Otis asked, the question causing the blonde's head to snap up, her eyes narrowing tightly as zeroed in on the firefighter.

"What?" Her voice was low, and barely audible, everyone sensing her anger at the question as Otis' eyes darted around before he responded.

"You didn't know this was happening?" He questioned again after clearing his throat, Shay's spine straightening as she sat up in her seat, the tension in the room growing.

"You think I would've just sat here and let it happen if I did?" She snapped, anger dripping from her words as Otis shook his head.

"Shay…" Severide tried, but she shook her head, the blonde's narrow gaze moving towards the Lieutenant.

"What? He thinks if I'd known my best friend was being abused, I wouldn't have done anything to stop it?"

"That's not what he said, Shay." Kelly spoke calmly, knowing well enough to know that Shay's anger wasn't really about what Otis had said. It wasn't about him at all; she was mad at herself, for not knowing sooner. It was a feeling she'd been holding onto since last shift, this feeling of guilt that was eating her alive, and Otis' question had done nothing but bring that guilt back to the forefront of her mind. "He was just asking a question, all of us are just trying to figure this out… He didn't mean anything by it."

"No, I didn't." Otis chimed in, shaking his head as Shay's much calmer gaze landed on him. "I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to imply anything, I just- I figured if anyone would've known, it would've been you."

"Yeah, me too." Shay spoke quietly, rubbing her hand over the side of her face before shaking her head. "But I didn't know… I mean, I-" She stopped herself, sparing a quick glance to Kelly before continuing, "I had a feeling, once, I guess… After something Walker had said, it didn't sit right with me, so I went and asked her. But she just told me nothing had happened, and asked me to drop it… But I shouldn't have. I should've done everything I could've to get her away from that bastard."

"I see you're just as sweet as ever, Shay."

The room fell painfully silent as they heard the familiar voice, Shay's head snapping towards the entrance to the common room as every first responder in the room looked towards the man they never expected to see here. Shay's blood began to boil as she looked at him, the paramedic sure she wasn't the only one feeling that way as her fists clenched on top of the table.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Walker?" Severide spat before almost violently pushing himself up from his seat, the chair scraping loudly against the ground as he moved.

"Well, hello to you too, Severide." He replied with a proud grin, Bryan crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against the doorframe, Kelly stepping around the table, coming to a stop behind Shay.

"You should leave. Now." Herrmann spoke just as roughly, the firefighter standing up from the couch while Bryan stayed rooted in his spot.

"Why? So you won't punch me again, old man?... How come you didn't get suspended for that, by the way?"

"You need to leave." Kelly spoke again, feeling his anger rising by the second as they all ignored Walker's question. "I don't know what you're doing here. Hell, I don't know how your ass isn't in jail right now, but you need to go."

"I'm not going anywhere, considering Boden was the one who called me, telling me to come here." He replied, a satisfied smirk covering his lips when he saw the looks of surprise covering their faces. "I know the Chief told me I was done at 51, that I was suspended or whatever, but if I were to guess, I'd say he's changed his mind."

"I doubt that."

"Why?" Bryan fired back, cocking his head to the side. "I have no reason to lose my job, because I didn't do anything… It's the same reason I'm not in jail right now, because me being in jail means I did something to Dawson, which I haven't-"

"Bullshit." Shay snapped angrily as she quickly stood up beside Severide, Walker raising his eyebrows in near amusement.

"What? You think I'm lying? I did nothing to her." He replied calmly, his demeanor only angering the paramedic further.

"Yes you did!"

"Why do you think that? Because she said I did?" He scoffed, shaking his head before he stood up straight. "You know, I remember what it was like around here before you all started believing all the bullshit Gabby would cry about… The entire time her and I were together, you all had no problems with me, but then the second we broke up and she started running her mouth, you all suddenly started believing whatever bullshit she'd say, when none of it was true."

"You can't be serious, are you fucking kidding me right now?" Severide asked in disbelief, Walker raising his eyebrows.

"What? I mean, don't you all think it's a little weird how she's claiming I did all these things to her, but she never said anything about it in the past…"

"She hasn't told us anything, it's you who was running your damn mouth." Shay replied firmly, as an unimpressed look covered Walker's face.

"I don't know what you all think you know, but I didn't do anything to her. If I did all these awful things back when we were together, don't you think you all would've known? You think if I was abusing Dawson when we were together, wouldn't you all have seen something? Oh, that's right, there was nothing to see, because I didn't do anything to her."

"You fucking choked her!" Shay shouted, her loud voice ringing throughout the room as a dry scoff left Walker's lips.

"I never touched her… Well, only in the ways she wanted me to." He replied with a smirk, his words eliciting looks of disgust from the first responders around the room, Shay shaking her head as she took a step forward.

"You asshole, there were handprint bruises on her neck… What? You think she did that to herself?"

"Hey, who knows what kind of kinky shit her and the Lieutenant are in to." He responded, shrugging his shoulders before taking a step backwards out into the hallway. "For all we know, Casey could've done that to her. I don't fucking know, but I didn't do a damn thing." He told them, his gaze moving down the hallway before he looked back towards the men and women in the common room. "Now as fun as this has been, I don't wanna be late for getting my job back… See you guys in a bit." He replied smugly, a light chuckle escaping his lips before he headed off down the hallway, leaving a group of angry and confused firefighters in the common room.

As he walked the familiar path towards Boden's office, Walker ignored the looks he was getting from the station's civilian employees, the man continuing towards the door with his head up high. He wasn't surprised to see the apprehension, Bryan sure they'd heard whatever bullshit version of events everyone had been lying about, but he didn't care what they thought. He knew what happened, and why he did what he did; they didn't need to understand anything.

When he got to the door, he stepped in through the open doorway, Bryan bringing his hand up to tap on frame, the sound gaining the Chief's attention. The second Boden looked up, Walker plastered a smile on his face, the Chief waving him inside.

"Walker.. Come in." He spoke, Bryan nodding as he stepped inside, closing the door behind him. "Have a seat."

"I've gotta say, Chief. I was a little surprised to be hearing from you so soon." Walker started as he sat down, the man sitting casually in the chair as his smile grew. "But I'm guessing I'm here because headquarters has gotten everything all sorted out?"

"They have." Boden replied, keeping his face blank as Walker gave him a nod.

"Good, that's good. I knew after I spoke with them last shift, it wouldn't take them long to figure out what happened. That this was all a misunderstanding. And I'm fine to let the whole thing go, and just move on." He spoke with a grin, Boden raising his eyebrows. "Emotions were high last shift, I think the best thing for all of us to do is just move past this mess." Bryan continued, the Chief shaking his head slightly as he held his tongue. "So, what did headquarters say? When can I start back?"

"You're not." He replied simply, Bryan's eyebrows furrowing in disbelief as he sat up straight in his chair.

"What?"

"The _only_ reason you are even allowed to step foot into this firehouse right now is so that I can tell you to your face that you are done." Boden continued, Walker pursing his lips together as he shook his head slightly.

"Chief-"

"How you could even come in here thinking you'd ever be allowed back to work in this firehouse is beyond me." Boden continued roughly, Walker's eyes narrowing as anger began to flood his body. "After what you did last shift alone, that's enough to get you thrown out on your ass. But then Dawson-"

"Oh, please." He huffed out exasperatedly, Boden narrowing his eyes slightly. "Gabby is not the fucking victim here, I didn't do anything to her." He continued, the Chief's face staying rigid. "The Casey thing.. I get it, I fucked up, but I don't deserve to be fired from 51 because of it. I'm a good firefighter-"

"You're a good firefighter who has an ego that'll get people killed." Boden interjected firmly, Bryan's neck tightening as he was cut off. "Casey saw it from the moment he got here, and he was right. Your actions could've gotten someone killed. And that _is_ enough for you to deserve to be fired… You are done, Walker."

"Fine." He conceded, shaking his head in anger. "I don't wanna be in this bullshit firehouse anyway." He spat, anger covering Boden's features. "You all care more about protecting liars than someone who's been completely dedicated to this house, and I'm over it. You all clearly don't want me here anymore, and I don't wanna be here, so where are they sending me?"

"Excuse me?"

"Headquarters. What house are they sending me to?" He asked, Boden raising his eyebrows in near shock.

"They're not sending you anywhere." He replied slowly, Boden seeing the immediate shift in Walker's demeanor.

"What do you mean?"

"You're not just done at 51, Walker. You're done in the department. You're out." Boden told him, the man's entire body going rigid as he tried to grasp what was being told to him. "That's why you're here, I got the call from headquarters an hour ago, just before I called you. You've been fired from the CFD.. I just asked that I be the one to tell you."

"You can't be serious." He scoffed, Boden raising his eyebrows.

"Walker-"

"This is fucking bullshit!" He shouted, angrily pushing himself up from his seat, the force of his movements causing the chair to fall back to the floor. "You all can't do this! You can't fire me because Dawson can't keep her fucking mouth shut!"

"Bryan-"

"I'm getting fired because Dawson gave you all some bullshit sob story about me choking her, when I didn't fucking do anything! And now I'm out of a job? That fucking bitch, I swear to God, she keeps ruining my life! This isn't right and you all fucking know it! I don't deserve to be fired, I swear to God I'm-"

"Walker!" Boden barked, his loud voice silencing the former firefighter as the Chief stood up, his body radiating the rage he felt as he stepped around his desk, Boden coming to stand face to face with Bryan. "You're getting fired for your actions, and for your actions alone. Your choices are what's caused this, so don't you dare try and turn this around on Dawson, or on anyone else. This is your doing."

"Chief-"

"Quiet." He growled, Bryan reluctantly closing his mouth. "And as for what you've done to Dawson," He started, his voice dripping with venom, "the only reason you haven't been thrown through a wall is because everyone out there wants to keep their jobs." His voice was dangerously low, Walker raising his eyebrows slightly as a stunned look covered his face, Bryan hearing an anger he'd never experienced from his Chief before. "You hurt Dawson. From your own admission, you'd been hurting her... You really think there's anyone here in this house who's okay with that? That there isn't a single person out there who doesn't want to hurt you the way you hurt her?"

"Chief, you don't know the whole story-"

"You're a coward, Walker." He cut in, his words causing more and more anger to rise within Bryan's chest. "Because only cowards hurt people who love them… They hurt people who they know won't fight back. You're nothing but a coward, and you have no place being in this firehouse- in _any_ firehouse. Which is why you're done at the CFD… Now get your things and get out of my house."

"Chief…"

"Get out." Boden repeated firmly. "Before I throw your ass out."

Clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, Bryan shook his head, the man clenching his hands at his side before a heavy scoff left his lips. "You're gonna regret this." He huffed out as he turned to leave, but he didn't get very far before Boden grabbed his arm, effectively stopping his path.

"I'd think very carefully about threatening me, Walker." His voice was low, the words barely audible as Boden's eyes were dark with rage. "This is no one's fault but your own, you better remember that." He added, Bryan roughly pulling himself from the Chief's grip, the men staring down one another before Boden nodded towards the door.

"Now get out of my firehouse."

* * *

"What time is he gonna be here?" Gabby asked as she walked into the living room, Matt looking up from his spot on the couch just as she began running her hands over the front of her jeans, her nervous energy radiating off her as a slight frown tugged on his lips.

"He said at 3:30," Matt started, sparing a quick glance at the clock, "so any time now." He replied, Gabby giving him a slight nod as she drew in a deep breath, Matt keeping his eyes locked on her.

She'd been like this for most of the day, ever since they'd gotten the call from Antonio this morning saying how he wanted to stop by and speak with them. And while he hadn't explicitly said the reason, they both know what he was coming by for; he wanted to talk about Walker. The thing they didn't know, however, was what all this conversation would entail.

While they still hadn't heard any word on what was happening with Bryan in regards to his standing in the fire department, from his conversations with the older brother, Matt knew Antonio was still working on finding the best course of action for Gabby to take from the CPD's side of things. But with how vague the detective had been in some of their talks, neither him nor Gabby were sure what to expect. They had no idea what all Antonio would need from the younger Dawson for them to make sure Walker was never able to hurt her again, and that uncertainty had left Gabby feeling a little uneasy about her brother's upcoming visit.

She'd spent the better part of her morning and early afternoon doing what she could to keep herself busy, and to help keep her mind off everything while Matt rested. Which, as he came to be reminded of when he finally emerged from his bedroom half an hour ago, meant her scrubbing down his entire apartment. While he prided himself on keeping a tidy home, between being in the hospital, and spending large chunks of his time either at the firehouse or at Gabby's apartment, his home had definitely seen better days. But Gabby's nervous energy had taken care of that in a few hours, his apartment looking as clean as it could possibly get while they waited for Antonio to arrive.

"Why don't you come sit down…" He prompted, seeing she hadn't made much of a move to do anything since she walked into the room. Nodding slowly, she took his suggestion as she walked towards him, Matt holding his arm out on the back of the couch, inviting her into his warm embrace before she slowly sat down. "You know this is gonna be fine, right?" He murmured once she'd settled, Gabby's tongue quickly poking out between her lips as she caught his gaze. "Whatever news Antonio has, it'll be okay…"

Slowly, Gabby nodded, Matt flashing her a comforting smile before leaning forward to press a soft kiss to her forehead.

"I love you." He spoke against her skin, Matt feeling her breath hit his neck as she released a soft sigh.

"I love you, too."

Their moment was interrupted by a sharp knock on the door, Matt beginning to push himself up before she could stop him.

"Matt, you need to be sitting down." She chastised, but he simply waved her off once he was steady, Matt shaking his head as he began moving towards the door.

"I'm fine, it's good for me to be up and moving around." He told her, Gabby shaking her head slightly as she watched him slowly walk to the front door, the firefighter turning the corner into the foyer just as there was another knock. When he got to his destination, he turned the lock before pulling the door open, his eyes landing on Antonio as the detective stood on his front porch. "Hey, sorry, I don't move very fast these days." Matt greeted lightly, trying to dissolve some of the tension in the air as his words brought a slight smile to Antonio's face.

"Yeah, well, falling through a building will do that… Gabby inside?"

"She is. Come on in." He spoke, stepping aside to give Antonio room to enter his home, Casey shutting the door behind them before slowly following the man into his living room.

"Hey sis." Antonio said warmly as he walked towards the couch, Gabby giving him a weak smile before he leaned down to press a quick kiss to her cheek.

"Hey Tonio." She replied, the older brother lingering for a minute before he pulled back and made his way towards the chair across from them, giving Matt room to reclaim his position next to Gabby.

"How are you guys doing?" He asked as Matt got settled, Antonio seeing his sister grab onto Casey's hand the second it was within reach.

"We're doing okay, considering." Matt spoke up first after Gabby stayed quiet, Antonio giving him a slow nod. "There's been some-"

"Just tell me what's going on." She cut in quickly, her abrupt words stunning them momentarily as both Antonio's and Matt's worried glances moved towards her, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before continuing. "Sorry, I'm sorry, I just- We can do the small talk later, I just want to know what's happening with Bryan." She told them, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat as Antonio gave her a nod.

"I understand, sis." He replied, clearing his throat before continuing. "So, uh basically, where we're at right now is it's up to you to decide where we go from here." He started, Matt feeling her tense by his side. "We've gotten all the statements we can, I've gotten a copy of the transcript of Bryan speaking with both Halstead, and the fire department, and both of those went about as I expected… He said nothing happened, that he never choked you, or ever even hurt you." He spoke, Matt's free hand clenching in anger in his lap as Gabby nodded slightly. "Now, obviously, we know that asshole is lying… But the problem with these situations is that it's your word against his. No one else was there, and there's no cameras in the locker room at the firehouse, so we have no way to confirm what happened."

"So he'll just get away with this?" Matt asked quickly, his tone firm as anger washed over him. "He's been abusing Gabby, and he just gets off?"

"That's not what I'm saying." Antonio was quick to clarify, Matt's face softening slightly when he felt Gabby squeeze his hand. "Trust me, I'm just as angry about this as you are, and I want to see that bastard rot in prison, but it's not that simple. As far as the courts would be concerned, it's a he-said, she-said… And because no other abuse has ever been reported, all they'd have to go on is the bruises on her neck, and testimony from people who weren't there. So, honestly, I'm not sure what would happen." He admitted, Gabby drawing in a shallow breath as she felt her heart rate began to quicken in her chest. "But with all that being said, I still think you should press charges for him assaulting you at the firehouse." He told them, Antonio seeing a look of slight surprise covering his sister's face.

"You do?" She asked him, earning a nod from her big brother.

"I do. As your big brother, and as someone who's seen a lot of these cases over the years, I think you should." He replied, Matt rubbing his thumb along the back of Gabby's hand. "I think we need to at least try and make him pay for what he did to you. And you know I will fight like hell for you, and do whatever I can to make sure this goes our way… But this is ultimately your decision, and before you make it, I need it to be clear that I can't guarantee anything."

"I know." She responded softly.

"Alright… We already have everything we'd need on our end to get the process started, if you decide that's what you wanna do. But, until then, in situations like this, what we first advise people to do is get away from the person who's a-" He cut himself off, Antonio running his hand over his mouth before he cleared the emotion from his voice, "-from the person who's abusing them. Which you've done. And him getting fired from the department, that'll help." He spoke, looks of confusion covering their faces as Matt spared a quick glance at his girlfriend.

"What?" She asked, Antonio's eyebrows furrowing slightly.

"They fired him?" Casey supplemented, the detective nodding slowly as he looked back and forth between them.

"Yeah, they did… Boden called and told me earlier, I figured you two would've known."

"No, we didn't." Matt replied, squeezing Gabby's hand tightly. "We haven't really talked to anyone from the house that much."

"Oh, I didn't know… But yes, Walker's been fired from the department. He's done. So you won't have to worry about him, when you go back. And really, there should be no place you'd have to worry about seeing him… which kind of leads me to my next point." He told them, Antonio's gaze locking on his sister before he continued. "I think it's time you get a restraining order against him." He spoke firmly, Gabby's reaction giving him little insight as to what was going on in her head. "I know I've talked to you about this before, and you didn't want to, but Gabs, I don't think we have a choice anymore… He choked you in a firehouse full of people, I don't want to find out what he'll do if he gets alone with you again."

"I know." She murmured as she looked down at hers and Matt's conjoined hands, missing the look of sadness that flashed in her brother's eyes.

"I think it's the best, and safest, thing for you to do. Because while I can't guarantee I can get him charged with assault, I can sure as hell promise you that I can get a judge to sign off on a restraining order." He breathed out, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek as fresh tears began clouding her vision, her emotions beginning to hit her all at once. "You need to do this, sis."

"I know I do, and I will." She agreed, clearing her throat before she looked back up, Matt seeing a lone tear escape down her cheek. "Whatever you think I should, I'll do it, I just- I'm sorry, Antonio."

Her apology surprised both the men in the room, the older Dawson immediately shaking his head as he leaned forward in his seat. "What? What are you sorry for? You didn't do anything wrong." He told her, watching as Matt rubbed her back, Gabby gnawing on her bottom lip while he spoke.

"For not coming to you sooner…" She admitted quietly, Antonio's heart breaking in his chest as he felt tears building behind his eyes. "For not listening when you told me to get that restraining order… I should've listened, or told you what was going on."

"Gabby, this isn't your fault." Antonio replied quickly as he pushed himself up from his chair, the older brother coming around to sit on the coffee table in front of his sister. "None of this is. You have _nothing _to be sorry for, sis." He promised her, Gabby giving him a slight nod before looking towards Matt, seeing a similar sadness shining in his eyes.

"Your brother's right." He said, mustering as supportive of a smile as he could manage. "You're not to blame for this. This is only on him." He promised her just as he had before, Gabby taking a deep breath before she nodded, the paramedic looking back towards her brother.

"I'll, uh- I want to press charges." She spoke softly, Antonio immediately nodding as he placed his hand on her knee, giving her leg a supportive squeeze.

"Okay, when I get back to the district, I'll get started on that… And everything with the restraining order." He told her, Gabby giving him an agreeing nod as Antonio let out a soft sigh, seeing the clear exhaustion present across his sister's face. Before he said anything else, Antonio got up from his makeshift seat on the coffee table, placing a soft kiss to the top of her head before standing up straight and making his way away from the couch. "I'm gonna get out of here, get started on everything… I'll keep in touch, let you know how everything's going, and what all I need from you guys once this gets rolling, but for now, just leave it to me."

"Thanks Tonio." She nearly whispered, Matt nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, thank you Antonio." He echoed, the detective nodding before taking another step towards the door.

"I'll show you out." Gabby spoke, the big brother nodding as she pushed herself up from the couch, leaving Matt alone in the living room as she followed him into the foyer.

When they got to the front door, Antonio's steps slowed, his hand lingering on the handle before he turned towards his sister, Gabby watching him closely. "...You'll let me know if you need anything?" He asked, Gabby giving him a slow nod. "I mean, I know you've got Casey, and Mom and Dad, but I'm always here for you, sis… With whatever you need."

"I know you are." She responded before wrapping her arms around his neck in a secure hug, Antonio quickly reciprocating the gesture. "But you're doing more than enough already."

"No, I'm not." He replied, rubbing over her back before they pulled away from one another, Antonio reaching to pull the door open, Gabby stepping back to get out of his way. "And, uh… before I go, there's something I need to tell you." He started as he stood just outside Casey's front door, Gabby raising her eyebrows as she moved closer to him, "I didn't know what I'd be finding when I read it, but, when I went to read Walker's transcript from his meeting with the department, I read yours too…"

Antonio saw the exact moment his sister registered the weight of his words, all the color draining from Gabby's face as he shook his head in near disbelief.

"I, um- I needed to check and make sure the information was the same as what you told me, and I, uh… I saw what you'd said happened at the firehouse… What he did to you." Gabby bit down on the inside of her cheek roughly, doing what she could to keep her tears at bay as she saw a mixture of absolute rage and complete devastation playing across her brother's face. "I'm… I'm sorry I saw it. I didn't know it'd be in there, and I know you didn't tell me yourself, but I just- God, Gabby, I'm so sorry." He breathed out, his words getting caught in his throat as he tried to keep his emotions in check, Gabby quickly wiping away the water gathering under her eyes before Antonio wrapped her up in another hug. Gabby nearly melted into her brother's arms, fresh tears pricking the edges of her eyes as she held onto him tightly. "I'm so, so sorry, Gabs."

"It's okay, Antonio."

"No. No, it's not… And nothing can ever make it okay." He replied as he pulled back, Antonio cupping the side of her head. "But I'm gonna do everything I can to make sure he never hurts you again. I swear to you, whatever I have to do, I'll do it."

"I know." She murmured, Antonio nodding as he dropped his hand from her face, the brother giving her one last supportive smile before he stepped away, Gabby crossing her arms over her chest.

"And, uh- does he know?" Antonio asked as he stopped on the first step, his eyes flashing towards the windows into Matt's apartment before landing back on his sister, the answer to his question written across her face. But the slight shake of her head gave him the actual confirmation he was looking for, both of them knowing he meant more than just what happened in the back of the ambulance. "...Are you gonna tell him?"

"I am… At some point." She replied softly, Antonio nodding. "I'm just... not ready yet."

Knowing there was no more to be said, Antonio gave her another nod before he continued down the steps onto the sidewalk, the older Dawson glancing back towards Gabby. "You take all the time you need, he'll be there when you're ready." He told her, Gabby nodding slightly as she took a step back into the apartment. "I love you, sis."

"Love you, too." She responded before closing the door, securing it firmly in place before turning back around, Gabby taking a deep breath before she walked back into the living room, finding Matt exactly where she'd left him.

"Hey." He murmured, Gabby smiling softly as she moved towards the couch and sat down beside her boyfriend, wasting no time curling into his side as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Hi." She responded, nuzzling her head against his chest as she huddled against him, Matt sensing her need to be close to him as he tightened his grip around her body.

"You need anything?" He questioned after a few silent moments, Gabby shaking her head before pressing a kiss over his t-shirt covered chest.

"Just you." She admitted, Matt unable to stop the slight smile that tugged on his lips as he placed a gentle kiss to the top of her head, feeling Gabby release a content sigh as he held onto her with all the strength he had.

"Well, you've got me… You always have me."


	52. Chapter Fifty One

**Hi everyone! I'm back with the next chapter for you all. Thank you so much for the feedback you left me on the last one, I'm glad you all enjoyed it. Thanks for coming back to read this one.**

**I hope you enjoy. Stay safe, everyone.**

* * *

**FIFTY ONE**

* * *

Gabby stepped through the doorway into her boyfriend's bedroom, the sound of the shower filling her ears as she carried the full laundry basket towards his dresser. Blowing out a heavy sigh, she pulled open his top drawer before reaching to grab a small pile of clothes, stacks of both his clothing and hers residing in the basket as she methodically put them away in their rightful place. It had been this way for a while, her clothes having their own spot in his drawers and his closet, just as his belongings had a home in her apartment as well, Gabby placing her clean underwear next to his before she continued on to the next drawer. While there hadn't been any talks of them moving in together, it was no secret how both their apartments looked like they were inhabited by two people. Parts of her were littered throughout his entire home, just as pieces of Matt had taken over her place as well, but she wouldn't want it any other way.

As she continued putting their clothes away, she faintly heard the water shut off, Gabby listening as Matt stepped out of his shower, no doubt continuing through his nightly routine before bed. Just as she had finished putting away the last of his sweatpants, she heard his feet padding against the hardwood floor, Gabby looking up from her squatted position on the ground as her boyfriend walked into the room, covered by nothing but the towel wrapped around his waist as water droplets ran down his chest. He flashed her a soft smile when he caught her gaze, Gabby reciprocating the gesture as she stood back up and grabbed the laundry basket off the top of the dresser so she could return it to its rightful place in his closet.

"How was your shower?" She asked as she walked past him, Matt grabbing one of his clean pair of boxers she'd just put away before turning towards her, watching as she moved comfortably around his room.

"It was good." He replied, Matt placing the clothing down on his bed before he reached for his towel and pulled it from around his waist, Gabby walking back towards him as he began drying himself off. As she moved closer, her gaze trailed over his bare form, Gabby's eyes lingering on the different bruises still marking his skin.

It had been a week and a half since his accident, and in that time the bruises littering his skin had slowly been healing. Some were completely gone, like the smaller ones on his arms, legs and face, those had healed relatively quickly. But the harsher ones, the deep bruise wrapping around his side, covering the entirety of his back and most of his chest, as well as a dark purple mark along his hip bone from where he took the brunt of the impact, those still hadn't gone away. Those bruises had lingered on his skin, reminding them both every day of what had happened. Just like the fading handprint bruises on her neck did.

But Matt was getting better, and that's what Gabby chose to focus on. Aside from his bruises slowly fading, his ribs were healing well, too, and any cuts he'd had were slowly getting better. With each passing day, Matt was getting back to his old self, and with him having only one shift left of serving out his suspension, he was itching to get back to work.

"You okay?"

His voice snapped her vision into focus, Matt noticing how she'd been staring at him, but her face had been blank, Gabby blinking quickly as he began to slowly put on his boxers.

"Yeah, I'm good… Sorry." She replied, Matt shaking his head as he pulled the clothing up his legs, his body still a little stiff when he moved.

"It's alright, just wasn't sure what you were thinking about." He responded, the elastic slapping against his skin as he got his boxers in place, Gabby's eyes moving down towards the ground as he picked his towel up off the bed.

"You, mostly." She spoke, her words bringing a soft smile to his face.

"Well, I can't say I blame you." He told her, Matt pressing a quick kiss to the side of her head before he passed her, the man moving back towards the bathroom to hang up his towel while Gabby stayed beside the bed. He was gone for all of a few seconds, Gabby fiddling with the hem of his shirt that was covering her body as he came back into the bedroom. "So… how would you feel about a movie before bed?" He questioned as he came to a stop beside her, Matt's hand immediately moving to wrap around her waist. He felt her tense for a split second underneath his touch, but she immediately relaxed, Gabby turning to look at him as his face was inches from hers.

"I'd say that's fine… as long as you let me choose." She replied with a soft grin, Matt narrowing his eyes teasingly as he rubbed along her side, his other arm wrapping around her front before he locked his hands together around her waist. "We had Thai for dinner because that's what you wanted, the least you could do is let me choose the movie." She told him with a knowing look, Matt sighing softly before giving her body a light squeeze, her shirt bunching up underneath his grip.

"Fine, I suppose we can do that." He caved, though he had no objections to her request in the first place. "But I want popcorn."

"I figured that was a given." She responded, Matt scoffing lightly before he closed the distance between them, kissing the smirk off her lips. He felt her body completely relax into his, Matt smiling softly against her as she turned in his arms, facing her body towards his before he pulled her flush against him. His hands slid down past her waist, finding themselves underneath her shirt, a low groan escaping the back of his throat when he was reminded of just how little was left to the imagination with the underwear she was wearing, Gabby slowly pulling back after a few long moments.

"So…" Matt spoke after they caught their breath, Gabby raising an eyebrow as she felt him squeeze her butt gently. "Are you making the popcorn?" He questioned, Gabby rolling her eyes before she carefully pulled away from his embrace, Matt missing her warmth instantly as she headed for the door.

Within minutes, Gabby found herself curled up on the couch while Matt was in the kitchen making the popcorn he'd tried to get her to make, the woman flipping through Netflix as she searched for anything they could watch, Gabby wanting to find something they'd both enjoy. Just as she made her selection, Matt stepped back into the living room, a bowl of popcorn in one hand, the boyfriend juggling a glass of wine and a beer in the other.

"Thanks, baby." She murmured before taking the drinks from him, Gabby placing them both down on the end table before he handed her their snack as well.

"Anything for you." He replied jokingly, Gabby chuckling dryly as she watched him move around the apartment, Matt checking to see if the front door was locked, as well as making sure to close all the curtains in the room before they started their movie.

As he was making his way back towards the couch, the faint sound of Gabby's phone ringing in the kitchen stopped him in his path, Matt glancing towards his girlfriend who had a soft smile on her face.

"Do you mind?" She questioned, Matt shaking his head before he took long strides towards the kitchen, Gabby staying in her comfortable spot while he searched for her phone. He soon found it sitting by the sink, Matt quickly picking it up and glancing towards the caller ID.

"It's Shay." He called before walking back towards the living room, Matt never receiving any response from his girlfriend. "Babe?" He asked as she came into view, Matt watching as she shook her head slightly.

"Just let it go to voicemail." She replied, Matt drawing in a deep breath just as the phone stopped ringing. Nodding slowly, Casey resumed his path towards the couch, turning her phone in his hand before he held it out to her, Gabby flashing him a weak smile before she grabbed it from him and placed it on the arm rest.

As Matt settled down into the couch, he kept some distance between them, Gabby mindlessly snacking on the popcorn in her lap before she reached for the remote, sparing a quick glance to her boyfriend.

"Ready for the movie?" She asked quietly, Gabby trying to avoid the heavy feeling that had settled around them.

"Yeah, uh-" He stopped himself, Matt clearing his throat as he angled his body towards her. "Before that… can we talk?" He questioned, Gabby gnawing on her bottom lip before giving him a slight nod. "Have you spoken to them… Shay, or anyone?" He asked, even though he already knew the answer. But he was hoping it could be a lead-in to a much deeper conversation he needed to have with her, Matt watching as her eyebrows furrowed slightly at his question.

"No, I haven't… You know that." She murmured, Matt drawing in a deep breath before nodding.

"I know." He replied quietly, reaching out to place his hand over her blanket-covered leg. "I just wasn't sure if you'd thought any more about talking to Shay… I know from the few times I've spoken with her that she misses you." He continued carefully, feeling her body tense underneath his touch.

"I know she does… I just don't know what to say to her." Gabby admitted softly, Matt giving her leg another squeeze, silently encouraging her to look up at him. "She knows now." She continued, Matt remaining quiet while she spoke. "She knows that Bryan had been-" Gabby cut herself off for a split second, crossing her arms over her chest in a protective manner. "She knows about what he did, the entire house does, and I don't know what to say to them… Shay, and all of them- they're gonna wanna know what happened, and I can't…"

"You don't have to tell them anything you don't want to." He finally cut in when he saw her struggling to get the words out, Matt grabbing the bowl of popcorn from her lap and placing it on the coffee table, before he gently grabbed her legs and shifted her body so she was angled towards him. This was the closest they'd gotten to talking about any of this, and he wanted to make sure she kept talking for as long as she felt comfortable. "None of them would ever make you talk about it, Gabby… Especially Shay." He murmured, returning his hands to her legs as Gabby sucked in a deep breath. "Everyone's feeling awful, about not knowing sooner, and not being able to help you," Those words caught her attention, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip as she met his warm gaze, "but that doesn't mean they'd _ever_ try and force you to talk about the things Walker put you through."

"But they'd want to know." She replied, Matt stroking his thumb along the inside of her thigh. "They'd look at me, and even if they don't say it, I know that's all they'd be thinking about… They're never going to be able to look at me the same way because they know what he did."

"Gabby…"

"I don't know how to face them after this." She spoke, the tone in her voice surprising the both of them, Gabby closing her eyes as she brought her hand up to cover her face, Matt's eyes shining with sadness as he continued to rub comforting patterns over her leg. "I… Bryan nearly took everything from me." Her voice was barely audible, Matt feeling his stomach drop as he heard the pain in her words. "He tried to take everything, but the one thing I had was no one at the firehouse knew… No matter what Bryan was doing, they just saw me as Gabby. They didn't know what he'd done, they had no reason to treat me any differently… But now? That's all gone. He took that away."

Her leg began to bounce nervously underneath his touch, Matt's worried gaze focused on her as she looked down to her lap. "Gabby… I can't say for sure how they'll see you once you get back to work." He spoke honestly, Gabby's bottom lip trembling slightly before she bit down on it harder. "I wish I could say that won't happen, but I can't. I don't want to lie to you and say nothing will be different, but it's just because they're worried about you… And they feel awful for what had been happening and they weren't able to stop it. How they might see you now, that's not because of you, or anything you did. You didn't do anything wrong, baby." He told her, Gabby sniffling softly as he moved his hand up closer to her hip, Matt doing whatever he could to comfort her. "I know this isn't fair to you, the firehouse knowing things that happened between you and Bryan, when you didn't want them to know, but you have nothing to be ashamed of… If they treat you differently, it's because of how they feel. It's not anything you did." He paused to take a breath, Gabby slowly lifting her head to meet his gaze, finding nothing but love and honesty shining back at her. "And the entire house, especially Shay, just wants to know you're alright… That's all they're focused on right now."

"Okay." She murmured, Matt lifting his hand up to cradle the side of her face, his thumb stroking along her cheekbone softly as she leaned into his hand.

Their moment was interrupted by the sound of Gabby's phone ringing yet again, Matt slowly dropping his hand as she turned back slightly, her new position making it difficult to see her phone, the woman picking it up off the side of the couch and bringing it into view.

"Shay again?" Matt asked, Gabby shaking her head as she wiped away an unshed tear.

"My brother." She replied, Matt nodding understandingly as he watched her take the call, Gabby immediately putting it on speaker phone before placing the phone down on top of her leg. "Hey Antonio."

"_Hey sis… How are you doing?_" He asked, Antonio starting this conversation just as he'd done the many others they'd had over the last week and a half.

"I'm alright." She responded, catching Matt's knowing gaze before continuing. "Are you calling about the case?" She cut right to the chase, Gabby knowing the only reason her brother would be calling her this late was to talk about Walker.

"_I am, yeah._" He replied, Gabby and Matt both hearing him clear his throat before he spoke up again. "_I was just calling to get you all caught up to speed on where we're at. Gabby, I know you told me about the few times Walker hurt you with witnesses around- when he shoved you into the bar at Molly's, and the time at that diner, and we've gotten statements from people who saw both of those instances. Burgess talked to Shay and Herrmann, got them to give their side of things from that night when he shoved you into the bar. And we found Maurice Fenton…_" Antonio spoke up, confusion covering Matt's face as he spared a glance at his girlfriend.

"You were able to find him?" Gabby asked, her surprise evident. While she remembered the first name of the man who had helped her the night she went to that diner with Bryan, she didn't have much more than that to give her brother, so Gabby didn't have the expectation of her brother being able to find him. But clearly, Antonio was even better at his job than she thought.

"_We were, Halstead and I tracked him down, and he gave us his version of what he saw that night… How you and Bryan were arguing, and he was trying to get you to stop, then he grabbed you as you were trying to leave. That you asked him repeatedly to let you go, and said he was hurting you, but Bryan refused. Then Maurice said that's when he stepped in and came over, told Bryan to let you go and then he stormed out._" Antonio explained, Matt frowning as the pieces came together in his mind, the man being reminded of hearing about that night at the diner, and how he'd seen the bruise left on her arm because of it. "_So we've got witnesses on our side for both of those instances, which only helps us prove he's been aggressive towards you in the past._"

"Good… that's good." Gabby mused, the woman focusing on the feeling of Matt's hand gently rubbing over her leg, the action keeping her calm.

"_And, uh, I know we've already talked to you guys, but I do need a few more things from you, from the both of you…_" Antonio continued as Gabby's eyebrows furrowed slightly. "_Is Matt there_?"

"Yeah, I'm here." Casey spoke up.

"_Good. Matt, I'm gonna need to get a statement from you_."

"From me?" He asked, confusion laced in his voice as he looked towards his girlfriend. "I mean, whatever you need me to do, I'll do it… But I wasn't there any of the times he-" Matt cut himself off, knowing he needed to be careful of how he approached this topic. "I haven't really seen anything." He rephrased, giving Gabby's thigh an extra squeeze. "I'm not sure how a statement from me could help."

"_Trust me, it'll help. You were at Molly's the night he cornered Gabby when she was leaving the bathroom, you saw him holding her arm, and you had to make him let go… That'll help us._" Antonio spoke, Matt quickly finding Gabby's gaze, the boyfriend giving her a supportive smile. "_But more so than that, what I need from you is your statement on what happened after all those times where he hurt her._"

"What do you mean?"

"_I know you weren't there for anything that happened before they broke up, but after… You, more than anyone, saw how things affected Gabby. Not only did you see all the bruises, but you saw the emotional toll it took on her as well. So, hearing what that was like for her, from you.. that'll help us._"

Matt drew in a deep breath before nodding, more so for Gabby's benefit than Antonio's, as he looked back to the screen. "Alright… I can do that. Like I said, whatever you need me to do, I'll do it."

"_Thank you… And, uh, Gabby? There is one more thing I need from you…_" Antonio spoke, both Matt and Gabby sensing the apprehension in his voice.

"What is it?" She questioned, Gabby hearing her brother take a deep breath before he responded.

"_I need to know what happened… All of it._"

Gabby's breath caught in her throat as her eyes immediately darted down towards her lap, Matt's sad gaze focused on her as a heavy silence filled the air around them.

"_...I'm sorry, Gabs. I wish I didn't need to know, but we do. The last thing I want to do is make you go through everything, but we need to hear what all he's done. If this thing goes to trial, it's gonna come up, and we need to know._"

Her jaw trembled as she drew in a deep breath, Gabby's eyes staying closed as she lifted her hand up towards her head, her fingers pinching the bridge of her nose to try and get rid of the pressure building behind her eyes.

"_I wish I didn't have to ask you to do this, sis. I really do._" He continued when she had yet to say anything. "_I've tried to think of any possible way for us to do this, without making you relive that again, but we can't. We're trying to show the pattern of abuse, and for us to do that, we need to know everything._"

Blinking back the tears in her eyes, Gabby slowly lifted her head, quickly finding Matt's worried gaze before she cleared her throat, the woman trying to find her voice.

"Okay… Uh, when do you- when do we need to do this?" She asked unsteadily.

"_As soon as possible… Casey, if you feel up for it, you two could come by the district tomorrow, and we could talk to both of you._"

Matt heard his girlfriend release a shaky breath, the man's concern growing as he reached for one of her hands that were resting in her lap, Gabby giving it willingly before she nodded slowly.

"That's fine, Antonio." Matt spoke up, squeezing her hand gently before giving her a strong, supportive smile. "We'll stop by tomorrow morning."

"_Alright… I'll see you guys then. I love you, Gabs._"

"Love you, too." She murmured, her voice barely audible before she ended the call, the immediate silence around them nearly deafening. He gave her a moment to breathe, Matt sensing her immediate change in demeanor once she'd agreed to telling her brother all that had happened. It was something they knew might be a possibility, but one they hadn't really talked about. Because they hadn't talked about anything, not where Bryan was concerned.

"Gabby…"

"I'm fine." She quickly interjected, Matt taking a slow breath as he kept his eyes on her. He could see her pulling away from him, physically and emotionally as she slowly dropped his hand, her gaze focused anywhere but him.

"You're not fine." He replied softly, knowing he was approaching dangerous territory, Gabby's head lifting up to meet his eyes, an unreadable expression covering her face. "You're not fine, and that's okay. You don't have to be-"

"Please, stop." She spoke quickly, her words nearly pleading for him to drop this, Gabby knowing they were close to the point of no return for this conversation she'd been desperately trying to avoid. "I'm okay, we don't need to do this… I'll talk to my brother tomorrow, then it'll just be over, you don't need to worry about me."

"Gabby…"

"I'm fine!" She shouted, the tears filling her eyes betraying her as Gabby's jaw trembled, Matt feeling his heart tighten in his chest as he saw her slowly begin to crumble in front of him. While her words had been loud, they weren't filled with anger. They were Gabby trying to hold herself together, but he knew it wouldn't be long before she couldn't do that anymore.

"You can talk to me, baby." He murmured, inching closer to her as she brought her hands up to cover her face, Matt's frown deepening when he saw her shaking slightly, Gabby choking out a breath before she reluctantly looked back towards him.

"What is there to say?" She questioned roughly, Gabby angrily wiping under her eyes before she continued. "That I was an idiot, who stayed in a relationship with a man who hurt me?" She asked, her harsh words filling his eyes with fresh tears. "That I stayed with him just because I believed every stupid fucking lie he told me? Every time he said that he was sorry, that it wouldn't happen again… Every time he yelled or got mad, and made me feel like I somehow caused all this? That every time he got angry enough that he'd hit me, he made it seem like it was my fault?" Her voice faltered as those last words left her lips, a lone tear escaping down her cheek as Matt's heart nearly collapsed in his chest, the brutally honest words tearing through him as she finally admitted to what she'd been hiding for a long time. "Is that what you want to hear? That I was so fucking stupid to believe he actually loved me?"

He could barely hear her by the end, her voice breaking as more and more tears flooded her eyes, Matt's distraught gaze locked on her as he quickly shook his head.

"You weren't stupid, Gabby…" He murmured as Gabby blinked quickly, the action causing more tears to fall down her face as she slowly met his eyes.

"I thought he loved me."

The honesty in her words broke his heart, Gabby's small voice springing fresh tears to his eyes as he did his best to stay strong for her.

"I… God, I sound so pathetic. Of course he never loved me." She spoke, wiping the water from her skin as she shook her head angrily. "You don't do that to someone you love, and he did it over and over again." She could barely get the words out, Matt swallowing the thick lump that had formed in his throat as she spoke. "If he ever loved me, he would've never… he wouldn't have hurt me the way he did. But he kept saying he was sorry… how he just got mad, and he didn't mean to take it out on me. That he loved me, and it would never happen again… But it always did."

"Gabby…" He murmured, the two locking teary eyes, silence surrounding them for a moment before she spoke.

"...The first time it happened, I didn't know what to do." She said, Matt drawing in a deep breath as he braced himself for the conversation that was coming. "I… It was maybe a year into our relationship, he'd gotten his ass handed to him on shift for messing up on a call. Boden let him have it, and Stephens, the Lieutenant before you, he chewed Bryan out, too… He was so angry, he wouldn't even talk to anyone the rest of shift. When we got back to his place, I tried to talk to him about it… I tried to make him feel better, telling him that stuff like that happened, and pretty soon it would all be forgotten, but he was just so angry…" Fresh tears filled her eyes as she relieved the memory, Matt keeping his hands on her legs, trying to give her any silent comfort that he could. "And he just snapped… He got up in my face, screaming at me about how I couldn't understand because I was just a 'dumb paramedic'. Then he pinned me against the counter, so hard to the point I couldn't move… He'd grabbed my arms and just kept yelling at me. He held on so tight, I had bruises for weeks. And before he let me go, he grabbed onto my face, hard enough to hurt my neck, and told me that I needed to learn how to keep my mouth shut… and then he just left." She explained, her voice barely above a whisper as she relieved the memory she hadn't told anyone, compassion mixed with anger shining in Matt's eyes. "That was the first time he'd actually grabbed me and hurt me… and I just remember standing there, waiting for him to hit me. But he didn't… not that time." She told him, her heavy words hanging in the air around them, nearly suffocating them both.

"...But that was the first time I'd ever truly been scared of him." Gabby continued after she'd taken a moment to breathe. "He'd always been a little controlling, and would talk down to me… I guess I didn't realize it at first, or I ignored it. It was little things that, at the time, I didn't think mattered. But the signs were always there, looking back on it… Over time, it just kept getting worse. He'd get mad at me for everything, even before he started to get violent. But then he'd started hitting me, or grabbing me… It didn't happen all the time, but it got to the point where I was expecting it to. Whenever he got angry, I was just waiting for it." She breathed out, her words shaky as they left her lips, Matt drawing in an unsteady breath as his own emotions got the better of him, fresh tears streaming down his skin while he listened to her. "And the things he would say to me… sometimes that was almost worse than him hitting me. I don't know if that makes sense, but it's just… The times he'd hit me, that scared me and made me feel so… worthless. But some of the things he'd say to me, he knew exactly how to hurt me. And… I don't know, it all just made me feel so helpless."

Matt gave her a slow nod as she bared her soul to him, his hands sliding up and down her legs as he did anything he could to hold onto his composure. His body was flooded with a hundred different emotions, the man trying to control the anger he was feeling at what had been done to the woman he loved, the realization that they were barely scratching the surface of what she'd gone through settling like a heavy weight against his chest.

"I, uh…" She started speaking up, Gabby sniffling as she wiped away the fresh tears on her face, "I almost broke up with him after the first time. I told him I was done, that we were over because I wasn't gonna be with someone who hurt me like that, but as I tried to leave, he just… he begged me not to." She spoke, Gabby wincing softly at the bitter-tasting words leaving her mouth. "He kept apologizing, saying how he was sorry, how he took it out on me when it wasn't my fault and he was just stressed. He told me it would never happen again… So I stayed." She told him, Matt immediately nodding in understanding as he sensed her apprehension. "And for a while, things were fine. He didn't even get mad at me, let alone put his hands on me. He was back to being Bryan… or who I thought Bryan was… But he didn't hurt me for a long time after that, so I thought we'd be okay. I believed him when he told me he wouldn't do it again… but eventually, he did." She told him, Gabby's leg shaking slightly as she spoke, the woman fighting against her every instinct as she let Matt into the most personal and painful part of her life.

"It wasn't all the time… The times he'd hit me, it didn't happen all that often, just when he'd get really upset with me. There were times he'd hold on a little too tight, or be a little too rough, but him actually hurting me… That only happened sometimes. But the verbal abuse, I guess… that happened more often." She said, Gabby slowly reaching out for his hand again, Matt giving it to her in an instant as she leaned forward slightly, needing to feel closer to him. "Regardless of what he did, whether he was just saying things to me, or he was-" She stopped herself, Gabby shaking her head before she continued. "No matter what it was, he'd say he was sorry. That he regretted it, and it wouldn't happen again… but eventually, even the apologies stopped. Right before he ended things, I was trying to keep our relationship together and he was out sleeping with half of Chicago, and whenever we would be together, it would usually end in him saying something, or doing something, to hurt me…" She explained the best she could, their fingers laced together tightly as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "And the times he would hit me… he always said it just happened in the moment… that he wasn't thinking and it was just an accident. And for a while, I believed him." She admitted, Gabby breathing deeply to steady herself. "But whenever he'd hit me, he didn't do it where anyone could see it. Or if he did, it wasn't enough to where I couldn't cover it… There was only one time I wasn't able to hide bruises I had because of him, but I just told everyone I slipped and fell, and they believed me…" Gabby told him as he blinked back the unshed tears sitting in his eyes.

"He wanted me to believe any time he hurt me that it wasn't on purpose, but he was thinking enough to make sure he didn't leave any bruises where people could see them. It wasn't something that was happening just because he couldn't control it. Every time he hurt me, it was intentional… it just took me some time to realize it." She spoke softly, Gabby bringing her free hand up to wipe under her eyes. "And I know I should've left him. I was stupid not to, but he just… Before he'd ever even laid a hand on me, he made me believe he was the only person who'd love me." She said, Matt's eyes falling closed for a split second as he bit down on the inside of his cheek, conflicting emotions coursing through him as he listened to the painful words she was saying. "All he'd ever say is how difficult I was, and how much he had to put up with because of me… he'd tell me how it was a good thing he loved me, because no one else would ever bother putting up with me. And he just- he got in my head, and made me think I deserved it somehow… That he was getting angry with me for a reason, and I needed to stay with him because no one else would ever bother trying to love me… And that sounds so pathetic, I know it does, but I… at the time, I just didn't know how to leave him."

"It's not pathetic, Gabby." Matt spoke up after a quick second, the man clearing his throat as they locked eyes, Gabby seeing the pain he was feeling shining back at her. "And you weren't stupid. You were scared." He told her, Matt keeping his voice as strong as he could, knowing he needed to give her as much assurance as he possibly could right now. "You were taken advantage of by someone who told you they loved you. He did horrible things to you, but no one knows what it was like for you to be in that situation. Only you do. And you handled it the best way you could at the time… It's easy to look back on this, and say what you should've done differently, but baby, this isn't your fault. You trusted him, and he betrayed that. He hurt you, when he should've been the person protecting you. And that's on him." Matt said, his voice faltering as his eyes stayed locked with hers, Gabby's jaw trembling as she nodded slightly, fresh tears filling both their eyes as he gave her hand another squeeze. "I can't imagine what any of that was like for you, or what you've gone through because of him, but I promise, no matter what happens, I'm right here. I'm here with you through this entire thing… through _everything_." He spoke strongly, Gabby giving him a quick nod. "Whatever you need from me, whatever you need me to do, I'll do it. And I know tomorrow will be hard, having to go through everything that happened, but I'll be right by your side every step of the way… Or if you'd rather it just be you and your brother, I'll be right outside. Whatever you need from me, I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere." He told her, Matt bringing his hand up to cradle the side of her face, wiping away any stray tears that were falling down her skin.

"I want you there." She murmured, Matt nodding immediately as he stroked his thumb gently over her cheek.

"Then I'm there." He promised without hesitation, Gabby giving him another nod. "I'll _always_ be there."

Drawing in a slow, shaky breath, Gabby clenched her eyes shut as she fought off the wave of emotion sweeping through her, Matt leaning forward to press a tender kiss to the side of her head, his warmth comforting as they sat together on the couch. Though he still didn't know specifics, she'd given him enough insight to know just how much Bryan had hurt her. To know how that man had gotten into her head, and nearly torn her life apart. She'd trusted him enough to let him in on one of the hardest, and most difficult things she'd ever gone through, and he wasn't taking that lightly.

"Thank you." She breathed out, Matt shaking his head before he pulled back slightly, his heart tightening in his chest when he felt her tighten her grip on his hand, like she was scared to let him go too far.

"You have nothing to thank me for… I love you, so much. And nothing will ever change that." He told her, Matt feeling her body relax underneath his touch as he watched her eyes light up slightly. It was a look he hadn't really seen from her that much lately, not since before everything happened, but the sight alone brought a soft smile to his face, Matt rubbing his thumb along the back of her hand as they locked eyes. "But there is one thing I do want you to know…" He added, seeing the slight confusion tugging on her features as her head tilted to the side.

"What is it?"

"You said you were worried… about now that people know, they won't be able to treat you the same, or look at you the same." He started, Gabby giving him a slow nod. "And I know I said we have no way to know how anyone else will react, but one thing I do know is that you never have to worry about that with me." His words brought a gentle smile to her face, Matt lifting his hand up to wipe away the tears sitting on her skin as a look of relief washed over her. "You are still just Gabby to me… you will _always_ just be Gabby. I don't see you any differently now than I did before… You're still my beautiful, strong, determined girl." He spoke strongly, his words causing warmth to spread through her chest as she felt fresh tears filling her eyes, but these were here for a much different reason than the ones before. "The only thing that is different is now I feel like I have a better understanding of just how incredibly strong you are… But you're still my Gabby." He told her, Gabby nodding quickly. "What he's done… that doesn't change how I see you, or what you mean to me. And it never will." He promised, Matt barely able to get the words out before she leaned forward into his embrace, Gabby adjusting her positioning on the couch while he steadied himself.

His arms wrapped around her body the second she was within reach as she held onto him just as tight, her head buried into his bare chest as he ran his hand up and down her back, Matt pressing multiple kisses to the top of her head as a comfortable silence filled the air around them, both of them needing this moment more than they realized. Tonight had been hard, and tomorrow was bound to be even more painful, but Matt meant what he said; he wasn't going anywhere. And now, he knew Gabby knew it, too.

* * *

Gabby's leg shook nervously up and down as she sat in the passenger seat of Matt's truck, her eyes focused on the entrance to the police district as they sat across the street. She vaguely heard the sound of Matt pulling his keys from the ignition, but her line of sight stayed on the door, Gabby watching as cops went to and from the building while they went about their day.

"Are you ready?" Matt asked her softly, the man angling himself towards his girlfriend who had been quiet the entire ride, just as she'd been most of the morning.

After their emotionally draining conversation the night before, neither of them had been able to get much sleep, not with Gabby tossing and turning all night. She was clearly nervous about this upcoming conversation to be had with her brother, so much so she'd gotten sick not once, but twice, this morning before they left his apartment, Gabby's stomach fighting against her multiple times as they prepared to see Antonio. Matt had tried to help however he could, the man holding her hair back as she vomited into the toilet, as well as making her a second breakfast after she'd thrown the first one up, while doing what he could to help her keep her mind off what she'd have to be talking about here in a few short minutes. But there was only so much he could do besides be there for her, both of them knowing how hard this was going to be.

"Gabby?" He questioned again when she had yet to respond, Gabby slowly looking towards her boyfriend, finding his curious eyes on her.

"Huh?"

"I asked if you were ready." He repeated, Matt reaching out for one of her hands that were resting in her lap, giving it a firm, comforting squeeze as she reluctantly nodded.

"Oh, uh, yeah, I guess… I know I don't really have a choice." She replied, a frown forming over his face before he gave her hand another squeeze. "...Let's just get it over with."

Drawing in a deep breath, Matt nodded softly before dropping her hand, the couple slowly getting down out of his truck. Gabby waited by the passenger side door for him to come stand next to her, Matt locking up his vehicle before hurrying to her side, the man reaching for her hand and lacing his fingers through hers before they crossed the street, Matt feeling the nerves radiating off her as they got closer to the district.

"I'm right here." He murmured as they started up the steps, Gabby pausing momentarily before looking at him, her sudden halt causing him to stop as well, Matt looking back towards her with a reassuring smile. "I know this is gonna be hard, but the second we're done, we can get out of here and go back home… Just you and me."

His words brought a soft smile to her face, Gabby nodding in agreement before she continued up the steps, Matt walking beside her as they entered the 21st district. Looking around their familiar surroundings, Matt's gaze quickly landed on Platt, the woman soon seeing the couple as they stood just inside the door.

"You all can go up." She spoke with a soft smile, Gabby's eyes darting around while she let Matt handle the talking.

"Thanks Sergeant." Matt replied, both himself and Gabby knowing she probably knew exactly what the younger Dawson was here for.

"It's no problem." She responded, Trudy giving them a strong nod before they continued towards the stairs, Gabby walking slightly behind her boyfriend as she followed his lead up to Intelligence.

As they approached the top of the steps, her brother slowly came into view, Gabby feeling bile rise up her throat yet again as she got closer and closer to the bullpen. But it was like Matt could sense exactly how she was feeling, her boyfriend giving her hand a tight squeeze and placing a soft kiss to the side of her head once they were securely on the landing.

Antonio looked over from his desk just as Matt was pulling away from her, the older brother drawing in a deep breath before pushing himself up from his seat, the movement catching the attention from his coworkers. "Hey sis." He greeted, Gabby immediately feeling all the eyes in the room on her as she and Matt stepped further into the bullpen.

"Hey." She greeted weakly, her brother grabbing a file from his desk as the couple walked towards him.

"If you all wanna go ahead and go to that first room down the hall, I'll be in in a minute. I just need to talk to Voight real quick." Antonio told them, both of them nodding in understanding before they continued past him, Matt letting Gabby lead the way as she was more familiar with the layout than he was, Casey offering nods to the members of Intelligence that they passed along the way.

When they got to the room, Dawson stepped in first, the dim and cold interrogation room mirroring how Gabby felt as they both sat down at the table, Matt immediately scooting his chair closer to her before placing his hand on her leg, neither of them saying a word as they waited for Antonio. But they weren't left waiting very long as the door soon opened again, Antonio walking in with the file, and a camera, in his hands, Gabby grimacing slightly as he walked towards the table.

She wasn't surprised he'd be recording this, in fact she would've been more shocked if he hadn't, Gabby knowing that if this thing went to the court, they'd need video of her statement. But understanding the logistics of it didn't make it any easier for her to think about how there'd be a video of her detailing what all Walker had done to her out there forever.

"Alright sis, we're gonna get started here in a second." Antonio told her as he set up the camera, the detective angling it towards Casey first. "I figured we could go ahead and get Matt's statement, so when you're done giving me yours, you all can just leave." He explained, Matt and Gabby both nodding in agreement. "Now, I uh… I'm not sure how you'd like to do this… If you'd rather it be me taking your statement, or if you'd feel more comfortable with someone else. It's up to you."

"I don't mind you doing it." She replied softly, Gabby knowing her brother was going to find out anyway. And considering how hard she knew this was going to be to get through, she felt more comfortable with him sitting across from her than someone she barely knew.

"Alright." He responded with a nod before moving to shut the door, giving them complete privacy as he sat down across the table from his sister and her boyfriend, Gabby placing her hand on top of Matt's. "So, Casey, let's go ahead and get started." Antonio prompted, the man reaching out to turn on the camera, checking to make sure it was filming before he opened up his file, Matt waiting patiently for the detective to tell him what to do. "Alright, state your name, what you do, and your relationship to Gabriela Dawson." He instructed, Matt clearing his throat before speaking up.

"I'm Matthew Casey, I'm a firefighter, the Lieutenant on Truck 81 at Firehouse 51. And I'm Gabriela's boyfriend." He spoke, Antonio nodding before glancing quickly down to the papers in front of him.

"Okay, Mr. Casey. To the best of your ability, I'm gonna need you to answer some questions for me." Antonio told him, Matt giving him a nod before he continued.

The process of getting Matt's statement went quickly enough, considering he hadn't actually witnessed much. While he was able to give a good account of how Gabby had been affected by everything, he wasn't able to give much insight into the actual instances where Walker had hurt her aside from that one time at Molly's, but Matt did the best he could to give Antonio anything useful. He gave every detail he could remember about how Gabby had acted after those different occurrences where Bryan got physical with her, Matt offering up whatever information he thought could be at least at little helpful, all while never taking his hand off Gabby's leg. And within half an hour, they had finished, Antonio getting all he could from the firefighter before it was time to speak with Gabby.

The air in the room shifted as Antonio adjusted the camera towards his sister, Matt feeling Gabby tense underneath his touch before he gave her thigh a supportive squeeze, the man leaning over to press a soft, lingering kiss to her temple.

"It's okay." He murmured against her skin, Matt giving her another kiss before he pulled back, Gabby turned her head to meet his gaze.

"Do you need a minute, Gabs?" Antonio asked softly, Matt giving her a supportive smile before she looked back towards her brother.

"No, I'm okay." She breathed out, Antonio giving her an understanding nod before he started recording.

Following the similar process as Matt went through, they started with her saying who she was, and what they were doing, before they slowly started getting into the painful details of what she'd experienced at the hands of Walker.

To the best of her ability, she went through every instance she could remember where Bryan had laid his hands on her, Gabby giving as much information as she could despite how hard it was for her. She started from the beginning, Gabby explaining in detail the same thing she'd told Matt the night before, before talking about the incident in the back of the ambulance, Gabby going through that difficult day before she moved on to other times that neither men in the room knew about. Every time Bryan would grab her by the jaw, or smack her across the face. Every time he'd hit her, usually in places where no one could see. She explained the time he'd gotten so upset with her, he shoved her into their coffee table, causing it to break. And the time he'd confronted her while she was taking a shower, the altercation ending with him pushing her to the ground, her head making direct contact with the faucet on her way down, that instance leaving her with a nasty black and blue eye that she'd explained away by saying she slipped in the shower. She told them all of it; every time Bryan would get so angry he couldn't help but take it out on her, she tried to give as much detail as she could while she relived some of the worst moments of her life, Gabby having to stop multiple times to gather herself.

It was nearly impossible, having to go through every moment she could remember, some more ingrained in her brain than others, of every time Bryan had hurt her. It became hard for her to breathe at times while she spoke, Matt and Antonio both making her take breaks often so she could calm down, her boyfriend holding onto her and whispering words of comfort each time she needed a second before she would continue telling her story as best she could, tears freely flowing down her cheeks the entire time.

But she got through it. Slowly, and painfully, she was able to tell her brother everything that happened to her, Matt remaining a strong and comforting presence by her side despite the tears falling from his eyes, as well.

When they were finally done, Gabby was barely holding herself together, Antonio turning off the camera as soon as he could, the detective wiping under his eyes as he felt his heart crushing in his chest after learning of just how much his sister had been through. As Antonio pushed himself up from his seat, Matt was doing everything he possibly could to comfort his girlfriend, Gabby steadying her breathing as her brother came up beside her. Without a word, he pulled her into a tight hug, Gabby melting into her brother's embrace as fresh tears filled her eyes, Matt pulling away from her enough to give Antonio space with his sister. It was a difficult moment for all of them, Antonio rubbing his hand firmly up and down her back as he repeatedly whispered words of reassurance to her, Matt seeing Gabby's body trembling while she held onto her brother tightly.

After a few moments, they pulled back from one another, Gabby immediately seeking out Matt's comforting warmth as he wrapped his arms around her. She leaned into his side, Gabby choking out shallow breaths as Matt's hand rested on her waist.

"I'm gonna go, and start going over all this… Add it into what we have already." Antonio spoke up after a few quiet seconds, the man clearing the emotion from his voice before he continued. "You take as long as you need, sis. I'll make sure no one bothers you in here." He said, Matt nodding as he rubbed Gabby's side, the younger Dawson not giving much in the form of a response. "And, uh…" Antonio started, shaking his head in anger. "I'm so sorry, Gabby." He spoke, his voice faltering. "I'm so sorry this happened to you, and I wasn't able to stop it." He told her, the detective seething with rage, but doing what he could to keep it under control for his sister's sake. "I'm sorry he hurt you, and that you went through all that alone… but he's gonna pay for this." He spoke firmly, Gabby lifting her head to meet her brother's gaze, the tears in her eyes flooding his body with more anger. "No matter what I have to do, I'll make sure he pays for what he did to you."

Nodding slowly, Gabby wiped away the tears sitting on her skin, Matt tightening his hold on her as Antonio picked up the rest of his things, knowing there was no more for him to say. Because, despite his desire to continue to comfort his baby sister, he wasn't the person she needed the most right now.

"If you need anything at all, I'll be out there. But really, just take your time, sis." Antonio told her, Gabby giving him one last nod before he moved towards the door, the detective leaving the couple alone in the interrogation room as he shut the door behind him.

The second the door closed, Matt returned his complete focus to the woman leaning against him, her glassy eyes already watching him, Casey immediately seeing all the hurt and pain she was carrying. But, along with that, he couldn't help but notice a hint of relief in her eyes. Like this weight had been lifted off her shoulders, a weight she no longer had to carry alone, Matt leaning forward to press a soft kiss to the side of her head.

"I love you." He murmured, hearing her sniffle as the words left his lips, Gabby closing the small amount of distance between them as her head fell against his shoulder. Pressing her forehead against his neck, Gabby quickly reached out to wrap her arms around him, holding onto him as if her life depended on it, Matt cradling her just as tight.

No other words were said as he felt fresh tears hitting his skin, Matt continuously pressing kisses to the top of her head as he did what he could to support her, his hand moving up and down over her back. The position wasn't the most comfortable, but he didn't care, his only focus on the woman in his arms, Matt knowing the best thing he could do for her right now was hold onto her until she was ready to let go.

Which was exactly what he did.

* * *

Severide slid into the conference room, taking up his regular position against the back wall as he heard the chatter of everyone around him, the man glancing towards the empty spot beside him, Kelly knowing usually his friend would be standing right there with him as they waited for role call.

"Good morning, everyone." Boden greeted as he stepped into the room, all conversations quickly halting when they noticed their boss' presence, the first responders in the room facing forward as he gained their complete attention. There were a few echoed greetings, Boden giving them a nod before he continued. "There's a few things I want to discuss with you before we get on to our usual start to the day… First off, as you all know, a few shifts back we discussed how there would be some changes of personnel happening here, in light of everything that's gone on. And, I'm happy to inform you all that I got the official word this morning that Allison Jenkins is now a permanent member of Truck 81."

Cheers were heard around the room, Mouch clasping the woman's shoulders as she smiled brightly, the new face having fit in nicely with the group these last few shifts.

"Congrats, Jenkins."

"We're happy to have you, kid."

Allison grinned from ear to ear before nodding, the woman's excitement evident at being able to stay at 51.

"Yes, we're all very happy to have you. You've done a great job for us, and we're lucky that we get to keep you around." Boden added, Allison nodding gratefully. "And I've already spoken with Lieutenant Casey, he's thrilled to have you, as well. Which, speaking of, that's really the main reason I wanted to talk to you all… Was so we could talk about Casey and Dawson."

"Everything alright, Chief?" Shay spoke up first, her worry evident as she clenched her hands together in her lap.

"Everything's fine." He assured her. "I'm not sure who all's been in contact with either of them while they've been out, but I'm glad to tell you all that both Lieutenant Casey and Dawson will be returning next shift…" Hesitantly happy looks crossed the faces of most everyone in the room, Boden drawing in a deep breath before continuing. "Today is the last shift of Casey's suspension, then he will be returning back to 51. And, according to him, Dawson will be coming back as well."

"Are they…" Herrmann spoke, but stopped himself when he saw Boden's pointed stare, signaling he wasn't done talking.

"Now, obviously this is not a normal situation." He started, catching the knowing looks from his first responders. Even the few that hadn't been here when everything happened, by now everyone was more than aware of what transpired a week and a half ago. "I know a lot has happened, a lot has come to light… But I've spoken with Casey, and he's asked that we not dwell on it."

The room went silent for a moment as Boden took a breath, Herrmann glancing around yet again before speaking up.

"Chief-"

He was cut off once more by Boden holding his hand up, the older firefighter sighing before nodding in agreement.

"I am asking you all not to bring this up to Dawson." He spoke directly, wanting there to be no gray area as to what their orders were. "I know you all have questions, and you are concerned. I completely understand, because I feel the same way. But you will not bring up anything having to do with Walker to her, do I make myself clear?" He questioned, seeing many blank looks around the room, everyone clearly a little unsure of how to respond, Boden sighing softly before running his hand over his mouth. "Look, I know you all can't just forget what you know… You can't just pretend to not know what Walker did to her, but I am asking you- _ordering _you," He corrected himself, "to drop it. You will not bring up this situation to her. Do not ask her about what's going on… The best thing you can do for Dawson is to treat her just as you always have. This is what Casey has asked of us, this is what Dawson needs… and after everything, it's the least we can do for her." He finished firmly, his words earning a few slow nods from his men and women.

"Understood, Chief." Severide was the first to speak up, his words prompting more responses from his coworkers, everyone complying to their boss' request, even though they really had no choice. "We're just gonna be happy to have them back."

"So am I." Boden responded, his words being interrupted by the bells going off, calling all companies to a car accident. "Alright, let's get out there and have a good shift, everyone." He prompted, the entire house knowing that if there was any conversation left to be had about Casey and Dawson, it would have to wait until after this call, the men and women of 51 hurrying out of the conference room towards their garage, knowing there was work to be done.


	53. Chapter Fifty Two

**Hello everyone! I wanna take a moment to apologize for no update last week, I was focused on other stories and getting things updated, and didn't have enough time to devote to this story. So I wasn't able to get this chapter up for you all. But I'm back, and ready for you all to see what's happening next.**

**I hope you all like this one. It's another pretty heavy chapter, but it includes some of the things you all have been looking forward to seeing, so I hope you like it. Thanks for reading!**

**Trigger Warning: A scene of domestic assault is described in this chapter. It is closer towards the end, and the entire scene is written in italics. So it is easy to find and skip if you're unable to read it. I just wanted to let you all know.**

* * *

**FIFTY TWO**

* * *

Gabby's eyes trailed over her form through the mirror while she tightened her ponytail, the woman's gaze pausing on the CFD emblem resting over her chest before she continued looking over her uniform for the long shift ahead of her. Drawing in a deep breath, her hands came down to smooth out her tucked in shirt, Gabby vaguely hearing the sounds of Matt moving around his room as she stood in the bathroom.

The feeling in the air had been a little tense to start the day, both of them knowing this was not just any shift they were preparing for. This wasn't a normal day, where they'd just go to the firehouse and go about their work. This was their first shift back, their first day after that awful call nearly two weeks ago. This was the first time either of them would be seeing their friends since everything happened, and the paramedic was feeling more nervous for that than she cared to admit.

She wasn't sure what to expect from everyone at the firehouse, and how they'd react to her since they found out what had been going on. Though she still wasn't even sure the extent of what they knew, she was aware they knew enough. They knew Walker had hurt her, and that it hadn't been the first time, either. And that was enough to make her want to crawl back into bed and give herself a little more time before having to face them. But she knew she couldn't do that, not when she'd made a promise to herself that she wouldn't let this control her anymore.

When Matt was ready and able to return to shift, she was going back as well. That's the promise she'd made to herself right after this happened, and she intended to keep it.

But that didn't make the thought of facing her friends any easier.

"Hey."

Gabby's eyes snapped into focus when she heard that familiar, comforting voice, the paramedic turning to look back towards the door, finding her boyfriend's warm eyes waiting for her as he stood in the doorway. He was nearly ready for shift, his grey polo partially tucked into the unbuttoned pants hanging off his hips, Gabby watching as he continued tucking the material into place.

"Hi." She replied, turning her entire body towards him while he zipped up his blue pants, Matt clasping the button before working on his belt, Gabby leaning her hip into the counter.

"You almost ready?" He asked with a soft smile, Matt walking further into the room as Gabby gave him a slight nod, humming in response as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I was thinking we could stop and get some breakfast before work, we've got enough time." He suggested, Gabby raising her eyebrows as he took another step closer to her, Matt reaching out to place a hand on her arm.

"Sounds good, babe." She murmured, Gabby feeling him squeeze her arm gently before he leaned forward, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to the side of her head. She relaxed into his body immediately, his presence calming her nerves as she reached out to rest her hand against his chest, Matt kissing her head once more.

They stood there for a moment, Matt feeling Gabby's hand grip onto his shirt slightly as she blew out a shaky breath against his neck, his eyebrows furrowing in worry when he felt how tense she was. Releasing a soft sigh, Matt pressed one last quick kiss to her temple before pulling back slightly, meeting Gabby's tired brown eyes.

"...Are you sure you're ready for this?" He spoke softly, voicing the question he'd asked her multiple times over the last two days, Gabby running her tongue along her bottom lip before giving him a rather unconvincing nod.

"Your suspension is over… It's time to go back." She responded, loosening the grip on his shirt slightly before running her hand down to his side, Matt's face softening as he shook his head back and forth a few times.

"That's not what I'm talking about." He murmured, though he knew he didn't need to. She was more than aware of what he was referring to, and they both knew it, Gabby pursing her lips together as her gaze moved down in between them, focusing on his chest. "We don't have to go in today… If you need more time, we don't have to go." He told her, his hand moving up to cup her neck gently as his thumb stroked along her jaw, the action eventually causing her to look back up at him. "I can call Boden, tell him we can't come to shift." His voice was soft and understanding, the pensive look covering Gabby's face telling him she was seriously considering his offer. But after a few seconds, she still hadn't said anything, Matt tapping his index finger against her neck lightly before speaking up again. "...I mean it, babe. If you need more time, just say the word."

Drawing in a deep breath, Gabby shook her head, his thumb tracing her jaw as she slid her hand around to his back, gently nudging him closer. "No, it's okay." She spoke, Matt's head tilting to the side. "I want to go."

"Gabby…" He tried, but she shook her head once more.

"I want to try and get back to normal." She told him, Matt's eyes locking with hers as he looked for any signs of deception. But he found none. He saw some nerves, and a lot of hesitance, but she wasn't lying to him. "I just… I _need _things back to normal." Gabby admitted, earning an immediate nod from the man holding onto her. "And getting back to work, getting back into that… I just need to rip the bandaid off. Everyone knows, to some extent, that Walker had-" Her voice got caught in her throat, Matt nodding supportively as he waited for her to get the words out. "That Bryan had been hurting me, and me waiting another shift won't change that. It won't make facing them any easier, so I just need to go, and get it over with…" She breathed out, Matt waiting for a moment to make sure she'd finished speaking before he gave her another strong nod.

"Okay." He replied, smiling softly at her. "We'll go… But remember, I'm here. If you need me at all, I'm right here."

His words brought a small smile to her lips, Gabby pushing herself forward to press a light kiss against his mouth, Matt reciprocating immediately as his free hand came up to grasp her hip. She pulled back almost as quickly as she'd gotten there, Gabby's eyes staying closed while he kept his on her, Matt feeling her hold around his back tighten.

"I know you are." She responded after a few seconds, Gabby slowly opening her eyes to find him already watching her. "And I might take you up on that, but right now I'm okay." She promised, her words as much for herself as they were for him.

"Okay." He repeated, Matt leaning in to capture one last kiss before he pulled back, the man slowly moving out her grasp. "Well then let's get out of here.. I'm starving." He spoke lightly, Casey winking at her just before he stepped out of the bathroom, his playful demeanor helping ease her nerves as she finished up getting ready for shift.

* * *

Gabby drew in a deep, steadying breath as she stared at the firehouse, her eyes focused on the few familiar faces she saw already walking inside while her and Matt stayed put in his truck. They'd arrived at 51 nearly ten minutes ago after enjoying breakfast at their favorite diner, Gabby quickly telling him she needed a moment before they went inside. But that one moment turned into many, and she still hadn't made a single move to go inside. She just kept watching people filter in and out of the firehouse, while Matt remained a strong, yet quiet, presence by her side, their clasped hands resting in between them on the bench.

"We, uh-" He finally spoke up, clearing his throat as Gabby looked his way. "We should probably get in there soon… I'm sure the Chief will want to talk to us." He told her, Gabby nodding slightly before looking back towards the firehouse. Squeezing his hand gently, she pulled hers away and pushed open her door, Matt following her lead as they both got out of his truck, the firefighter shouldering both their bags. Once he made sure the vehicle was locked, he hurried around to the sidewalk where Gabby was waiting for him, Matt instantly reaching for her hand and lacing his fingers through hers, the man waiting for her to take the first step before they started walking.

Truthfully, Casey had no idea what to expect walking into this firehouse, and he knew Gabby didn't either. And that's what had her nervous.

The closer they got to the open garage doors, the slower her steps became, Matt keeping them moving forward as he felt her hand begin to clam up in his. As they got to the entrance, they were able to see a group of firefighters huddled around the rigs, Matt knowing it was only a matter of seconds before someone saw them, the man sparing a quick glance to his girlfriend, Casey surprised to find her eyes already on him.

"You've got this." He murmured, his words flooding her ears and bringing a soft smile to her face, Matt giving her hand another supportive squeeze before they stepped into the garage, their presence soon being noticed by everyone.

"There they are!" Severide greeted the second he saw them, Kelly's voice causing everyone to look over towards the garage door, the men and women of 51 seeing their truck Lieutenant and PIC slowly walking further into the garage, the latter staying a step behind Casey as they got closer to their friends.

"Hey guys." Matt spoke up, hoping him replying would keep the conversation going, but even from the few seconds he'd been around his coworkers, he knew they were a little unsure of what to say.

Their eyes were bouncing back and forth between Casey and Dawson, Matt noticing their stares lingering on the paramedic longer than he would've liked. He knew they were concerned, and he couldn't blame them for not knowing what to say, but this is exactly why he'd spoken to Boden when he did. He was hoping with some warning, they'd be able to treat Gabby normally by the time they got back to work. But, despite whatever intentions they had, it was clear seeing her in person had left them all a bit stunned.

There was no physical damage that could be seen, the bruises on her neck had all but healed, Matt having more visible remains of what had happened to him than Gabby. But even with there not being any marks they could see, they were looking at her like there were; like she had signs of past abuse written all over her skin. And had Gabby not been standing directly beside him, he would've said something to snap them out of it. But bringing more attention to it was bound to make it worse, so he settled for sending glares to anyone who met his gaze, Casey silently urging them to stop looking at her the way they were.

"It's good to see you back on your feet." Severide spoke up, the man knowing more than most just how nervous Gabby was to come back here, Kelly wanting to do anything he could to help. "But, I gotta say, I think we missed Dawson around here more than you." He added lightly, his words causing Gabby to look up from the spot she'd been focused on on the ground, her eyes immediately landing on Kelly.

"Yeah, I'm not surprised… I know who the favorite is." Casey replied with a scoff, his light demeanor earning a few laughs from the firefighters around him, the initial shock they all felt slowly fading.

"Well, sorry Lieutenant but she's been here longer." Herrmann finally spoke up, the older man smiling as he took a step towards them, Gabby's gaze flashing towards him.

The look she was met with immediately lessened some of the tension in her shoulders, Herrmann's gentle smile greeting her as he quickly brought her into a tight hug, Gabby dropping her hold on Matt's hand to return the gesture.

"We're so glad to see you, kid." He spoke softly, Gabby giving him an extra squeeze before she pulled back, Herrmann giving her a strong, knowing look, hoping to convey the words he knew he shouldn't say, at least not here. And by the look in her eye, he knew she understood him, Gabby blinking quickly before giving him a slight nod, the man bringing her in for another quick hug before different firefighters came up to greet them.

As everyone came to greet them, Matt was thankful to see Gabby's walls coming down the longer she spent with everyone, the chatter that had overtaken the group providing them both with the sense of normalcy he knew she needed, Gabby staying tucked close to his side while Cruz spoke of one of the crazier calls they'd missed during their time away. But as they all stood around and talked, Casey couldn't help but notice the distance from one of their friends in particular, Matt's eyes continuously going back to Shay. The paramedic had stayed back since they got here, the sadness shining in her eyes evident as she hung back beside Severide, Shay having been focused on Dawson from the second they walked into the garage.

Admittedly, Matt didn't know too much about how Shay, or the rest of the house, had been handling finding out about Gabby, just a few comments here and there that he'd heard from Severide. But from what little he did know, he knew Shay had taken this entire thing very hard, harder than anyone else here by the looks of it. But knowing how fiercely protective the paramedic had been over Dawson from the day he got here, he couldn't say he was surprised to see what this entire thing had done to her. And he was sure the fact that Gabby had yet to reach out to her probably hadn't helped with whatever feelings she was struggling with.

Casey's gaze snapped away from Shay when he heard the bells go off above them, their conversation coming to a halt as they waited to see who all was needed, Matt glancing towards the woman by his side as ambulance 61 and squad 3 were called out to a car accident.

"You good?" He questioned softly, keeping his voice as low as possible as to not draw attention to them, but by some of the glances he saw out of the corner of his eye, he knew Herrmann and Otis had heard him.

"I'm fine." She replied just as quietly, Matt giving her a reassuring nod as the needed first responders headed for their rigs.

"I'll put your stuff in your locker." Casey told her as she stepped past him towards the ambo, Gabby giving him an appreciative look before jogging to the driver's side door of the rig, Shay hurrying in that direction as well.

Casey stayed rooted in his spot beside truck 81 until the ambo had pulled out of the driveway and disappeared out of sight, the firefighter releasing a heavy breath before facing forward once more, Matt taking a slight step back when he saw Herrmann's eyes on him, Mouch and Otis staring as well while they all stood around him.

"...What is it?"

"How's Dawson really doing?" Herrmann asked quickly, the force of his words telling Casey that the man had been wanting to ask that from the moment they got here.

"Herrmann…"

"Boden told us not to say anything to Dawson, and we're not… But you're not Dawson, and I want to know if she's okay." He defended, Herrmann shaking his head as Matt saw his face harden. "Whatever that piece of shit did to her, I just want to know she's alright." He spoke firmly, Casey releasing a heavy sigh as he adjusted the two shift bags hanging off his shoulder.

"...She's hanging in there." He responded, earning a skeptical look from the older man. "I don't know what all you're wanting me to tell you, Herrmann. She's doing about as well as she can be with having to go through all of this again." Matt explained to the best of his ability, knowing Herrman's insistence was coming from a good place.

"Do you have any idea of what's happening to Walker?" Mouch asked after a beat of silence, Casey shaking his head slightly.

"No, not yet. We've done everything we can. They uh… Walker has his court date here soon. Next week, I think. So the judge can decide whether this thing will be going to trial or not… But until then, we don't know anything. We're just trying to get back to our lives." Casey told the men, earning nods from all three of them. "Which, uh, speaking of… Thank you for not saying anything to her." He spoke, drawing in a deep breath. "I know I asked Boden to talk to you guys, but Gabby just… She doesn't need to be bombarded with questions about this. She might want to talk about it, she might not, but it needs to be her choice… So thank you, for not bringing it up to her."

"Of course, Lieutenant." Herrmann responded quickly, Mouch and Otis nodding in agreement. "We'd never wanna do anything to make things worse for her… We're just worried, is all. But if you say we need to leave it, we'll leave it… We just wanna know she's okay."

"I know, and I appreciate that. We both do." Casey replied, clasping the older man on the shoulder. "And I promise, she's doing okay… It's just gonna take some time." He told them, Herrmann drawing in a deep breath before nodding.

After a few more words spoken between the firefighters, Casey broke off from the group, leaving the garage to head to the locker room, Matt wanting to make sure his and Gabby's things were put away before the day got busy.

Stepping into the room, Matt ran his hand along the back of his neck as he walked the familiar path towards his locker, the man's steps slowing when he got around the corner and saw the one firefighter that had been missing from the garage, the woman looking slightly startled when she saw him come in.

"Hey Jenkins." He greeted, Casey giving her a small smile before continuing towards his locker.

"Lieutenant." She replied, Matt nodding as he placed both his and Gabby's bags down on the bench, Casey turning towards his locker before beginning to put in the combination. "It's good to have you back." Allison added, Matt glancing back to see her watching him.

"It's nice to be back… And I hear congratulations are in order." He spoke, flashing her a warm smile, his words causing her face to light up. "I'm sorry I wasn't here for your first few shifts, but from what Boden's said you've been fitting in nicely. And I know from experience you're one hell of a firefighter… I'm glad to have you. Welcome to Truck 81, Jenkins." He told her, the woman smiling brightly before she nodded.

"Thank you, Lieutenant." She responded, Matt nodding before turning back towards his locker, but the moment was fleeting as he heard release a heavy breath, the sound gaining his attention as he glanced back once more. "...And, uh… I want, or need, to apologize to you." She started, Casey pursing his lips together as realization spread across his face, the firefighter having known this conversation was coming sooner or later.

It hadn't really been on his radar at all since it happened, so when Boden had informed him it would be Jenkins joining Truck 81, he was glad to know there'd be a familiar face coming into the firehouse. But after how things transpired last time, he had known before he even got back to work that it was something they'd need to clear the air about.

"That night at Molly's, that definitely wasn't one of my finer moments…" She continued, Matt responding with a slight nod. "I'm really sorry for coming onto you like that. Parts of that night are a little hazy, if I'm being honest. But I do remember kissing you and I'm sorry for that." Jenkins finished, the man giving her a soft smile.

"It's fine, Jenkins." He replied, seeing her shoulders relax as she released a soft breath. "Really, it is. That night was… a little weird, all around. But you and I are good."

"Good." She repeated, Matt seeing her hesitate before speaking up again. "And, um, I feel like I should apologize to Dawson, too." She told him, clearing her throat. "I had no idea you two were together… I didn't know you were seeing anyone, let alone the person who was standing right across from you, I just… I wasn't thinking. But I feel bad that Dawson had to see that, and that I did it at all." She rambled on, Casey shaking his head slightly. "...But with everything else that's been going on," Allison started as Matt clenched his throat, "I don't know if I should even bring it up to her. I… I'm not gonna pretend to know what happened to Dawson, it's not my place to get into it, but I wasn't sure if I should apologize to her or not, or if bringing that up would just make things worse." Jenkins spoke, Casey waving her off as he shook his head yet again.

"You don't need to worry about it, Jenkins." Matt told her, watching as she raised her eyebrows. "Gabby's fine, she's not upset or angry or anything. And truthfully? I don't even think you need to mention it… we're all good." He assured her, Allison nodding once more.

"Good, okay. I just wanted to make sure… When I found out I was getting a shot here again, I was so excited. And I still am, I just wasn't sure if what happened was going to mess that up."

"Definitely not. As long as you're alright being here, we're good." Casey said again, Allison nodding eagerly. "As far as I'm concerned, 81 is lucky to have a firefighter like you. All's forgotten." He promised, Jenkins drawing in a deep breath.

"Thank you, Lieutenant." She replied, Casey giving her one last nod before turning back to his locker, the man continuing his process of getting ready for shift as Jenkins left the room.

* * *

Dawson's eyes were focused out the window as 61 drove through the streets of Chicago, the PIC's mind thousands of miles away while Shay navigated her way back to the firehouse, the blonde sparing glances towards her distant friend every few seconds, doing what she could to get a read on her. But Gabby wasn't making it easy, the paramedic having stayed quiet most of the morning aside from when necessary.

When they'd gotten called away first thing, neither paramedic had said much on the drive to the scene, Shay unsure of how to act around her hurting friend. But the call itself had gone smoothly enough, Dawson stepping back into her PIC role as if nothing had changed, the partners working together just as well as they always had while they got their patient dropped off at the hospital. But as soon as they got back into the rig, that heavy quiet had washed back over them, neither of them having said a word the entire ride back to the firehouse.

After what felt like one of the longest drives they'd ever taken, Shay pulled back into the driveway, the blonde pulling the rig into the garage and coming to a stop, putting the ambulance in park before glancing towards her friend. Despite the sudden stop of the rig, Gabby hadn't moved a muscle, the woman still staring out the window, her eyes looking towards truck 81, but Shay was sure she had no idea where they were right now.

When seconds passed and Gabby had yet to move an inch, Shay released a soft breath before slowly reaching out and placing her hand on Dawson's arm, the action snapping Gabby out of her daze.

"Hey… Sorry, I just didn't know if you realized we were back." Shay told her, Gabby blinking quickly for a moment, taking in her surroundings before turning to look at her partner.

"Oh, uh- I didn't… Thanks." Dawson replied weakly, Shay giving her a soft nod before she noticed Gabby reach for the door handle, the woman clearly about to leave.

"Wait, um-" Shay spoke, saying the first words she could think of to get her friend to stop, Dawson halting her movements as she looked back at the blonde. "...How are you feeling?"

Shay winced slightly the second she registered her own words, knowing she wasn't able to ask the questions she desperately wanted to, so she settled for something close, Gabby pursing her lips together before she breathed in deeply, both women remaining silent for a moment before Dawson responded.

"I'm doing alright." She murmured, Shay nodding with a soft smile. "I feel better now that I know Matt's okay." She added, her eyes darting away from her friend as she looked out the windshield.

"I'm sure… That whole day, it was a lot." Shay responded carefully, knowing they were getting close to the topic she'd been actively told to avoid as Gabby released a heavy sigh.

"Yeah… it was." Gabby replied softly, bringing her hand up to press against her temple, the PIC doing what she could to get rid of the headache she felt forming in her head. "It's been a hard couple weeks." She admitted, Shay's face softening as she gave her another nod, sadness shining prominently in the blonde's eyes. "And, uh.. speaking of, I'm sorry I didn't return your calls." She apologized, Shay immediately shaking her head as Gabby looked back towards her.

"Gabby…" She tried, but the woman continued.

"All of this, I needed some time… But I'm sorry for ignoring you. I wasn't trying to, I just…" Dawson trailed off, the woman shrugging slightly as she was unable to find the right words to voice what was going on in her head, Shay squeezing her arm supportively.

"You don't need to apologize. I just wanted to know you were okay…" She spoke, hoping her words would prompt Dawson to continue to open her. But they ended up having the opposite effect, Shay seeing the exact moment Gabby began to shut down, the woman closing herself off as she reached for the door handle and pushed the door open.

"I appreciate that, but I'm fine." Dawson replied, Shay opening her mouth to respond, but she didn't get the chance before Gabby was out of the ambo, the woman shutting the door and heading towards the firehouse.

Shay kept her eyes on Dawson until the PIC was out of sight, the blonde blowing out a heavy sigh before she climbed down out of the rig and followed the similar path Dawson had just taken. When she walked through the double doors, Shay was a little surprised to see Gabby in the common room, the paramedic talking with Herrmann about their latest call. If she had to guess, Shay would assume the firefighter had struck up the conversation, that he was doing what Casey wanted, and was trying to keep things as normal as possible. And thankfully, Dawson did seem to be receptive to it.

From her position just inside the double doors, Shay could see how engaged Gabby was in the conversation. How, luckily, her demeanor had shifted from what the blonde experienced seconds prior. In this moment, Gabby seemed like herself, or at least closer to herself than what she'd been during her last shift here, and Shay couldn't help but realize that maybe Casey had been right. That maybe the best thing for Dawson was just to move past what happened, and let Matt be the one to help her through those harder times.

But even though he might've been right, that didn't mean she didn't have questions. Questions she desperately wanted answers to as the blonde's eyes darted around the common room, looking for one familiar face in particular. But she quickly found that he was nowhere in sight, Shay sparing one last glance at Gabby before she turned off down the hallway, walking with a purpose to the destination she had in mind.

Pulling open the door to the bunk room, Shay saw the room practically empty, aside from one Lieutenant in particular who was sitting in his office, the man hunched over his desk as he worked on paperwork. Continuing her path forward, Shay walked towards his office and stepped into his open doorway, the paramedic tapping softly on the doorframe.

"Hey."

The combined sound of her voice and her knocking caused him to look up, Casey giving her a soft smile as he sat up straight in his chair, the firefighter turning to face her.

"Hey Shay." He greeted, Shay nodding slightly as her eyes flashed towards his bunk, Matt picking up on her nerves. "When did you guys get back?" He questioned, glancing behind her to see if Gabby was anywhere in sight.

"A few minutes ago… Gabby's out in the common room." She answered his silent question as Matt met her gaze. "She was talking with Herrmann about the call, she seemed fine." Shay elaborated, seeing the way Casey's shoulders relaxed after she spoke, the man clearly worried about Dawson.

"Good, that's good." He mused, raising his eyebrows as she stood there quietly. "...Did you need me for something?" He questioned after a moment, Shay's eyes flashing towards him before she nodded.

"Can, uh… can we talk?"

If he was surprised by her question, he didn't show it, Matt giving her a nod before she stepped further into the room, the woman pulling the door closed behind her before leaning up against the wall. There was a heavy silence around them for a few seconds, Matt relaxing back into his chair as he waited to see if she was going to say anything, the blonde looking towards the ground as she took deep breaths.

He knew exactly what she was here for, exactly what she was wanting to know. But he also knew he couldn't tell her, not as much as she'd probably want. It wasn't his story to tell, and in a situation where Gabby's had so little control, the last thing Matt would do was go against what she wanted.

"Listen, Shay… I-"

"How long?"

Her soft voice cut him off, the paramedic lifting her head up to meet his apprehensive eyes, Matt drawing in a deep breath before shaking his head.

"...Shay-"

"How long had he been abusing her?" She asked bluntly, her voice faltering as the words left her lips.

She hadn't asked him this yet. In the few conversations they'd had over the phone, Shay hadn't directly come out and asked him about the abuse Gabby had suffered because of Walker. They'd mostly stuck to questions about Gabby herself, the woman just wanting to know how her best friend was doing. But clearly, Shay wasn't going to tiptoe around the topic anymore.

"I can't…" Matt murmured, Shay pursing her lips together as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm sorry, but Gabby-"

"Please, Casey." She spoke, Matt's gaze softening as he saw the hurt she was carrying. "My best friend had been being abused, and I didn't know… I didn't see it. She'd been hurting- _being_ hurt for God knows how long, and I was so fucking oblivious to it. I need to know how long this had been happening… How long I failed her."

Matt's eyebrows furrowed as the last words left her lips, the Lieutenant shaking his head forcefully as he pushed himself up from his seat. "This isn't your fault." He said, seeing the tears hiding in the woman's eyes. "What happened to her, what he did- that's not on you, Shay."

"But I didn't see it!" She cried out defeatedly, Matt's gaze mimicking the sadness she was feeling as Shay took a moment to breathe, the woman bringing her hand up to cradle the side of her face. "That asshole hurt her, more than once. More times than I'll probably ever know about… She's my best friend and I couldn't help her… I didn't see what was happening."

"She didn't want you to." He replied softly, Shay's eyes closing for a moment as she took another deep breath. "She didn't want _anyone_ to know, not you, not the house, not her parents… not even her own brother. It wasn't just you who didn't know Shay, no one knew…"

"You did." She replied quietly, Matt quickly finding her gaze as a pensive look flashed in his eyes. "On some level, you knew… because I think I did, too." She breathed out, Casey's sad eyes staying on her. "I asked her about it before, a few months ago, and she shut me down… I even asked Walker, but he just denied it. And ever since then, I think on some level I knew something more had happened there… That it had been more than him just holding onto her a little too tight sometimes. But she said nothing was going on, so I let it go." She breathed out, Matt giving her an understanding nod. "But if I had an idea something was going on… I feel like you would have, too." She spoke pointedly, Matt's tongue poking out between his teeth before running over his bottom lip. "Since the two of them broke up, you've spent more time with Dawson than anyone. And if I was able to see some of the bruises he'd left on her, there's no way you didn't… There was a part of you that knew. Before she told you, you knew."

A heavy sigh escaped Casey's lips as he bit down on the inside of his cheek, the man trying to figure out how to best respond to the paramedic standing in front of him, her expectant eyes focused on him as he thought over his next words carefully.

"That day… When Walker choked her, the day she told me, I… A part of me knew." Matt admitted, Shay nodding softly. "I didn't know the extent of it, but after spending time with her, and seeing how Walker would treat her… I had some ideas about what all had gone on between them." Matt spoke thoughtfully, the firefighter knowing he had to be mindful of how he answered her. "But it wasn't until I asked her that day and she told me that I knew for sure."

"...Do you know what all he did?" She asked almost immediately, Matt's eyes falling closed for a second.

"Shay…"

"I'm not asking you to tell me what happened, I just-" She cut herself, drawing in a deep breath to steady herself before she continued. "I know that a lot of what had been going on, most of it probably happened while they were together, and I had no idea then… but I still feel guilty. Because I should've seen it, Casey." She told him again, Matt opening his mouth to respond but she didn't let him get a word in. "I know you're wanting to try and make me feel better, by saying it's not my fault, that I couldn't have known… But you weren't here when they were together, and you can't say for sure that the signs weren't there… I should've been a better friend to her, I should've done something so she knew she could've come to me. Everyone in this house would've been on her side, we all would've done anything to help her, I just can't wrap my mind around why she didn't say something… To anyone..."

"It's not anything you all did." He finally cut in, the paramedic biting down on her tongue roughly as she waited for him to continue.

Rationally, Shay knew exactly why Gabby hadn't said anything. It was the same thing she'd been telling herself since they found out, the same thing Kelly had told her time and time again, that as someone who had seen so many different domestic abuse victims, she knew why Gabby hadn't come to them. But as her best friend, it was hard to keep emotion out of it. It was nearly impossible to not blame herself after finding out her friend had been getting hurt, and she'd never been able to stop it.

"I may not have been here while it was happening, but, like you said, I was there right after it ended, and believe me when I tell you that this isn't on you… Gabby, she… she didn't want anyone knowing. Ever. If Walker hadn't attacked her in the locker room, we probably never would've found out the extent of it… not unless he eventually did something worse. But I need you to know that this isn't on you, Shay. The only person at fault here is Bryan, that's it… And hopefully, he'll be getting what he deserves." Casey spoke firmly, Shay giving an immediate nod in agreement before wiping away a lone tear that had escaped from her eyes. "I know you're worried about her… believe me, so am I. I just want her to be okay, and I know you do, too. But she will be… And when she's ready, she'll come to you. I truly believe that… But she just needs time, Shay." He said, Matt drawing in a slow breath as Shay thought over his words, the woman pausing for a moment before giving him a firm nod, Casey giving her as supportive of a smile as he could muster. "And, uh, to answer your question, I do know… What Walker did to her, I know." Casey told her, seeing a look he couldn't read flash in her eyes. "I know, and so does Antonio… She's not dealing with this on her own." Matt assured her, the firefighter seeing the relief that filled her eyes as she nodded.

"Okay." She responded, Matt giving her a slight nod. "That's what I needed to know, that she wasn't holding onto all this by herself…"

"She's not. I've got her, Shay." He promised her, the blonde nodding before Casey brought her in for a hug, the firefighter rubbing her back comfortingly for a few moments before she pulled back. "She's gonna be okay."

Without saying another word, Shay gave the man a nod as she thought over everything he'd just told her, his words helping to alleviate some of the heaviness that had settled in her gut over the last two weeks, though the feeling hadn't gone away completely. And she knew it probably wouldn't for a while.

But she didn't care about that right now. She wasn't the priority here. Regardless of how she was feeling, all she wanted was for her best friend to be alright. That's what mattered to her, more than anything else, was knowing that Gabby was okay, and that this thing with Walker hadn't completely torn her apart.

* * *

_Gabby released a heavy breath as the hot water covered her tired body, the woman needing a second to decompress after her long, stressful day. A day that started out well, but inevitably turned sour as her and Bryan had continued to fight._

_Their issues started on shift yesterday, Gabby not really appreciating how he'd been openly flirting with a woman out on a call, her boyfriend not only disregarding his duties as a firefighter, but ignoring her presence completely as he shamelessly flirted with this woman. She couldn't have been much younger than Gabby, Bryan not bothering to hide his interest while she stood only feet away, her having to watch as the woman practically groped him, Bryan not appearing to have any objections to her actions. And no one else from 51 seemed to notice what was happening, either._

_It wasn't until Lieutenant Stephens had yelled at him to get back to work, pulling him from his moment with this woman, that Bryan remembered where he was, his eyes immediately finding Gabby's over by the ambo, no doubt seeing the anger she felt towards him. But they'd managed to keep it to themselves, at least until she'd gotten back to the house._

_But when she'd pulled him aside at dinner to ask him about it, it had turned into an all out screaming match in the hallway, Shay and Severide coming to separate the two as they hurled insults at one another, Bryan having practically backed her into the corner by the time they'd gotten there. Luckily, 61 had been called out seconds later, giving them both some time away from one another to cool off, which had definitely helped. And while they were able to keep things civil throughout the remainder of shift, by the time they had gotten back to his apartment, things were back to being tense yet again._

_Bryan was angry with her, more angry with her than she'd been at him, the two going back and forth from the moment they walked in the door. He was mad at her for causing a scene at the firehouse, for her making a big deal out of nothing, his rage soon manifesting into him throwing the remote at her head. Luckily she was able to duck in time, the object banging against the wall behind her before falling to the ground, but the intent was there nonetheless, Bryan storming out of the apartment seconds later to get some space._

_That outburst had taken place well over an hour ago, and he'd been gone ever since, Gabby taking to cleaning up around the apartment before deciding to take a shower, hoping that by the time he came home, he will have calmed down and they could just move on. Because as upset as she'd been at his behavior on shift, it wasn't worth the fighting. Especially not if him throwing that remote was any indication of how the rest of this argument would go. It had been awhile since he'd gotten so mad at her he resorted to getting a little too rough with her, and she didn't want to give him a reason to resort back to that today. Not over something as stupid as this._

_As she reached for her shampoo, she heard heavy footsteps enter the bathroom, Gabby looking up to see a figure through the shower curtain. "Bryan?" She asked, stepping towards the back of the shower and gripping the curtain._

"_Yeah, it's me." He replied, the woman releasing a heavy breath before pulling it back enough to stick her head out, finding her boyfriend's dark eyes already on her as he was barely a yard away._

"_...How was your walk?" She asked, the man narrowing his eyes at her._

"_I didn't go for a walk." He spat, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before nodding, forcing a weak smile onto her face._

"_Sorry, I just meant…"_

"_I know what you meant. And I'm fine." His voice was rough, Dawson sensing his anger hadn't gone away nearly as much as she'd hoped. "But I'm tired of dealing with this shit, can we just move past it?" He asked, earning an immediate nod from her. _

"_Yeah, I'd love that." She replied, widening her smile slightly, Bryan giving her a nod before reaching sliding off his jacket._

"_Good… I think a nice little shower together is warranted after all this shit." He told her, Gabby wincing slightly as he moved to take off his shirt next._

"_Wait, I uh-" She stopped herself, Bryan's narrow gaze moving back towards her face, the look in his eye causing her grip on the shower curtain to involuntarily tighten. "I just…"_

"_What?" He asked harshly, taking another step forward. "It's the least you could do, after how you treated me yesterday." He told her, the uncomfortable feeling in the air growing._

"_I'm sorry for doing that at the house, in front of everyone… I shouldn't have made it a big deal," She started, his eyes only narrowing more. "But I'm really not up for anything right now." She told him, her words earning an immediate scoff from him as he shook his head. "I'm sorry… But we can talk more when I'm done?"_

_Rolling his eyes, another scoff left his lips, the man's angry eyes focused on her. "Yeah, I'm sick of talking…"_

"_Bryan, I don't want to fight with you anymore-"_

"_And you think I do?" He shouted, Gabby taking a slight step back in the wet tub as his loud voice filled the air. "Believe me, the last thing I wanna do is fight with you over stupid bullshit! But you make everything so fucking difficult all the time, I can't do anything without you watching over my shoulder!"_

"_Bryan-"_

"_I mean, Jesus, what did you think? You think I was just gonna pin that woman up against the car she'd just crashed and fuck her? Is that what you think of me?" He was getting angrier and angrier with each word that left his lips, Gabby shaking her head as he stepped closer._

"_I-"_

"_I'm tired of this same old insecure bullshit from you! I mean, I'm dating you aren't I? You're here in my house, using my shower- which you don't even want me in, by the way. Now you're telling me I can't even have a few minutes of some harmless attention without you getting all upset about it? I didn't do shit to you, you're acting like I made you watch me fuck that bitch and I didn't even do anything! She came onto me!"_

"_And you didn't really discourage it, did you?"_

_The words left her lips before she even registered what she said, Bryan's face nearly turning red as anger took over, her entire body tensing as she realized her mistake._

"_Are you fucking kidding me?!" He yelled, stepping the rest of the way towards her shower, practically ripping the curtain open. "Did you even listen to a word I just said?!"_

"_Bryan-"_

_His hands were on her before she could get another word out, his anger taking over as he forcefully pushed her forward, the man blinded by rage at her words. The second he pushed her, she went falling to the ground, the lack of traction in the wet tub doing nothing to keep her balanced as she fell forward, the sound of her eye connecting painfully against the faucet overpowering the noise from the running water, Gabby emitting a sharp scream in agony before she'd even made it all the way to the ground._

_It was like she couldn't feel anything else, the excruciating pain in her head taking over as she writhed around underneath the falling water, her eye hurting her more and more by the second as she brought her hand up to cover her head._

"_Oh, Gabby- Baby, I'm so sorry." Bryan spewed out, the man pushing the curtain the rest of the way back so he could get to her, his own body getting wet as he hunched over the tub. "I'm so sorry, baby, I'm sorry." He apologized as quickly as he could get the words out, Bryan reaching out to place a comforting hand on her wet arm. But the second she felt him, her cries got louder, Gabby pushing him away before she slowly pushed herself up. "I'm sorry, baby, please I didn't mean to-" He tried again, Gabby able to get into a sitting position as her head continued pounding. "God, are you alright? I didn't push you that hard, baby I'm so, so sorry."_

_The pain in her head only continued to worsen, the feeling nearly blinding as she couldn't even open her eyes. There was an intense pressure around her eye, like she was still feeling the force of the impact even moments later, Gabby feeling like she might pass out at any second from how much pain she was in._

"_I'm gonna go and get you some ice, I'm so sorry, Gabs- God, baby, I'm sorry." He repeated over and over again, his words sounding far away as she hunched down in the corner, Gabby barely able to hear the sound of his voice as she pulled her knees up towards her chest, doing whatever she could to distract herself from the pain._

"Gabby!"

Dawson shot up in her bunk at the sound of her name being called, the woman instinctively bringing her hand up towards her eye before she realized what was going. Drawing in a deep breath, Gabby soon recognized Shay standing beside her, the PIC's eyes bouncing around the otherwise empty bunk room before landing back on her partner, seeing the concern and worry her friend was holding onto. Blinking quickly, Gabby slowly let herself relax, finally noticing the hand Shay had placed on her shoulder, Dawson continuing to take deep breaths as she became more and more aware.

Not wanting to overcrowd her, Shay slowly took a step back, the worry never leaving her eyes as Dawson swung her legs down off the bunk, letting her feet rest firmly on the ground as she gathered her bearings.

"I, uh…. What happened?" Gabby asked quietly after nearly a minute of silence, Shay placing herself down on the bunk opposite from her.

"...You were crying, I think- whimpering, kind of… Like you were in pain. I wasn't sure what was going on, so I figured I should wake up." She murmured, Dawson giving her a nod in understanding before focusing her attention back down towards the floor, Gabby letting her eyes fall closed as she continued to take deep breaths, doing what she could to come to grips with what had just happened.

This is exactly what she'd been nervous about. When they decided she'd come back to shift, this one something she'd feared; that her nightmares about Walker, whether from things he'd done to her in the past, or different dreams manifested from her own fears, they wouldn't stop when she got back on shift. While they hadn't been happening every night, they happened enough, especially in the days since she'd spoken to her brother about Bryan. And during those nights, Matt would always wake her up and help her fall back asleep, his presence calming her like nothing else and helping her rest. But he wasn't here right now, and they weren't in the privacy of his apartment. And despite how much she'd hoped and prayed her nightmares wouldn't follow her here, they clearly had, this one thing tarnishing what had been an otherwise good first day back.

Coming back to 51 after everything had gone better than she ever could've imagined. Aside from the awkwardness this morning, it was like nothing had changed. No one asked her about Walker, no one mentioned anything about him at all… Everyone had just been treating her like Gabby, all of them joking around and including her in their conversations. And even though things with Shay had been a little harder to navigate, both women a little unsure of one another right now, overall everything had gone great.

Everything except sleeping. And now, she really wasn't sure how the rest of her night would go. All she knew was that she was exhausted, but she was hesitant to fall back asleep out here.

"What time is it?" Dawson spoke up again, lifting her head to meet Shay's gaze.

"A little after midnight." She replied, Gabby giving her another nod. "I'm sure the rest of the house will be back soon, they've been gone for awhile now." She added, Dawson swallowing thickly as her eyes felt closed once more.

Though she felt an almost overwhelming sense of embarrassment at someone other than Matt seeing her like this, she couldn't help but feel thankful that it had just been Shay. That it was her best friend who had been there, instead of the entire house seeing her so obviously affected by what one of their own had done.

"...Are you okay?" Shay said suddenly, Gabby meeting her eyes before giving her a slight nod.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good." She was quick to assure her, the blonde looking less than convinced. "I just-" She cut herself off, unsure of what to say, Shay soon stepping in.

"Has that been happening a lot?" She questioned carefully, Gabby pursing her lips together as her eyes locked with her friend's. She knew Shay just wanted to help, that she was trying to give her space, but she was worried. And Gabby couldn't blame her, because had the roles been reversed, she knew she'd be acting the same way. "...The nightmares."

"They, uh… Yeah, some." She answered honestly, Gabby feeling oddly secure in the open room, knowing with just her and her partner here, she was slowly feeling comfortable to speak a little more freely. "But I'm alright… Things are getting better." She added, mustering up as assuring a smile as she could, but the look of concern never left the blonde's face. "Shay-"

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."

Her words cut through the room, Gabby forcing herself to keep her eyes locked on her friend as they approached the topic she'd been so desperate to avoid.

"I know you don't want to talk about it, and I understand that. I do… And I'm not trying to sit here and make you talk to me, but I just need you to know how sorry I am." The regret and pain in her voice nearly broke Gabby's heart, Dawson shaking her head slightly as she saw a few tears sitting in her partner's eyes. "I'm sorry all this was going on, and we had no idea… That I had no idea… I'm sorry for not helping you."

"It's not your fault, Shay." Gabby replied quickly, Shay's face hardened as she roughly shook her head.

"I know it's not… It's his." She answered, Gabby's back involuntarily tightening. "But still… You're my best friend and you were hurting. Whatever he did… You didn't deserve any of it, and I'm sorry it ever happened… I'm sorry he hurt you." Her voice was unsteady, Gabby wiping away a few of the tears settling under her eyes before nodding, Shay pushing herself up from her bunk and walking towards her. "I'm so, so sorry, Gabby." She murmured before wrapping her up in the hug, the position a little awkward but Shay held on tight regardless, Gabby immediately relaxing into her friend's embrace, tucking her head against her shoulder as she held onto her.

The moment was quiet, Shay continuously rubbing up and down her friend's back while Gabby hugged her tightly, the strength of her hold telling Shay more than words ever could as she did everything in her power to comfort her friend.

"I love you, Dawson." She whispered, feeling Gabby release a shaky breath before nodding against her shoulder.

"Love you too, Shay." She replied, her voice noticeable unsteady as Shay gave her one last tight squeeze before pulling away, both women wiping the tears from their eyes. "And thank you..." Gabby spoke, Shay rubbing over her shoulder comfortingly before giving her a nod, the women hearing the faint, familiar sounds of rigs backing up out in the garage.

"I guess the guys are back…" Shay mused, Dawson nodding before slowly standing up herself, Shay stepping back to give her some space. "Do you want me to go get Casey?" She questioned, Gabby's eyebrows knitting together slightly as she glanced back towards his office.

"Oh, no, it's okay… Just if you see him, can you tell him I'll be in his office?" She requested, Shay nodding immediately.

"Of course." She replied, Dawson giving her a thankful nod before the two went their separate ways, Gabby taking the short walk towards the confines of Matt's office, shutting the door behind her as she stepped inside.

Her tired body moved slowly towards his bunk, Gabby nearly collapsing down onto it and making herself comfortable, her body facing the windows out into the bunk room, hoping she'd be seeing her boyfriend sooner rather than later as she laid in his quiet office.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed while she laid here, Gabby hearing the sounds of firefighters moving around just on the other side of the wall as they got ready for bed, the paramedic fighting to keep her eyes open. But soon enough, she heard the sound of his office door opening, Gabby looking over to see Matt standing in the doorway, the soft light flooding in from the bunk room allowing her to see the knowing look on his face. Though she couldn't be sure, she had a pretty good idea that Shay had clued him in as to what had happened, Casey giving her a warm, comforting smile before stepping inside, closing the door behind him.

Without a word, he walked around his bunk beside the wall, Matt climbing down into bed behind her before making himself comfortable, his arm immediately circling around her waist to pull her closer. The second she felt his body heat against her back, she felt better, Gabby feeling like she was finally able to relax now that he was here, the couple laying together for a few quiet moments before she finally spoke up.

"...I had a nightmare." She whispered into the air, feeling Matt tighten his grip around her stomach.

"I know." He murmured back, pressing a gentle kiss to her shoulder. "...Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Later." She was quick to respond, both of them knowing there was nothing else for them to discuss tonight as he gave her a nod, Matt kissing her shoulder once more before relaxing back into the pillow, Gabby focusing on the feeling of his secure arms wrapped around her and the rise and fall of his chest against her back, his presence slowly lulling her to sleep.

* * *

"You want any more?"

Gabby looked over from Herrmann, finding her boyfriend's eyes on her before she looked down to her empty plate, the woman thinking over his question for a moment before she shook her head, flashing him a soft smile.

"No, I'm okay… Thank you, though." She replied, Matt giving her a nod before she went back to her conversation with the older firefighter.

It was Gabby and Matt's third shift back at 51, the two having quickly fallen back into their usual rhythm here at the firehouse with everyone. Thankfully, any residual awkwardness and uncomfortable feelings from their coworkers were completely gone by their second shift, and everything was pretty much business as usual around here.

Everyone still had questions, they all still wanted to know what exactly had been happening to their PIC, but they had stopped waiting for any answers. They came to terms with the fact that they had questions they'd probably _never_ get any answers to, and they'd all moved on the best they could, understanding that unless Gabby one day decided to come to them, there was nothing they could do, everyone at 51 doing focusing on keeping things as normal as possible.

And that alone had seemed to do wonders for Gabby. With each day and each shift that passed, Gabby was doing better and better. She was slowly becoming more like her old self again, her nervousness and anxiousness beginning to fade as she got back into the swing of things with her firehouse family, Bryan's absence from the house helping her feel even more at ease.

But despite the improvements Gabby was making each day, there was still a dark cloud hanging over her, one that kept weighing both her and Casey down, today especially.

And that dark cloud was Walker.

Today was the day of Bryan's court date. The day where they'd be finding out what was happening with the case against him, and the fact that it was already nearing six in the evening, and neither her nor Matt had heard anything from her brother yet had left them both feeling a little anxious, their nervous energies being felt throughout the house.

"You sure you don't want anymore?" He asked her again, Gabby raising her eyebrows as she looked back to her boyfriend, finding a soft smile waiting for her. "Cause I'm gonna get some… Or do you need more to drink?"

"I'm fine, Matt." She replied, the man hesitating for a moment before nodding, Casey slowly pushing his chair back and standing up. But before he walked away from the table, he caught sight of a visitor in the firehouse, the man stopping just inside the common room as his gaze immediately went to his sister.

"Antonio." Casey spoke up first, his voice quickly gaining Gabby's attention as her head shot towards the entrance, seeing her brother standing there with his hands shoved in his pockets. Without a word, Gabby stood up, Antonio taking some steps further inside, flashing a small smile to all the other firefighters.

"Hey guys." He greeted, looking around before his eyes landed back on Gabby. "Hey sis… Matt."

"Hi." She replied quietly, a thick feeling settling in the air as everyone was well aware as to why the detective was here.

"...Can we go somewhere and talk?" He asked, Casey immediately nodding as he reached out to place his hand on Gabby's back.

"Yeah. Conference room's fine." Matt responded, Antonio nodding in agreement before heading in that direction, giving a few more greetings to the group of firefighters before he disappeared through the door, Matt and Gabby following quietly after him.

When they stepped inside, Antonio was making his way to the front of the room, Gabby following his path while Matt made sure the door closed securely behind them, the firefighter knowing how close the prying ears of the firehouse were.

Gabby stopped her movements when she got in front of the first row of tables, the woman resting her body down against the piece of furniture as Matt came to stand directly beside her, ready to offer her any support she needed while Antonio slowly paced back and forth in front of them.

"Tonio…" She spoke up after a few seconds, her soft voice gaining her brother's attention as he stopped walking, the older Dawson looking towards her, his face unreadable. "Just tell me."

You could hear a pin drop in the room, it was so quiet, Antonio drawing in a slow breath as he crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze bouncing back and forth between his sister and Casey before he opened his mouth.

"He took the plea deal."


	54. Chapter Fifty Three

**Hello everyone! Hopefully all of you are doing alright, and staying safe! Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**FIFTY THREE**

* * *

"_He took the plea deal_."

Casey's eyebrows furrowed immediately, like he couldn't believe what he'd heard as he felt Gabby's body tense by his side, the firefighter snapping out of his confusion long enough to look towards his girlfriend. Her face was blank, her eyes trained on her brother, but the tension he could feel radiating off of her was enough to tell him how she was feeling. And it wasn't good.

"What?" Matt asked after a long beat of silence when it was clear Gabby wasn't going to say anything, Antonio tearing his gaze away from his sister to look towards the firefighter. "I thought you said you didn't think he would take it…"

"I didn't." Antonio replied, bringing his hand up to rub along the side of his face. "I was shocked, truthfully. I didn't expect him to take it at all, after how insistent he'd been through this entire thing that he never did anything to you, Gabby, I never expected him to take it… But we knew when they offered it to him, there was a possibility he would."

Matt nodded slowly, the Lieutenant drawing in a sharp breath as he moved his hand around to Gabby's back, rubbing soft, soothing patterns against her as she had still yet to say a word.

"My only guess here is that when him and his lawyers got wind of Gabby's testimony, that we had her on tape going through everything he ever did to her, that must've scared him… That he didn't want a bunch of jurors seeing that. Because if this went to trial and he was convicted, he'd be doing some serious jail time. That's the only thing I can think of as to why he'd suddenly be okay pleading guilty after he swore up and down he didn't do anything… But I don't know for sure, he's the only one who does, all I know is this thing isn't going to trial." Antonio breathed out, Matt releasing a soft sigh as he felt Gabby's body lean into his slightly, Casey immediately wrapping his arm around her to pull her closer, understanding exactly what she needed from him.

"So, uh…" Matt started, clearing his throat as Gabby crossed her arms over her chest, like she was trying to protect herself. "What now?" He questioned, seeing Gabby's head lift up slightly to look at him, Matt turning towards her gaze as the two locked eyes for a moment, her expression telling him just how overwhelmed she was. Giving her as supportive of a smile as he could, Matt pressed a soft kiss to her forehead before returning his attention to the detective. "What happens to Walker?"

"Well, he will be doing some time, he's in custody- probably headed to Cook County already, but uh…" He trailed off, Gabby biting down roughly on her bottom lip, the metallic taste of blood soon filling her mouth as she broke skin.

"But what?" Casey asked, his arm secured around Gabby's shoulders, keeping her tucked into his side, Antonio's gaze locking on his sister as she lifted her head.

"...How long, Antonio?" Her voice was rough, the words sounding almost foreign coming from her as she spoke for the first time in a few minutes. She could sense her brother's hesitation, like he was almost afraid to give her the answer to her question, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before speaking again. "How long?"

"Ninety days."

Gabby's expression remained unchanged as his answer hung in the air, Matt's entire body tensing in anger as he pushed himself up from the table, his arm falling off her shoulder in the process.

"What?!" He nearly shouted, Antonio taking a deep breath as Casey took a step forward. "That's it?! For all he did to her, he gets ninety days?"

"Casey-"

"That's bullshit!" He fought back as he shook his head angrily, the sound of his heavy footsteps filling the tense air as he began pacing back and forth. "He abused her for years! He hurt her- he fucking terrorized her, and all the hurt and pain he caused her, that adds up to ninety days in jail.. That's it? That's all he gets?! Why was that even offered to him?"

"Casey, man calm down." Antonio tried, knowing the firefighter's loud words were most likely being heard out in the common room, Matt shaking his head before running his hand along the back of his neck, his anger rolling off him in waves.

"Antonio…"

"I'm not happy about it, either." The detective cut in, his eyes flashing back towards his sister, who had yet to say anything. "If it were up to me he'd be locked up forever, but we knew this was a possibility… We knew if he took the plea deal, that he'd get a reduced sentence. And if this thing went to trial, there's no telling what might've happened. He could've gotten years in prison, or he could've been found not guilty. We have no way to know what might've happened." He spoke calmly, Matt continuing to pace while Gabby's eyes stayed glued to the floor, neither of them saying a word. "And while I wish it was more… there's a part of me that's grateful he took the deal, because at least now we don't have to go through a trial. _Gabby_ doesn't have to go through a trial." He continued, his words causing Casey to stop and look up at him, Antonio seeing the relief that flashed in his eyes. "I wish there was something else I could do… I wish he'd gotten more time, but we can't change that. Based on what they had, that's what they felt was right. I don't agree with it, but it's where we are."

Drawing in a deep, calming breath, Casey gave him a nod, the firefighter slowly coming to terms with the fact that Antonio was right. He didn't like it, but he was right. They had no idea what could've happened had this gone to trial, and thought of Gabby having to relive that nightmare all over again and there being the possibility he wasn't found guilty, that alone made him nauseous. Since she decided to press charges, not a day went by where Matt hadn't worried about Gabby having to get up on that stand and explain to a room full of strangers what all Bryan had done to her. That she would have to go through all of that, and there was a chance she still might not get the justice she deserved. He'd thought about that constantly, and admittedly, there was a part of him that felt relieved that this wouldn't be going to trial.

But despite that relief, this didn't feel like justice, either. This didn't feel like Walker was getting the punishment he deserved for all the horrible and unimaginable pain he'd put Gabby through. This felt like he was getting off easy, like he was getting a slap on the wrist for hurting the last person on this earth that deserved it.

It felt like he was getting away with it, and that was a hard pill for Casey to swallow.

"What happens once he's out?"

Gabby's soft voice pulled him from his thoughts, Matt glancing back to see his girlfriend still rooted in her spot, an apprehensive look covering her face as her eyes were trained on the older Dawson.

"Is he just free to do whatever he wants? … Ninety days and then it's over? Like it never happened?"

Matt could hear the hint of fear in her words, the firefighter immediately walking back over to know, reclaiming his position by her side. The second he was next to her, she shifted back into him, Casey feeling a rush of guilt flood through his body, knowing she'd needed his comfort and he'd let his anger get in the way of that.

"No." Antonio responded, shaking his head as he took a step closer towards his sister. "The restraining order was granted, that was part of his plea deal… He has to stay away from you. Once he's out, he's not allowed anywhere near you, or the firehouse. Ever again." The detective spoke firmly, needing to make sure his sister understood. "And he'll be on probation… If he violates that, or the restraining order, his ass goes right back to jail. He doesn't get any second chances, he won't be able to talk his way out of it- if he violates the conditions of his plea deal, he's done." He explained, Matt feeling some of the tension leave Gabby's body as she nodded in response.

"Okay." She murmured, her bottom lip falling between her teeth as Matt placed his free hand on her leg, giving her thigh a reassuring squeeze. Antonio kept his eyes on his sister for a moment, drawing in a slow, unsteady breath as he came to a stop directly in front of her, reaching out to place his hand on her arm.

"I… I know I promised you that he'd pay for what he did to you, and I'm sorry there's not more." Antonio spoke regretfully. "I'd give anything for him to be locked up forever, I wish I could've done more, Gabs, but I am telling you right now that I will make sure he never comes near you again… No matter what I have to do, he'll never hurt you again. I won't let him."

Gabby gave him another nod, running her tongue along the inside of her cheek before forcing a weak smile. "...I know you did all you could." She responded quietly, Antonio rubbing her arm comfortingly. "And I guess ninety days is better than nothing." She continued, Matt's eyebrows furrowing as he listened to her, both men a little surprised by her reaction. "Thank you, for helping me."

Antonio and Matt shared a quick look before the detective nodded, the older Dawson bringing his sister in for a tight hug. "Of course." He spoke softly, feeling her arms tighten around his waist as he pressed a kiss to the side of her head. "...I just wish it was more." He breathed out.

They stood in silence for a few seconds before the sounds of the bells going off pulled them from their moment, Matt wincing when he heard 61 being called for along with squad and engine.

Sighing softly, Gabby pulled herself from her brother's embrace, Antonio stepping back as she pushed herself up off the front of the table.

"I guess duty calls, but I'll, uh- I'll call you later? Maybe tomorrow morning after shift…" She spoke as she glanced towards her watch, seeing how late it was already, Antonio nodding slowly as he and Matt shared another look.

"Let me go tell Boden to reroute the call." Casey offered, the man standing up straight as well as both Dawsons glanced towards him, Gabby immediately shaking her head.

"No, no, it's fine." She replied softly, a look of hesitation flashing in his eyes.

"Gabby…"

"Sis, are you sure that's a good idea?" Antonio added, Gabby's eyes bouncing back and forth between her brother and boyfriend before giving them a slight nod.

"It's fine, I'm good." She responded quietly, reaching her hand out to squeeze her brother's arm reassuringly before stepping away from the men and heading towards the door. Both Matt and Antonio watched her as she went, the paramedic flashing them a soft, unconvincing smile before she disappeared into the common room, no doubt heading for the garage as she left the two men alone in the conference room.

Blowing out a sigh, Matt ran his hand along the side of his face as he leaned back down against the table, his gaze immediately finding Antonio's as the detective stood next to him.

"Do you think she's okay?" The older Dawson asked, his hesitant voice filling the otherwise silent air as Matt pursed his lips together. "I just don't want her to be… well, Gabby, and shut down about this." He continued, Matt's hand moving around from his jaw to the back of his neck, the firefighter shrugging before he responded.

"I… I think she will be." He spoke, catching Antonio's gaze. "I think she needs time to process all this. None of us really knew what to expect from today, and now that we know what's happening… I think the best thing for us to do is give her time."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Antonio agreed softly, shaking his head as he mimicked Casey's stance, the detective leaning his body weight against the table. "I just… It's hard, seeing her like this. Knowing what all she went through, and how I had no idea… How I wasn't there for her."

"But you're here for her now." He cut in, Antonio lifting his head to look towards the firefighter. "That's all you can do now, Antonio. Just be there for her… That's what she needs from you. That's what she needs from all of us." Matt spoke strongly, watching as the detective drew in a deep breath. "Bryan only getting ninety days… that pisses me off, it does. And I wish there was something we could do to change it, but we can't. All we can do is focus on Gabby, be there for her now. And make sure she's okay."

Swallowing the thick lump in his throat, Antonio nodded as he crossed his arms over his chest, Matt reaching out to place a supportive hand on the detective's shoulder.

"...I know you're right." He agreed after a few moments, Matt squeezing his shoulder. "I'm just… I'm angry. At all of it… But I know I need to try not to be. That won't help Gabby, I know it won't, but…"

"She's your sister, and the guy who hurt her is getting off easy." Casey voiced the words he was trying to, Antonio glancing back up at him. "Trust me, I get it… Knowing what all he did to her, any time I think of that asshole, I want to throttle him. I want to hurt him like he hurt her… But I'm trying not to focus on that, because I know that won't help her. Despite how I feel about him, I'm trying to move past that anger, and concentrate on what's important. And that's Gabby." He explained, Antonio giving him an immediate nod in agreement. "...But it's easier said than done. So I get it." Casey added quietly, his last words earning a knowing look from the detective as he pushed himself up off the table, Matt biting down on the inside of his lip.

"Yeah..." Antonio murmured, shaking his head before he took another step away from the table, Matt standing up as well. "I, uh… I should get back to work. I know you'll be keeping an eye on her, but if anything happens with Gabby, if she-" He cut himself off, grimacing slightly before clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "Just call me… if anything happens."

"I will." Casey promised, the detective nodding before holding out his hand towards Matt, the Lieutenant shaking it instantly. "Even if she's okay, I'll still check in with you… Let you know how she's doing."

"Thanks, man." The older Dawson replied as they dropped hands, Antonio continuing towards the exit. But he only got a few more steps before he stopped, the abrupt movement gaining Matt's attention as Antonio turned back around to face him, his features much more relaxed than they had been seconds ago. "...I'm glad she has you, Casey."

The man's sincere words brought a soft smile to Matt's face, Casey giving him a nod before Antonio continued towards the doors to the hallway, but he was stopped again, this time by the firefighter's unsure voice.

"Do you, uh-" He cut himself off, clearing his throat as Antonio looked back at him, his hand resting on the door. "Do you really think he'll leave her alone?" Matt finally asked the question that had been on his mind since Antonio told them about his sentencing, Casey swallowing thickly as the detective took a slow breath. "Once he's out… you think he'll take this seriously and stay away from her?"

Antonio paused thoughtfully for a moment, letting Casey's words wash over him before he responded. "I don't know." He answered truthfully, Matt giving him a hesitant nod. "I hope he does… The bastard got lucky once, I don't know if he's stupid enough to test that again. But he also choked her in a firehouse full of people, so I don't know if a restraining order would be enough to stop him." Antonio breathed out, Casey wincing slightly. "If he knows what's good for him, he'll stay away. But I know his type… I've put away his type, and I know guys like him, they don't stop till they get what they want." Those words caused Matt's spine to straighten, his entire body tensing as the older Dawson shook his head. "The problem is I just don't know exactly what it is he's wanting… Hopefully we'll never find out."

Casey nodded slowly, Antonio's words having done nothing to ease his worries. And truthfully, they'd made him a little more concerned than he already was, Matt's face remaining stoic as the detective pushed the door open.

"I don't know what he'll do once he gets out… But all I do know is that if he tries anything, I-" Antonio cut himself off, his neck clenched tightly as Casey saw the built-up rage coursing through his body. "...I know what you said is true, that the best thing for Gabby is for us to not focus on Walker. But if he even comes close to her again, I can't promise I won't bash his head in." The venomous words dripped from his lips, Matt's gaze focused on the older man as Antonio shook his head. "I don't care what I have to do, I won't let that piece of shit hurt my sister ever again… So if the system can't take care of him, I will."

Casey's gaze stayed locked on the detective as his heavy words hung in the air, Antonio giving him one last goodbye before making his way out of the room, leaving Matt alone as he tried to piece together the extent of what Antonio meant, the firefighter having a pretty good idea of just how serious the man was.

Because despite the fact that he hadn't come out and said it, Casey knew exactly how far the older brother would go for his sister. He knew there'd be no stopping Antonio if Bryan even thought of hurting Gabby again, and Casey couldn't say he didn't understand the impulse to make sure Walker was never able to lay a hand on her again.

He just hoped it would never come to that.

* * *

Dawson blew out a tired breath as Shay put the rig in park, the blonde killing the engine before looking towards her friend, seeing the exhaustion written across her face. It was late- pushing midnight, and the paramedics were both ready to get some rest, for as long as they could at least. Their call right after dinner had ended up being quite a long one, then just as they'd about pulled back into the firehouse two hours ago, they were called out again, leaving them away from 51 for the entire evening. And now that they were back, all they wanted was sleep.

As Dawson climbed down from the passenger seat, Shay mimicked her actions, the paramedics getting out of the rig and stretching out their tired bodies. While Dawson came around the front of the ambo, Shay went to shut the garage door, securing them in the house for the night, or at least until they were needed again, before the paramedics made their way towards the double doors.

"Well, that definitely wasn't how I was planning on spending my evening." Shay breathed out, Gabby giving her a nod in agreement as she shoved her hands into her pockets.

"Yeah, me neither." Gabby agreed, the blonde sparing a quick glance towards her friend as they got to the door, Shay biting down on her bottom lip roughly as she thought over her next words. "I'm just ready to lay down."

"Me too." Shay agreed as they stepped inside the firehouse, the blonde knowing she was losing her window if she wanted to try and talk to her friend. "So, uh, how are you doing?" She asked lamely, saying the first words that came to mind as Gabby's steps slowed down, the PIC coming to a complete stop just inside the firehouse as she looked to Shay. "I mean… today was a busy day. Lots of calls and everything, and then your brother…" She trailed off, unsure of how far to press her best friend.

Drawing in a deep breath, Gabby crossed her arms over her chest as she met Shay's gaze, Dawson giving her a soft nod before speaking up. "I'm alright." She responded, Shay eyeing her hesitantly for a moment. "I, uh… I know everyone's worried- that you're worried. But I also know you've been trying to give me space, and I appreciate that. More than you know, I do." She told her, Gabby trying her best to form coherent thoughts. "And, um- I'm not sure if you all heard what Matt and Antonio were talking about today… I know they weren't exactly being quiet…" She trailed off, a sympathetic looking covering Shay's face before she nodded.

"We heard bits and pieces… We weren't trying to eavesdrop, I swear, but Casey…"

"He was upset." Gabby finished for her, Shay taking a slight step closer to her. "He and my brother both were."

"And what about you?" Shay questioned, Gabby taking a deep breath as they locked gazes. "How do you feel about it?" She asked, Dawson thinking over her words for a moment before responding.

"... I'm pissed off, if I'm being honest." She breathed out, a slight frown tugging on the woman's lips as she looked at her friend. "I'm angry, because I feel like he's just getting a warning for abusing me." Shay tried her best to stay stoic, not wanting her reaction to stop Gabby from continuing to open up, but it was hard. Harder than she could've ever imagined to hear those words coming from Dawson's mouth. "Ninety days is nothing… It's nothing compared to what he did to me for years, but I can't do anything about it now…" She spoke firmly, shaking her head before continuing. "I mean, when Antonio told me about the plea deal, I was okay with it because the thought of having to get up and testify to what he did, it- it was too much." She confided to her friend, Shay's eyes shining with sadness as she reached out to place a comforting hand over her arm. "I didn't feel like I could handle it, and I know Matt and Antonio didn't really think I could either, or they at least didn't want to put me in that position, which I get… But now that Bryan accepted it, and I know what's gonna happen to him, I just- I don't know, I feel like he deserved more. I feel like he's getting away with what he did to me." She finished, Gabby shaking her head as her eyes moved down to the ground, Shay squeezing her arm gently as she flashed her a soft smile. "But then there's a part of me that also feels relieved, that it's over at least. That I can start to put it behind me… So, yeah, I guess that's how I'm feeling… I don't know."

Before she could say another word, Shay closed the distance between them, wrapping her partner up in a tight hug as her arms circled around her back. Gabby was initially caught off guard by the action, but soon relaxed into her friend's hold, Dawson holding onto her tightly as they stood in the quiet hallway of the firehouse.

"I'm really sorry, Dawson." Shay murmured, rubbing her hand along her back as Gabby rested her head on her shoulder. "You're right… he does deserve more than what he got. Three months, that's… that's not fair to you. But you know everyone here is on your side, babe. Every single one of us. We're all with you, and we always will be… What he did, he deserved to be locked up for a long time, and I'm so sorry he won't be. I can't imagine what all this has been like for you, but what I do know is that every person in this firehouse has your back, Dawson." Shay told her firmly, squeezing her tighter as she felt Gabby do the same. "And, well Casey's got more than that… but you get what I mean." She added lightly, Gabby scoffing before she pulled back, Shay glad to see a soft smile on her friend's face.

"You just can never help yourself, can you?" Gabby asked, Shay rubbing her back once more pulled they separated, the blonde wrapping her arm around Gabby's shoulders to keep her close.

"It's who I am, babe." Shay replied teasingly, Dawson rolling her eyes before resting her head back down on her shoulder, Shay hooking her arm around the front of Gabby to wrap her back up in a hug. "But, in all seriousness, every single person in this house will do whatever you need us to… I know this is your business, and you've been a little reluctant to come to us, which I completely understand, but what I want to make sure you know is that we've got your back regardless. No matter what." She promised, rubbing her hand along her arm as Gabby nodded against her side.

"Thank you, Shay." She murmured, the blonde smiling softly before pressing a kiss to the top of her friend's head.

"I've always got you, girl." She replied, feeling Gabby give her one last squeeze before they separated, Shay noticing how her partner already seemed a little less on edge than she had been all night.

"I know you do." Dawson responded, Shay flashing her a warm smile before she began walking further down the hallway, Gabby figuring she was heading for bed. "And, uh… I know it's late, and we don't really have to get into all of it right now, but I…" She started, Shay immediately turning back around to face her friend, the blonde seeing the vulnerability in her partner's eyes. "I'm sorry I haven't really come to you… With anything that happened, I just-"

"You don't need to apologize." Shay cut in quickly, but Gabby shook her head.

"I know, but I need you to know it wasn't because of you." Dawson spoke, Shay drawing in a deep breath before nodding, silently telling her to continue. "You've been feeling guilty about what happened, and I don't want you to, because it wasn't your fault. I know we talked a little bit about it the other night, but Matt told me about your talk with him… how you've been feeling about all this, and Shay I don't want you blaming yourself, because it was nothing you did that kept me from saying anything… I didn't _want_ people knowing what was going on, that's why you had no idea." She told her, Shay watching her with sad eyes as she waited for her to keep going. "I… I was embarrassed." Dawson admitted, her eyes moving to the ground as she missed the sympathetic look that covered Shay's face. "I still am embarrassed, that I was in a relationship like that… That I let myself stay in a relationship like that. And then there was a part of me- a big part of me, I guess, that was in denial about what was going on… I didn't think Bryan would ever do that to me, so when it started, I just… I didn't know what to do, and I kind of shut down. I didn't want to believe it." She spoke softly, slowly lifting her head back up just as her partner gave her an understanding nod. "But none of that had anything to do with you… There was a part of me that knew I should've told you, or told someone, but I-" She cut herself off, Gabby swallowing down the emotion building up in her throat before forcing herself to look back at her friend. "I was scared. And confused. And a million other things, and I didn't know what to do… But none of that was because of you."

Before she could get another word out, Shay wrapped her back up in a tight hug, the blonde clinging to her friend desperately as Dawson hugged her back, the blonde whispering comforting words in her ear. Neither of them made any attempt to let go for nearly a minute, Dawson sensing Shay needed this just as much as she did as she continued to assure Gabby that everything was okay, that _they_ were okay.

The partners held onto one another for a few extra seconds before finally letting go, Shay giving her a knowing nod before they continued towards the bunk room, both women knowing there wasn't much else that needed to be said right now. Not when it was after midnight, and they had no idea how long they'd have to sleep.

"Try and get some rest, Dawson." Shay whispered just before they walked into the bunk room, Gabby giving her a silent nod as they saw all the sleeping firefighters around them, the women knowing better than to make much noise as they walked further inside.

While Shay went to her usual bunk, Gabby bypassed hers completely, the PIC walking quietly towards Casey's office, just as she'd done every other night since they'd been back on shift. After her first night back, when Shay had woken her up from her nightmare, Gabby had taken to sleeping in Matt's bed with him, the paramedic feeling more at ease and able to get some rest that way. And while she was aware that the rest of the house, including Boden, knew, no one had said a word to either of them about it, and Casey certainly had no objections to her sharing his bunk either, Gabby slowing her steps when she got to his door as her hand reached out towards the handle. Pushing his door open, she was barely able to see him in the dark room, Gabby stepping inside and quietly closing the door behind her. Blindly making her way towards his bed, Dawson lifted up the blanket and carefully laid down beside him, knowing from experience there wasn't any way for her to complete this task without waking him, though she still tried every time.

But just as she expected, before her head could even get comfortable against his chest, she felt him wrap his arms around her, Matt effectively keeping her close to him as he tiredly pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Hi." He murmured as Gabby snuggled into his side, Matt adjusting himself slightly to give her more room, his eyes staying closed as he felt her warmth pressed against his body. "Your calls go okay?"

His voice was hoarse and thick with sleep, Gabby nodding against him as she ran her finger along his collarbone, the woman hiking her leg up over his as his hand settled on her hip underneath the blanket. "They were fine… I'm exhausted, though." She replied just as quietly, Matt nodding before pressing another kiss to the top of her head, the couple relaxing into one another as their tiredness took over.

"Get some sleep." He told her, his calming voice hitting her ears before they fell into a comfortable quiet, Matt's steady breathing quickly lulling her to sleep as her exhaustion grabbed ahold of her, Casey trying his best to stay awake until he was sure she'd fallen asleep, the Lieutenant passing out mere moments later.

* * *

Casey stood under the streaming water as he washed all the sawdust and paint off of him, the man hoping to rid himself of the smell of wood as he lathered up with his soap that had been in its rightful spot in Gabby's shower for a while now. He'd had a long few hours on the job, his exhaustion not helped by the busy shift they'd finished up this morning, Matt having gone straight to a construction gig while Gabby came back here to catch up on some rest before she went out to lunch with her parents, the two missing each other as she'd been long gone by the time he got back.

As soon as he got home, Casey immediately hopped into the shower, the man wanting to decompress a bit after his hectic morning. But while he held his face directly under the warm water, he wasn't able to relax much at all as he couldn't help his thoughts from going back to his girlfriend, her recent demeanor over the past few days having thrown him for a bit of a loop.

It had been a little over a week since Antonio showed up to the firehouse, telling them of Walker's plea deal, and since then, there had been a complete shift in Gabby's attitude towards this entire situation. Where he'd expected things to be up and down, Matt assuming she'd have moments of anger, or times where everything became too much and she couldn't handle it, neither of those things had really happened. At least not nearly as much as he was expecting. Instead, it had kind of been the opposite, like she was slowly returning to her old self with each passing day.

It was a shift he hadn't been counting on, but one he was grateful for as Gabby was starting to act like the woman he recognized. Whether it was with him, or with her brother, or with the house, more and more she just seemed like the same old Gabby. She'd been in a good mood- a great mood, some days, and had been more openly relaxed and carefree. And he had to admit, it had taken him by surprise.

He'd first noticed it the morning after they found out about Walker. When they woke up in his office before the end of shift, she'd told him about her talk with Shay the night before, and in that moment when she was recanting what her and her friend talked about, that was the first time in a while where he'd seen her look content. He remembered it so vividly because he'd been so surprised by it. But in that instance, she'd seemed okay. And every day that had passed since then, she seemed to be regaining more and more of her old self.

Casey knew a part of her was still angry. That she was upset over Walker's jail time, or lack thereof, and there was some of her that was still holding onto a bit of resentment towards that. But other than those few moments where it would come up, and she couldn't hold back her true feelings, she was doing alright. To him, it seemed like every day, her anger was slowly starting to fade. That she wasn't letting it consume her, and she was gradually trying to move on with her life, like she had come to terms with what happened and the situation. And while he was happy about that, there was a part of him that was a little weary… He knew he told Antonio that she just needed time, that once she had a moment to digest the news, she'd eventually be okay, but her shift in attitude had happened so quickly, he didn't know what to make of it. He couldn't help but feel like this was all a front she was putting up for him, and for everyone else, and that one day here soon that facade would crumble, and so would she.

He was worried that she wasn't dealing with it, that she was doing what he'd known her to do in the past and she was ignoring her feelings towards all of it. That she was running away instead of letting herself work through what this all meant. There was a small part of him that was worried that's what this was, and he'd be lying if he said he hadn't found himself just waiting for her to crack.

But he hoped and prayed that the small voice in the back of his head was wrong. That he was just over-worrying, and being protective of her after all she'd gone through. He desperately wanted this to be real, for her to actually be okay, and that things were slowly getting better. It had been so nice to see her acting more like herself, to see her so open and slowly regaining that spark in her eyes that Walker had taken from her. These past few days, she'd been happier than he'd seen her in a while, and he hoped it was genuine. That she wasn't just faking it for his sake, or for her family, that she truly was feeling better about this entire thing. Because more than anything, he just wanted her to be alright, he _needed_ her to be alright, and so far she'd given him no reason to think she wasn't. It was nothing but his own concerns making him think there might be more behind her sudden shift in attitude. And they were concerns he was desperately trying to mask, until he was given some reason not to.

The sound of heavy footsteps echoing through the bathroom pulled Casey from his thoughts, the man moving his face out from under the steady stream of water as he turned to see Gabby walking towards him, her figure a bit blurry through the fogged glass.

"Hey baby." He greeted, Gabby smiling softly before she crouched down to untie her boots. "How were your parents?"

"They were good." She replied, her voice a bit muffled as her head was still turned towards the ground while she completed her task. "They missed you, though. Said we could've rescheduled so you would've been able to make it." Gabby added, Matt shaking his head slightly as he rinsed the soap out of his hair.

"We can all get together another time, maybe we can do dinner or something soon." He offered, his eyebrows raising slightly as he watched her kick off her boots before her hands moved towards her shirt, Gabby peeling the tight material from her body and tossing it to the floor. "I'm just glad you were able to spend some time with them."

"Me too." She agreed as her hands moved towards her pants, Gabby unbuttoning them before sliding the material down her legs and kicking them off. "Maybe here in the next few days, we can all go out to eat. I think they'd like that." She continued, Matt's eyes trailing over her form as she stood there in her underwear, Gabby catching his stares as she lifted her arm up to release her hair from its loose ponytail. "Need something?" She asked with a knowing gleam in her eye, Matt cocking his head to the side before finding her gaze.

"Just wondering what you were doing…" He mused lightly, his words earning a scoff from her before she reached around her back to unclasp her bra, the material hanging loosely off her chest.

"I thought you might want some company." She replied simply, Matt's tongue running along the inside of his cheek when she dropped her bra to the ground, Gabby soon slipping out of her underwear as well, leaving her completely bare as she opened the shower door, giving Matt an unobstructed view of the body he knew so well. "And besides, it's been awhile since we've done this." She replied with a slight smirk, Matt drawing in a deep breath as she closed the door behind her.

She was right, it had been awhile since they'd had any fun together in the shower, let alone had any fun together at all. They hadn't been together in awhile, not since before Bryan attacked her, and he'd be lying through his teeth if he said he didn't miss being with her. But it wasn't exactly something that was high on his list of priorities. With as worried as he'd been lately, Matt's main, and really only focus, was to make sure Gabby was alright. And because of that, sex just hadn't been on his mind much these days.

But if the look in Gabby's eyes was any indication, it had definitely been on hers.

"How was your job?" She asked, her soft voice gaining his attention as she reached around him for her soap, the water falling down in between them as her body was mere inches away from his.

"It was good." He replied, stepping out of the way slightly so she had room. "I'm tired, but it wasn't too bad."

"...Hopefully not too tired to go out?" She questioned when he finished speaking, Matt's eyebrows furrowing together as Gabby focused her attention on him, knowing he needed more to go on. "Shay called me earlier while you were working, said everyone was gonna meet up at Molly's tonight… I figured it'd be fun." She told him with a smile, Gabby seeing the look of hesitance that flashed in his eyes.

"That sounds great, baby, but… you sure you're up for that?" He asked, the woman nodding immediately. It wasn't something they had done since this all happened, Matt and Gabby having been keeping to mostly staying at either his home or hers if they weren't at work, Casey a little weary of her doing too much too soon.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" She asked, Matt wincing slightly as he pursed his lips together, Gabby's eyes falling closed for a split second as she released a heavy sigh. "...Matt, I'm okay." She assured him, just as she done often over the last week, Gabby lifting her head back up to meet his gaze, his unsure eyes still focused on her.

"I'm worried about you." He murmured, watching as she smacked her lips together before reaching out to wrap her arms around his neck, the position naturally pulling them closer together.

"I know you are… And I get it, I know why everyone's worried about me, I know why _you're_ worried, but I promise, I'm alright." She assured him, Matt's hands naturally gravitating towards her hips as he pulled her against him, their naked bodies pressed closer together than they'd been in weeks. "This Bryan thing, it- … I don't want to let it control me. I've had enough of him controlling me. Right now, he's in jail. I wish it was for longer, and I know you do, too, but we can't change that. And once he's out, if he's stupid enough to try anything he'll go right back in there… So I'm choosing to focus on that, instead of being scared or upset or angry all the time. I'm trying to move past it, but I need your help to do that." She murmured, stroking her thumb along the back of his neck. "It's like you've been telling everyone at the firehouse, the best thing they can do for me is to treat me normally…" She added, seeing the look of realization that flickered in his eyes. "I need you to do that too, babe."

Drawing in a deep breath, Matt nodded in agreement, giving her a soft smile as he focused on the feeling of her fingers rubbing along his neck. "Yeah, I guess you're right…" He breathed out, Gabby tilting her head to the side slightly as she grazed her fingernails along his hairline.

"And it would also help if you maybe looked at me like I was your girlfriend once in a while, and not like someone who you're waiting for them to have a breakdown." She told him, Matt ducking his head as a sheepish look covered his face, Gabby sliding her hand around towards his cheek, rubbing the wet skin softly.

"...Have I really been that noticeable?" He asked quietly, Gabby's noise scrunching up slightly as she gave him a nod.

"You have." She replied as she continued to scratch his neck, Matt blowing out a heavy breath as he slid his hands along her sides.

"I'm sorry, I'm not meaning to be so… overbearing, I guess."

"You're not… You're worried about me, and I love you for it, but I'm okay… If something's wrong, I'd come to you, but I can tell you've been hesitant around me, and I don't want you to be. You don't need to be." She assured him, nudging his cheek gently so he would look her in the eye. "You've been so good to me through this entire thing, and so understanding, but I don't want this thing to become all our relationship is, is you constantly worrying and waiting for something bad to happen." She told him, Matt getting the feeling that she'd been holding onto these feelings for a few days as he gave her a nod. "I miss just being with my boyfriend… I miss you, and us"

Gabby paused for a moment to take a breath, her words hanging in the steamy air around them, Matt thinking over everything she'd just told him, the man knowing she had a point. Drawing in a deep breath, he felt her brush her hand over his cheek yet again, the action causing him to look back at her.

"I know this Bryan thing will never go away… It'll always be a part of me, and us. We can't pretend like it didn't happen, and I already know they'll be days that are worse than others when it comes to how I'm feeling about all of this… But right now, I'm okay. I'm okay, and I want you to be okay, too. I want _us_ to be okay… I want us to feel like us again."

"I want that, too." He agreed almost instantly, Gabby's smile growing as he slid his hands around to her back, pressing her chest into his as he closed what was left of the distance between them, capturing her lips in a heated kiss. The action caught her off guard, Matt not having kissed her like this in a while. But she soon regained herself, Gabby giving just as much back to him as she slowly maneuvered them towards the wall, Matt jumping slightly when his wet skin made contact with the cold tile.

He could feel the neediness in her movements, Gabby's hands digging into his skin as she pressed herself into him, the feeling of her against him causing a low groan to escape from deep within his chest, Matt feeling her smirk against him before she dropped her hand from his neck. Without much warning, she pushed off him slightly and reached in between them, Matt's breath hitching in his throat when she grabbed a hold of him, her firm grip sending a chill through his spine as she slowly moved her hand.

"Gabby... Are you sure?" He asked in between kisses, needing the confirmation before this went any further, Gabby trailing her lips down to his neck, expertly marking his skin as she picked up the pace of her fist.

"I want to… I miss you." She murmured against him just before she grazed her teeth over his collarbone, Matt needing no more assurance than that as he carefully turned them around so her back was pressed against the wall. Her body shivered at the change in temperature, his hands beginning to roam her skin in ways they hadn't in far too long as she kept up her quick, short movements over him, the pair determined to enjoy their time together for as long as they could.

* * *

"Otis! Another one!"

Gabby's loud voice came from across the crowded room, Matt's amused eyes immediately finding her and Shay in the middle of the bar, the two having been hanging off one another all night as they drank and let loose.

The second he registered her voice, Otis spared a glance towards Casey, almost like he was checking to make sure if it was time to cut her off or not. But Matt simply shrugged, nodding off towards Dawson.

"Don't look at me, you heard the lady." Matt replied, Otis giving him a nod before walking down towards Dawson and Shay, Casey's smile growing when he looked back towards Gabby. With his eyes on his girlfriend, he didn't notice the way Herrmann's gaze kept bouncing back and forth between himself and Gabby. It wasn't until the older man cleared his throat that Matt tore his attention away from the woman across the bar, Casey raising his eyebrows when he saw Herrmann's expectant eyes on him. "...Yeah?"

"How, uh… how's everything going, Lieutenant?" He asked, his eyes flashing back towards Dawson, Matt following his gaze back towards his girlfriend as well.

Herrmann, along with everyone else, had noticed the shift in Gabby's attitude as well over the last few shifts. And he, just like the rest of the house, had been a little skeptical of it, too.

"Things are good." Matt replied before downing a long sip of his water, Herrmann giving him a nod before speaking up again.

"Dawson seems, um, spirited, tonight." He pushed, Matt clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he looked back at his girlfriend, seeing her and Shay downing their umpteenth shot of the evening.

"Yeah, she definitely is." Casey replied with a chuckle, shaking his head before looking to Herrmann.

"Is everything okay there? I mean, she's still doing alright?" He questioned, Matt hearing the clear concern in his voice. The same concern he'd had hours earlier, Casey giving him another strong nod, hoping to appease his worries.

"She's good, Herrmann. Everything's fine… She's just having a night to decompress, and have some fun. I think after everything she's gone through, it's warranted."

"Well, I agree with you there." Herrmann replied, tossing the white bar rag over his shoulder. "I just wanted to be sure… With Dawson, sometimes it's hard to know what's going on in that head of hers."

"I definitely know what you mean, but she's alright… I promise. All of this, it's been a lot, but she's getting through it… Getting better every day."

"Good, good." He mused, his attention getting pulled away from Casey as he saw a clearly drunk Dawson making her way over to them, Matt turning just in time for her to crash her lips into his.

The taste of alcohol was prominent, Gabby kissing him long and hard as she wrapped her arms around his neck, her body resting in between his legs as Matt's hand instinctively moved to her waist. The man was stunned, to say the least, by her sudden presence by his side, but he wasn't complaining as she deepened the kiss, their public display of affection gaining a few whistles from different patrons around them.

While he'd been on the receiving end of her drunken kisses before, this one felt a little different, Gabby clearly having no care in the world as she tightened her hold on him, the two only separating when it became absolutely necessary. Matt sucked in air as soon as he could, Gabby pulling back far enough to meet his eyes as her chest heaved up and down, the two completely oblivious to the stares around them as they focused on one another.

"You seem like you're having a good time." Casey spoke in between breaths, Gabby smirking softly as she ran her finger lightly along the back of his neck before she leaned towards him, the woman pressing a much tamer kiss against him before trailing her lips back across his cheek, her heavy breaths hitting his skin as she grazed her teeth over his ear.

"I am…" She whispered, Matt running his teeth along his bottom lip as she darted her tongue out over his skin. "And you and I are gonna be having an even better time later." She added softly, her words only audible to him as he tightened his hold around her waist, a soft smirk gracing his lips as he steadied his girl in his arms.

"Is that so?" He murmured back, Gabby giggling in his ear before nodding, the woman pressing another kiss to his skin just as she pulled back, his eyes locking on her hazy ones. It was clear she was well past drunk, that she'd accomplished her goal of having a fun night out with her friends, and in her alcohol induced state, she definitely wasn't shy around him. And while he was sure she meant exactly what she said, he knew they wouldn't be having any of the type of fun she was talking about tonight, Matt having no other plans for this evening aside from getting her home safely.

"Mhmm…" She hummed, Gabby's bottom lip falling between her teeth as Matt rubbed his hand along her back. "But not yet, Shay's waiting for me." She added, Matt moving his head back slightly at the suddenly loud volume of her voice, Gabby unaware of how loud she was talking as she rubbed her hand along the back of his neck. "So hopefully you can have some fun with Herrmann for a little while longer, I love you, baby."

With one last sloppy kiss, Gabby made her way back over to Shay, Matt shaking his head in amusement as she apologized to every person she stumbled into along the way, Casey making sure she'd safely made it back to her friend before he allowed himself to look away, the man knowing he'd have to be keeping a close eye on her for the rest of the night.

And he definitely had, Casey keeping track of her over the next few hours as they closed the bar down, Gabby having had her fair share of fun this evening with her friends and boyfriend. And while her heavy drinking pace had definitely surprised him a little, he knew she needed this. A night out with her friends, in a place where she felt safe to just let go and have some fun, he knew this was probably one of the best things for her right now. And with him here to make sure she was okay, he had no issues with her letting off as much steam as she needed to.

But the night eventually came to an end, Severide all but dragging an equally drunken Shay to his car while Matt managed to get Gabby to come with him, the man thankful he didn't have too much trouble getting his girlfriend to his truck. And just as he expected, seconds after he'd gotten her into the vehicle, she was out, Gabby having slept the entire drive back to her apartment.

For as easy as it had been to get her from Molly's, getting her inside her home was not as simple, Matt basically supporting the entirety of her body weight by the time they got to her front door while Gabby had her arms wrapped around his neck, her tired body attached to his side as he unlocked her door.

"Alright, come on sleepyhead." He encouraged as he walked into the apartment, Gabby groaning as he got them inside, Matt making sure they were clear of the door before he shut it behind them, the man locking it into place before walking her further into her dark home.

Luckily, the further into her apartment they got, the more Gabby started to recognize her surroundings, the woman breaking free of Matt's secure grip and heading straight for her bedroom, Casey taking the moment to stop in the kitchen and grab a glass of water and some aspirin, knowing she'd need both of those things in the morning.

When he met up with her in her bedroom, a soft chuckle escaped his lips as he saw she was already shedding herself from her clothes, Gabby having removed her shirt and she was currently working on her pants as she stood in the middle of her bedroom. Shaking his head slightly, Matt placed the glass and medicine down on the nightstand before moving towards the windows to quickly close the curtains, Casey unsure of how much longer it would be before she'd completely stripped down.

"Come on, let's get you into bed." He spoke as he walked back towards her, Gabby mumbling something incoherently under her breath as she began working on getting her bra off, Matt stopping by her dresser to grab one of his t-shirts for her to sleep in before coming to stand in front of her. Clad in just her underwear, Gabby haphazardly reached for the piece of clothing, Matt biting back a laugh as he watched her struggle with the material before eventually getting it on over her head. As the shirt fell down over her, Matt couldn't help but reach out and brush down some of her unruly hair, Gabby leaning into his touch as her tired eyes fell closed, the two focusing on their quiet moment before she looked back up at him.

Without a word, she took a step forward, capturing his lips in a soft, slow kiss, Matt smiling into the movement before he kissed her back, Gabby pulling away far too quickly for his liking.

But when he opened his eyes, he was surprised to see hers still closed, Gabby standing there as she took deep breaths, Matt not knowing what she was doing as she held onto his wrist tightly. "...Thank you." She murmured suddenly, his confusion written across his face as she slowly opened her eyes, Matt seeing the glazed over look in her gaze as she stared straight at him, Casey not getting the chance to question her before she spoke up again. "Thank you for not being him."

His eyebrows furrowed as the vulnerable words left her lips, Matt seeing the unmistakable sign of tears gathering in her eyes as she stared at him, the man unsure of what to say. But she never gave him the chance to respond, Gabby giving his wrist a firm squeeze before dropping his hand and moving towards her bed, Matt watching her as she moved back the covers and nearly collapsed into his side of the bed, Gabby curling up into his pillow and falling asleep almost instantly as she left her confused and worried boyfriend standing there in the middle of the room.


	55. Chapter Fifty Four

**Hi everyone. Sorry for not getting an update to you all last week, I know some of you look forward to that every Thursday, so I'm sorry I wasn't able to get one posted for you all. I just needed some extra time to get this one done, I hope you understand.**

**And I do hope you all enjoy this one, there is a little M-rated section, which I know some of you have been wanting. But this is just a sweet little Dawsey chapter for you all, so I hope you enjoy it.**

**Thank you for reading, I hope you all are doing well and staying safe.**

* * *

**FIFTY FOUR**

* * *

Casey pulled his truck up to the curb across from the bar, the man putting it in park before looking towards the familiar building, Matt seeing people coming and going from the lively establishment as the bar lights helped illuminate the dark Chicago night. Pulling the keys from the ignition, Casey spared a quick glance to the time on the dashboard, the tired firefighter blowing out a heavy breath as he saw it was just a little after ten. It wasn't too late, in fact Matt knew the second he walked inside, the night would just be getting started, but it was later than he would've liked to get here, Casey knowing Gabby had been here for a few hours now.

When they got off shift this morning, the couple knew they'd be going their separate ways for most of the day; Gabby having gone off to run a few errands with her mom, while Matt got some rest before a construction job he had just after lunch, the two planning to meet back up for dinner before Gabby had to come work at Molly's. But unfortunately, those plans had to be altered a bit when Matt's job that he thought would be a quick, couple hour task, turned into an all day event, Casey not finishing up his job until about an hour ago. Then after a quick trip home to shower off all the dust and dirt, he was getting here much later than he originally told Gabby during one of his few texts apologizing for their plans getting messed up. But he was here now, and despite the fact she'd be working all evening, he was looking forward to having a nice night out with his girl and their friends.

Pushing his door open, Casey slid down from the truck, the man checking to make sure he had his phone and his wallet before he locked up the vehicle, Matt looking both ways before he jogged across the pretty quiet street. Within moments he was at the door, Matt stepping out of the way as a few people left the bar before he slipped inside, his eyes bouncing around the busy room until he found who he was looking for.

She was standing behind the bar, a wide smile on her face as she chatted away with Herrmann, Shay beside her as they all three waited for any customers who needed their assistance. From his position by the door, he could see Severide, Cruz, and Otis sitting across from them, the air seemingly light around them as the friends enjoyed their time together. And it was a sight that Casey loved to see.

It had been a little over a month since Walker's sentencing, and in that time, things had pretty much gone back to normal around the house- at least where Gabby was concerned. The pitiful looks, the worried stares, those had all stopped. The entire ordeal with Bryan, it wasn't something that was discussed anymore, and it hadn't been for a couple of weeks. Aside from Herrmann, or Severide, occasionally checking in with him to make sure everything was alright, no one talked about it. For Gabby's sake, everyone had moved on, at least as much as they were going to, and everyone was just treating her like before. Like she was just Dawson. And that was something he knew Gabby was beyond grateful for.

Since news of her abuse broke to the house, Matt knew that all she wanted was for things to be back to normal, and thankfully, over the last few weeks they had been. While it wasn't something any of them could forget, or pretend hadn't happened, they had stopped dwelling on it, and that alone had helped Gabby tremendously in moving past all this.

As he stepped further into the bar, Matt couldn't stop his smile from widening when he heard her laugh, his eyes finding her bright smile immediately, the sight filling his chest with an indescribable warmth.

She was happy; she was genuinely happy right now, and that was all he wanted for her.

Though the last month was filled with some ups and downs, overall he knew she was doing better. She'd accepted what happened to her, and was moving on with her life, with _their_ life together. She was okay, and in the few moments she hadn't been, Matt was right there with her. But those moments had been few and far between, especially lately.

And if the last few weeks had shown him anything, it was just how strong and resilient his girl was, and he was sure he'd never been more proud.

As he walked closer to the woman he was here to see, the blonde beside her caught sight of him first, Shay shooting him a soft smile before nudging Gabby's arm, the brunette looking to her friend before Shay nodded towards him. Gabby's head turned to him, the two locking eyes almost immediately as he continued closer down the bar, her warm smile widening even more as he came to stop beside Severide.

"Hey baby." She greeted happily, everyone turning towards Matt as she finished speaking, the man earning a few more hellos from the group.

"Hey guys." He responded, his eyes quickly moving back to his girlfriend as she stepped around Herrmann, Gabby leaning up over the bar towards him, Matt quickly understanding what she was wanting as he mimicked her actions, the two meeting for a chaste kiss before pulling back. "Sorry I missed dinner."

"It's okay, Shay came over and ate your food, so I had some company." She replied with a laugh, Matt releasing a soft chuckle before glancing towards their friend, the blonde shrugging with a grin as she took a step closer.

"It was delicious, shame you missed it." Shay told him, Matt shaking his head before looking back towards his girlfriend, finding her deep brown eyes still on him, the soft grin resting across her face causing his heart rate to quicken in his chest.

"Well, at least it didn't go to waste." He responded, his smile matching Gabby's.

"It sure didn't." Shay cut in, Matt shooting her an amused look before looking back to Dawson.

"How'd your job go?" She asked, her palms resting against the edge of the bar as she leaned her body weight against the counter, Matt huffing out a heavy breath before replying.

"It was… long. Very long." He told her, Gabby's nose scrunching up slightly as she took in his tired features. "But I got everything done, so I won't have to worry about going back tomorrow."

Gabby gave him a slow nod, her eyes continuing to run over his face as she saw his clear exhaustion. She knew he was tired before he even went to work today, Gabby well aware of the long shift they'd all had yesterday, as well as truck being out most of the night at a house fire. Then with him being put to work all day as well, she could tell just by one look at him that all he wanted was some sleep.

"I'm glad… You don't have to hang around too long, if you don't want to." She told him, Matt's head tilting to the side slightly. "You look like you could fall asleep right this second, you don't need to stay just for me… Why don't you head home? Get some rest."

"Nah, I'm good." He replied almost instantly, Matt standing up a little bit straighter as he stretched out his back. Though he certainly wouldn't mind getting some sleep right now, he had no plans to leave before Gabby did, considering she was closing up tonight. He knew she'd be fine, and that she could handle herself, but he always felt better being with her while she was closing up the bar, Matt seeing for himself that sometimes some of their newer patrons were a little rowdier when it was time to end the night. And since neither of them had any plans for tomorrow until the evening, there was nothing stopping them from sleeping in. "I'm happy to stay."

Gabby nodding softly at his words, the smile reappearing on her lips as they locked eyes once more, the two focusing on nothing but the other for a few long seconds, their eye contact causing heat to flood to her cheeks before the sound of Kelly clearing his throat snapped them from their moment.

"You two wanna take this to the back room?" Severide questioned, his words earning immediate laughs from the first responders around them, Gabby ducking her head slightly as Matt turned to look at him, the truck Lieutenant slapping him lightly against the back of his head. "What? I'm sorry, but you two just saw each other this morning, it's not like it's been days." He continued, his words earning him another smack to his head as Gabby chuckled softly. "All I'm saying is if you're gonna continue, maybe take it to the back."

"Don't give me any ideas." Gabby murmured under her breath, Matt's tongue poking out between his teeth as he bit back a laugh, her words causing Severide to grimace before he shook his head. "What? You started it." She mocked him, their teasing causing the group to laugh before Gabby returned her attention back to her boyfriend. "So, can I get you a drink?"

"Just water for now." He replied, Gabby giving him a nod before moving to get him a glass.

As the night continued on, the friends were all dispersed throughout the bar, Otis and Cruz having moved to a table in the back, while Severide and Matt had mostly stayed put at the bar, Casey wanting to be close to his girl while she worked, Gabby spending what time she could with him, aside from when customers needed attention, or Herrmann and Shay need her for something.

Things began to wind down when it got close to closing time, most of the customers having left a while ago, as well as Cruz and Otis having called it quits around midnight. Severide had left with a blonde shortly after their other friends had gone, while Shay had done the exact same thing, the paramedic checking with her friend that it was fine she ducked out early before she went home with the woman. And by the time it was close to the end of the night, Gabby and Herrmann were the only two left working, Matt having stayed in his spot as the two escorted a rather loud bunch of men outside, Herrmann locking the door as soon as they were out.

Huffing out a breath, the older man walked with Gabby back towards the bar, the three the only ones left in the room as Matt sipped on his second glass of water.

"Alright kid, I'm gonna head out." Herrmann spoke as Gabby came to stand beside Matt, her hand resting on his shoulder. "You good here?"

"Yeah, we're good." She assured him, Matt pushing himself up from his seat to begin putting the stools up as Herrmann walked to the front door, Gabby following him so she could lock up behind him.

"Night Herrmann." Matt called, the older man nodding as he stood in the doorway.

"Goodnight Lieutenant, Dawson." He told them, Gabby flashing him a smile before he stepped outside, Casey continuing the tedious process of putting all the chairs up while Gabby locked the front door, leaving them alone in the bar.

Wordlessly, the two continued to work, Gabby running her hand along his back as she passed him to head back to the stockroom, Dawson locking up the door and grabbing her things before joining him back out in the bar, seeing he'd nearly completed his task.

"Thank you for staying." Her soft voice filled the otherwise silent room, Matt turning to look at her as she continued walking towards him, a soft smile forming over his face as he put the last stool upside down on the table.

"Of course… Had to make up for missing dinner somehow." He added lightly, Gabby scoffing as she shook her head, the woman placing her purse down on the table before coming to stand in front of him, her arms circling around his neck as his hands instinctively went to her hips, the position they were in naturally pulling them together as she tilted her head to the side.

"When you told me you were gonna make it up to me, this isn't exactly what I had in mind." She responded, unable to stop the smile growing over her face when she felt him rub his hand along her hip, her words causing him to chuckle softly.

"Oh, well what _did_ you have in mind?" He questioned, Gabby cocking her head to the side as she raised her eyebrows challengingly, Matt instantly recognizing the dark look in her eyes.

Before giving him a response, Gabby closed what little distance there was between them, her lips connecting with his in a heated, desire-filled kiss, Matt instantly reciprocating the action as he tightened the hold he had on her hips. Her palm gripped the back of his neck, keeping him close to her as they fought for dominance, Matt's hand sliding up underneath her shirt, resting along her bare side before moving around to her back, the feeling of his warm skin against hers sending a shiver through her spine. She could feel him smirk against her, Matt clearly noticing the effect his touch had on her, the two separating to take a quick breath, their wanting eyes locked on each other as their chests heaved up and down.

"...I have a few ideas." She spoke in between breaths, Matt not getting a chance to answer her before her lips were back on his, the desperation in her movements nearly sending him stumbling backwards, Matt having to grip the edge of the table in order to keep his balance. But his clear moment of unsteadiness wasn't enough to slow her down, Gabby gripping on his shirt as she pushed him back against the table, her hips pressing into his, pinning him up against the high piece of furniture as his hands roamed her body. She felt his hands slide down her back towards her ass, moving into her back pockets before grabbing a hold of her, the action pushing her forward as they continued their needy movements.

But the couple was pulled apart suddenly by the sound of one of the bar stools crashing to the ground, Matt having accidentally knocked into it when Gabby thrust her hips forward, the sound causing him to jump as they abruptly stepped back. The second she registered his startled state, Gabby burst out into laughter, Matt shaking his head as soft chuckles escaped his own lips, the man running his hand along the back of his neck before he stepped away from her, Casey bending down to pick up the stool as Gabby composed herself.

"You alright, there?" She asked before laughing again, Gabby rubbing her hand over his lower back before he stood back up.

"I'm fine." He replied, shaking his head before he turned back to face her, his eyes immediately finding her swollen lips, the lipstick she'd been wearing all night now smudged across her mouth, before his eyes trailed down towards her chest, taking in her very obvious cleavage peeking out from the low-cut shirt she'd been wearing. Seeing his less than subtle stares, Gabby reached out to grab his jaw, forcing him to look back up at her as a sheepish look covered his face.

"Yeah, we need to get home." He breathed out, another laugh escaping her lips as she dropped her light hold on his face, Matt turning around to grab her bag before nodding towards the door. "You ready?"

She gave him a nod before they headed for the door, Gabby turning off the lights as Matt stepped outside, the warm night inviting as they exited the bar. He kept his attention on the street while Gabby locked up, his hands shoved in his pockets until he felt her slide her arm through his, Matt glancing down to see her standing beside him.

"Let's go home." She told him, Matt nodding with a soft smile before they walked down the steps onto the sidewalk, the couple walking towards Gabby's car that was parked closer than his. When they got to her driver side door, she fished around in her purse for her keys while Matt was leaning up against the back door, the pair following the usual routine for when they were leaving Molly's late at night.

Matt would walk her to her car, keeping a close eye on their surroundings while she got ready to leave, the man always waiting until her car was running and she was locked inside before he went to his own vehicle, and tonight was no different, Matt waiting for the all clear before he jogged across the street to his truck. When he got to his vehicle, he spared a quick glance back at her before getting inside, his truck roaring to life as Gabby waited for him in her parking spot until he was ready to go. And, just as they always did, Matt followed behind Gabby to their destination, Casey always feeling better about her driving in front of him this late at night.

With the minimal late night traffic, they were able to get to Gabby's apartment within minutes, Matt pulling his truck up behind her, the two of them climbing out of their cars and locking them before heading towards her front door, the air around them light as he followed her up the steps.

"So…" She spoke as she slid the key into the lock, Matt raising his eyebrows before she pushed the door open. "Have you decided how you're gonna make it up to me?" She questioned, Matt feeling his mouth go dry as he followed her into her home, Casey making sure to lock up the door behind them as they stood in the entryway.

"Well, I definitely have a few ideas of my own… But I'm interested to hear what you had in mind." He told her, Matt watching her closely as she discarded her belongings on the table, Gabby sliding out of her boots before turning towards him, his girlfriend now a few inches shorter as she stood in front of him. "You seemed to have some good ones back at the bar."

"Oh, I do." She replied, Gabby wasting no time as she reached for the hem of her shirt and pulled it from her body, Matt's gaze immediately moving to her chest as she stood in her dark red lacy bra, the man having fond memories of removing this particular piece of clothing in the past as her shirt fell to the floor with a silent thump. His eyes immediately darkened at the sight of her, his tongue darting out between his teeth to wet his dry lips as she reached towards him, Gabby's hands grabbing ahold of his shirt before she practically ripped it from his body, Matt letting her do whatever she wanted as she dropped it to the ground on top of hers.

Without a word, Gabby slid her finger through one of his belt loops before taking a step backwards, leading him further into the familiar apartment as they slowly made their way to the couch, Gabby dropping her hold on him once he got the hint to follow after her. From his positioning behind her, he could see the way her hips were swaying as she walked, Matt knowing she was doing it on purpose as she was well aware of the effect she had on him, his pants feeling awful snug as they got to her living room.

As they stood in front of the couch, Gabby's back was still to him as her hands moved towards her jeans, the woman beginning to undo the button, but her movements stopped when she felt him press his chest into her, Matt's arm immediately snaking around her waist, his hand resting over hers to keep her from continuing any further.

"That's my job." He growled in her ear, Gabby biting back a satisfied smirk as she felt him press her body back against his, his want for her evident as there was no space in between them.

"Well then get to work… _Lieutenant_." The last word fell from her lips lightly, Matt's eyes falling closed as the blood in his body rushed south, a deep groan escaping the back of his throat before he decided to follow her advice. Pushing her hands out of the way, Matt brought his other arm around to her front while his lips attached to the skin on her neck, Gabby's head tilting to the side to give him better access, his hands unbuttoning her pants before slowly sliding the zipper down.

She expected him to continue removing her clothes, but he took her by surprise when he suddenly stopped his movements, Matt sliding one hand up her side while his other teased the skin above the waistband of her underwear, Gabby's breaths becoming heavier as she felt him move one finger underneath the material. He continued teasing her for a few seconds, Gabby's eyes falling closed as she rested her head back on his shoulder, the woman letting him do what he pleased as she waited to see what his next move would be.

And he didn't disappoint as Casey moved two fingers underneath her underwear, before slowly letting the rest of his hand disappear under the clothing, Gabby's breath catching in her throat as he gently rubbed over her sensitive skin. His teeth lightly grazed her neck, Matt's hand on her side sliding up to her chest, gripping her over her bra as he continued slowly moving the hand underneath her clothes back and forth, his steady and tantalizing movements pulling low whines from her as she leaned into him.

He continued his slow pace for a few minutes, Casey thoroughly enjoying the sounds he was getting from her as he worked her the way he knew she craved, Matt not doing enough to get her close to the edge, but enough to drive her crazy as they stood in her dim living room.

When he'd spent enough time teasing, he meticulously slid his hand further down, Gabby gasping softly when he slid a lone finger inside of her, the grip he had on her chest tightening as he continued marking the skin on her neck. It felt as if her body was on fire, Matt alighting a feeling in her no one else ever had as he picked up his pace, heavy pants leaving her lips as her legs trembled slightly.

The second he slid a second finger into her, she felt her legs falter again, Matt tightening his grip on her to keep her upright as he gradually increased his speed. His lips stayed latched onto her neck, the moans and whines his movements were pulling from her encouraging him further.

"Matt…" She whimpered, Casey feeling her body tighten around him as he moved his hand faster, Gabby's entire body tensing against him as she fought to keep any semblance of control. But it was a battle she was desperately losing.

Just as she was about to tumble over that edge, Matt pulled back, Gabby groaning in dismay as he slid his hand out from underneath her clothes, his mouth staying locked onto her neck as he held her by her stomach to keep her up, her heavy pants filling his ears as he loosened his hold on her chest.

"That was mean." She whined in between breaths, Matt chuckling against her neck before kissing her skin, the man knowing he'd left his fair share of marks on her. Ones she'd definitely have to cover up as he took a slight step back, his hands moving down towards her sides before he slid her pants and underwear down quickly, Gabby shivering at the rough movement. With her help, the clothes previously covering her bottom half ended up in a pile beside the coffee table, Gabby's eyes falling closed when she felt him press a light kiss to her lower back before he stood up straight, his hands immediately moving to the last piece of clothing keeping her hidden from him. Just as he'd done so often in the past, he expertly unclasped her bra, letting it rest in place as he turned her around to face him, his inviting eyes accompanied by the soft smile on his face causing warmth to pool in her stomach as he slowly reached out to remove the material from her body.

When she was completely bare to him, he tossed the clothing to the ground, his eyes immediately raking over her naked form, taking her in before he slowly met her gaze, Matt finding a shy smile waiting for him as he took a step forward.

"God, I love you." He breathed out, his eyes looking over her once more as her chest filled with warmth, Gabby taking matters into her own hands as she reached for his belt, the woman making quick work of it while Matt kept his hazy gaze focused on her. Within seconds, his pants and boxers were down around his ankles, his breath catching in his throat when she grabbed a hold of him, her fist moving slowly over him before she leaned forward, capturing his lips with hers.

Their movements were sloppy, and filled with desire as she worked him, Matt having a hard time focusing as she'd pick up her pace substantially, before slowing back down, Gabby knowing how much that drove him crazy.

But after what felt like not nearly enough time, she let him go, Matt sucking in a deep breath the second her lips were off his, the man opening his eyes to find her already staring back at him, the wanting smile playing over her lips causing his throat to go try before she lead him back towards the couch, his body collapsing down onto the cushions as she'd pushed him down. Before he was even seated, she was already climbing on top of him, Matt's hands flying to her hips to help guide her to his lap while her hands rested on his shoulders, the position familiar to both of them as her chest brushed against his.

Without prompting, Gabby leaned down to kiss him yet again, her actions desperate as she gripped the tops of his shoulders, Matt's hands running all along her bare skin as they pressed their hips together. While she had him distracted, Gabby's hand running along his chest while their lips moved together heatedly, she slid her free hand down in between them, lifting her hips enough to grab a hold of him. Matt choked on his breath when she gave him a few swift pumps before lining himself up to her entrance, Gabby wasting no time in slowly moving down towards him, Matt sinking into her as his hands gripped her hips tightly.

Soft gasps and moans were coming from both of them as they adjusted to one another, Matt rubbing his hand comfortingly over her hip as she rested flush against his lap, her head lulling to the side as she adjusted to him. He waited for her to make the first move, Matt pressing chaste kisses along her shoulder and neck for a few intimate moments.

And when she was ready, she gently nudged her cheek against his, Matt turning towards her just as she placed her lips on his, Gabby kissing him with a force he hadn't been expecting as her hands moved back to his shoulders, the woman gripping onto him tightly for support before she began moving up and down in his lap. Her pace started slow, both of them building up to that high as they focused on the incredible feeling of being together, but it soon became clear to him that slow and gentle wasn't what she was after. Not when she dug her fingernails into his shoulders, no doubt leaving marks behind, before she picked up her speed, her needy kisses becoming even needier as she bounced up and down.

Their movements were frantic, heavy moans and pants escaping through their kisses as Matt's grip on her hips tightened, the man helping her move at a quick pace that she couldn't quite reach on her own, helping her slam down onto him before lifting her back up. It was rough, and fast, and full of nothing but want, desire, and complete and utter love, the feeling nearly suffocating as they got lost in one another.

The other's names tumbled from their lips as they continued moving together, the near pleading tone to her voice telling Matt she was close as he kept up his rhythmic movements, the man able to feel just how close she was getting as she clenched down around him. And while he knew she was approaching that peak they craved together, he was almost certain it wouldn't be the last time she felt that tonight as he continued on with his reckless pace, Matt doing everything he could to make sure she thoroughly enjoyed their night together.

* * *

With their hands intertwined, Gabby and Matt walked up the sidewalk to the familiar front door, the couple unsure of exactly what they'd be getting themselves into tonight as they approached her parent's house, this dinner having been something her mother had planned somewhat last minute. It was just a couple of days ago when Camila called her daughter, saying she wanted to have her and Matt over for dinner, along with Antonio. And while that had been something they'd done a few times since they found out about everything with Walker, usually the couple was given more notice than two days. But they were happy to be here nonetheless, Gabby and Matt both knowing how much these evenings were enjoyed by the entire family.

When they got to the door, Matt lifted his free hand up to knock, the couple hearing some rambunctious shouting going on behind the closed door, Gabby biting back a laugh as she heard her parents talking loudly back and forth through the house, Casey mimicking her look just before the door opened.

"Gabriela! Matthew!" Ramon greeted brightly, the man stepping aside to give them room to come in, but Gabby's eyebrows furrowed when she saw the redness in his eyes. "Come in, come in."

"Everything okay, Papa?" She asked, Gabby dropping Matt's hand before walking inside, Casey following close behind her as Ramon shut the door.

"Everything's fine, mija." He assured him, Gabby's eyes roaming his tired face before she ultimately nodded, the daughter still not entirely believing his story. "Your mother's finishing up dinner, and your brother is taking a call, but everything should be ready soon, make yourselves at home." He told them the same thing he did every time they had dinner, Matt and Gabby sharing a look before nodding, the pair leaving the belongings they didn't need by the door before following her father into the living room. "What would you all like to drink?"

"Wine's fine, dad."

"I'll have a beer, but I can go and get it." Matt replied as Gabby sat down on the couch.

"Oh, no you don't have to, you're our guests."

"It's fine, I wanna say hi to Camila anyway." He continued, Ramon and Gabby both shooting him a soft smile, Matt rubbing his girlfriend's shoulder before he started the familiar path towards the kitchen, leaving Gabby alone with her dad.

"So Gabriela, how are things with you two?" He asked softly, not missing the way her daughter's face lit up at the mere mention of her boyfriend, before Gabby began filling her father in on how everything had been going since their last talk.

In the kitchen, Matt stepped inside the spacious room, seeing Camila's back to him as she worked on the finishing touches for their dinner, the man smiling softly before he stepped towards her, placing a gentle hand on her back.

By the way she tensed slightly, he could tell he'd surprised her a bit, the older woman turning to look at him before a soft smile formed over her face.

"Matthew, hi dear." She greeted warmly, Matt leaning down to press a quick kiss to her cheek before stepping around her towards the fridge.

"Hi Camila." He responded as he reached in to get his beer, the man placing it on the counter before beginning the process of getting Gabby's glass of wine. "It smells absolutely delicious in here."

"Oh, well you're too kind." She replied, wiping her hands on her apron as she turned to look towards him. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing pretty well… Been keeping busy at the firehouse, and working some construction jobs, but I'm good." He responded, Camila giving him a slow nod before continuing.

"And Gabriela? How are things with you two?"

"We're great." He spoke brightly. "She's been working at Molly's some, but her and I are good."

"Good, that's good to hear." She murmured, Matt hearing a tone in her voice he couldn't quite read, the man turning around completely to look at her as she'd focused her attention back on dinner. Debating whether or not to question it, Casey spared a quick glance towards the doorway, ensuring they were still alone before he stepped closer to her, his movements gaining her attention.

"...Is everything alright?" He questioned, Camila's face remaining blank. "Just… something seems a little off. And Ramon looked upset when we got here." He pressed, watching as the woman pursed her lips together, Camila mimicking his previous actions as she glanced towards the doorway before looking back to him, the woman resting her palms down on the edge of the counter.

"We're fine, honey, it's just that… It's been a day around here." She breathed out, Matt's eyebrows furrowing as he crossed his arms over his chest, Casey giving her his undivided attention. "We didn't want to bring it up around Gabriela, but Antonio, he's… he's been having a hard day. A hard few days, actually." She continued, Matt slowly putting the pieces together in his mind as to what this was about, the firefighter drawing in a deep breath before giving her a knowing look, that being enough for Camila to keep talking. "I know we don't really talk about it with Gabriela… Unless she brings it up, we don't mention him, but Antonio… He's still blaming himself." She explained quietly, Matt's lips turning down into a frown. "For not helping her, for not seeing what was wrong, especially after finding out what all he'd done to her… And Ramon has been feeling the same way, and it all just kind of came to a head today."

Matt took a second to digest what Camila was telling him, the man wearing a sympathetic look as he gave her a nod. "So Antonio is…"

"Not wanting to give his sister any reason to worry." Camila supplemented, Casey nodding once more, the understanding look covering his face causing her to shake her head. "But we're okay dear, just still trying to process all of this. And, as you know, some days are easier than others, but all that really matters here is that Gabriela's okay… And I truly think she is." She added, Matt drawing in a deep breath.

"Yeah, I do, too." He agreed, placing a supportive hand on the woman's shoulder.

"And you're a big reason for that." She continued, Matt's eyebrows furrowing before he shook his head. "Don't try to deny it, Matthew… We noticed how much she changed, or rather how she was finally resembling our daughter again, once you came into her life… We just didn't know the reason she'd been so different was because of what Bryan did to her. And I know I've told you all this before, but I'm telling you again because it's the truth… You've changed our daughter's life. You may have very well saved our daughter's life, and I can never thank you enough for that."

"Camila…"

"I just need you to know how thankful I am that she has you." She continued, Matt knowing he just needed to let her speak. "I know things with the two of you, they started out pretty rocky, but you have always been there for her, Matthew. I know I don't have to worry about her with you, and after Bryan… I can't begin to explain to you how relieving that is. Thank you for taking care of her."

"You don't need to thank me."

"But I do." She replied, their conversation getting cut short by the sound of Gabby calling for Matt, her chipper voice wondering where her drink was, quickly followed by the sound of Ramon chuckling.

"I better get this to her." He spoke with a laugh, Camila nodding understandingly before he grabbed the drinks, the pair separating as he went back out into the living room.

As the night in the Dawson household wore on, the family had moved from the living room to the dining room once dinner was ready, Antonio having appeared shortly after Matt got back with their drinks to round out the group. And since they'd started eating, the conversation around them had been light and easy, Matt making no mention of his conversation with Camila, the man knowing him bringing attention to it right now was bound to make things hard on everyone involved, and that was the last thing he wanted. So he tried to push it from his mind, at least for now, and enjoy this time with Gabby and his family, knowing this was something she looked forward to every time they were all able to get together.

They were about an hour into dinner, the conversation lulling a bit as Antonio had just come back from the bathroom, everyone enjoying the amazing food Camila had cooked up for them as Gabby grabbed her wine glass, the woman taking a quick sip before speaking up.

"So, the big party is here soon, huh?"

Matt's eyebrows furrowed as the words left her lips, the man clearly unsure of what she was talking about, but he didn't question it, knowing by the way she was looking across the table at her parents that she wasn't talking to him. But when he followed her gaze and saw the looks on their faces, he could tell they were both a little surprised by what she had said.

"Oh, well, yes, honey it is." Camila replied first, the woman clearing her throat after she spoke, Gabby nodding with a bright smile before turning back to Matt, seeing his uncertainty.

"Right, I guess I never told you- My grandparents are having a big anniversary party in a few days… 60 years." She explained, Matt's eyebrows raising before he nodded. "Everyone in my family does it, the huge party for every milestone anniversary. And my grandparents decided to do theirs in Chicago this year." She continued, the wide smile on her face causing one to form over his lips as well. "I'm sorry, I know I should've mentioned it sooner…" She spoke regretfully, Matt shaking his head to tell her it was fine. "But we're off shift, and I was hoping you'd come with me. I know last time you were around some of my family, it was… interesting. But I want everyone else to meet you." Gabby finished, her eyes shining back at him as he immediately nodded.

"Of course I'll come." He replied without hesitation, Gabby grinning from ear to ear before she nodded.

"Thank you… Now we'll just have to go and get you a new suit." She added, Matt's eyebrows furrowing slightly as she turned back to her meal.

"Wait, what?" He asked, but wasn't able to get an answer from her when Ramon spoke up.

"Gabriela…" The older man started softly, capturing everyone's attention as Gabby looked to her father. "Your mother and I were talking, and we think it might be best if just the two of us went this year."

Gabby's eyebrows furrowed immediately, her eyes bouncing back and forth between her parents, her gaze quickly shifting to look at her brother before looking back at her dad. "...Why? We all always go." She responded, watching as her dad drew in a deep breath before turning his head towards her mom, the two of them sharing a silent look. "Dad?"

"Your father and I…" Camila started, Gabby's eyes flashing towards her as her mother looked between her and Matt. "We were thinking that with everything going on… With Bryan," She spoke carefully, Gabby's face remaining unchanged as she felt Matt place his hand on her back. "We weren't sure you'd want to go."

"...Do they know?" She asked quickly, her voice soft as she never dropped her eye contact with her mother, Camila sighing softly before nodding.

"They do… Most, if not all of the family knows by now." She replied, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek, the youngest Dawson giving little away as to how she was feeling. "Andrea, she… She found out, I'm still not sure the story there," Camila told her, remorse filling his voice as she spoke of her sister. "But you know how things are… Once one person knows, the entire family does, as well."

Gabby gave her another nod, her hands clasped together in her lap as she leaned back against her chair, Matt's hand continuing to rub soothing patterns along her upper back as the topic hung thickly in the air around them, Ramon being the first one to speak up.

"We didn't say anything sooner because we didn't want you to have to deal with all of it… We know you've been working through this, and getting past it, and we didn't want anything to derail that. But we couldn't not tell you, with you wanting to go to this party…" He trailed off, both Ramon and Camila a bit concerned by her lack of response. "We are truly sorry, mija. We know you didn't want people knowing, but that's why we think it's best if you just miss this year… While I'd like to think everyone would know better of it to say anything to you, I know with our family…"

"They will." Gabby finished for him, Ramon nodding sadly before looking towards his wife for a moment.

"We just don't want you put in an uncomfortable, or bad, position, Gabriela." Camila continued, Gabby running her teeth over her bottom lip. "You're doing so well with everything, we don't… we don't want something like this to disrupt that."

The room was quiet for a few long moments, Gabby's leg bouncing up and down nervously underneath the table as her eyes focused on her plate, a hundred different thoughts swarming her head before she just said the first thing that came to mind.

"...It's okay."

Camila and Ramon shared confused looks, the latter glancing towards Casey, seeing he was equally unsure of what she meant.

"Gabriela…"

"I still wanna go." She reiterated, Matt holding his tongue as she talked with her parents, the firefighter glancing towards Antonio, who had been awfully quiet since this conversation first started.

"Are you sure?" Camila questioned, Gabby giving her a slow, strong nod. "Because no one would blame you if you'd rather stay home."

"I know, but I want to." She repeated, Camila drawing in a deep breath before nodding, knowing there was no use arguing about the subject any further, though Gabby continued on anyway. "Plus Matt will be there, and a lot of our family still hasn't met him. I'm sure everyone will want to get to know him."

Gabby glanced towards her boyfriend, Matt immediately giving her a supportive smile before he nodded, Dawson matching his look before looking back to her parents.

"If you want to go, mija, of course we want you there… But just think about it, okay?" Ramon suggested, Gabby opening her mouth to respond but he stopped her. "I know you're fine, but still, just think it over." He told her, the daughter drawing in a deep breath before nodding reluctantly, knowing she wasn't going to change her mind.

"Okay Papa." She told him before the group went back to their dinner, Camila skillfully shifting the topic away from Gabby as they began talking about Eva and Diego.

* * *

"You sure you wanna do this?"

Gabby tore her eyes away from scrutinizing herself as she looked behind her through the mirror, finding her boyfriend standing in the doorway to her bedroom, dressed in his suit and tie as he leaned into the door frame.

"Matt…" She spoke warningly, the man holding his hands up in defense before stepping further into the room.

"Sorry, that's the last time I'll ask you." He promised, Gabby shooting him a soft smile through the mirror before continuing to look over her appearance, the tight, red, knee-length dress accentuating all her best features as she turned to look at herself. "But you know I had to check…"

"I know." She replied, seeing him come up behind her, keeping a few feet in between them. "I know going to this party is making you a little anxious, but I'm fine."

"I know you are." He told her, Gabby raising her eyebrows. "I know you're alright, but after everything your parents said, I just- I worry." He admitted, Gabby taking a step closer to him as she brought her hand up to his chest. "But if you say you want to go, I believe you."

His words brought a soft smile to her face, Gabby leaning forward to place a gentle kiss against his lips, Matt smiling against her before reciprocating her actions, his hands moving down to the waist. Their movements were slow and chaste, the two just taking the moment to enjoy one another before Gabby slowly pulled back.

"I love you." She murmured, her heart tightening in her chest when she saw the goofy grin that covered his face, Gabby rubbing her hand over his chest before straightening out his tie, Matt squeezing her hip gently.

"I love you, too… And damn," He blew out a whistle, taking a slight step away as his eyes raked up and down her form, the tight dress that he hadn't seen her in until tonight almost enough to make him want to forget her grandparents anniversary dinner entirely and stay home. "My girl looks good."

Gabby felt heat rise to her cheeks as she took a slight step away from him, shaking her head before she turned back towards the mirror. "Well, I'd hope so, it took me all day to get ready." She replied, finding his eyes on her through the mirror, Matt's gaze clearly focused on her ass before his gaze more upwards, her boyfriend not even pretending to be embarrassed when he realized his stares had been caught. "You don't look so bad yourself." She added, the proud smile on his face growing as she returned her attention back towards checking her appearance. "But just give me five more minutes, then I'll be ready."

"Sure thing, babe… I'm gonna wait out in the living room, because if I stay in here much longer, I'll be ripping that dress off of you and we won't be going anywhere." He told her shamelessly, Gabby cocking her head to the side as she caught his gaze once more. "But take your time." He added, Matt winking at her before he slipped through the door out into the hallway, leaving a slightly flustered Gabby alone in her bedroom so she could finish getting ready.

* * *

Gabby held onto Matt's hand tightly as they walked towards the hall where the Dawson's festivities were being held, Matt having stayed close to her the entire time they moved through the lobby. They had passed a few of her family members along the way, Gabby introducing Matt to them anytime they got stopped, and luckily, no one had said anything about the rather large elephant in the room. At least not yet. But Matt noticed the pitiful looks most of her family had given her, and he was sure she did, too.

But she hadn't mentioned it, and he could only hope no one would say anything to her directly. While he didn't personally know most of her family, from the few he'd met at Diego's birthday party, by the way he'd clearly been the main topic of conversation that day, he knew they had a track record of gossiping to one another, and he knew Gabby's situation would probably be the focal point of any discussions this evening. But as long as no one came to her and tried to ask her about it, he didn't care. Gabby knew more of what she was getting herself into with her family than he did, so he was happy to just sit back and try and enjoy this night with his girl. But he also wouldn't hesitate to put a stop to anyone trying to ask Gabby about what all had happened if the situation warranted it, he didn't care who it was.

"Well, are you ready?" Gabby's voice pulled him from his thoughts, Matt turning to look at her as they stood just outside the large room, the man flashing her a soft smile.

"To be hounded by your entire family? Absolutely." He teased, his words earning a scoff from her before they continued into the ballroom, Matt feeling her grip on his hand tighten even more as they began passing her family members.

They were barely ten feet inside the door when he saw people beginning to stare at them, none of her family quite understanding the concept of being subtle as they walked straight to the bar, grabbing two glasses of champagne before continuing further into the room. For having just gotten started, everyone already seemed to be in full party mode, Matt pretty sure half the room was already tipsy, as everyone talked in smaller groups, while some were already dancing. It was a lively affair, one he couldn't say he was surprised by, knowing Gabby's family.

When they got to their table, they saw Antonio already seated, the man sipping on his beer, while two chairs beside them had some belongings, but no people seated in them.

"Where are…" Antonio nodded towards the dance floor before she could even finish her sentence, Gabby turning around to see her parents already out their dancing, a soft chuckle leaving her lips before she shook her head, the youngest Dawson turning back towards her brother. "Yeah, that's not surprising."

Though Gabby was looking forward to spending some time with her parents and her brother tonight, she was glad to see them already having a good time. After their dinner a few nights ago at her parent's house, Matt had pretty quickly informed her of the conversation he and her mother had in the kitchen, her boyfriend not wanting to keep it from her despite the nature of the topic. And after hearing how upset they all still were, she'd made a point to check in with them more, to make sure they were okay, as well as to try and assure them that she was alright.

"Yeah, not at all." Antonio replied after a few seconds as Matt pulled out Gabby's chair for her, a shrill voice filling their ears just as she sat down.

"Gabriela!"

Gabby and Matt both turned towards the voice, Casey recognizing one of the women walking towards them, the firefighter remembering her from Diego's party, though he didn't have the fondest memories of the woman.

"Oh, God." Gabby muttered under her breath, Matt placing a supportive hand on her shoulder before Marisa got to the table, Gabby's cousin accompanied by someone he didn't recognize. "Hi Marisa, hey Anna." She spoke when they got closer, Gabby standing up to greet them before returning to her seat.

"Hi honey, I'm so glad you came!" Marisa spoke as Matt returned his hand to his girlfriend's shoulder, Gabby looking up at him, finding his eyes focused on the women in front of him. "I wasn't sure we'd see you here… after everything." She continued, her pointed words causing Gabby to wince slightly. "But I'm glad you are, because I've been wanting to talk to you…"

"Marisa-"

"You are just so strong, Gabriela." She continued, ignoring Gabby's attempt to stop her. "What you went through, I'm so glad you're okay."

Drawing in a deep breath, Gabby gave her a nod as she felt Matt rubbing her shoulder, knowing he was doing it in an attempt to keep her comfortable, despite having to address the very last thing she wanted to.

"Thank you." Gabby breathed out, Marisa smiling proudly before turning towards Casey, her grin turning into a smirk as she focused in on the man standing behind her cousin.

"It's, uh- it's nice to see you again, Marisa." He greeted her, though his words weren't exactly true, considering how uncomfortable she'd made him last time, and how uncomfortable she was making Gabby now.

"You too. I wasn't sure you'd still be around, but I'm glad you are." She replied with a gleam in her eye, missing the glare Gabby sent her wait as she turned towards her sister. "Anna, this is Gabby's boyfriend- the firefighter." She said, Matt's eyebrows furrowing when he saw the look of shock that covered Anna's face, her nervous gaze flickering back and forth between Gabby and Matt before she turned towards Marisa.

"...I thought he was in jail."

Though she was whispering, her words weren't nearly quiet enough as Matt's eyes widened slightly, the man immediately turning to look towards his girlfriend, Gabby's face unreadable as she stared at her cousins. He was about to cut in, Matt knowing this conversation needed to end now, but Gabby spoke up before he could.

"This is Matt Casey." Gabby interjected as she stood up. "Yes, he's a firefighter. No, he's not the one currently in jail for being an abusive asshole." She replied bluntly, the woman downing her glass of champagne before stepping away from the table, ignoring the shocked looks on her cousins' faces. "...I need another drink." She muttered, Matt drawing in a deep breath as he watched her walk away, the man turning towards Antonio, seeing the same look of concern in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset her." Anna spoke.

"Well, you shouldn't have brought it up at all." Antonio replied bitterly, Marisa narrowing her eyes before looking towards him.

"What? Did she really think no one would have any questions? We all met Bryan, and you think no one's gonna wanna know why she stayed with someone who beat her?"

"It's not any of your goddamn business." Antonio growled before he stood up, Casey not sticking around long enough to hear them no doubt continue to go at it as he went in search of his girlfriend, knowing she was more than likely at the bar already.

Along the way, he felt a few stares on him, Matt knowing most everyone in the room was aware of who he was- or worse, they were like Anna, and couldn't distinguish him from Bryan, but he didn't care so much about that right now, his eyes soon finding his girl as she stood at the bar. But as he got closer, he could tell she was in the middle of a conversation with someone, and by her body language alone, he could tell it wasn't one she wanted to be having.

"Oh my sweet Gabriela, I almost couldn't believe it. When Andrea told me of what happened, I didn't think it was true… How someone could do that to you, I just can't believe it." The older woman spoke profusely as Matt hurried up his steps, knowing the best thing he could do right now was get her away from this conversation.

Tuning out whatever words the older woman was still saying, Matt came up from behind his girlfriend, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing a kiss to the side of her head, Gabby instantly relaxing in his hold before she turned back to look at him.

"Hey, there you are." He said, though they both were aware that he knew exactly where she was, Gabby flashed him a grateful smile as she turned towards him. "I'm sorry to interrupt," He continued, looking towards the older woman who was watching them curiously.

"Are you the boyfriend?"

"Matt Casey, yeah." He told her, before turning his attention back to Gabby. "I was looking all over for you, I was hoping you'd do me the honor of dancing with me?" He asked, his bright smile flooding her chest with warmth before she nodded.

"Of course I will." She replied, Gabby flashing him a grin before she stepped away from him, just long enough to say her goodbyes to the older woman before the couple walked away from the bar, Gabby holding onto his hand tightly. "Thank you." She murmured, knowing Matt had just saved her from another uncomfortable conversation.

But Casey simply shook his head, the two hearing the slower song that had started to play throughout the room. "Nothing to thank me for, I just wanna dance with my girl." He told her, Gabby unable to stop the smile on her face from growing as they got to the dance floor, Gabby grabbing ahold of his hand as his arm snaked around her waist, keeping her close to him as her hand came up to rest over his back. Enclosing his hand around hers, he held their conjoined hands over his heart as they gently swayed to the music, Gabby drawing in a deep breath while they moved together.

"I don't want you to worry about them." He spoke after a few moments, Gabby opening her eyes as she waited for him to continue. "They don't know what happened, they don't need to know… I know they're your family, but it's none of their business. Tonight, you should just be able to enjoy yourself, and forget the rest of it." He murmured into her ear, Gabby smiling softly as she traced her finger along his shoulder, Matt pulling her closer to him as they continued dancing.

"I love you." She replied softly, Matt smiling before he pressed a kiss to her shoulder, Gabby taking his words to heart as everything else slowly began to fade away.

He was right, she couldn't worry about them. And she didn't want to. She knew they were talking about her, that they had questions, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was her having a nice night with her family, and her boyfriend. And if Matt's behavior so far was any indication, he was going to do everything in his power to make sure that happened.

Regardless of what they thought, or how they felt about what all had happened, she didn't care. Because it didn't matter. And as they continued moving to the music, she found herself becoming completely consumed with thoughts of this moment, and the man holding onto her, all her other worries and nerves washing away as he tightened his grip around her waist.

Matt's actions tonight, and every night, had reminded her just how fortunate she was to have him, though there was a part of her that still wasn't sure how she got so lucky. She didn't know what she'd done to deserve someone as kind and caring and loving as the man dancing with her, but what she did know was that she was beyond glad that she'd found him... That they'd found each other. And Gabby knew she'd spend the rest of her life being thankful for that.


	56. Chapter Fifty Five

**Hi everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all, I really hope you enjoy this one. Thanks for reading!**

* * *

**FIFTY FIVE**

* * *

"So, how was that rowdy Dawson bunch the other night?"

Matt looked up from his phone when he heard Shay's voice, the Lieutenant placing his spoon back down in his bowl full of cereal as he saw his girlfriend and her partner walking into the full common room, the women having just returned from the call they'd gotten at the very start of shift, everyone turning to look towards the paramedics as Shay spoke to her friend.

"Oh, they were in fine form." Gabby replied with a chuckle, her eyes immediately finding the gaze of her boyfriend as they walked further into the room, Dawson making her way towards him while Shay headed for the coffee pot.

"I'm sure… Anything to add to that, Casey?" Shay questioned as she grabbed a coffee mug, Gabby running her hand along Matt's back while she walked behind him around the table, the PIC stopping to press a soft kiss to the top of his head before she claimed her normal seat beside him.

"Yeah, I'm sure that was fun." Severide chimed in from the smaller table across the room, all the first responders around them focused on their conversation as Gabby slowly reached for Matt's cereal bowl. Seeing her movements out of the corner of his eye, Casey turned towards her just as she was trying to sneak a bite, the firefighter shaking his head in amusement before sliding the bowl the rest of the way towards her, his gesture earning a thankful smile before she started to eat. "Being in a room full of your future family." He teased as Casey shot him a narrow glare, Gabby following suit as well before taking another bite of Matt's breakfast.

"Wait a second-"

"No." Casey cut Herrmann off, the older firefighter watching him with wide eyes, as was everyone else in the room, aside from Shay and Kelly as the best friends were trying to hide their laughter. "Severide's not- no." Matt clarified, Gabby shaking her head as she swallowed the bite of food in her mouth.

"He's being an ass, we're not engaged." Dawson added, her words causing Severide's laughs to get louder, Shay giving the squad Lieutenant a high five before she joined him at the table. "But it was good, everyone loved him." She continued, trying to steer the conversation away from Kelly's words.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah… Matt here was the talk of the party." She spoke, smiling softly at her boyfriend as they locked eyes, both of them knowing her worlds held some truth.

While Gabby's situation with Bryan had more accurately been the talk of the entire night, it wasn't a stretch to say Casey had been as well. The evening had started out a little rough, Matt having to steer Gabby away from prying questions from different members of her family more than once. But aside from all that, the night had ended up going rather well. Once it was clear Gabby wouldn't be talking about what happened, her family members got the hint, and their focus shifted more so to him than Gabby's previous fiancé.

And everyone had fallen in love with him.

There was some hesitation at first, especially with how Matt was so obviously protective over Gabby, and stopped any and all conversation about Bryan. And no one really knew what to think of him, her family not having the most assurance with Gabby's taste in men after how terribly her last relationship had ended, but once they began to get to know him, they absolutely loved him. Anyone that hadn't met him at Diego's birthday party were eager to get to know him, and those who had were happy to get to know him better.

Overall, the night with her family had gone incredibly well, and that made both Gabby and her parents so happy that she came.

"In fact, I think he's still a little hungover." Dawson continued, her teasing words causing a few surprised looks to cover the faces of their coworkers as Casey raised his eyebrows challengingly towards his girlfriend.

"Really?" Shay questioned with a laugh.

"Is that true, Lieutenant?" Herrmann added, all eyes falling on Casey as he replied with a slight shrug, his hand moving down off the table to rest over Gabby's knee.

"...I had a great time." He said, the bright grin covering his face earning a few laughs from their friends before he turned to look back at his girlfriend, seeing the knowing look in her eye.

They had in fact had a very good time, Matt especially, and while most of that fun had been spent with various members of Gabby's family, the best part of the evening, at least for Casey, would've been their night together after the party.

It was safe to say that by the time the night was winding down, both Matt and Gabby had their fair share to drink, both of them a little too tipsy to feel comfortable driving back to his place, which led to a quick decision to just get a room at the hotel for the evening. That it would be smarter to sleep at the hotel, and get back home tomorrow. And while it was a good idea in theory, there hadn't been a lot of actual sleeping going on that night. It took mere seconds of them being in the hotel room before Gabby began ripping his clothes off, Matt having wasted no time getting her out of that dress before they took advantage of the king sized bed in the middle of the room.

But the bed hadn't been the only place they spent their time, Matt and Gabby having spent a good chunk of the late evening and early morning making great use of the couch, as well as spending the morning together in the shower while they were getting ready to go home. Needless to say, sleep wasn't something they'd gotten enough of, but it had been an amazing night. One neither of them would be forgetting any time soon.

"So the family's not too intimidating, huh?" Herrmann's voice pulled Casey from his less than moral thoughts of the woman sitting beside him, the Lieutenant shaking his head slightly before focusing on the other firefighter. "They didn't scare you off?"

"Nah, not at all." Matt replied without hesitation, his words bringing a soft smile to Gabby's face, though he missed it as he was still looking at Herrmann. "We had a nice time, everyone was great… The Dawson's are pretty lively, which isn't really what I'm used to. They definitely know how to throw a party, but it was fun." He spoke, his genine words earning a nod from the older man across the room.

"Good, that's good."

"So I take it your family isn't much like that, Lieutenant?" Cruz asked, Gabby lifting her head up as Matt turned to the firefighter, the paramedic seeing how his jaw clenched slightly. She almost missed it, Matt relaxing as quickly as he'd tensed up, but she saw it. "Not big into the parties?" He continued with a smile, Matt forcing a smile before shaking his head.

"No, not really…" He responded lightly, Gabby feeling his hand fall off her leg as a few pairs of eyes from around the room looked at them, like they were hanging on his words to see if he would say more about his family. But, knowing him, he wasn't going to.

It wasn't a secret that Matt was a private person. No one in the house knew anything really about his family or his life outside of the firehouse; nothing more than the mess that went down with Hallie, and that he and Gabby were together. But other than that, no one knew much of anything about his life. And now that she was sitting here thinking about it, she didn't really, either.

She'd met his mother back before they were together, knew he had a sister, and she knew that his dad died when he was younger, but other than that, it wasn't a topic that had ever really been discussed. Just one that she knew made him uncomfortable.

In the short time she'd spent with him and his mom, she knew he didn't like talking about his family. For whatever reason, it didn't appear to be anything he liked to dwell on. It hadn't been back when his mother had showed up unexpectedly, and if the way he involuntarily tensed just moments again was any indication, his feelings about the subject hadn't changed.

Drawing in a deep breath, Gabby reached her hand out to rest along the back of his neck, the movement causing Matt to look at her, the soft smile on her face relaxing him instantly as they locked eyes, her fingers slowly tracing along his hairline as they exchanged silent looks. But their moment was interrupted by the sounds of the bells going off, calling 61 and truck 81 out to a car accident, Gabby dropping her hand from the back of his neck before they both stood up, the needed members of house 51 hurrying out towards the garage.

* * *

Matt rolled out his neck as he walked through the hallways of the firehouse, the tired man making his way to the bathrooms after the long morning they'd had out on call. It was already a little after noon, truck 81 having finished up at the car accident this morning rather quickly, but just as 61 had taken off with the victim, truck got called to assist with a house fire. And while it had been kind of a rough one, and there had been some serious injuries to the family trapped inside, thankfully everyone had made it out alive.

Blowing out a heavy sigh, Matt pushed the door open into the bathroom, his steps slowing down when he saw his girlfriend standing at the sink, Gabby bent over washing her hands. At the sound of his entrance, she looked up, their eyes immediately locking through the mirror before she stood up a little straighter, Matt matching the smile that formed over her face as he continued walking towards her.

Without a word, he came up behind her, Matt wrapping his arms around her waist as his chin rested down against her shoulder, his head pressed up against hers while she dried her hands.

"Hi." He murmured, sliding his hands along her stomach before settling his arms around her, Gabby feeling his body relax into hers as he released a slow breath, the air tickling her skin as she supported both their weight.

"Hey baby." She replied just as softly, seeing as her simple greeting had brought a small smile to his face, Matt lifting his head just enough to press gentle kisses against her neck. "How was the fire?" She asked, Matt giving her skin one last kiss before returning his head to its previous position, their eyes locking through the mirror once more as Gabby took in all the soot that covered the face she loved so much. "I heard it over the radio." She continued when she saw the questioning look in his gaze, Matt nodding as he gave her body a gentle squeeze.

"It was pretty rough," He replied, seeing the slight frown that tugged on her lips. "But everyone's okay- or alive, I guess." Casey corrected himself, Gabby's tongue poking out to run along her bottom lip as she gave him a nod, the paramedic lifting her arm up and placing her hand on the side of his head before she began running her fingers through his hair.

"You wanna talk about it?" She asked softly, Matt giving her a gentle shrug as he focused on the feeling of her fingers massaging his head, her light touch calming him just as it always had.

"The mom and dad were burned pretty bad… They have three kids, and all of them had some injuries, too. But everyone was alive when we got them out of there." He breathed out, his voice low as his lips were right next to her ear. "I think they'll be okay."

"I'm sure they will be." She agreed, Matt nodding before she began turning around in his arms, Casey loosening his grip enough for her to be able to move as she faced him, her body resting up against the counter. "You all got them out of there, that's all you can do." She reminded him, Gabby getting the feeling he was holding onto this call a little bit more than he usually did. And as she stood mere inches away from him, and saw the exhausted look in his eye, she couldn't help but wish she'd been there on that call with him, so she could better understand what all he'd seen.

"I know." He replied as her eyes began trailing over his marked skin, the black soot covering his face causing her eyebrows to furrow, Gabby stroking her hand along his cheek as his hands settled back on her waist. "And I'm fine." He told her, seeing the worry etched into her skin, his words causing her eyes to snap back to his. "Really, I am… I won't lie and say the call wasn't a little hard, because it was. But those happen. I'm okay." He promised, Gabby's eyes moving over his face once more before she nodded.

"Okay." She responded, leaning forward to close what little distance there was between them as her lips connected with his, the slow movement bringing a smile to his face before he reciprocated the gesture, Matt tightening his hold around her waist as they moved together. It was soft, and gentle, the two reluctantly pulling back after a few fleeting moments, Gabby catching the gleam in his eye as a slight smirk pulled on his lips.

"Now I'm feeling even better." He spoke softly, Gabby releasing a light scoff before she shook her head. "I'm sure a few more of those, and I'll be feeling as good as new."

"Mhmm." She hummed, the look on her face telling him she wasn't too impressed, though she'd be lying if she said it wasn't nice to see him like this. She knew it came with the job, but she didn't like the idea of seeing him torn up over a call, so to see him acting like himself was refreshing. "Maybe later, buddy." She spoke as she released another scoff, Matt raising his eyebrows before an amused look covered his face, Gabby slowly slipping out of his grasp. "For now, let's just get you cleaned up a bit." She added, catching a glimpse of the smirk that immediately covered his face.

"Oh, I think I like where this is headed…"

"I bet you don't, since our clothes are staying on." She replied without missing a beat, her body turning to face the counter before she reached for a washcloth, Gabby not missing the look of defeat that flashed in his eyes. Laughing lightly, Gabby shook her head before dampening the towel underneath some warm water, the paramedic making sure it was wet enough before she turned back to face her boyfriend, Gabby placing one hand on the top of his head before she began gently wiping the soot off his face.

"You know I can do this myself, yeah?" He asked, although by the way his body relaxed into the counter, she knew he had no real objections to her help.

"Yup, I know you can… I can leave, if you'd like."

She couldn't even finish getting the words out before Matt had returned his hand to her waist, the firefighter wrapping his arm around her to keep her from moving very far, Gabby raising her eyebrows as she halted her movements for a moment, finding a soft grin waiting for her when she looked at her boyfriend.

"You're not going anywhere." He replied, Gabby feeling his hold around her hips tighten. "...Unless where you're wanting to go is back to the showers, then I'll definitely be going with you." He added quietly, Gabby unable to stop herself from rolling her eyes, the woman missing the proud look that flashed across his face.

"That's not very professional, Lieutenant." She murmured, watching as a knowing look shined in his eyes, Matt's gaze flickering behind her before he responded.

"Yeah, and when has that stopped us before?" He asked with a chuckle, Gabby gnawing on her bottom lip before she continued to clean off his face.

"Fair point." She conceded, ignoring the smug grin plastered over his face as she wiped away what was left of the soot. "...Who knows, maybe you'll get lucky later." She added, her eyes focused on his cheek while he stared at her.

"I sure hope so." He replied, Gabby biting down on the inside of her lip before finding his gaze, the two locking eyes for a few extra moments before she stepped away from him, the paramedic feeling heat rise to her cheeks from just having his eyes on her. Seeing the effect he had on her, a slight smile formed over his lips, Matt taking the moment to focus on just how cute his girl was before he turned his body towards her, Gabby meeting his eyes once more. "Although if today continues anything like this morning, I won't be doing anything but taking a nap later." He told her, Gabby chuckling softly before she matched his stance, the two facing one another as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Yeah, you do look pretty exhausted, babe." She responded, Matt nodding in agreement. "I wasn't kidding when I told the guys you might still be a little hungover… But you don't have any construction jobs tomorrow, do you?" She questioned, ignoring the playful glare she was receiving from her boyfriend before he shook his head.

"Nope, I'm free all day."

"Good… Maybe we can just have a lazy day around the apartment tomorrow." She suggested, Matt immediately nodding in agreement. "I think its warranted after the busy few days we've had."

"Sounds like the perfect day to me." He told her, Matt leaning forward to capture her lips in a quick kiss before he pushed himself away from the counter. "But right now, I think I could use some food before we get called out again… since someone stole my breakfast." He added with a pointed look, Gabby biting back a smirk before shrugging softly.

"Yeah, I wonder who did that." She replied, Matt shaking his head before he turned away from her, the man reaching out to push the door open. "But, uh, there is something I wanna run by you real quick, if you don't mind."

Her words stopped his path, Casey turning back around to give her his complete attention as a soft smile covered his lips. "Shoot." He told her, Gabby stepping away from the counter and walking towards him, leaving a little bit of space between them as she began talking.

"I know we just had that, uh, _fun_ night out for my grandparent's anniversary," She started, ignoring the proud grin plastered over his face. "And as nice as that was, I was thinking maybe we could have a date night here soon, just us?" She suggested, Matt immediately giving her a nod as he took a step closer to her. "It's been awhile since we've had a night out, without my family, or Shay and Kelly, so I was thinking it'd be good to spend some time together, just the two of us."

"I'd love that." He replied without hesitation, Gabby nodding with a small grin. "...What did you have in mind?"

The second he asked the question, he saw a knowing look cover her face, Matt's body flooding with confusion before she spoke up. "Oh, I don't know… I figured we could do something next Thursday." She responded with raised eyebrows, Matt clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth as realization washed over him.

"...How did you- Antonio." He cut himself off, Gabby nodding sharply as Casey remembered how the detective had looked into him once news of his and Hallie's divorce broke. "He told you."

"That your birthday's coming up? Yes, he did." She replied, Matt drawing in a deep breath before meeting her gaze once more, the man unable to stop the slight smile tugging on his lips.

"That was smooth, I'll give you that." He told her, Gabby biting back a smile before shaking her head, a light scoff escaping her lips. "I'm guessing he told you when he stopped by last night?"

"It came up, yeah. He wanted to know if I was planning anything that he was supposed to be a part of." She explained, Matt giving her a nod. "I just told him I wasn't sure what we were doing yet... But I'm more interested to know why I found out from my brother instead of you." She responded, her eyebrows raised expectantly as she reached out to poke his stomach, keeping the air around them light as she waited for him to speak up.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I didn't tell you… birthdays just aren't something that are usually a big deal for me, so I didn't mention it." He told her, Gabby nodding in understanding.

"I get that, but I still would've liked to know." She replied, Matt giving her a quick nod.

"I know, I'm sorry." He repeated, Gabby shaking her head as she took another step closer to him.

"It's fine, at least I know now." Dawson said, lifting her hand up to rest on his shoulder. "But, since you didn't mention it, I'm guessing that means you don't want to celebrate yours?" She questioned, Matt tilting his head to the side slightly.

"Well, I guess it depends on what you're planning." He responded, the faintly suggestive tone to his voice causing her to roll her eyes once more, Gabby shaking her head before she shook his shoulder gently.

"Matt…"

"I don't mind celebrating them, babe." He gave her a real answer, the paramedic nodding as she waited for him to continue. "I just usually didn't have many people to celebrate them with, so they were never a big deal- Oh come on, don't give me that." He cut himself off when he saw the sad look that covered her face, Matt placing his hand on her side before tapping her body gently. "Don't get all upset on me, now." He told her lightly, Gabby drawing in a deep breath as her eyes flashed over her face.

"I'm sorry, but that just sounded really sad." She responded, Matt nodding as he gave her side a squeeze.

"I didn't mean it to be as depressing as it sounded." He joked, Matt leaning forward to kiss the frown off her lips. "I just meant it was never a big deal… You know I'm not all that close with my family, and with Hallie, all I ever really had was her, and they were just never a big thing." He tried to explain, though based on the look covering her face, he knew he wasn't doing much of anything to help her feel better about the situation. "I'm not as pathetic as I sound, I promise." He teased, Gabby narrowing her eyes slightly before she shook her head.

"You're not pathetic, babe… I'm just sorry you never had people to celebrate with." She replied, stroking her thumb over his collarbone before meeting his gaze. "But that'll change now… The Dawson's, we… well as you've seen, we know how to throw a party." She spoke brightly, Matt releasing a heavy chuckle before nodding.

"Yeah, I definitely know that… But seriously, you don't have to do anything crazy. I'd be fine just doing what you said, it being just the two of us." He told her, Gabby nodding slightly as she moved her hand towards his neck, stroking her fingers along his skin gently.

"I know, but we're gonna do something for you… Maybe on your actual birthday it can just be us, but I still wanna have a little party, with everyone here, and maybe my parents. We could all get together at Molly's… Just something to celebrate you." She spoke softly, her chest filling with warmth when she saw the content smile that formed over his face, Matt pausing for a moment before giving her a few slight nods.

"I'd like that." He replied, Gabby matching his smile before she leaned forward, capturing his lips in a sweet kiss, the two keeping things relatively tame as they knew they were still out in the open, Matt being the first one to pull back after a few moments. "Thank you."

"Of course… It's gonna be a lot of fun. Nothing like a day to let my man know how much he's appreciated." She murmured, Casey biting back his grin as he shook his head.

"I love you." He told her, kissing her one last time before he stepped back, knowing he'd stay here forever with her if he didn't leave soon.

"I love you, too." She replied, Matt shooting her one last smile before he turned to leave once more, Gabby wincing as she internally debated whether or not to say the words sitting on the tip of her tongue. But seeing her window was closing, she didn't have much time to talk herself out of it as she opened her mouth once more. "And, for your party, do you, uh-" She hesitated when Matt glanced back towards her, Gabby knowing she was treading into uncertain waters as he raised his eyebrows expectantly. "Do you want me to invite your mom? Or your sister?" She questioned, Matt giving her next to nothing in the form of a reaction. "...I wasn't sure if your mom was still in town, if you wanted to maybe see them for your birthday. Or if you'd heard from her at all." She continued carefully, watching as her boyfriend drew in a deep breath, Gabby not missing the way he had tensed up slightly, similarly to how he had earlier today. "I'm sorry, I know- I know this isn't something we really talk about, but I saw the look on your face when Cruz mentioned you family… And I wasn't sure if you'd seen her again, or talked to her, since we last saw her." She finished, knowing she just needed to wait for him to say something, which he did mere seconds later.

"I haven't." He replied simply, Gabby giving him a nod. "I haven't heard from her, or seen her, since you told me she stopped by again that day you were at my place. Though that isn't very surprising." He breathed out, missing the look of sadness that flashed in her eyes. "But I'm good… I'm fine with just you, me, and our friends. I'd rather it just be us." He told her, Gabby pausing for a split second before she ultimately nodded.

"Okay… then it'll just be us." She assured him, Matt smiling softly before he gave her a nod. "But you know you can always talk to me about it if you need to, right? About your family..." She questioned as they locked gazes. "I know since we got together, a lot of this," She paused, Gabby gesturing back and forth between them before she continued, "a lot of it has been about stuff going on with me, and you helping me. But I'm here for you, too… With anything." She assured him, Matt's face softening as she flashed him a gentle smile. "If there's ever anything you wanna talk about, or need to talk about, I'm here."

"I know you are." He replied almost instantly, waiting for her nod before he continued. "You always have been." Matt spoke softly, taking the few steps back towards her before wrapping her up in a tight hug, Gabby reciprocating immediately as she wrapped her arms tightly around his back.

As they were enjoying the comforting quiet of holding onto one another, they were interrupted by the sound of the bells going off, Dawson groaning loudly against his chest when she heard ambo get called out, the paramedic feeling Matt chuckle before she pulled back.

"God, what is with today." She huffed out, Matt suppressing a chuckle as he rubbed his hand up and down her arm.

"Be safe out there." He told her, Gabby nodding before she pulled out of his embrace.

"I will." She promised, flashing him one last smile before she was out of the room, leaving Casey alone in the bathroom as she went out to help the citizens of Chicago.

* * *

"Hey Papa." Gabby greeted as she walked into her parent's living room, her dad lifting his head up when he heard the unexpected greeting, Ramon instantly placing his book down on the table beside him as Gabby continued into the room.

"Mija, what are you doing here?" He asked, the bright smile on his face telling Gabby that her visit was more than welcome, Ramon pushing himself up from his seat to come greet his daughter. "Were we expecting you?" He questioned before giving her a quick side hug, Ramon being mindful of the box she was carrying.

"Mama was." She replied, Ramon nodding before pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I was just coming to drop some photo albums off for her, I'm not sure where-"

"Is that Gabriela?" Camila's voice filtered into the room, Gabby turning to see her mom walk in, a wide smile forming over her face when she saw her daughter the woman coming over to welcome her daughter similarly to how her father did, Ramon grabbing the box from Gabby so she could hug her mother. "Hi honey, thank you for dropping that stuff off, I really appreciate it."

"Of course, it was no problem." She responded as they separated.

"Can you stay for a bit? Or do you need to get going?" Camila questioned, Gabby's eyes moving back and forth between her parents before she gave them a soft smile.

"I can stay." She responded, seeing the ecstatic look in her mother's eyes before she nodded, Camila leading her to the couch while her father took up his previous seat in the chair, the man stopping to place the rather heavy box on the coffee table before sitting down.

"How are you doing, mija? How's work?" Camila questioned, Gabby giving her a nod as she crossed her legs.

"I'm doing alright, work's keeping me busy… We've had some busier shifts lately, more than usual, but it's nothing too bad. And the bar is doing well. Everything's good." She replied, her parents giving her soft smiles before Ramon spoke up.

"And how's Matthew? His birthday is coming here soon, right?" Ramon questioned, though it was more rhetorical than anything else, Gabby giving her father a nod.

It had been about a week since Gabby had found out about Matt's birthday, and in that time she'd done a lot of planning for not only his actual birthday, but for the little party they'd be having at Molly's. After what he'd confided to her about his past birthday's, she wanted this day to be special, she wanted him to have a great time, and for him to feel just how loved he was by not only her, but by all their friends and her family.

"It is, on Thursday. And he's doing well… His construction jobs are keeping him busy, but after today, he's taking some time off, a few days, so we can celebrate and so he can take it easy."

"Good, I'm glad to hear that." Camila said. "That boy, he works so hard, he deserves a break."

"Yeah, he does." Gabby agreed with a soft smile. "He needs it. I kind of had to force him to do it, but I said because of his birthday, it was the perfect time to slow down a little bit." She explained, earning agreeing nods from both her parents.

"And everything's still the same for this weekend? Saturday night at Molly's?" She asked, Gabby giving her mother a nod.

"Mhmm.. 7PM."

"And who all is coming?"

"Pretty much everyone from the firehouse, then Antonio, and you all." She replied, missing the shared look between her parents before Camila spoke up.

"...So no one else?" She pushed, Gabby looking towards her mom. "None of his other friends? Or his family?"

Gabby drew in a deep breath, her lips parting slightly before she closed them and shook her head. "No, it'll just be us… Matt didn't really-" She cut herself off, unsure of how to say the words out loud. "After what happened at his old house, then him being bounced around, he didn't really have anyone. At least not anyone he's still close to… And his family, they're not- they won't be coming." She said, Camila furrowing her eyebrows as she spared another glance to her husband.

"They won't be coming into town for his birthday?" She questioned, remembering how Matt had told them it was just him in Chicago, Gabby sighing softly before she shook her head.

"No, they won't… He's not really that close to his family." She responded, seeing a look of understanding cover her mother's face.

"Oh…"

"Yeah. I asked him if he wanted me to invite his mom, or his sister, but he said no. He said he'd rather it just be us, so that's what we're gonna do." Gabby explained, Ramon releasing a heavy breath as Camila thought over her daughter's words.

"And his father passed away when he was younger, yeah?" Ramon questioned after a few minutes, Gabby nodding with a sad smile as she thought back to the dinner they'd had in this very house where Matt had given them a little insight into his family.

"Yeah, he did." She confirmed, drawing in a deep breath before she continued. "I don't know much about it, Matt doesn't really like talking about his family, so I don't really…" She trailed off, waving her hand around in the air to try and explain something she wasn't sure how to voice, Gabby seeing the concerned looks her parents were giving her before they looked to one another.

"...Is everything okay, Gabriela?" Ramon asked, both her father and mother clearly a little worried, Gabby giving him a quick nod.

"Yeah, I'm fine… I just really want Matt's birthday to go well." She breathed out, Camila tilting her head to the side slightly as she heard the near anxiousness in her daughter's voice.

"It sounds like everything will be great, mija… From what you've told me, you're really gonna be spoiling this boy." Camila replied softly, Ramon nodding in agreement. "And if I know anything about Matthew, it's that he'll love whatever you do for him… I don't think he cares so much about what it is you do, just that he's with you, and his friends."

"No, I know that," She agreed, unable to stop herself from saying the next words that had been weighing on her mind since last week. "That's exactly why I want everything to go well…"

"What do you mean?" Ramon pressed, both of her parents sensing there was something she wasn't saying, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before answering him.

"...Matt told me that he's never really celebrated his birthday much before, at least not much recently." She spoke softly, fiddling her fingers together in her lap. "Because he didn't really have many people to celebrate with…" She continued, catching the glimpse of sadness that flickered in both her parents' eyes. "I guess even when he and Hallie, his ex, were together, it wasn't a big deal… So I just want him to have a good day, you know? I want everything to go well for him."

Pursing her lips together, Camila gave her daughter an understanding nod, the older Dawson woman rubbing her hand along Gabby's arm as she thought over her next words, Camila catching her husband's gaze before speaking up.

"Well… how about we make sure it's a birthday he'll remember, then."

* * *

Gabby collapsed down against his Matt's chest, both of them panting as he slowed his movements, their bodies still connected as she laid on top of him, the sound of them sucking in air being the only noise around them as they came down from their high. His hands were running up and down her warm back, the air around them thick as a thin layer of sweat had collected on her forehead, Matt smirking at the low whine he heard escape her lips when he slipped out of her, the man basking in the feeling of her skin against his while they continued to catch their breath.

"That was…" She trailed off, Matt's smug grin growing when he felt her legs still trembling slightly, both of them knowing by her body's reactions alone, she'd definitely enjoyed herself.

"A perfect birthday present." He supplemented when she had yet to say anything, Gabby scoffing lightly before pressing a kiss against his bare chest, the woman too exhausted from their afternoon in bed together to do much more than that.

"Your birthday isn't until tomorrow." She murmured, Matt continuing to move his hand along her back before he trailed further down, Gabby squeaking softly when she felt him grab ahold of her ass.

"Well, then I can't wait to see what else you have in store for me then." He breathed out, giving her a quick squeeze before letting go of her, Matt smacking her skin gently before sliding his hand back up to her waist.

The action caused her to raise her eyebrows, Gabby finally having enough energy to lift her head as she turned to face him, resting her chin against his chest as she found his bright blue eyes already on her. "What has gotten into you?" She asked with a laugh, Matt matching her look as he tapped his fingers against her lower back.

"What? You didn't like that?" He questioned, his lips turning upwards into a proud smirk. "Because, if I recall, about five minutes ago, you were loving it." He added, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively as Gabby felt heat rush to her cheeks, her clear embarrassment causing him to laugh, the happy sound bringing a small smile to her face. "God, you're adorable." He replied, Matt shaking his head before continuing. "But, to answer your question… I don't know. I'm just happy, I guess." He told her truthfully, Gabby's smile growing before she propped herself up on his chest, her chin resting in her palm as his hands ran up and down her bare sides.

"Oh yeah?" She questioned, her nose scrunching up slightly as Matt gave her a strong nod.

"Yeah." He replied, Gabby using her free hand to rub her fingers lightly over his chest, Matt drawing in a deep breath before continuing. "I never thought I'd have anything like this… like you. My life was a mess when we met." He continued, his vulnerable words going straight to her heart as she stayed quiet, letting him continue. "Everything with Hallie, and with work… How I was living my life, I was a wreck. But then I met you, and everything just… felt like it finally fell into place." He continued, the honesty shining in his eyes causing her chest to tighten. "And I know things weren't always easy between us, we definitely hurt each other, more than I ever wish we did. And then everything you've gone through, since before I met you and then again recently… There's been a lot of hard times. For both of us. But, I don't know, right now… I'm just so happy." He breathed out, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek. "And it's all because of you."

She blinked back the tears in her eyes as his words rang in her ears, Matt smiling softly as he continued running his hand gently along her back, Gabby stunned to silence as she tried to figure out what she could possibly say to him.

"I just wanted you to know that." He finished, Gabby shaking her head slightly before she pushed herself up closer to him, capturing his lips in a heated kiss, full of nothing but love.

Their movements were passionate, and forceful, but with a care behind them that made Gabby nearly melt in his arms, the grip he had on her comforting as she slid her hand up to cup his neck. It felt like time was standing still, both of them completely committed to this moment together as his hands moved over her skin, neither of them quite ready to pull back just yet, but they had to when air became a priority.

"God, I love you." He whispered against her lips when they finally separated, Matt's eyes staying closed as he took short breaths, Gabby opening hers to find a goofy grin resting over his face. Moving her hand up, she traced her finger over his swollen lips, the action causing his smile to widen before he slowly opened his eyes, Matt turning his head slightly to press a kiss against her fingers.

"I love you, too." She murmured, those simple words causing his smile to completely light up, Gabby feeling warmth spread through her entire body, like she was falling love with him all over again. "And everything you said… I need you to know that I feel the exact same way about you." She spoke, her voice barely above a whisper as they bared their souls to one another. "After everything- after Bryan…" She stopped to take a breath, Matt holding onto her a little tighter as he waited for her to be able to continue. "I just never thought a relationship like this was something I'd have, especially not with someone like you… You are an incredible man, Matt Casey." She told him, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to his lips, Gabby pulling away far too quickly for his liking. "And I can never thank you enough for everything you've done for me."

Before she could get another word out, Matt flipped them over, the action taking her by surprise as he hovered over her, her back pressed into the mattress as a sense of security filled her entire body, the feeling of his body weight on top of her helping her feel completely safe.

"You don't need to thank me for that." He replied gently, his face mere inches away from hers as their eyes were locked on each other. "Ever."

She didn't have a chance to respond as he captured her lips in his again, Matt sliding his hand into her hair, gripping the top of her head as their movements became more and more intense, his body settling in between her legs as they fought for dominance. They went back and forth for what could've been hours, Gabby having no real sense of time as she was focused on nothing but the man on top of her. But they were soon pulled back into reality, the sound of Gabby's phone alarm going off gaining both their attention as Matt groaned loudly, the man quickly leaning over to turn it off. It was something she'd set to make sure she woke up in time to leave the apartment, back when Gabby had expected to actually get some sleep, before Matt had decided to join her, but clearly she never got that rest she was after, though she'd never complain about that.

"I guess that's our cue to get up." She spoke as she ran her fingers through his short hair, Matt groaning again as he placed her phone back down on the nightstand, the man tucking his head into her neck as she continued massaging his scalp.

"How about we just stay here?" His words were muffled by her skin, Gabby smiling softly as she scratched the back of his head.

"As much as I'd love that, we can't…"

"Why are we going so early?" He nearly whined, Gabby scoffing lightly at his childlike antics as he cuddled himself further into her body.

"Herrmann needs me there at 6 to help with a shipment, I told you that." She reminded him, Matt releasing yet another displeased groan as he made no effort to get up. "Which, if I remember correctly, I told you that you didn't have to come with me so early… That you could just meet up with me later once Shay and Severide got there."

"But I'd rather be with you." He spoke, his head still tucked tightly into her neck, Gabby unable to stop the smile that formed over her face as she released a soft breath.

"Okay, well you're gonna have to be with me at the bar, then. We need to get cleaned up." She tried again, but her boyfriend still wouldn't budge. "Come on, babe, we don't have that much time. We gotta get to Molly's, and plus we gotta stop by my parent's place first." She told him, those words finally causing Matt to get up as he lifted his head from against her neck, Gabby seeing the confused look on his face as he hovered above her. "I left my wallet over there this afternoon when I went to go see them and Antonio." She explained sheepishly, Matt cocking his head to the side.

"You drove all the way home without your wallet?"

"I know, I know, it was an accident." She replied, her words earning a few chuckles from her boyfriend. "I didn't realize until after I left, but please?" She all but pouted. "You can't be paying for your own drinks tonight, not when we're gonna be celebrating you…"

"I thought my party was this weekend?" He questioned, Gabby playfully narrowing her eyes.

"It is, but you know what I mean… Come on, babe, it'll take two seconds. My parents aren't even home, they're out with their friends, so we won't be staying and talking… Please?"

Releasing another soft chuckle, Matt nodded his head before leaning forward to kiss the pout off her lips. "Fine… But only because you're so cute." He gave in, Gabby smiling proudly before she gave him another kiss.

"Thank you… Now we really do need to get going, or we're gonna be late." She told him, nudging his stomach gently to get him off of her, Matt reluctantly rolling down onto the mattress so she could get up, his eyes staying locked on her bare form as she climbed out of bed. "...And if you're thinking of joining me in the shower," She started as she began walking towards the bathroom, Matt's ears perking up as she glanced back at him, "you better keep those hands to yourself."

She continued into the bathroom without another word, Matt nearly tripping as he stumbled out of bed, his feet getting tangled in the sheets before he all but ran after her, the man wanting to enjoy what little time they had left before they had to leave the privacy of this apartment.

* * *

Gabby waited for Matt on the sidewalk as they stood outside her parent's home, her boyfriend locking up his truck before coming to her side, the couple beginning the walk up to the front door. She'd offered to just run in alone, considering the task wasn't anything difficult, but, Matt being Matt, said he'd come with her, Gabby twirling her parent's house key around her finger as they walked up the steps.

"So, how long do you think helping Herrmann will take?" He asked as Gabby shoved the key into the lock, pushing the door open before they were met with a quiet home.

"Why? You got somewhere to be?" She asked as they stepped inside, Matt closing the door behind him as they walked through the foyer towards the living room.

"No, I'm just wondering, because we know I'm gonna be the one doing most of the-"

"Surprise!"

Casey nearly jumped as the loud chorus of voices came out of nowhere, all the lights being turned on around them as he was met by a room full of people. His mouth was parted in shock, his eyes taking in his surroundings as he saw the Happy Birthday banner in the back of the room, along with balloons, and everyone from 51 crowded together in Camila and Ramon's living room, Matt shaking his head as he slowly regained his senses.

"Happy birthday, Matthew!" Camila was the first to break away from the group, the woman walking towards him and wrapping him up in a tight hug, Matt holding onto her tightly before Ramon came in to get a hug as well.

"Happy birthday, son."

"I… Thank you, I don't even know what to say." He breathed out, his eyes moving towards Gabby, watching as his girlfriend held up her hands, shaking her head.

"It wasn't me, this was all her." Gabby responded, nodding towards her mom as Matt's eyes moved back towards Camila. "She wanted to do this for you."

Drawing in a deep breath, Matt took a step back towards the woman, wrapping her up in another hug, Camila feeling how his grip had tightened from the last one. "Thank you." He told her softly, Camila smiling before she gave his body a tight squeeze.

"Of course, honey… We just wanted you to have a great birthday." She murmured, Matt rubbing over her back before the separated, Casey giving the Dawson's a few more words of gratitude before he was pulled over towards Shay and some of the guys from 51, Gabby staying in the entryway with her parents as they watched Matt interact with their friends.

"So, if the look on his face was any indication, I take it he didn't know?" Ramon asked as he pulled his daughter into his side for a hug, Gabby shaking her head.

"No, he had no idea." She breathed out, Gabby letting go of her dad before turning back towards her mom and wrapping her up in a tight hug. "Thank you for doing this for him."

Camila's face softened as she held onto her daughter, the woman nodding while her hand moved up and down Gabby's back. "Of course, sweetheart." She murmured, pressing a kiss to the side of her head before she pulled back, the Dawsons ready to enjoy Matt's party with him and all their friends.

The evening wore on steadily, everyone getting some time with Casey as they sat around and ate, Camila having been forced into buying pizzas instead of cooking for everyone, though she definitely tried. But everyone had been having a great time, Gabby staying close to her boyfriend's side for most of the night while they celebrated him, Dawson seeing with her own eyes just how happy tonight had made him, the permanent smile etched into his face enough to fill her chest with warmth.

But despite her desire to be near her boyfriend, at some point during the evening they'd split up, Gabby having been chatting with Shay and Severide while Matt continued making the rounds, though during her last once over of the room, she hadn't been able to find him anywhere.

Across the room over on the couch, Camila sat with Ramon as her husband chatted away with Boden and Herrmann, the woman having tuned out most of what they were talking about before she slipped away to freshen up her drink. But as she walked into the kitchen, her steps slowed when she saw Matt leaning up against the counter, the man clearly deep in thought as his eyes were towards the ground. She wasn't sure how long he'd been here, Camila not remembering the last time she saw him out in the crowd, but if the look on his face was any indication, something was weighing on his mind.

"Matthew…" She gained his attention, her soft voice causing his head to lift up as she continued towards him. "Everything alright, dear?" She questioned, seeing the immediate nod he gave her before he smiled softly.

"Yeah, I'm good." He replied, Camila coming to stand beside him at the counter. "Just was getting a drink." He continued, gesturing to the beer in his hands as the woman gave him a nod.

"Alright." She responded slowly, though she wasn't sure she believed him.

"And, uh, thank you, again… For doing all this." He spoke, Camila hearing the sincerity in his voice. "I wasn't expecting this at all, you really didn't have to go to all this trouble."

"Oh, nonsense." She waved him off before reaching out to place her hand on his arm. "I know you and Gabriela haven't been together all that long, but you're practically family… We wanted you to have a nice birthday." She told him, her words bringing a genuine smile to his face. "Gabriela, she, uh- she mentioned how you don't really see your family," Camila started, watching as Matt took a deep breath, "and how you wouldn't be seeing them tomorrow, either. So we just wanted to do what we could to make sure you had a good day."

Nodding slowly, Matt gave her another smile, Camila noticing this one seemed to be a bit weaker than the last. "Thank you, Camila… That means a lot to me." He told her, the woman giving him another nod.

The sound of footsteps approaching pulled them from their conversation, Matt looking behind Camila to see Antonio step into the kitchen, the man's eyes immediately on him.

"Hey man." Casey greeted, Antonio giving him a nod as Camila turned back to look at him. As the woman moved to speak with her son, Matt couldn't help but look him over, the firefighter having noticed Antonio's somewhat strange demeanor since they got here. He'd been kind of distant, mostly from Gabby, since the party began, and Casey didn't really know what to make of it. Matt knew the older brother had been struggling recently with what happened to Gabby, the conversation he and Camila had in this very kitchen a couple weeks ago ringing in his head, though the firefighter wasn't sure if that was the cause for his weird behavior or not. But with so many people around, he hadn't had a chance to focus on it, not until now.

"Well, I'm gonna get back out there." Camila spoke, Casey tuning back into their conversation as the woman stepped past her son. "Try not to hide away in here too much longer, okay?" She warned them, Antonio and Matt both giving her a nod in understanding before they were left alone in the kitchen.

"So, you enjoying the party?" Antonio asked as he came up to stand where his mother had just been, Matt chuckling softly before giving him a nod.

"It's been great… Your mom really loves to go all out, I've noticed."

"She absolutely does." Antonio agreed as he leaned his weight into the counter, Matt watching as he crossed his arms over his chest, seeing the pensive look that covered his face. "But just wait until next year, when she has more than a few days notice… She'll have an entire hall rented out." He joked, Matt raising his eyebrows before taking another sip of his beer.

"Yeah, I don't doubt that." He agreed, Matt taking another breath as he watched the man for a moment. "Is, uh… is everything alright?" Matt finally asked, his words causing Antonio to look at him with a blank stare. "You just seem a little off, I wasn't sure if something was going on." He continued, his confusion only growing when he saw Antonio's body tense slightly, the detective glancing towards the door before looking back to Casey.

"I, um-" He stopped himself, Antonio clearing his throat as Matt waited for him to continue. "I need to talk to you about something."

Out in the living room, Gabby was half listening to Shay and Severide bickering about something that had happened on a call yesterday, but her focus was barely on them as she continued looking around the room, the woman trying to find her boyfriend. But still, she couldn't seem to locate him. A few people had come and gone from the room, Gabby seeing her mom leave then come back moments later, as well as Antonio having left, but as far as she knew, Matt hadn't been around for a while.

Knowing she wasn't really needed for the arguing Shay and Kelly were doing, Dawson slipped away from them, the woman going in search of her boyfriend, Gabby wanting to make sure he was still doing alright. And since there were only so many places he could be, she decided to start with the kitchen, Gabby taking another sip of her wine before heading that direction, the woman weaving her way through the mass of people before she got to her destination.

Just as she stepped inside, she immediately found Matt, her eyebrows furrowing when she saw him whispering with her brother. She wasn't sure what they were talking about, but from her vantage point across the room, Matt looked angry, and she wasn't sure why. But the last thing she wanted was for him to be upset, not when today was about him, Gabby immediately clearing her throat to try and get them to stop talking about whatever had them so on edge.

The second they heard her, they stopped talking, Matt's eyes widening in surprise slightly when he saw her standing in the doorway, Antonio turning around to look at his sister.

"What are you two talking about?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she continued towards them, her eyes flickering between the two men, seeing the anger that was still held in Matt's eyes. Though she could tell he was trying to mask it, but she could also see the worry her brother seemed to be holding onto, the reactions leaving her a little unsure as to what she was walking into. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, it's nothing." Antonio was quick to cover, Gabby's eyes narrowing on her brother. "Just talking about work."

"You're a terrible liar." She replied without hesitation, her eyes moving towards Matt, their gazes locked on one another before she spoke up again. "What is it?"

Drawing in a deep breath, Antonio looked to Casey, seeing the firefighter's eyes still focused solely on his sister, Matt's tense demeanor evident.

"Antonio?" She asked again, Antonio sensing her frustration at him before he took a deep breath, the man clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth before he spoke up.

"Bryan wants to see you."


	57. Chapter Fifty Six

**Hi everyone! I'm back with the next chapter for you all. I'm so sorry for the late upload, this chapter took me longer than usual, but I still wanted to get it posted for you all today. And I do wanna let you know I am still working on the If We Never Say Goodbye update. I apologize for it taking this long, I'm hoping to have it posted here within the next week.**

**And one last thing real quick before we get into it, I also wanna let you all know I had to go back and change a few things in the last chapter. Long story short, I messed up and there were some things that were inconsistent in the storyline that needed to be changed/altered, so I went and fixed them. I am sorry about that, with all the stories I'm working on, sometimes I forget things, but thank you to the reader who brought that to my attention, and I have fixed it. So I do recommend going back and rereading the last chapter at some point, just because some things have changed.**

**Again, I'm really sorry. I'll try to be better about that in the future.**

**There is a little M Rated section to this chapter, just so you all know.**

**I hope you all like this one. Thanks for reading.**

* * *

**FIFTY SIX**

* * *

"_Bryan wants to see you." _

Casey's attention was focused solely on Gabby as the words left Antonio's lips, the firefighter's angry demeanor diminishing as he pushed all thoughts of Bryan out of his head, Matt watching as his girlfriend slowly digested the words her brother had said. He saw her immediate confusion, Gabby's eyebrows knitting together tightly before that uncertainty quickly morphed into fury, her face turning rigid while her spine straightened. And in the moment, Matt was sure he'd never seen her so angry. He'd seen her upset, he'd seen her broken, but this was a level of aggravation he was certain she'd never shown him before, though he couldn't say he didn't understand why she was feeling that way.

But despite her clear anger, she didn't say a word, Gabby's neck clenching tightly as her brown eyes darkened, her gaze zeroing in on Antonio as the spacious kitchen suddenly felt about ten times smaller.

"I guess, uh, he's been asking to see you." Antonio repeated when no words had been said, the sounds of the guests in the other room breaking through the obvious tension around them. "He wants to talk, I don't know what about, but-"

"Why are you doing this?"

The irritation in her voice was evident, Antonio's eyebrows furrowing together before he spared at quick glance to Casey, neither man really understanding her question.

"I don't-"

"Today, of all days." She cut him off once more, Gabby never taking her eyes off her brother as she moved forward, her arms crossing tightly over her chest. "Why are you doing this today?"

"Gabby…"

"No! Antonio, just stop." She interjected, shaking her head as she came to a stop in front of them, Matt able to get a better look at her now that she was mere inches away, instead of across the room. And as he took her in, he couldn't say he liked what he saw, the man seeing the pain and hurt she was carrying behind the anger she felt. Gabby was unable to hide her true feelings from him as her focus stayed on her brother, the frown that had fallen over the firefighter's face deepening when he noticed the unshed tears forming in her eyes. "Today is supposed to be about Matt." Her words were sharp, her hand extending out towards him for emphasis as she shook her head. "This is about him, it's not about whatever the fuck Bryan wants." She finished, Casey wincing slightly as her words got angrier by the second.

"Baby." Matt spoke softly, the simple word causing her shoulders to immediately relax before she took a slow breath, Gabby shaking her head before glancing towards him. "It's ok-"

"No, it's not." She cut him off, though her words were a lot less hostile than they'd been when she spoke to her brother seconds prior. "All that matters today is you, and you having a nice time with all our friends…" She told him, Gabby back straightening before she looked at Antonio. "You didn't need to do this today, I- I don't fucking care what he wants Antonio, alright?" She repeated, Antonio pausing for a moment before giving her a nod. "Whatever it is… It doesn't matter. I'm not wasting my time on whatever bullshit he's wanting to tell me. The last time I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, he wrapped his hands around my throat and then nearly killed Matt, so I don't care what he's wanting, or why he wants to see me… I'm not going." She spat, both men knowing her frustration wasn't aimed towards Antonio, despite the death stare she was giving him right now.

"Okay." Antonio replied softly, Gabby drawing in another deep breath before she nodded. "I'm sorry for doing this here… I wasn't going to, but Casey asked and I just… I'm sorry. I should've left it alone. And honestly, I don't think I would've let you go, anyway." He admitted as he caught his sister's gaze, Gabby giving him one last nod before she returned her attention to her boyfriend. Before saying a word, she extended her arm out, Gabby reaching for his hand, which he immediately gave.

"Come on… I think Mama was wanting to cut the cake soon." She murmured, Matt nodding before letting her lead them out of the kitchen. But the second they were in the hallway, Casey halted his steps, the action causing her to stop as well as they stood just outside the living room, Gabby turning back to look at him before they locked eyes.

Neither said a word for a few moments, Matt taking the chance to look over her face, doing what he could to get a read on her before they went back out into the party and she had to put up a front for everyone, his frown returning when he noticed the nearly defeated look in her eyes.

"Do you wanna go home?"

Gabby's eyebrows furrowed immediately, those words being the last ones she expected to come from his mouth as she shook her head.

"Or do you at least wanna take a minute? I know all this-" He cut himself off, waving his free hand around in the air to emphasize something he wasn't sure how to voice. "I know this is a lot… So if you need to take a second, or you want to go talk about it, we can."

"I'm fine, Matt." She replied almost instantly, the tone in her voice telling him she wasn't trying to have this discussion right now, but he didn't let that deter him.

"Gabby…"

"I promise you, I'm fine." She repeated, their eyes locked on one another as they stood in the hallway, both of them making sure to keep their voices down as they knew they weren't exactly in private. "I… I wasn't expecting that, I don't know what Bryan's wanting from me, but I meant what I said in there. I'm not going, so it doesn't matter." Her words were much softer than they'd been when she spoke to her brother, Matt's eyes tracing over her face before locking with hers once more, seeing that, as far as he could tell, she wasn't lying to him. "I don't owe him anything." She added when her boyfriend had yet to say anything, Casey immediately nodding in agreement as he gave her hand a firm squeeze.

"No, you don't." He told her, Gabby smiling softly before she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his, the two meeting for a tame, fleeting kiss before she pulled back.

"Now come on, let's enjoy your party." She replied, stroking her thumb along the back of his hand before she started walking towards the living room. But she was only able to take a step before Matt pulled her back, Gabby glancing back towards him as she raised her eyebrows in question.

"We can go and enjoy my party," He prefaced, Gabby sensing there was more coming as she tilted her head to the side. "But if you need to talk about this… _when_ you need to talk about this, I'm here." He promised, her face softening as she felt him give her hand a reassuring squeeze. "I don't care if it's ten minutes from now, or ten days from now. I don't care where we are, you can always come and talk to me."

"I know I can." She replied without hesitation, Gabby sensing just how worried this entire thing had made him. "And I will… If I need to talk, you'll be the first one to know. But I promise you, I'm fine. Right now, I'm good." She assured him, Casey pausing for a moment before giving her a nod, the man leaning forward to steal another quick kiss.

"Then let's go enjoy my party." He replied, his chest flooding with warmth when he saw the bright grin that lit up across her face, Gabby nodding in agreement before leading him out into the living room so they could join all their friends.

Despite the bomb Antonio had dropped on Gabby earlier in the evening, the rest of the night had been full of fun and laughter, everyone having gathered together in the living room to celebrate the truck Lieutenant for his birthday. Matt had spent most of his time perched on the couch with Gabby by his side, everyone talking and sharing stories as they enjoyed each other's company, Casey having spent the entire night feeling nothing but gratitude for the people who had become his family, even during their very off-key rendition of happy birthday they'd half sung, half shouted at him.

Though as the evening wore on, the more the guests started to thin out as it got later and later, their friends saying goodbyes to Matt, Gabby, and her family, Shay and Severide having been the last to leave when it got half past ten, those two having stayed to help Camila clean up, while Antonio left shortly after. But soon enough, there was no one left but Gabby, Matt, and her parents, the couple still sitting on the couch as they'd been instructed to not help clean, Gabby leaned comfortably into his side while his arm was wrapped around her shoulders.

"Ramon, don't forget this!"

They heard Camila's voice filter into the living room from the kitchen, Gabby chuckling softly as she could picture her dad walking back into the kitchen to retrieve whatever her mother was referring to, Matt tilting his head down to look at her when he felt her body shake slightly.

"What?" He questioned with a chuckle of his own, Gabby looking up towards him, the smile on her face growing before she responded.

"Nothing… I'm just picturing all the food my mom is gonna send us home with." She replied, Matt raising his eyebrows just as Ramon walked into the room, both of them looking towards the older man as he came walking in with his hands full of different containers, filled to the brim with leftovers. "Papa…"

"Oh, now you knew this was coming, Gabriela." He chastised gently, the man setting the containers down on the coffee table. "Your mother gave you both a little bit of everything, and she went ahead and gave you the rest of those skewers, Matthew… She knows how much you like them."

"You all didn't have to do that."

"Nonsense." He replied, waving them off just as Camila came into the room as well, the woman carrying yet another container in her hands.

"Mama, we don't need anymore…" She tried, but immediately closed her mouth when she was met by a challenging look from her mother, Camila shaking her head before adding it to the pile.

"This is some of Matthew's birthday cake, of course you're taking it." Her tone left no room for debate, Gabby nodding while Matt gave her a grateful smile.

"Thank you, Camila."

The woman's face softened the second Matt spoke up, the firefighter disentangling himself from Gabby before he stood up and walked the few steps towards her, the man wrapping her up in a tight hug.

"Thank you for all of this."

"No need to thank me, Matthew." She murmured, rubbing her hand along his back before they separated. "Birthdays are meant to be celebrated, and we wanted to make sure you had a nice time."

"I did." He assured her, Matt leaning forward to press a kiss to her cheek before he moved over towards Ramon, Gabby coming to take up Matt's previous spot in front of her mom.

"He looks happy." Camila mused as her and her daughter watched the two men, Ramon having just given Casey a tight hug.

"Yeah, he does." She responded, her voice barely above a whisper as a soft smile fell over her face, her eyes lingering on her boyfriend for a few more seconds before she turned back to her mother, finding the woman's eyes already on her. "But I think we're gonna get out of here, it's getting late."

"Yes, it is… You two are welcome to stay here, if you don't want to drive back to your apartment." She offered, Gabby flashing her a thankful smile before shaking her head.

"No, that's alright. We'll be fine to get home." She replied, Camila nodding as a knowing look shined in his eyes.

"Yes, yes, I know… Tomorrow's his birthday and I'm sure you have all sorts of things planned that don't include being in the same house as your parents." She spoke with an amused grin, Gabby ducking her head slightly before she shook her head.

"Mama…" She groaned, a light laugh escaping the older woman's lips as she rubbed her hand over her daughter's arm.

"Oh, Gabriela, how naive do you think your father and I are?" She questioned, tilting her head to the side, the look on her face telling Gabby she was having way too much fun teasing her about the topic they were tiptoeing around. "We both know you're wanting his birthday to be just the two of you, and it doesn't take a genius to understand-"

"Okay, I think it's time to go." Gabby cut her off, Camila laughing once more before pulling her in for a hug, the daughter reciprocating the gesture.

"You know I'm just teasing you, mija." She spoke, pressing a kiss to the side of her head before they pulled back. "Really, I'm just glad Matthew had a good day, and that he'll have a nice birthday… He deserves it."

"Yeah, he does." Gabby agreed, Camila squeezing her arm gently before her eyes moved over her daughter's face, Gabby noticing the near immediate shift in her mother's demeanor, a look of confusion covering the younger Dawson's features as her mother drew in a deep breath. "...Everything alright, Mama?" She questioned, Camila giving her a soft smile before nodding, the mother squeezing her daughter's arms once more.

"Yes, yes, of course, everything's fine." She confirmed, Gabby giving her a hesitant nod, watching as her mother's eyes moved towards Matt before quickly returning to her, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing slightly. "I just want to make sure you're doing okay."

Her confusion only grew when those words left her mother's lips, Gabby instinctively glancing back at her boyfriend, seeing him still happily talking away with her father, before she refocused her attention back on her mother. "I'm fine." She replied, Camila sensing her clear confusion by the tone in her voice. "Why wouldn't I be-" Gabby immediately cut herself off, realization covering her face before she crossed her arms over her chest. "Antonio." She spoke simply, her mother reluctantly nodding after a few seconds. "He told you about Bryan."

"He did." Camila confirmed, Gabby drawing in a deep breath as her mother squeezed her arm once more. "He told us before he left… Well, he told me. Your father still doesn't know."

"There's nothing to know." She spoke almost immediately, the older woman raising her eyebrows at the near forceful tone to her voice, Gabby sighing softly before shaking her head. "Sorry Mama, I just meant there's nothing to tell because I'm not going to see him." She spoke, making sure to keep her voice low.

"You're not?"

"No." Gabby answered. "I told Antonio that, did he not mention that part?"

"No, he did, I just… I guess I needed to hear it from you." Camila responded, Gabby taking another deep breath before she nodded. "So you're completely positive, you're not going to see him?"

"I'm not." Gabby answered without hesitation, seeing the look of relief that flashed in her mother's eyes. "I told Antonio, and Matt, the same thing. Whatever he's wanting from me, I don't care. Especially not right now." She added, nodding towards her boyfriend, a look of understanding covering Camila's face.

"Well, good. I'm glad you're not going." Her mother replied, Gabby's head falling to the side slightly as she waited for her to elaborate. "Bryan, he… Whatever games he's trying to play, it's best you just leave it alone." She continued, Gabby seeing the hint of anger her mother was trying to mask. "I just think it's the right decision, you leaving it be."

"I do, too." Gabby agreed with a soft nod, the woman's eyes moving back to Matt, her boyfriend completely oblivious to her stares. "Right now, I'm happy… Things at the firehouse are good, and so are things at Molly's… Matt and I are doing great. Everything's good right now, I'm doing better than I ever have been, and there's nothing I could gain from going to see him." She breathed out, Camila nodding in understanding as she ran her hand up and down her daughter's arm. "I think the best thing I can do now is just to keep looking ahead, with Matt, and let everything that happened with Bryan stay in the past… That's what I _want_ to do."

"Then that's what you should do." Camila agreed with a supportive smile, Gabby matching her look before her mother brought her in for one last hug, the woman holding onto her daughter a little tighter than she had before.

* * *

"God, why did we let her give us this much food again?" Matt asked as he worked on finding space for all the leftovers in the fridge, Gabby sitting back on the counter top while he'd been standing in that same spot for almost five minutes now.

"Like she would've given us a choice, babe." She replied before taking a sip of the glass of water he'd gotten her, Gabby watching as he finally managed to get the last container into the fridge, the one containing his leftover cake, before he shut the door, Matt releasing a heavy sigh before turning around to face her.

"Fair enough." He replied, Matt shooting her a grin before he continued around the kitchen, Gabby's eyes never leaving his form as he moved to get his own glass of water, the man continuing the similar routine they did every night before going bed; he'd get her some water, then a glass for himself, then they'd go to bed. And the simple action couldn't help but bring a smile to her face.

As she sat on the counter, she couldn't help but continue to stare at him, her mind racing as she thought about how she felt having him here. How happy it made her the mornings they'd wake up together, how at peace she felt when he was around, how she secretly enjoyed the times he'd come over unannounced and use the key she'd given him to get it. How he just fit here, how he was comfortable here, with her. How, despite it being her apartment, this place felt as much his home as it does hers.

Because it did feel like his home. Being here, with him, she felt like she was home. Though there was a small voice in the back of her head telling her that it didn't matter where they were, all she needed was him for it to feel like home. And that same small voice had her wondering why they hadn't already taken that step yet.

The most logical reason she could think of was because of Bryan, and everything she'd been dealing with because of that. But she was past that now, as much as she could be at least, and she'd moved on from it. There was nothing left for her to say, there was nothing left to work through, it was just something that was a part of her. It was something that was part of her past, that she didn't want affecting her future.

And it was the only thing she could think of as to why they hadn't talked at all about moving in together.

They spent pretty much every single night together already, and the rare nights they didn't were only out of necessity, Matt needing to be home for one reason or another. But she knew that would stop being an issue for them if this was the place he came home to. If every night, regardless of the time, he was coming home here. He'd be coming home to _her_. And that thought alone made a rush of warmth flood through her entire body.

Them living in the same place, together, was something she wanted more than anything else in the world. And she could only hope he wanted the same thing.

"What are you staring at?"

His soft voice pulled Gabby from her thoughts as her vision snapped into focus, the woman finding the curious eyes of her boyfriend on her as he leaned against the counter opposite her, Gabby not missing the hint of amusement shining in his gaze.

"Get caught up thinking about me again? Can't say I'm surprised, but-"

"Move in with me."

She immediately stunned him to silence, cutting him off mid sentence as his mouth opened and shut a few times, Matt clearly trying to process what she had said to him, his eyebrows raising after a few moments when he finally started to digest her words.

"What?" He questioned, unable to hide the slight smile tugging on his lips as she swung her lungs back and forth.

"Move in with me." She repeated, though she was well aware that Matt had heard exactly what she said, his smug smile growing when the words left her lips a second time, Casey pushing himself up off the counter and slowly making his way towards her. "I want you to move in with me." She said again when he had yet to say a word, Matt coming to a stop just in front of her, Gabby widening her legs slightly to give him a place to stand before she reached out for him. He willingly took the last few steps towards her, his hands finding their familiar home on her hips while her arms wrapped around his neck, Gabby instinctively pressing her legs against his waist.

"You want me to move in with you…" He asked, but his words sounded more like a statement than a question, Gabby's bottom lip tucking in between her teeth before she nodded in response, Matt rubbing his hand along her hip, his eyebrows furrowing like he was deep in thought.

"I do." She replied after a beat of silence. "Or we can move into your place, if you'd rather stay there…" She continued, Matt running his tongue along his bottom lip as she rambled. "I just figured since my place is bigger, and newer, we could stay here, but I don't care where we are. I just want to be with you." She told him, her words completely honest as she ran her fingers along the base of his neck, Matt's smile involuntarily widening. "And, I mean, we all but live together anyway, if you really think about it." She kept going, her nose scrunching up adorably as she spoke. "Half your stuff is here, and I'm pretty sure I have just as much of my things at your place as you do." She joked, Matt chuckling softly before he shook his head, the man knowing just how true her statement was, Gabby having all but taken over his apartment with her stuff. But he'd never complain about it, though. "And you already have a key… It feels like we already live together, just not officially. And I hate the nights that we spend apart."

"I do, too." He murmured, continuing the soft patterns along her hip, Gabby smiling softly before she continued.

"I just feel like this makes sense for us… And I know I want to. I want you to always come home to me, just like I'll always come home to you... I want us to move in together."

Casey drew in a deep breath as she finished talking, a small smile forming over his face as he gave her hip a squeeze, Gabby unsure of what to make from his prolonged silence. All she knew was that it didn't feel great, the way he had yet to really say anything, her eyebrows furrowing together tightly when she saw a flicker of what she could only figure to be hesitation in his eyes.

"What is it?" She questioned after a few moments, Gabby all but ready to pull away from him as she had a gut feeling that she wasn't going to like what he was about to say, Matt giving her another soft smile before he spoke up.

"I would love for us to live together." He murmured, Gabby no less confused by his words, the woman sensing there was a pretty big 'but' coming. "And everything you said, about us coming home to each other, I want that. I do. There's nothing I want more than for us to live together, for me to wake up every morning with you…"

"...But?" She spoke for him when he'd yet to continue, Matt drawing in another deep breath before he spoke up.

"But I only wanna do this if you're sure this is something you really want." He told her, Gabby's confusion only growing as she tried to figure out what he meant. But after a few seconds, she slowly began to understand why he was a little hesitant. Why he was questioning her at all. And it had everything to do with what Antonio had told them earlier in the evening.

This was about Bryan. It was about Bryan, and Matt needing to know she wasn't doing this for the wrong reasons. That whatever feelings Antonio's admission earlier in the night had brought up for her, she wasn't using this as a way to distract herself from it. That she wasn't doing this on whim.

She knew he needed her to be sure.

And she couldn't say she blamed him.

But this wasn't what this was. This had nothing to do with _him_, and Gabby needed to make sure he knew that.

"I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't want to." She replied quietly, Matt's face immediately softening before he nodded. "This isn't about anything other than you and me, and how much I love you… How much I want to live with you." She continued, stroking her index finger along his hairline as she felt him give her hips a tight squeeze. "The only thing I'm factoring in here is you, and me. And what I think is the right thing for us… I think we should move in together, if that's what you want."

Her words hung in the air for a moment, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek nervously as she waited for any kind of response from the man in front of her, the thoughtful look covering his face causing her stomach to tighten in knots. But just as she was about to tell him to forget it and salvage what was left of her dignity, that soft grin she fell in love with appeared over his face, Matt's bright blue eyes shining in the dim room as he gave her a nod.

"Let's do it." He replied, Gabby unable to stop her smile from growing as his words washed over her.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah… Let's move in together." He confirmed before he closed what little distance there was between them, crashing his lip into hers in a heated kiss, his hands tightening on her hips as he pulled her closer to the edge of the counter, her body pressed against his. They went back and forth for a few moments, Gabby locking her legs around his waist as his hands slid up underneath her shirt, his palms moving all along her warm skin as their movements got more and more intense with each second that passed.

It wasn't until the sound of Gabby's clock in her in living room going off that they pulled apart, the chiming signaling it was midnight as they steadily worked on catching their breath, Matt's gaze drawn to her heaving chest for a few seconds before he trailed back up to her face, the man finding her dark brown eyes waiting for him, her fingernails scratching along the skin on the back of his neck as her head cocked the side.

"I guess it's officially your birthday." She spoke in between breaths, Matt releasing a heavy breath before he nodded, his hand continuing to move underneath her shirt along her lower back.

"I guess it is." He replied, Gabby smiling before she leaned back towards him, capturing his lips in a much tamer kiss, her soft movements flooding him with a sense of peace as they continued their slow, almost sleepy kisses.

"Happy birthday, baby." She murmured, Gabby having pulled back enough to get the words out as a content smile formed over his face, Matt pausing for a moment before he crashed his lips back into hers, the force of his movements nearly knocking her over before she regained herself and reciprocated the action. His hands went back to roaming her body, Gabby moaning into his mouth as she pressed her hips into his, her palm cupping his cheek to keep him as close as possible as they became more and more lost in one another, Matt only pulling away when air became a necessity.

Their eyes immediately locked on one another, Matt grinning softly before he moved his hand up to gently cup her neck, his eyes falling closed as he leaned towards her once more, pressing his forehead into hers while they caught their breath. "This is already the best birthday ever."

His choppy words caused a soft chuckle to leave her lips, Gabby pressing her forehead into his as he stroked his thumb along the side of her neck, his gentle touch filling her with nothing but warmth and security.

"Oh, you have no idea."

The tone in her voice caused him to pull back, Matt opening his eyes to find want and desire, and a whole lot of love shining back at him, the man grinning from ear to ear as she loosened her leg's grip around his waist.

"Is that so?" He asked, Gabby nodding without hesitation before gently pushing against his chest, giving her room to slide down off the counter, the woman who was eye level with him just moments ago now a few inches shorter as she reached for his hand. As their fingers laced together, Gabby began leading him to her bedroom, the path familiar while they turned off all the lights as they went, her apartment bathed in darkness as they stepped into her bedroom.

Without a word, they came to a stop beside her bed, Gabby turning around to meet his eyes while her hands immediately moved towards his belt. His breath caught in his throat when her hand brushed over him, Matt sure she was doing it on purpose as she slowly pulled the belt from his body, letting it fall onto the rug with a soft thud, before her hands grabbed a hold of his shirt.

The second he was free from the material, his hands immediately moved towards her shirt, but she swatted them away, Gabby having to bite back a laugh as he looked like a lost puppy, the man clearly not happy by her pushing him away.

"But-"

She silenced him with a kiss, Gabby's nails grazing over his bare chest before moving back towards his pants, the woman making quick work of the button and zipper before she pulled back and began to push the material down his legs.

"This doesn't seem very fair." He practically pouted as he kicked his jeans off, the man left in nothing but his socks and boxers, while she was still very much clothed.

"Trust me… You're gonna like this next part." She murmured, the honey-like tone in her voice sending all the blood in his body south as she ran her fingers lightly over his lower stomach, Gabby feeling his muscles tightening underneath her touch. "But I'm gonna need you to give me a few minutes… Just lay down, and get comfortable. I'll be back." She was practically whispering, Matt swallowing the lump in his throat as he nodded, Gabby leaning forward to press a soft kiss against his collarbone before she stepped away, the woman snapping the elastic band of his boxers as she went, Matt's eyes focused on her until she disappeared into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

He wasn't sure how long she'd been gone, all he knew was that it felt like an eternity as he laid in the middle of the bed, the man having rid himself of everything except his boxers as he rested against the pillows, Matt having made sure all the curtains in the room were shut tight before he sat down, the man getting the feeling that whatever was about to happen wasn't something he wanted anyone else seeing.

And those suspicions were proven correct when Gabby appeared minutes later, his eyes immediately moving towards the door when he heard it open, Matt waiting desperately for her to come into view. And when she did, it was like all the air left his body as he took in the sight of her standing in the doorway, the slightly nervous look on her face only making him fall in love with her more as she waited for his reaction.

"Damn." He breathed out, the word quickly followed by a whistle as his eyes trailed up and down her body. While she wasn't naked, she might as well have been, her little outfit not leaving much to the imagination as Matt took her in, Gabby slowly stepping away from the bathroom and towards the bed, his eyes never leaving her body while she moved.

The completely see through little dress she was wearing, if you could even call it that, ended just below her waist, the black sheer material sitting delicately against her skin, the matching underwear that were barely covering anything causing his mouth to go dry. This wasn't anything he'd ever seen on her before, but he knew damn well he'd never be forgetting it now as he shifted on top of the mattress, Matt sure she was able to see the clear effect she had on him, his thin boxers doing little to hide his want for her as she came to a stop just beside the bed.

"Hi." She murmured, Matt having to clear his throat before he could even think of saying anything, all the moisture in his mouth long gone as he tried to form a single coherent thought.

"Hi." He repeated, his eyes moving back down her body, focusing on her visible chest, Gabby hiding her proud smirk as she saw him completely captivated by her. "You look… Wow." He continued, Matt shaking his head as he sat himself up on the bed, the man needing to feel her as he reached out towards her, his hand coming to rest over the surprisingly soft material covering her side.

"Thank you." She replied as he moved to the edge of the bed, his free hand sliding underneath the clothing, his palms moving along her sides. "I figured your special day deserved something a little different." She continued, Matt smiling softly before he nodded in agreement, his large hands gripping her waist as he felt his need for her continue to grow. "I'm just glad you like it."

"Oh, I more than like it." He breathed out, his hand resting underneath the material sliding up to cup her breast, Gabby relaxing into his touch as he gently stroked her skin. "In fact, I think we might need to leave it on." He added, Gabby raising her eyebrows as he continued to cup her skin, Matt raking his eyes over her body before blowing out another whistle. "...Yeah, we're definitely leaving this on."

Before she could say anything, Matt moved faster than maybe he ever had before, the man gently grabbing ahold of her and pulling her down to the bed, a squeal of surprise leaving her lips as she landed on top of him. Her legs instinctively straddled his hips, his hands roaming her near bare skin as his lips found hers, his movements quick and needy as she laid on top of him.

But even with as close as they were, that wasn't enough for him as within seconds, he had her on her back, Matt pinning her down to the mattress with his body on top of hers, his knee resting in between her legs as his needy kisses became even more desperate. It was like she could focus on nothing but him, his hands covering every inch of her that he had access to, his movements pulling moans from her as his lips trailed across her jaw and down to her neck. He could hear her panting in his ear while he attacked her skin, his hand ghosting over her covered center while his other one kept her arm down against the bed.

"Matt…" She moaned into his ear, the sound causing his spine to straighten as his teeth sunk into the top of her shoulder, her free hand moving to run over his back while he cupped her over her underwear. "This is for you." Her voice was barely above a whisper, the man's eyes opening when he felt her teeth graze his ear, Gabby feeling his desire pressing into her leg as she dug her nails into his back. "...Whatever you wanna do, baby. This is for you." She repeated, Matt nearly bucking his hips into her as he felt a jolt of electricity shoot through his spine, those few words having more of an effect on him than he'd care to admit.

But that was all he needed to hear as he slowly lifted himself up, his hands resting on either side of the mattress beside her head, Matt watching as she slowly bit down on her bottom lip, the little nod she gave him even more assurance as a soft smile formed over her face.

"I love you." He nearly whispered, his voice soft and gentle as her smile widened, Gabby guiding him back down towards her before their lips met in a slow kiss.

"I love you, too." She replied, her words no louder than his as he soon wore a smile that matched hers, the man leaning down to kiss her once more before he pulled back, knowing that despite the late hour, their night was just getting started.

Pushing himself up off her, Matt gently tapped the outside her thigh, nodding down towards the bed before he stood up. "Get in the middle of the bed."

There was a slight demanding tone to his words, but it was masked by that gentle voice he so often used with her, Gabby complying immediately as she slid to the middle of the bed, her head collapsing down onto the pillows as Matt watched her.

He didn't think there could ever be anything better than the sight of her walking out of the bathroom moments prior in this little outfit, but the second he saw her spread out across the bed, waiting for him, he knew in that moment that _this_ was the greatest sight he'd ever seen, Matt taking a few long minutes to commit this moment to memory.

Drawing in a deep breath, Matt slowly climbed onto the bed, the man nudging her legs far enough apart for him to sit in between them, the man resting back on his heels as his hands ran up and down her thighs.

"You're so damn gorgeous." He breathed out, Gabby feeling heat rise to her cheeks as Matt leaned down to press soft kisses all over her thighs, his actions innocent enough as he didn't get close enough to where she wanted him, the man sure to leave a few marks in his path as he took his time with her. When he'd paid enough attention to her legs, he skipped over her center before landing on her stomach, Matt sliding the see through material up enough to be able to press open mouthed kisses to her skin. She was tensing underneath his touch, he could feel it, and as he moved one of his hands back towards her center, his finger trailing up and down over her with just enough pressure to drive her crazy, he could also feel just how much she was enjoying this.

"Matt-" She choked out when he applied more pressure against her, Gabby's hips lifting into his hand as his continued to press sloppy kisses over her stomach and rib cage, Matt using his free hand to push the material covering her just up over her breasts, his mouth immediately moving towards her sensitive skin as he continued to running his hand over her. He heard her draw in a sharp breath when he held her nipple in between his lips, his movements slow and deliberate as he felt her become more and more excited. "Matt." She spoke again, her voice barely audible as he looked up towards her, finding her wanting eyes already on him before he released his hold on her breast, Matt slowly moving up her body until he was eye level with her.

"...Yes?" He questioned, Gabby lifting her hand up to cradle his cheek, her thumb moving softly over his skin as his body pressed into hers. Before she said a word, she gently guided him down towards her, their lips connecting in a slow kiss, Matt smiling against her before he kissed her back, their movements familiar and comforting.

"Stop teasing." She murmured against him, her words bringing an even wider smile to his face before he pulled back, Matt seeing her bottom lip tucked in between her teeth, hiding her own grin as his hand moved up and down her side.

"But you said I could do whatever I wanted…" He countered, his voice low as his hand stopped just at the waistband of her underwear, his large palm covering her skin before he began playing with the edge of the material, Gabby sighing softly before slid her hand around to the back of his neck.

"Fair enough." She gave in, Matt chuckling softly before he leaned down to capture her lips in another kiss, their movements intensifying by the second as she bucked her hips up into his.

"God, I love you." He whispered, his lips returning to hers instantly before she had the chance to respond, his kisses becoming more and more frantic as his hands worked to free them both from the clothing standing in between them. He was able to get his boxers off relatively quickly, the man aimlessly kicking them off the bed before he reluctantly pulled back, Gabby missing his warmth instantly as he sat back on the bed.

Without saying a word, his hands moved to her waist, Matt practically ripping the underwear from her body in one swift motion, the man tossing it aside without a care in the world as his eyes focused on her nearly bare form. With that piece of lingerie still on, she wasn't naked, but she didn't need to be for him to be able to see her completely, his mouth nearly watering as he ran his hand along her thigh.

"I thought you wanted to leave it on?"

Matt's eyes snapped towards hers as those words left her lips, her raised brow and the challenging look in her eye sending a shiver through his spine, the man seeing her eyes flicker towards his painfully hard member before finding his gaze once more.

"This stays on." He nearly growled, his hand sliding up to rub over the silky smooth material over her stomach before he gently pulled her up, Gabby waiting to see what his next move was. And when he crawled past her, and laid down on the bed just as she had been moments ago, Gabby knew exactly what he was wanting, that dark look in his eye deepening even more as she turned to look at him.

Not needing any instruction, Gabby slowly adjusted herself to climb over him, her legs straddling his waist as she hovered over him, his hands immediately moving to her hips, rubbing up and down over her as her skin gently pressed into his. A light hiss escaped his lips from the pressure, Matt desperately needing more contact as he pushed her hips down against his, Gabby pushing her hair behind her ear as she focused on the feeling of him.

The air around them became thick as she slowly moved herself against him, Gabby leaning down to capture his lips in hers, his hands cupping her ass as she continuously ground down into him, their movements becoming quicker and less controlled, Gabby soon having to pull back to suck in air. His lips trailed down to her neck, Matt attacking her skin as she panted in his ear, his tight grip on her keeping her hips against his.

"Baby." She breathed out, pushing herself up slightly to put some distance between them, Matt releasing her skin from his lips as she slowly sat up on top of him. Their chests were both heaving, Matt's eyes raking her body as his hands ran over her sides, this angle giving him the perfect view of her as he took another moment to appreciate the woman on top of him.

"You know…" He started, the man drawing in deep breaths as he continued running his hands along her body. "This _definitely_ is now the best birthday ever." He repeated his earlier words, Gabby biting back a laugh as she shook her head, the woman smacking his chest lightly as he chuckled.

"Really? We haven't even gotten to the fun yet…" She replied in between breaths, Gabby nearly melting into him as she focused on the feeling of his hands on her.

"Trust me, I know." He replied quickly, Matt drawing in another deep breath as they locked eyes with one another.

It was like there was a shift in the air the second he looked at her, Gabby seeing nothing but love and admiration looking back at her, the feeling nearly suffocating as his bright blue eyes focused on nothing but her, Matt slowing his hand down as he ran his palm delicately along her side.

There were no more words needed to be said as he guided her down to him once more, their lips connecting in a heated and passionate kiss, their movements slowly picking up speed as she reached in between them, Gabby grabbing ahold of him and lining him up to her entrance, both of them more than ready to be together, and celebrate his birthday properly.

Within seconds, she slowly sunk down onto him, moans and gasps leaving their lips as they adjusted to one another, that familiar feeling filling them both with a sense of comfort before they began moving together, the couple desperate to make this moment last as long as they could.

* * *

"Oh, I know that look… Someone had a good birthday."

Matt and Gabby's steps halted as they got inside the garage, the sound of Shay's loud voice ringing through the open space, Matt's proud smile never faltering while Gabby's morphed into a look of annoyance, the PIC shooting her partner a glare as she dropped her boyfriend's hand.

"Shay…"

"What? You two walk in here smiling like a bunch of idiots, we all know how you two spent yesterday." She continued as she stepped away from the ambulance and towards her friends, Matt shaking his head as a soft chuckle left his lips.

"I'm gonna head inside." He told Gabby, the woman giving him a nod as he leaned down to press a kiss to her cheek. "I'll see you in there… Pleasure, as always, Shay." He added jokingly, the blonde paramedic giving him a knowing nod before he walked away from them, Gabby's playfully narrow eyes focusing on her friend.

"You just can't help yourself, can you?"

"Not at all." She replied shamelessly. "But if I had to guess, I'd say you two didn't even leave your bedroom yesterday." She spoke, wiggling her eyebrows for affect before Gabby jokingly shoved her shoulder.

"Shay, I already told you my plans for his birthday…" She reminded her friend, knowing she'd told the blonde all about the tickets to the Cubs game she was surprising him with, as well as the reservations she'd made for them at his favorite restaurant.

"Yeah, I know… But I also know after that little number you bought for him, there was a good chance he wouldn't let you leave." She continued to tease her, Gabby's face heating up as she ran her tongue along the inside of her cheek, the PIC reaching into her pocket to grab her phone.

"I regret telling you that." She breathed out, Shay chuckling loudly as Gabby focused her attention on her phone for a moment, before she held the device out towards her friend, the blonde smiling when she saw the photo of Gabby and Matt at the game yesterday. From first glance it was obvious Gabby had taken the picture, both of them sporting Cubs gear while they had bright smiles on their faces, Matt's arm wrapped around her shoulders to keep her close. After Shay had enough time to look at the picture, Gabby swiped across to the next one, which was nearly identical, except this time Matt was kissing her cheek, Gabby's smile even wider than the one before.

"You two are adorable." Shay spoke, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip before she pulled her phone back, the woman locking her screen before shoving it into her pocket. "So I take it he was completely surprised?"

"Definitely." Gabby responded with a bright smile. "He had no idea, but he was so excited, it was cute." She spoke, Shay grinning as she saw how happy her friend was. "We had a great time at the game, and then dinner was amazing… It was just a really good day."

"Good, I'm glad." Shay replied, wrapping her arm around her friend's shoulder before leading her towards the firehouse, knowing she still needed to put her things away. "He deserved to have a nice birthday…"

"Yeah, he did." Gabby murmured, leaning into Shay's side as they walked.

"And I already know he got some extra Dawson-lovin', which could've only made the day better." She continued, Gabby groaning before pushing her friend away, the PIC rolling her eyes while Shay laughed. "Oh, it's too easy… I'm just glad you two managed to make it to the game."

Gabby bit her tongue as they continued towards the double doors, the woman knowing her friend had no idea how close they came to actually missing the game altogether. After their late night the night before, it came as no surprise that they slept well into the late morning, Matt waking up to an unexpected treat of Gabby sitting further down the bed with her mouth wrapped around him, the man barely even awake before she'd finished the task she'd set out to do. Then once he'd recovered, and she'd surprised him with the tickets to the game, it didn't take long before they'd enjoyed one another once more, then again in the shower when they were getting ready.

But none of that was anything her friend needed to know, Gabby merely shaking her head before they continued inside, the women giving a quick greeting to the men in the common room before heading around the corner. But they only got a few steps before Gabby stopped them, Dawson grabbing her friend's arm, Shay turning back to look at her questioningly as they stood in the hallway.

"What's up?" She asked, Gabby unable to stop her smile from growing as she thought about what she was about to tell her friend, the PIC having been wanting to tell her from the moment they got here, but she hadn't had a chance to with all of Shay's teasing.

"I, uh… I ask Matt to move in with me."

The second Shay registered her words, a bright smile spread across her face, the blonde shaking her head in amusement. "Finally!" She nearly shouted, her loud voice gaining the attention of the common room, everyone looking at them through the windows in confusion. But Shay simply waved them off before returning her attention to her friend, seeing the near giddy look covering Dawson's face.

"When did you ask him?" She questioned, Shay's excitement obvious.

"Uh, the night of his surprise party… When we got home. I asked him to move in with me."

"And what did he say?" She pushed, though they both already knew the answer, Gabby's smile widening before she nodded enthusiastically.

"He said yes."

Shay had her wrapped up in a hug before she could even get the words out, Gabby holding onto her friend tightly as they swayed back and forth.

"Man, I'm so happy for you guys." She spoke, Shay rubbing her back before they separated, Gabby nodding in agreement as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Thanks, Shay." She responded, the blonde paramedic rubbing over her arms as the smiles never left their faces. "It wasn't really anything I planned, we were just in the kitchen, and… I don't know, it just felt right. So I asked him, and he said yes."

"And you're staying in your apartment?"

"Yeah." Gabby answered with a nod. "I mean, he all but lives there anyway… He was there to help me get the place. It feels like our home." She breathed out, Shay giving her a nod. "I don't know if that makes sense, but it's always kind of felt like our place to begin with."

"It does make sense." Shay told her, Gabby shooting her a soft smile. "I'm just glad you finally had the balls to ask him." She added, Dawson scoffing lightly as she tilted her head to the side. "Sorry, but Kelly and I have been waiting for this day… We both knew Matt wasn't gonna do it, just because he," She stopped herself, Shay pausing to figure out how to word her next thought. "He's always let you take the lead on things between you guys." She settled on, Gabby nodding understandingly, knowing exactly what her friend was talking about. And she was right. "So, I wasn't really expecting it to come from him… At least not yet. But I'm just so glad you finally asked him, I'm so happy for you guys."

Gabby nodded once more just as the bells went off, calling ambulance 61 out to a person in distress, the PIC placing her bag down on the ground beside the wall, knowing she didn't have time to put her things away just yet, before the paramedics hurried back out to the garage.

"You're gonna have a housewarming party, right?" Shay asked before they went around to their separate sides of the rig, Gabby raising her eyebrows as she climbed into the passenger seat, the blonde starting up the ambulance before pulling out of the garage.

"Let's just focus on getting him moved in, then we'll talk."

* * *

"Hello?"

Casey looked up from the box he was working on taping up, the man recognizing the voice instantly as he stood inside his living room, Matt seeing Antonio round the corner into his home.

"Hey, sorry, the door was open."

"It's fine, I appreciate you coming to help." Matt replied with a soft smile, Antonio matching his look as he continued further into the apartment.

"Of course… And, well, Gabby didn't give me much of a choice." He responded, Matt chuckling knowingly, the firefighter remembering the way he'd heard Gabby speak to her brother earlier this morning when they got off shift, his girlfriend having made it perfectly clear that Antonio would be coming by to help whether he wanted to or not. "Though I gotta say, it was nice to hear you two are finally moving in together."

Casey's smile widened at his words, the Lieutenant nodding in agreement as he finished taping up the box in front of him. "Yeah, I guess that's what Shay said, too." He replied, Antonio shaking his head slightly. "I didn't realize everyone was waiting for us to do it, though…"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure everyone was." Antonio replied with a grin. "My parents included." He added, Matt raising his eyebrows as he head cocked to the side. "I dunno, I think we all saw how you two are with each other… You two act like a married couple, so I guess we all just expected it to happen sooner rather than later." He told him, an amused look covering the firefighter's face as he took in Antonio's words. "But this is a great thing, you two doing this. I'm glad you guys are happy."

"Thanks Antonio." Casey replied, the man's sincere words going straight to his heart as Antonio gave him a nod, the detective slowly beginning to look around the room.

"Of course, man… Is, uh- is Gabby here?" He questioned, the man having yet to see his sister, Matt soon answering his question with a quick shake of his head.

"She's not. Her, Kelly, and Shay took a few boxes over to the apartment. I stayed back to get a couple more things packed up." He explained, Antonio nodding in understanding before his eyes moved around the apartment once more, the cop raising his eyebrows before clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

"...You're not trying to get all this done today, are you?" He asked, Matt shaking his head immediately as a light chuckle left his lips.

"No, definitely not." He answered, seeing the look of relief that flashed in the man's eyes. "We're planning on moving out a little at a time, Gabby just wanted to get a few things packed up before tonight."

"Ah yes, the last of your birthday celebrations." Antonio replied with a grin, Matt scoffing lightly. "The big blowout at Molly's is tonight."

"Yes, the party that's not at all necessary, especially after the surprise party I already had. But yeah, that's tonight… I told Gabby we didn't need to still do that, though. I've been celebrated enough."

"I don't think Gabs would agree with that… And my mom wouldn't, either." Antonio was quick to respond, Matt blowing a breath of air out between his teeth before he nodded.

"Yeah, I think you're right." He responded, both men chuckling before they got back to work, Antonio beginning to tape up a box that was already full of stuff.

They worked in a comfortable silence for a few moments, the two men alone in the apartment that was still pretty full of Matt's, and some of Gabby's belongings, Casey keeping a watchful eye on Antonio while they packed. He hadn't really seen him since his surprise party a few days ago, and though he seemed to be handling himself better now than he was then, Matt still had some questions. And he couldn't help but think that now was the perfect time to ask them.

"So, um…" Matt spoke up after a few minutes, Antonio lifting his head up when he heard his voice, "I didn't really get a chance to ask you about it, but this whole Bryan thing…" He started, not missing the way the detective's body tensed at the name, Matt completely understanding the feeling. "You don't know what he wants from her?"

Blowing out a heavy sigh, Antonio shook his head, the man turning his body completely towards Matt before answering. "No, I have no idea."

"...He just wants to see Gabby." Matt spoke hesitantly, Antonio nodding once more.

"Yeah, he does." He replied, his frustration at the situation evident. "Apparently he really wants to see her… He's asked again."

"What?" Matt questioned, catching Antonio's gaze. "He's asked to see her again?"

"Twice." Antonio replied simply, Matt's grip on the box tightening as his knuckles turned white. "He's been asking every day… So whatever it is, it must be important to him." He continued, Matt shaking his head as he took a deep breath. "Has Gabby said anything else to you about it? About going to see him?"

"Just that she's fine, and she doesn't want to see him." Matt relayed the information Antonio already knew, the older brother nodding as he crossed his arms over his chest, the men locking gazes before Casey spoke up again. "...What do you think he wants?" He questioned, Antonio shrugged slightly in response.

"I don't know…"

His uncertain words hung in the air around them for a few moments, Matt unable to stop himself from asking the question sitting on the tip of his tongue.

"If she, uh- if she doesn't go, do you think he'll try to get in contact with her when he gets out?"

Antonio drew in a deep breath, the man pausing thoughtfully for a moment before he opened his mouth to respond.

"I honestly don't know, man… I really don't. When he first went in, with the restraining order and everything, I thought there was no way in hell he'd be stupid enough to do anything. But if he's as serious about seeing her as it seems… I don't know what he'll do." Antonio replied, Matt wincing slightly before he nodded, both of them knowing there was no easy answer to that question, the air around them much heavier than it had been when Antonio first arrived, Casey blowing out a heavy sigh as the older Dawson spoke up again.

"But if he knows what's good for him, he'll leave her alone."


	58. Chapter Fifty Seven

**Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all. With everything happening right now, I hope all of you are staying safe, and doing as well as you can be. And though fanfiction is not nearly as important as the things going on in the world, I hope that this can serve as a little break from everything for some of you, even if only for fifteen minutes.**

**Also, the next chapter of If We Never Say Goodbye will be up later today, so if any of you also read that story, be on the lookout for that!**

**Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

**FIFTY SEVEN**

* * *

"_Casey, we're coming, man!_"

Gabby stood frozen outside by the rig, Shay tending to the woman that had been brought them barely a minute ago as Dawson was unable to look away from the blazing building, the words of her coworkers through the radio falling on deaf ears as she waited with bated breath. Staring up at the flames, she felt a rush of helplessness flood through her system, her hand tightening on the radio strapped to her chest as she took slight steps forward, her mind not even registering the movement as she came to a stop beside Boden.

When they had pulled up to the fire nearly ten minutes ago, they knew it was a bad one, the house already up in flames by the time they arrived. It was one where, even with her knowledge as a paramedic, she knew how dangerous a call like this could be. It was a call where they had to be in and out; they could do a quick sweep, and help who they could, but when Boden said to call it, they'd have to call it. But, despite her knowing the dangers, she wasn't expecting this. She wasn't expecting anything to happen to him… She wasn't expecting him to get hurt in a fire, again.

The feeling in the air was tense, Gabby swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat as she tried to process the different voices she was hearing through her radio despite the pounding headache forming in her skull, the paramedic only caring about hearing one voice in particular. One she hadn't heard for a few minutes.

"_Casey!_"

"_Chief, the entrance is blocked._"

"_Severide! This way!_"

"_We've got him, we've got him- Dammit!_"

"_Chief, we're trapped up here, stairs are gone._"

"Otis!" Boden shouted, "Get the aerial up there, second floor!" He ordered, the firefighter nodding before running back towards the rig, Boden turning back towards the building. "Severide?"

"_Capp, get the extinguisher on him!_"

Those last words cause her breath to catch in her throat, Gabby barely registering the glove-covered hand Boden placed on her shoulder, tears welling in her eyes as she continued staring at the fiery building.

"_Casey, man… Shay, are you and Dawson still here? We-_"

"_I'm fine_."

Gabby choked on the air in her lungs when she heard his voice, his quick words, followed by the sound of him coughing, causing the heavy weight to lift from her chest. His voice was a little hoarse, and from what she could tell he hadn't been able to catch his breath, but he was talking. He was alert, and despite whatever injuries he might have, that was what mattered.

"Severide, the ladders up- Get out of there!" Boden yelled through the radio, Gabby blinking quickly as her eyes stayed focused on the window where they were, the paramedic watching on as glass fell to the ground, one of 51's firefighters breaking out the rest of what was left of the broken window. "Is Casey alright?"

"_I'm fine, Chief._" Casey's voice came through the radio once more, Gabby's eyes falling closed when she heard him talk. His voice was a little deeper than normal, the paramedic unsure of if he'd breathed in any smoke during whatever had happened to him, but it sounded like he had. "_We're coming out._"

Slowly, firefighters began to appear through the smoke billowing out the windows, Gabby watching tensely as one by one, they began climbing out onto the ladder, the woman holding her breath until she saw one Lieutenant in particular make his way out of the burning building.

And the second she saw him, it felt like she could finally breathe again. He was moving slowly, but he was moving on his own, Gabby recognizing him instantly even with all the gear on. And it was like as soon as he began making his way to the ground, Kelly being the last one to follow after him, her instincts kicked in, Dawson immediately running back towards the rig where they'd be climbing down, the paramedic knowing the firefighter was bound to need some assistance. And the further down the ladder he got, the more apparent that became.

She couldn't see much, with his gear on she wasn't able to really see any injuries he might've had. But what she could see was that his turnout gear was completely charred. From head to toe, the entire back of his coat and his pants were burned, the material now black and unrecognizable, his name disappeared entirely from his jacket as he climbed his way down. And that sight alone was enough to send her heart rate through the roof.

Though she'd heard it through the radio, seeing it in person was as jarring a feeling as she could experience, Gabby witnessing first hand the aftermath of him being on fire. And by the looks of it, he'd been burning for awhile. But all she could do now was pray his gear had done its job, and by the way he was moving, it was a safe assumption he wasn't too badly injured. He was moving slowly, there was no doubt about it, but he was moving on his own. And if his turnout gear was any indication, that alone was a minor miracle.

Dawson vaguely heard Boden shouting orders at his firefighters as engine began spraying the house down now that it was free of any first responders, but the PIC's focus wasn't on anything other than the truck Lieutenant who was almost down off the rig, Gabby standing a few feet back as Casey finally made his way to the ground.

"You good, Lieutenant?" Herrmann asked, Matt nodding as he pulled his helmet off his head, Gabby immediately seeing a few scratches along his face before he even looked her way, it not lost on the paramedic that he hadn't been wearing his mask when he came out of that fire.

"I'm fine." He replied, Casey unable to get the words out without coughing, that sound kicking Dawson into gear as she marched towards him.

Seeing her out of the corner of his eye, Matt looked up before she could get to him, the look on her face causing him to frown immediately as he took in her worried state.

"I'm-"

"Come with me." She spoke, her voice quiet but firm, Gabby grabbing onto his arm before she began to pull him away from the rig.

"Gabby…"

"Don't." She practically hissed, Matt sighing softly before he nodded and complied, Dawson leading the way but walking slowly as to accommodate for whatever injuries he might've had. She could tell from their brief walk alone he was moving with a slight limp, but whatever had caused that couldn't have been too painful, as he hadn't made a sound while she led him over to 61.

When they got there, Gabby quickly noticed the woman they'd been treating before Matt was down lying on the bed, Shay tending to her as the blonde looked up when she noticed the movement, the paramedic immediately seeing the tense and rigid look on her partner's face, Gabby doing what she could to mask just how worried she was.

"Sit." Dawson ordered, her voice leaving no room for any discussion as Matt nodded, the man sitting down on the ledge on the rig, Gabby immediately reaching for her stethoscope. "Shay, get the extra oxygen mask."

The paramedic complied without a word, Gabby immediately opening Matt's charred turnout gear so she could listen to his lungs, the woman emitting a small breath of air when she saw his Lieutenant's shirt was completely unharmed, the grey material looking just as it had before this call, aside from maybe a little more sweat the normal, before she placed the stethoscope against his chest.

"Take a deep breath." She told him, Gabby noticing the slight crowd that had gathered around them as he breathed, the woman focused on nothing but the rise and fall of his chest, despite her feeling his eyes boring into her. "Another one." She said, moving the instrument over his shirt before he breathed again, Dawson feeling her nerves lessen slightly.

"What happened in there, Casey?" Boden's voice filled the otherwise silent air, Matt tearing his eyes away from Gabby to look towards the Chief.

"Take this off." Gabby instructed before he could respond, the paramedic helping him shrug out of the burned material, no one missing how he grimaced and winced at the movement until he was free from the turnout coat.

"I was in the bedroom." He started, pausing to take another breath as he'd been instructed to by Dawson. "I did my sweep, and the room was empty. Then as I was leaving, the ceiling gave in. I got hit by some plywood, and fire fell through."

"Where?" Boden asked immediately as Gabby grabbed the oxygen mask from Shay, Matt raising his eyebrows.

"I'm sorry?"

"You said you got hit… Where?" He repeated the question, Casey drawing in a slow breath as his gaze flashed back to Gabby, finding the woman's eyes on him for the first time since they got to the ambulance, Matt seeing nothing but hurt and worry shining back at him.

"In the… Uh, on the head." He replied, seeing the immediate frown that formed across his girlfriend's face. "It knocked my mask off, and kind of dazed me for a second, but I'm fine. My gear's destroyed, but I'm good." He spoke, his last few words more for the paramedic working on him than anything else.

"Alright… And you're not burned?"

"Not that I know of." He replied, Boden eyeing him skeptically before turning towards Severide, the man having stayed close by since they got down from the aerial.

"We got the fire out as soon as we could." Kelly explained, knowing Boden was needing more to go on than what Casey could give him. "There was some debris blocking the entrance, from where the ceiling fell, but we got to him as soon as we could, and got it out." He said, the Chief looking back and forth between both men before his gaze landed back on Casey.

"Okay… Well, luckily it's looking like the gear did it's job, but I still want you to go get checked out." Boden spoke up, Matt immediately opening his mouth to protest, but the older firefighter shook his head. "Ride with 61 to the hospital, just to make sure."

"Chief, I'm fine-"

"This isn't up for discussion." Boden was quick to cut him off. "Not only did you get hit in the head, and inhale a lot of smoke, but I want to be sure you haven't gotten burned anywhere… Stay here, go to 61 with them and get checked out." He said firmly, Casey drawing in as deep of a breath as he could manage before nodding, just as Gabby placed the oxygen mask around his face. "Dawson…"

"Yeah, Chief?" She asked, tearing her attention away from the man sitting in front of her to look back towards her boss, Gabby seeing the sympathetic look covering his face as he gave her a small smile.

"I'll keep 61 out of service until you get back." He spoke simply, Gabby breathing in deeply before she nodded.

"Thank you, Chief." She murmured, Boden giving her a strong nod before he walked away, the rest of 51's firefighter's following suit as well, knowing they had a job to do.

"How long were you without a mask?" Gabby asked, the tone in her voice strictly professional as she glanced up towards her partner, seeing Shay focused on the woman lying in the bed.

As she spoke, Casey couldn't help but look at his girlfriend, seeing the sheer amount of worry she was carrying as she did everything in her power to stay as level headed as possible.

"Gabby…"

"How long?" She asked again, Matt's eyes falling closed for a split second while he breathed in the oxygen.

"Just a few minutes… It wasn't long." He replied, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek before she nodded, her eyes soon roaming over the rest of him.

"Is anything else hurting? Your head, or your leg? You were limping when you walked over here." Her words were quick, Casey shaking his head slightly.

"I'm sore, but overall I feel okay." He told her honestly, Gabby pursing her lips together before she hesitantly met his gaze. "I'm pretty sure I won't be feeling too great for a few hours, but I'm alright… Just a few bumps and bruises is all."

"Yeah, we'll see what they say at the hospital." She replied quickly, Casey immediately reaching out for her arm, his grip light before he gave her wrist a gentle squeeze, the action causing her to slow down for a moment.

"Hey… I'm alright." He spoke softly, their eyes locked on one another as he gave her a reassuring smile, though it was partially hidden through the mask. "I would tell you if I wasn't, but I'm okay."

Drawing in a slow, steadying breath, Gabby's eyes focused on him for a few more seconds before she nodded, the woman leaning down to hug him before she did anything else. Her hold was light, Matt knowing she was trying to be gentle as to not hurt him, but he wasn't having it, the man wrapping his arms around her back to pull her closer. She was hesitant at first, but he felt the exact second she gave in, Gabby tightening her arms around him as she tucked her head into his neck.

They stood there for a few moments, the position not the most comfortable for Dawson, but she didn't care as she felt his hand rubbing up and down his back. He wasn't able to get quite as close as he wanted, the oxygen mask prohibiting him from getting any closer, Gabby pressing a soft kiss against his neck before she released a heavy, slightly shaky breath, Casey feeling the warm air hit his skin.

"God baby, you gotta stop scaring me like that." She breathed out, Casey able to hear just how frightened he'd made her as her hand moved up to rub over the back of his neck, her fingers scratching over his hairline as she felt him give her body a squeeze.

"I know." He replied, his voice barely audible through the mask, Gabby pulling back when he began to cough, but it subsided nearly as soon as it started, the paramedic rubbing her hand lovingly along his cheek as he cleared his throat. "I know I keep doing this… I don't mean to." He told her, his voice still a little hoarse from the smoke he'd inhaled. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, I just…" She trailed off, shaking her head as she tried to figure out what to say.

She knew there was nothing he could do. It didn't matter how careful he was, or how good he was at his job, there was always the chance he'd walk into a fire and never make it back out. That was the job he signed up for, and she knew that. She, more than anyone else, knew the dangers of what he did. And she also knew he didn't always have a say in whether or not he'd make it back to her.

She knew he always tried. That every time he walked inside a burning building, he was as safe as he could be, and he always did whatever he could for both him and his men to get back out. And despite how scared she got, she knew she couldn't ask anymore than that.

But that didn't mean it ever got any easier.

"I'm okay, Gabby." He promised her, repeating the words he knew she needed to hear.

"Okay." She replied, the paramedic giving him a weak smile before she leaned down to press a lingering kiss to the top of his head, Gabby reluctantly pulling back after a few moments. "But we're gonna let the doctors tell us that for sure." She added, Matt not even bothering to put up a fight as he nodded. If Boden's orders weren't enough, as shaken as Gabby clearly was over all of this, he'd go and get checked out if for anything just to give her peace of mind. Because while he knew he was fine, he also knew Gabby wouldn't be so sure until he got the all clear.

"Okay." He repeated, Gabby giving him another nod before stepping away from him and slowly helping him up, the paramedic returning her attention to her partner so they could get ready to head to the hospital.

* * *

Casey waited until the rig came to a complete stop before he stood up off the bed, Gabby following his lead as he opened the doors and stepped down out of the ambulance, both of them just glad to finally be back at the firehouse after their long afternoon.

Though Dawson felt Matt getting checked out at the hospital was necessary, she hadn't expected it to take nearly four hours, 51's paramedics and truck Lieutenant stuck at Lakeshore until Casey had gotten the all clear from his doctor. And while they were there, Gabby hadn't left his side once, not unless he was gone getting a scan or test done. But other than that, she was on his hip, standing next to his bed in the emergency room while they ruled out any possible injuries from his accident hours earlier.

And luckily, everything had come back clear. He had no signs of a concussion, or any other head related injury, which admittedly was what Gabby was the most worried about, but along with that, everything else had come back fine, as well. He had no burns, or lacerations, and aside from some bumps and bruises, he was miraculously alright, his doctor telling him he'd just be a little sore for a few days, but nothing that would keep him from working.

"Well, well, well, look who decided to finally work for a living." Severide spoke up the second he and Gabby came around the front of the rig, Casey giving him a glare as their slow steps slowed even more. "You get the all clear?"

"Sure did." He replied, Gabby shooting him a look before speaking up.

"He's technically fine, but he was also told to take it easy." She corrected, not missing the sheepish look that covered her boyfriend's face as Severide gave a nod.

"So you're heading home?" He asked, Casey's eyebrows furrowing before he shook his head.

"No, I'm good… Gonna go talk to Boden, let him know what the doc said, but I'm fine." He replied, Kelly's gaze flickering back and forth between Casey and Dawson before he scoffed lightly, a soft smile forming over his face.

"Yeah, looks like Dawson doesn't agree with that, but I'll leave that between you two." He responded with a laugh, Gabby narrowing her eyes slightly when she saw the amused look in Severide's eye. "At least you're okay, though. But you know Case, you gotta quit doing this… I mean, there are easier ways to get out of living with Dawson." He joked, his words earning another glare from the paramedic before she flipped him off, Shay quick to smack the back of his head as the other men from squad laughed.

In the week that had passed since Casey's birthday, when Gabby asked him to move in with her, ever since their friends found out about their new living arrangements, they hadn't shied away from teasing them whenever the opportunity presented itself. It didn't matter who it was, pretty much everyone in the house had enjoyed messing with the couple about the next step in their relationship, though Severide was by far the worst one. But it was all in good fun, both Gabby and Matt knowing just how excited everyone was for them.

"You better watch it, Sev." Casey warned as he wrapped his arm around Gabby's shoulders, the woman still glaring at their friend. "I mean, her brother's a detective, they'll never find the body." He added, Matt's words earning more chuckles from the group before Matt and Gabby began to head inside, the truck Lieutenant knowing he needed to speak with Boden before they got anymore calls.

Though the air around them was still light, Severide couldn't help but watch Casey as he and Dawson walked away, it not lost on any of them as to how gingerly the man was still walking. He still had a slight limp, though it wasn't nearly as bad as earlier today on the scene, but just by glancing at him, it was clear his body had taken a hit, the scratches and slight bruising on his face likely just the tip of the iceberg.

Blowing out a heavy breath, Severide looked up towards Shay, the woman standing behind him as her eyes were on Casey, as well. "...Are we sure he's okay?" Kelly asked, his words gaining Shay's attention as she looked down at him, Severide seeing the uncertain look in her eyes.

"I… He keeps saying he is… I hope he is." She responded, Kelly matching the slight grimace on her face as they looked back towards their friends just as they walked into the firehouse.

As the couple stepped inside, they were soon met by some greetings from the few members of 51 sitting in the common room, Matt giving them the same spiel he'd given the guys out in the garage, assuring them he was fine before he stepped off into the hallway to head towards Boden's office, Gabby following in his path as they came to a stop across from the radios.

"You sure you're feeling okay?" Gabby asked for what had to have been the twentieth time today, Matt flashing her a soft smile before he nodded.

"I'm fine… Just sore." He repeated the same answer he'd given her every time, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip before she nodded, her eyes tracing over him before finding his gaze.

"Alright… I still think you should let me check you for any burns, though." She replied with furrowed brows, Matt raising his eyebrows as his lips turned up into a smirk.

"Didn't you do that enough at the hospital?" He questioned with a proud look in his eye, the man referring to how Gabby had insisted helping him to change into his hospital gown once he'd been put in a room, Dawson ducking her head slightly as Matt chuckled.

"Yeah, but I don't think I got a good enough look." She teased, Casey shaking his head in amusement as he reached out for her hand, the man giving her palm a light squeeze.

"Oh, I think you've looked plenty. But really, I'm okay… I got checked all over, and then some, at the hospital. If there was anything wrong with me, you'd know. You don't need to worry." Casey responded, his words immediately being met by an unimpressed look from his girl, Gabby having to stifle an eye roll before she responded.

"Okay, well maybe if you can stop getting yourself hurt, I wouldn't have to worry so much." She told him, her joking tone causing his head to tilt to the side, Gabby scrunching up her nose slightly before she shook her head. "But fine, if you say you're okay, I believe you-"

"No, you believe the doctor." He interjected to correct her, Gabby smiling sheepishly before giving him a slight shrug.

"I won't deny that." She responded, Matt shaking his head with a smile before he leaned forward to steal a quick kiss, the man pulling away quickly as they were in the middle of the firehouse, Casey intent on walking away to head to Boden, but he was stopped when Gabby gave his hand another squeeze, keeping him from getting too far. "But before I forget," She started, Matt raising his eyebrows as he waited for her to continue, "I already talked to Shay, she's gonna help us get the last of the boxes tomorrow."

Gabby saw the different emotions that quickly played across his face, Matt going from curious, to confused, to ending with a look she couldn't read, Dawson's eyebrows furrowing slightly as she tried to figure out what had caused the uncertain and near nervous look in his eye.

"...What is it?" She asked, seeing his eyes dart around for a few seconds before landing back on her, Gabby unsure of what had caused his odd shift in demeanor.

"Nothing, I just- Will you and Shay be fine without me?" He questioned, the look in his eye having yet to fade away completely as she tilted her head to the side slightly.

"Why? You got a hot date or something?" She teased, hoping to lighten the sudden tension that had built in his shoulders, Gabby watching as a soft smile formed over his face before he scoffed.

"Oh, you caught me." He replied jokingly, Casey shaking his head before giving her a real answer. "No, I uh.. I have a construction gig I forgot about." He told her, Gabby pausing for a moment before she nodded in understanding. "It completely slipped my mind. I know you said you were wanting to finish moving my stuff tomorrow, and I can cancel, if you need me to." He offered, but Gabby immediately shook her head, flashing him a soft smile as she ran her thumb against the back of his hand.

"You don't have to, it's fine." She told him. "We can handle it."

His smile widened the second those words left her lips, Matt nodding in agreement. "Yeah, I don't doubt that." He replied, Matt leaning forward to capture another kiss before he took a few steps back, neither of them able to hide the smiles on their faces. "Now I really gotta go talk to Boden, let him know I'm good to go."

"You sure you don't need me there?" She asked with a joking gleam in her eye, Matt rolling his eyes before he shook his head, the man flashing her one last smile before he disappeared around the corner.

* * *

Casey stood with his hands in his pockets outside the intimidating building, the man seeing a few others standing around him as they waited to be let inside, the large fences and barbed wire doing its job in helping keep men locked inside. It felt odd, very odd, to be here, especially since it had been a long time since he'd been at a place like this, and those visits were under very different circumstances. But regardless of how out of place he felt, he couldn't help but feel like he needed to be here. That after everything that had happened, and the man's constant need to apparently see the woman he was never supposed to see again, Casey couldn't help but feel like he had to come.

But despite the strong need that brought him here, he couldn't help but also feel like this was the last place he should've been, that feeling only intensifying as he stood around with the small group of other visitors waiting to be let in, Matt trying to ignore the quiet, nagging thought in the back of his mind telling him that maybe this was a terrible idea.

He hadn't planned this. When Antonio first told them of Bryan's request to see Gabby, never in a million years did he imagine he'd end up here. But after Matt learned that Bryan had _kept_ asking to see Gabby, every single day since they'd first been told, that he hadn't stopped asking, Matt couldn't help but feel like he needed to come here. He felt compelled to come, to tell the abusive man who'd got off easy that he needed to leave Gabby the hell alone. He didn't know what Bryan wanted, and he truly didn't care; all he wanted was for Walker to quit trying to get in contact with her, and to remind the man exactly what would happen to him if he tried anything once he got out. And even though he felt a little unsure if he was making the right decision, his gut was telling him that he was doing the right thing by coming here.

But what he didn't feel good about was the fact that Gabby had no idea.

It wasn't something he was proud of, Matt going behind her back with all of this, but he didn't know how else to go about it. The second Antonio had told them of what Bryan was wanting, Casey had questions. He had questions, and concerns, and so did Antonio. So the men had kept in constant contact about the whole thing, even though Gabby wasn't necessarily aware of it. She had no idea they'd been talking about Bryan, let alone the fact that Bryan had repeatedly kept asking to see her, and Matt hated keeping it from her. But the problem was, he just wasn't sure how to bring it up.

Every time he'd tried to talk to her about it, any time he'd bring up the subject, she didn't want to talk. She said she was fine, that she didn't care and it didn't matter, and the conversation never got much past that. And while he fully believed that she was telling him the truth, that she was alright and wasn't affected by Bryan wanting to talk to her, her refusal to talk about it hadn't given him much of an opportunity to approach the subject of how him and Antonio had been discussing Walker.

And he definitely hadn't found the chance to tell her he was coming here today. Though he knew from the moment he decided to come, he should've.

He shouldn't have come here without telling her, he knew that, but he wouldn't force her into talking about Walker when she clearly didn't want to. And selfishly, he didn't want to risk telling her he was going to come, in case she tried to stop him. Because he was angry. He was angry, and the man that was at the source of his anger was right behind these walls, refusing to leave Gabby alone. And Matt couldn't just sit by and wait to see how this played out.

If Walker wouldn't stop asking about her now, Casey could only imagine what he'd do when he was a free man. He was persistent, and it was clear to both himself and Antonio that he wasn't going to go away anytime soon. And with Walker well past his halfway point of his time served, Matt couldn't help but assume that if they ignored him until he got out, he wouldn't hesitate to come near Gabby when he was released. And that couldn't happen. Matt wouldn't let it.

So if him coming here and telling him to leave it alone would stop him from trying to contact Gabby in the future, he'd do it. Because there wasn't anything he wouldn't do to make sure Gabby never had to deal with that piece of shit again.

Buzzing in his pocket pulled him from his thoughts, Matt blowing out a heavy breath before he reached for the device, the man pulling it out as he saw he had a text from his girlfriend, Casey swiping across the screen to see what she'd said.

'_Hope your job is going well. Shay and I are about to head over to your place to finish packing. Meet us over there when you're done? Love you, baby._'

Releasing a heavy sigh, Matt was about to respond to her before the group of visitors were being lined up to be ushered inside, Casey clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth before sliding his phone back into his pocket, knowing he'd have to text her back later.

The next few minutes went by in a blur, Casey following all instructions as they were brought inside, the firefighter feeling more and more tense the closer he got to see them man he never wanted to see again. And when it was finally his turn, Matt being called over to follow an officer towards the room, he felt his stomach sink like a rock, Casey suddenly questioning whether or not he was doing the right thing. But it was too late to do anything about it now as he was brought into a room lined with seats, the scene looking like something from a movie as the visitors and inmates were separated by a thick pane of glass, talking to one another through phones on the wall as Casey was led to his chair.

Drawing in a deep breath, Matt sat down on the uncomfortable metal, his body still sore from yesterday as he settled into his seat, the man waiting as patiently as he could while he tried to tune out of the conversations of those around him.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed, the firefighter clenching his hands together in his lap as his leg bounced up and down, his anger growing with each passing moment while he waited for the man to be brought to him. Sitting here, his body becoming more and more uncomfortable by the second, he wasn't sure how he'd feel when he saw him for the first time. He didn't know what that would feel like, or how his former firefighter would even react to him being here.

But as Walker was led around the corner, and they locked eyes with one another, Casey suddenly could help but feel very thankful that there was a thick layer of glass between them, the Lieutenant not sure if he could trust himself to not throttle the man mere feet from him. When he came into view, Matt couldn't see the man as his former firefighter, all he saw was the asshole who put his hands on Gabby, who had _repeatedly_ abused her, Casey feeling a rush of anger flood through him as he moved to his seat.

A heavy chuckle escaped Walker's lips when he saw Casey, Matt barely able to hear it through the glass as Bryan sat down, the man never wiping the proud smirk off his face as Casey's features remained rigid, both men reaching out for their phones before either of them could speak.

"You weren't who I was expecting." Walker spoke up with another laugh, Matt feeling his body tense slightly when he heard his voice. "But I can't say I'm surprised to see you here." He continued, Casey staying silent as Bryan's eyes traced over him, Matt seeing his eyebrows furrow slightly as he took in his bruised and scratched face from the call yesterday. "What happened to you? Did Dawson finally learn how to fight back?"

Anger continued to build in Matt's chest as Bryan laughed at his own words, Casey drawing in a deep breath to try and steady himself, despite how badly he wanted to punch out this glass between them and wrap his hands around Walker's throat.

"What? You came all the way here and have nothing to say?" Walker continued, leaning back in his chair slightly as he watched his former boss with an expectant look. "I mean, I'm assuming you're the reason Gabby's not here right now… Some weird, protective bullshit. But I gotta say, I was really hoping I'd be looking at her, and not you right now." He huffed out, Casey's face staying blank as he stared straight ahead at the man, his silence beginning to agitate Walker. "So what is it? What'd you say to her to get her not to come? … Or did you just tell her she couldn't?" He questioned, the sly grin returning to his face before he continued. "I know better than anyone that sometimes she needs a… _firm_ hand to really listen."

Casey's neck clenched tightly at the man's words, but he refused to react, Matt knowing that was exactly what he was wanting from him.

"So how'd you get here instead of her, Casey?"

"She didn't want to see you." Matt replied simply, Bryan narrowing his eyes slightly before he scoffed.

"Yeah, okay-"

"She didn't want to see you." He repeated, his voice rougher than it had been a moment ago. "Antonio told her you were wanting to see her, and she said no. She made the decision, because she wants nothing to do with you." He continued, his words steady as Walker's glare focused on him. "Every time we talked about it, all she said was she didn't care, and that she wants nothing to do with you."

"I'm sure." Walker scoffed out, Matt running his tongue along his bottom lip as the man continued. "So if she wants nothing to do with me, why'd she send you? Clearly she cared enough to make you come here, so why didn't she just come here herself? She afraid to see me, or something?"

"She didn't send me." Casey responded, seeing the look of slight surprise that covered the man's face. "She didn't tell me to come, she didn't send me to figure out what you want from her… because she _doesn't care_ Walker." He repeated, emphasizing his words as he saw Bryan's body tense slightly. "She doesn't give a shit about you. She doesn't care about whatever you want from her and frankly neither do I-"

"Then why are you here?" He asked roughly, cutting in before Casey could finish, the Lieutenant raising his eyebrows slightly. "If neither of you care, what the fuck are you doing here?"

"Because clearly you want something." Casey replied roughly. "You wouldn't keep asking to see Gabby if you weren't trying to get something out of it. And I don't if you're wanting to give some bullshit apology, or if you're just trying to manipulate her, I don't know what your goal here is. But whatever you want with Gabby, leave her alone." His voice became more and more angry the longer he spoke, Casey unable to mask his feelings any longer as he stared directly at Walker.

"You can't just come here and-"

"Whatever you want from Gabby, it's not happening." Matt interrupted, his voice firm as his eyes shined with rage.

"I just wanted to apologize."

"Bullshit." Casey interjected, Walker's glare narrowing on the man across from him as Matt refused to let him get a word in. "If you really were just wanting to get her here to apologize, save it. An apology from you doesn't mean shit."

"Casey-"

"She doesn't want to see you." He cut him off once more, knowing the man didn't mean a word of what he was saying. "She doesn't want to talk to you, she doesn't want anything to do with you. And that restraining order she has against you, that ensures that when your sorry ass gets out of here, you can't see her, either." Casey nearly growled, Walker's face hardening as the firefighter continued. "Not unless you want to get thrown right back in here… So you're gonna leave her alone, Walker."

Huffing out a heavy breath, Bryan rolled his eyes, the man shaking his head slightly before locking gazes with the firefighter. "Yeah, okay… I'd love to see what you'd do if-"

"I know what you did." He cut him off once more, Matt not wanting to hear what the man was about to say, his word shutting him up almost instantly. "I know everything you did to her." He spoke, Walker's glare narrowing before a scoff left his lips.

"Somehow I doubt that." He muttered, Matt raising his eyebrows before continuing.

"I know everything… She told me _everything_, like she told her brother everything." Casey responded, seeing the way Walker immediately tensed from his words. "The tape that had you so scared… Gabby going through, on video, everything you did to her, I know all of it." He spoke, venom dripping from his voice as Walker straightened his spine, the Lieutenant seeing a hint of worry flicker in his eyes. "I know every disgusting, and vile thing that you did to her, you abusive piece of shit… And I know you're just trying to mess with her now, and you probably will do it again once you get out, but I swear to God, if you come near her I won't hesitate to do to you what you did to her."

The second those words left his lips, that annoying smirk reappeared over Walker's face, the man clearly amused by something as he shook his head slightly. "Sorry Lieutenant, you're not my type." He replied with a chuckle, Casey's eyes narrowing tightly.

"Why? Because you can't push me around?" He fired back, the smug look on Bryan's face faltering slightly as Matt spoke up before he could say anything. "I know you have this weird, possessive obsession with Gabby, but that ends now. I don't care how much you want to see her, you're gonna leave her alone-"

"God, she really does have you whipped." Bryan interjected, the former firefighter shaking his head in near disbelief. "Like Jesus Christ, I know she's good in bed, but you doing all this? For her?" He scoffed. "It's fucking ridiculous. And you're saying _I'm_ the one who has some weird claim over her, when you can't even let her fight her own battles? Stop trying to do everything for her. She's a grown woman, she can handle herself."

"Is that what you'd tell yourself every time you hit her?" He asked bluntly, Walker's face going rigid as the words left Casey's lips, Matt pausing for a moment before he continued. "Yeah, that's what I thought." He replied harshly, Casey shaking his head as Bryan's body tensed up. "I'm only gonna say this one more time, the _only_ reason she's not here is because she didn't want to be. She doesn't care about whatever you have to say, she's moved on with her life-"

"Oh give me a break." Walker huffed out, shaking his head as he ran his hand over his mouth. "I know you just got here, but I've known that whore for years, and I don't care what crap she's telling you, I know her better than you ever will." Bryan nearly barked, his anger rising with each word. "She might be fucking you right now, but don't forget that I did that for a long time. Anything you could do to her, I've already done… And then some." He added with a proud smirk, Matt feeling his stomach turn at the way Bryan was speaking of Gabby. "So enjoy it while it lasts, Casey. Because she'll dump your ass in a second when she realizes she needs a real man again. And you should know better than anyone how quickly she moves on, how she just jumps from guy to guy. I mean, remind me again? How long after her and I broke up did she go and suck you off?"

"Funny coming from the guy who slept around behind her back for a year." Casey snapped, the Lieutenant doing what he could to keep his cool, though he knew if there wasn't the pane of glass between them, Walker would've been laid out on the ground by now. "You can say whatever you want, Walker, because it doesn't matter. We all know what you did, when Gabby did nothing to you. And, even if she had, _nothing_ excuses what you did to her… Nothing could excuse the abuse she suffered for years because of you. So if you really, ever cared about her at all, you'd just leave her alone. After all you put her through, that's the least you could do." Matt spoke as calmly as he could, the blood pumping through his ears reminding him just how angry he was. "As far as I'm concerned, you're lucky to not be locked up in here for the rest of your life, so what you're gonna do, is you're gonna finish out the rest of your bullshit plea deal, you're gonna get out of here, and you're going to stay the fuck away from her… Chicago's a big city, or hell, you can move for all I care. But you will not come near her again. You've done more than enough already, so you should count your little ninety days as the biggest fucking blessing of your life, and move on." He spat, Casey unable to hide his emotions from the man across from him as they looked at one another. "I told you once what I'd do to you if you ever hurt her again, and I meant it… Remember that." He threatened before slamming the phone into its place on the wall, Casey standing up and walking away without another word, but he only got a few steps before he heard Walker's loud voice muffled by the glass as he yelled.

"She's not worth any of this, Casey!" He shouted, Matt not bothering to look back as he continued towards the door. "You'll find that out sooner or later!"

With his hands clenched at his sides, Casey waited to be escorted out of the room, the man trying to push down the blinding rage flooding his body as he was taken back out to the lobby. After stopping to get his things, he practically stomped towards the door, Matt's hands trembling in anger as he was led back towards the parking lot, barely even registering anything around him as he was let out through the gate.

He knew he needed to calm down. That he couldn't stay this angry, especially not when he was going to see Gabby, but he couldn't help it. He knew coming here would make him mad, but what he wasn't expecting was just how furious he'd been at even seeing the man, let alone after everything he'd said. He was beyond angry, and he wanted nothing more than to march back in there and hurt Bryan the way he'd hurt Gabby. But he knew he couldn't, and he also knew he couldn't focus on how he was feeling right now, either.

He came here, he said his peace. He told Walker what he needed to hear, and he left. He'd done everything he came here to do. But the overwhelming anger bubbling inside him still hadn't gone away, and he knew before he even got to his car that he might need to take the long way to his old apartment before going to meet Gabby, his body still tense as he made his way to his vehicle.

But as he got closer, his steps slowed when he noticed someone leaning against the driver side door of his truck, the firefighter blinded momentarily by the sun, but within seconds he was able to recognize exactly who was standing a few feet from him, Casey coming to a complete stop before he blew out a heavy breath.

"How'd you know I was here?"


	59. Chapter Fifty Eight

**Hi everyone! Hope you all are doing well, and have had a good week, and that you're staying safe. Here's the next chapter for you all. I really like this one, so I hope you all enjoy it as well. Thank you so much for reading! Enjoy!**

**Also, just so you all know, next Thursday I'm gonna be away most of the day, and I'm not sure when I'll have access to post the next update, so I don't know when I'll be getting the chapter to you all. If I get it done early, I'll post it before I leave, but it'll just depend. So it might be a little late next week, I'm not entirely sure. But just keep an eye out for it, and I'll get it to you all as soon as possible!**

**And real quick, I do want to thank you all so much for 1000 reviews on this story. That's absolutely insane to me, and I'm so glad you all are enjoying this one. This is often my favorite story to write, and I just am so thankful you all enjoy it, too. Thank you so much for all the support you've given me on this, it means the world.**

* * *

**FIFTY EIGHT**

* * *

"_How'd you know I was here?_"

The man scoffed as he pushed himself up off the door of Casey's truck, Matt keeping his eyes on him as the firefighter continued towards his vehicle, the two coming to a stop about a foot apart as the detective crossed his arms over his chest, Antonio cocking his head to the side with an unimpressed look forming across his features.

"I've been keeping tabs on Walker, and who comes to visit him." Antonio spoke, Matt's tongue poking out between his teeth as his hands rested on his hips, the man drawing in a deep breath before giving him a slight nod. "I wanted to make sure Gabby wasn't coming here without telling anyone… Guess I didn't realize she wasn't the one I needed to worry about." He continued, his pointed words causing Casey to grimace slightly, Antonio's gaze flickering back towards the jail before focusing on the Lieutenant, the air around them turning thick as the older Dawson watched him expectantly. "...What are you doing here, Casey?"

The firefighter drew in a deep breath before pursing his lips together, Antonio waiting for his response as they stood in a heavy silence for a few moments until Casey spoke up.

"I came to tell him to leave her alone."

If Antonio was surprised by his response, he didn't show it, Matt going quiet as his eyes moved down towards the ground. Antonio kept his gaze on him for a few seconds, waiting to see if he was going to say anything more, but after a long moment or two it became clear he wasn't, the detective straightening his spine before he spoke up once more.

"Is that all you did?" He questioned, Casey lifting his head back up to meet his eyeline, the man's head tilting to the side slightly as he waited for Antonio to elaborate. "Did you do anything other than tell him to leave her alone?" Antonio repeated his words, Matt taking another deep breath before a scoff left his lips.

"What? You think I sucker-punched that asshole when there was a sheet of glass in between us?" He questioned, the sarcastic tone to his voice causing Antonio to narrow his eyes, Casey releasing a heavy sigh before running his hand over his mouth.

"You know what I mean, Casey." He replied sharply, Matt smacking his lips together as Antonio's glare stayed focused on him.

"Sorry..." He breathed out, Antonio giving him a slight nod in response as Matt spoke up once more. "All I did was tell him what he already knows. That she wants nothing to do with him, and that he needs to leave her alone… That whatever he was wanting, she doesn't care." He explained, Antonio giving him a slight nod as he chewed on his bottom lip.

"And how he'd take it?"

Casey winced involuntarily, his look not missed by Antonio as the firefighter responded. "About as well as you'd expect." He told him. "First he thought I wouldn't let her come, then he assumed she sent me instead, but after that I just told him to leave it. And I reminded him about that restraining order, and what would happen if he tried to see her... he didn't really like it, but I think he got my point." Matt finished, Antonio giving him a slight nod.

"...Did he tell you?" He asked, Casey raising his eyebrows in question. "Why he wanted to see her?"

Clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, Matt shrugged slightly. "He said it was because he wanted to apologize to her…"

Antonio's eyes narrowed slightly, the detective unable to stop the scoff that left his lips as he shifted his weight between his feet. "Yeah, I'm sure." He huffed out, shaking his head slightly before he caught Casey's gaze. "Is that all he said? About why he wanted her there?"

"Yeah." Matt replied after a second of replaying his and Walker's conversation in his head, the firefighter feeling his blood pressure rising slightly. "Admittedly, I didn't really give him much of a chance to say anything else about it, but he said that's why he wanted her to come." He explained, Antonio pausing for a moment before nodding.

"Do you believe him?" The older Dawson questioned, Casey immediately shaking his head as he mimicked Antonio's stance and crossed his arms over his chest.

"The way he was talking in there? No." He answered quickly, Antonio's gaze tightening at his reaction. "No, I don't."

"What did he say?" He asked, Matt shooting him a look before shaking his head slightly.

"Nothing worth repeating." Casey told him, the older man's neck tightening as a hard look covered his face. "He was just trying to get a rise out of me, and he knows Gabby is a good way to do that, but really, it's nothing worth repeating." He said again, Matt not wanting to get into exactly what all had been said in there, especially not to Gabby's brother.

"Is there anything else?" Antonio questioned, Matt pausing thoughtfully for a moment before speaking up.

"I told him we know what he did to her, everything he did." He started, Antonio giving him a nod to continue. "And, uh…" Casey trailed off, Antonio's eyebrows furrowing as he took a slight step forward.

"What?" He pressed, Matt drawing in a deep breath before responding.

"I threatened him." He replied softly, Antonio raising his eyebrows as he breathed deeply.

"Again?" He asked, Casey nodding slightly as the other man shook his head. "What'd you say?" He pressed with a pointed look, Matt quickly running his tongue along the inside of his cheek.

"...That I'd do to him what he did to her," Casey started, Antonio tilting his head to the side slightly, "and to remember what I said I'd do to him if he hurt her again." He added, realization quickly settling in over Antonio's face.

"You mean when you said you'd kill him?" He clarified, Matt sucking in a slow breath as his eyes moved to the ground. "Dammit, Casey…"

"What?" He questioned back almost immediately, meeting Antonio's gaze once more. "Like you wouldn't have gone in there and done the same thing?"

"I'm not saying I wouldn't have, but I didn't, Casey." Antonio replied without missing a beat, the Lieutenant huffing out a heavy breath. "There's a reason I didn't go in there after I first found out he was wanting to see Gabby… Us going to see him will only cause more problems."

"We knew he wasn't gonna stop." Casey interjected, Antonio pursing his lips together as he took a few slow breaths to calm himself down. "You and I both know he wouldn't stop asking to see her, and he wouldn't have stopped when he got out, either-"

"We have a restraining order, Matt." He cut in, Casey releasing a heavy scoff as he shook his head.

"And you really think that would stop him?" He questioned rhetorically, the sarcastic tone in his voice causing Antonio to narrow his eyes. "He's never given a shit about boundaries before, he won't care now. So whatever bullshit he's trying, whatever the actual reason is that he wants to see her, he needed to be reminded what'll happen to him if he tries anything." He spoke roughly, not giving Antonio a chance to get a word in before he continued. "Maybe I shouldn't have threatened him the way I did, but I won't apologize for coming to see him, and telling him to leave her alone… He wasn't gonna stop, Antonio. If we ignored him, he wasn't gonna stop." Casey defended, Antonio blowing out a heavy side before running his hand over his mouth, Matt watching as he shook his head slightly.

"Yeah, but now you could've also just given him more of a reason to try and see her." Antonio spoke bluntly, not missing the slight grimace that covered Casey's face as realization settled in. "I can understand why you came here, I know you just want to protect Gabby- Trust me, I get it… And as her brother, I appreciate it. But you seeing him..."

"I might've just made this worse." Casey responded knowingly, Antonio giving him a tight nod, the older man seeing the look of defeat that began to form over Matt's face before the firefighter brought his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose, a sharp breath escaping between his teeth as they stood in silence for a few long moments.

"Yeah." Antonio replied softly, his eyes staying focused on Casey as the man continued to digest his words. "Maybe I'm wrong, I hope to God he won't be an issue, but we've seen how he gets when it comes to my sister. And guys like Walker… If he really wasn't just wanting to see her to apologize, I don't know if anyone could get him to stop." He breathed out, Matt scuffing his boot against the pavement as he spoke a few words under his breath. And while Antonio wasn't able to make them out, he had a pretty good idea of what was being said. "But when he gets out, I was gonna be keeping tabs on him anyway, make sure he doesn't do anything stupid… No matter what Gabby says, I know at least part of her is a little worried he'll try and see her once he's out." He continued when Casey stayed quiet, the Lieutenant nodding in agreement.

"I know she is." He echoed, Antonio giving him a sad smile before stepping out of the way, giving Casey a straight path to his driver's side door. "But we'll do whatever we have to, to make sure he's not an issue." Matt added, his eyes dark as Antonio gave a slight nod.

"Yeah..." He agreed, swallowing the lump in his throat as Casey replied with a sharp nod, Antonio's eyes tracing over the man's marked up face. "Just, uh- don't come back here again, Casey." He spoke, his voice heavy as the two men locked gazes. "You said what you needed to say, or wanted to say… Let me worry about Walker from now on, you just focus on Gabby." He told him, Matt knowing his words weren't so much a suggestion as they were an order.

"Trust me, I won't be back… I'd be fine never seeing that piece of shit ever again." Casey replied roughly, Antonio giving him a quick nod.

"Good." The detective responded, Matt giving him a knowing look before he pulled his keys from his pocket and began to walk towards his door. "And, uh… what happened there?" Antonio questioned, Matt looking towards him just as the man gestured to the cuts and bruises on his face, the firefighter pursing his lips together before he turned back to unlock his truck.

"Rough call yesterday." He answered vaguely, Antonio's eyebrows furrowing slightly as the man opened his door.

"Are you alright?"

Casey looked back towards him and gave the older man a steady nod, seeing Antonio's concerned eyes on him; eyes that looked an awful lot like Gabby's. "I'm fine." He assured him, his words earning one last nod from Antonio before Matt turned to get into his truck, but the detective's voice stopped him just as he got one foot inside.

"Casey, does my sister know you're here?"

Matt paused for a moment before glancing back towards Antonio, the look on his face alone apparently giving the man enough of an answer as the older Dawson released a heavy sigh, Antonio shaking his head slightly as Casey continued to get into his truck.

"You gotta tell her, man." Antonio spoke up before Matt could give him a verbal answer, the firefighter shoving his keys into the ignition before glancing back towards him. "You can't leave her in the dark about this, not with Walker." He continued, Casey releasing a heavy sigh before he nodded.

"I know, I'm gonna tell her. I should've said something before I even came, I just- I didn't know how." He replied, his words earning a pointed look from his girlfriend's brother. "She hasn't exactly wanted to talk about any of this."

"I know she hasn't, but you've gotta find a way to tell her, Casey… She deserves to know."

Casey gave him a strong nod as he finished speaking, the man knowing Antonio was right. She did deserve to know, and he had to tell her; he just had to figure out how. And when.

Giving him one last nod, Matt said a quick goodbye before the men parted ways, Casey closing his door before his hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, the man well aware that he had a pretty difficult conversation ahead of him.

But what he didn't know was how Gabby would react.

* * *

Dawson stood in the near empty living room, her hips swaying to the music Shay had been blasting in the kitchen since they got here as she worked on taping up the last of the boxes, the woman humming along while she vaguely heard the sound of her friend working in the kitchen, both women glad to be almost done. It hadn't been too much to pack up, Gabby and Matt having gotten most of his essentials packed and brought to their place over the last week, but now all that was left were the random like knick knacks, and things he'd be donating since there was some stuff they wouldn't need multiples of. Everything had pretty much been sorted and gone through, it was just up to them to get in packed up, and while her and Shay had made great time and gotten nearly all of it, Gabby already knew she'd be giving her boyfriend a hard time for not being around to help them finish up.

Gabby's hips continued moving to the music as she placed the packing tape down on top of the box, the woman admiring her work as the room was now completely empty, aside from a few boxes, a content smile forming over her face as she was proud of the work she'd accomplished.

But warm hands running over her waist pulled her from her thoughts, Gabby jumping slightly at the sudden touch before she immediately recognized the warmth she was now pressed against, the soft smile returning to her face as she felt his arms circle around her body.

"Matt…" She murmured, hearing him chuckle lightly before he pressed a kiss to her t-shirt covered shoulder, the man recognizing the material to be one of his, Gabby having borrowed one of his old CFD shirts from when he was a candidate. It was one she'd found a long time ago, one she often stole from him, and he'd go weeks without seeing it, but he knew that piece of clothing was one of her favorites. It being more than a few years old, it definitely wasn't as big on her as some of his newer clothes were, the t-shirt still oversized, but not enough to where she couldn't wear it out, Matt's smile growing as he ran his hand over her stomach. "You scared me." She continued when he had yet to say anything, Gabby resting her hands over his as he kissed her shoulder once more.

"Sorry." He replied just as quietly, his voice muffled by her shoulder. "I was gonna announce myself, but, if I'm being honest, I had to stop and admire the view for a little while." He told her shamelessly, Gabby smirking softly before her bottom lip fell between her teeth. "Which, speaking of, you should've kept dancing." He added as his lips moved towards her bare neck, her ponytail holding her hair out of the way as he began to assault her skin.

"You liked that, huh?" She questioned teasingly, though she already knew the answer, Gabby knowing better than anyone how much he appreciated her dancing. Especially in moments meant only for them, though it wasn't something she did all that often.

"Absolutely." He whispered against her before biting her neck gently, Gabby's eyes fluttering closed for a split second. "You should do that more."

A soft chuckle escaped her lips before she opened her eyes, Gabby patting her hand over the top of his while he continued pressing somewhat innocent kisses to her skin. "Maybe later." She responded, Matt groaning softly against her before lifting his head from her neck. "...I didn't even hear you come in."

"Well, how could you?" He questioned back quickly. "With all the dancing and the singing?"

Gabby smiled shyly before she began to turn around in his arms, Matt loosening his grip enough for her to move, but never losing contact with her completely as his hands settled on her hips, the grin on his face growing when he saw the look on her face.

"God, you're adorable." He breathed out, Matt not giving her much of a chance to respond before his lips were on hers, Gabby reciprocating eagerly as her hand came to rest against his chest, her other holding onto his waist as they moved together, Matt being to one to pull back after a few seconds. But they didn't move very far from one another, Matt keeping his arms around her while his eyes moved through the room, Gabby seeing the impressed look that covered his face as they locked gazes once more. "Looks like you two are almost done."

Nodding softly, Gabby ran her hand over his chest as he grinned. "We are… And then you'll officially be out of this apartment." She replied with a bright smile, Gabby not missing the look of pure joy that covered his features before he leaned back down towards her.

"I can't wait." He whispered against her before capturing her lips into another kiss, this one much more intense than the last as a sound of surprise escaped from the back of her throat, the woman clearly caught off guard by his actions. But it took her only a few seconds to catch up, Gabby kissing him back with just as much passion, if not more, as her hand gripped onto his shirt, Matt's hands roaming her sides before sneaking down past her waist, the man grabbing onto her ass roughly while simultaneously pushing her closer to him. A low moan left her lips, Matt gripping her tighter in his grasp while Gabby crumbled his shirt in her fist, the two getting completely lost in one another as the sound of the music played in the background.

"Oh God, enough of that."

Shay's exasperated voice was the only thing that could pull them apart, Matt turning to find the blonde standing in the doorway to the kitchen with her hands on her hips, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip as she ducked her head down towards his chest, the woman unable to stop the few laughs that left her lips as her and her boyfriend got caught making out like a couple of teenagers.

"I know you two always loved to get freaky in this apartment, and I know this is where you… _began_ your relationship, but if you're gonna bang one out for old times sake, can you at least wait until I'm not here?" She asked again, Gabby shaking her head as Matt released a light scoff. "And get your hand off her ass, Casey."

More laughs could be heard coming from Gabby, the woman watching as a near annoyed look covered her boyfriend's face as he slid his hands back up towards a much more appropriate part of her body, Dawson finally glancing towards Shay as she saw her friend watching them with narrow eyes.

"Hi Shay." Matt greeted, the woman's glare only lessening slightly as she gave Casey a soft smile.

"Hello lover boy." She replied, Matt rolling his eyes before he took a step away from Gabby, the two losing their grip on one another as they faced their friend. "I'm so glad you finally decided to join us now that all the work is done." She continued sarcastically, Matt cocking his head slightly as Gabby stepped back into his side, wrapping her arm around his waist while he instinctively lifted his hand up to her shoulder. "How was your construction job?"

Casey tensed slightly, only for a moment, before he relaxed and gave her a smile, Gabby feeling the movement but not questioning it as she glanced up towards him. "It was fine." He replied simply, the blonde nodding before leaning her weight into the wall.

"Did you shower?" Gabby asked him suddenly, the man's eyebrows furrowing slightly before he turned to look down towards her.

"Huh?"

"You don't smell like you normally do after work." She elaborated, Matt nodding slightly before giving her a small smile.

"Oh, uh- no, I didn't… It just wasn't anything too bad. The job was pretty easy." He continued, Matt hating to continue to lie to her. But he knew this wasn't the place to get into his actual whereabouts this morning, not with Shay here, Gabby offering him a soft grin before she nodded.

"Well, I'm glad you're here now, you can help us get all this stuff out to the cars." She replied, Matt's grin widening slightly.

"I'm happy to help." He responded, Gabby matching his look before she pressed a soft kiss against his chest, the woman lingering there for a moment before she stepped away from him.

"Good… Now let's finish this up and get you home." She spoke softly, her choice of words causing the smile on his face to grow impossibly wider, Gabby feeling a rush of warmth flood through her chest at the sight of how happy he was, the woman sure she was falling in love with him all over again in this moment.

"Yeah." He replied brightly, giving her a quick wink before stepping towards the box closest to him. "Let's get home."

* * *

Casey stood hunched over the sink in their bathroom with his towel wrapped around his waist as he brushed his teeth, the sound of the faucet running mixed with the sound of Gabby's shower the only noises that could be heard as they went through their routine to get ready for work. It was early, earlier than they normally got up for shift, Matt having woken up well before their alarm was set to go off. And while the man attempted to disentangle himself from Gabby without waking her, he hadn't done a very good job, his girlfriend waking up before he could even completely get up, the man whispering at her to go back to sleep while he went to go take a shower.

But despite his pleas for her to get more rest before they went into work, Gabby seemingly couldn't fall back asleep, the woman coming to take a shower just as he was getting out, the two mostly passing ships as she was still definitely a little out of it.

And now they were both going about their process of getting ready, neither of them having said a word while Gabby showered just behind him, both of them needing some more time to wake up as he rinsed his mouth out with mouthwash before spitting it back out into the sink, Casey making sure to clean up his mess before he returned his toothbrush to its home beside Gabby's. Resting his palms against the edge of the counter, he couldn't help but look at his girlfriend through the mirror, her appearance slightly obstructed from the steam coming out of her shower, Gabby clearly off in her own little world as she washed her hair.

With his eyes staying focused on her, Matt drew in a deep breath as he thought over the last couple of days, a slight wince covering his face as the heavy weight of the secret he'd been holding onto for almost two days now settled in the air around him.

He knew he messed up, and he knew he'd continued to mess up, with every minute that went by without him saying anything, but still, he hadn't found the time to tell her. He knew this wasn't something he should keep from her, and that he should've told her the second he left the prison, but he hadn't. He kept putting it off, and putting it off, and now he wasn't sure when there was the right time to tell her.

After they'd finished up at his apartment the day before yesterday, he had every intention of telling her when they got home, when it was just them. He was gonna sit down, and let her know where he'd been that morning, and deal with whatever reaction she had to it. But the second they got back to the apartment, Gabby immediately went into unpacking mode, saying how she didn't want to wait and put away the rest of his things later, but she wanted to do it now. So the two of them, along with Shay for a few hours, finished moving him into their place, until there wasn't a box left in sight, and before they knew it, it was late into the night, both of them completely exhausted. And in that moment, Matt knew he couldn't tell her then. Not when they were both wiped out and needed to eat a quick dinner before going to bed, the man deciding then he'd wait and tell her in the morning.

But those plans quickly became scrapped as well, when he woke up the next morning and Gabby was nowhere in sight. Then when she did appear from the bathroom, fully dressed, a few moments later, she spouted off something about how she was going to meet her mom for something he wasn't fully awake enough at the time to remember, before she would be meeting up with Shay, Gabby barely having time to give him a goodbye kiss before she was out the door. And what he expected to be her being gone from their home for the morning, and maybe for a few hours into the early afternoon, ended up with her being away for the entire day, Matt not seeing her again until they met up at Shay and Severide's for dinner. And that was definitely not the right place for that conversation, Matt having to keep this to himself for longer than he wanted to.

And now here they were, getting ready to be back on shift, and she still didn't know. She didn't know anything about him going to see Walker, and the thought made him nauseous. Especially because he knew it was entirely his doing. But there was nothing he could do about it, now. He couldn't change the fact that he kept it from her, all he could do now was tell her.

But there was a small voice in the back of his head telling him now wasn't the right time, either.

When Matt had decided he would go and see Walker, he knew there was no way to really know how Gabby would react. She either would be incredibly angry at him, or she wouldn't care, and the only way he could find out would be to tell her. But now there was another added layer to this, and that was the fact he'd kept it from her. Whatever she would've felt towards him going to the prison, that would now be amplified by the fact he had gone so long without saying anything, and he couldn't imagine she'd take any of it very well. At the very least, she'd be angry at him for keeping this from her, and while she had every right to be, with the nature of their jobs, the last thing he wanted was her going into work distracted. He worried about her enough as it was when she was completely level headed and focused on her work, he didn't need the added layer of her being distracted because of him.

He couldn't tell her right now, but he would. Once they got off shift, no matter what, he'd tell her. Because he didn't want to keep this from her any longer than he already had.

"You want to take a picture?"

Gabby's voice pulled him from his thoughts, a soft smile forming over his face as his vision came into focus and he met her gaze through the mirror, his girlfriend watching him with raised eyebrows as the water fell down on her.

"I think you already know the answer to that." He responded, Gabby chuckling softly before she turned the water off, Matt turning around and leaning against the counter just as she stepped out of the shower. He was unable to stop his eyes from wandering over her wet body as she reached for her towel, Gabby catching his gaze as she began to dry herself off.

"If you keep looking at me like that, we're gonna be late for work." She spoke up once more, Matt grinning from ear to ear as he tore his eyes away from her form and found her gaze, his head cocking to the side slightly.

"We woke up over an hour before we were supposed to…"

"Yes, I know." She replied pointedly, Matt clearing his throat before shifting uncomfortably against the counter, the sight of her alone getting him more worked up than he'd care to admit.

"Fine." He told her, Gabby scrunching her nose up before wrapping her towel around her body, shielding her from his view as she began walking towards him. "But you can't blame a guy for looking…"

"Oh I can't, can't I?" She asked teasingly, Gabby coming to a stop just in front of him as she crossed her arms over her chest, Matt noticing the water droplets falling down onto her skin from her hair, the liquid sliding down her skin until it disappeared against the towel.

"Nope." He replied, popping the word as it left his lips, Gabby scoffing lightly before she took another step closer.

"Well, I guess that's fair, considering you can't blame a girl for looking, either." She responded, her voice like honey before she bit her bottom lip, Gabby reaching out to run her fingers along the skin just above his towel, Matt's breath catching in his throat at the movement.

"You really do want to make us late, don't you?" He questioned with bated breath, Gabby smirking proudly before rubbing her hand along his hip.

"Maybe…" She spoke softly, Gabby pushing herself forward to capture his lips in a slow, passion-filled kiss that ended way too quickly for Matt's liking. But when she pulled away, she caught a look of something she couldn't read flash in his eyes, her head tilting to the side as she lifted her hand up to cradle his cheek. "...You okay?"

He paused for a moment, Gabby raising her eyebrows as she waited for him to speak, the woman sensing there were words on the tip of his tongue, something he wanted to say. But he didn't, Matt giving her a quick nod before turning his head to press a kiss against her palm.

"I'm good." He replied, his words slightly muffled by her skin before he kissed her hand again, Gabby waiting for a split second before she nodded in response, the woman stroking her thumb along his cheek before dropping her hand.

"Alright… Well, unless you really _do_ want to be late, you need to get out of here and let me get ready." She spoke softly, Matt releasing a quiet chuckle before he nodded, the man pushing himself up off the counter. Before slipping past her, Casey pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, his lips lingering against her skin for a moment before he walked away, Gabby unable to hide the wide smile on her face as she watched him leave.

* * *

"Alright, you've gotta tell me," Shay spoke up as she drove the ambulance, Gabby peeling her eyes from the window as she turned towards her friend, her eyebrows raised expectantly, "What did the good, ole Lieutenant do now?"

Gabby's eyebrows furrowed as Shay spared a glance to her friend, the blonde chuckling softly before shaking her head, her words having broken them from their silence as they were heading to a call.

"You haven't stopped smiling all day."

The grin that was already on her face widened, Gabby bringing her hand up to her mouth as she angled her body towards her friend, Shay looking at her again as she waited for any type of response.

"I'm just happy." Dawson replied with a shrug, though the bright smile on her face told a different story, Shay narrowing her eyes slightly while she kept her focus on the road.

"What? You get laid this morning or something?" She questioned, Gabby chuckling softly before she shook her head, the woman bringing her foot up to rest on the seat before leaning her arm against her knee.

"No, it's not that." She replied, Gabby smacking her lips together before biting down on her fingernail, an expectant look covering Shay's face as she waited for more of an explanation. "It's not any one thing, I'm just… I'm happy." She continued simply, a small smile forming over the blonde's face as she spoke. "I'm really happy."

"And I take it that's because of your man?" Shay asked with a knowing smirk, Gabby ducking her head slightly before nodding. "...So you all living together was the right move?"

"Absolutely." Dawson replied without hesitation, the PIC leaning her head back against her seat as she stared out through the windshield. "I love it, having him around… Coming home to him, it's the best feeling in the world." She breathed out, her smile widening even more.

"You really do love him, huh?" Shay asked, though the question was more rhetorical than anything else, both women well aware just how much the brunette was head over heels in love with her boyfriend.

"More than anything." She responded, her soft words leaving a light feeling in the air around them, though their moment was soon disturbed by Gabby's phone ringing in her pocket, the woman pulling it out as Shay spoke up.

"I'm happy you're happy, Dawson." She replied, Gabby giving her a thankful nod before looking down towards her phone, the woman's eyebrows furrowing slightly when she saw her brother's name flashing across the screen, the paramedic muttering something about giving her a minute before she answered the call.

"Hey Antonio, what's up? I'm working so I can't really talk long." She started, Shay glancing towards her friend before refocusing her attention on the road as she heard muffled words coming through the phone, the blonde knowing they were close to their destination. "No it's fine, what did you need? … Wait, what are you talking about?"

Shay's eyes moved back towards Dawson when she heard the confusion in her friend's voice, the paramedic furrowing her eyebrows when she saw a mixture of hurt and anger flash over Gabby's face, the PIC sparing a quick glance to her as her mouth parted slightly.

"...Matt did _what_?"

* * *

Casey sat at the table in the common room, the man taking another bite of his sandwich as he half-listened to the conversation happening between Otis and Herrmann a few seats down from him. Since he'd tuned them out half the time, he couldn't be exactly sure about what they were talking about, but from what little he had heard, he knew it had something to do with Molly's, Matt really only listening when he heard Gabby's name come up.

"When Dawson gets back, you ask her- cause I can guarantee she'll be with me on this." Otis spoke up, Matt lifting his head up just as Herrmann waved the firefighter off, a heavy scoff escaping the older man's lips before he shook his head.

"No way, the kid will agree with me… it'll bring us a bunch of new business."

"Yeah, or make people run the other direction." Otis huffed out, Herrmann narrowing his eyes as Casey looked back and forth between them.

"...What are you two arguing about?" He questioned, his words gaining the attention of both men just as they heard the sound of the ambo backing up into the garage, signaling that 61 had returned from their call.

"Herrmann here wants to do a karaoke night." Otis replied, Matt raising his eyebrows before looking towards the firefighter.

"What? It'll be good for business!" He defended, Casey releasing a light chuckle before he reached for his glass of water.

"Yeah, Gabby will say no." He replied simply, Otis holding out his arm towards Matt with a knowing look on his face.

"Thank you." Otis replied quickly, Herrmann shaking his head before smacking his hand lightly against the table.

"I didn't ask you." He replied, his accent getting thicker as he got more annoyed, the Lieutenant releasing another laugh before taking a sip of his drink. "I'm gonna ask her, and she's gonna say yes."

As Herrmann finished speaking, the door opened, Matt glancing up to see Shay walk in first, though Gabby didn't seem to be anywhere in sight, the blonde wearing a tense look on her face as she locked eyes with Casey. The firefighter wasn't sure what was going on, but he could only imagine something had happened on their call, the paramedic giving him a look he couldn't read before she turned off down the hallway, Matt's eyes following her until he heard the door open once more.

The second Gabby stepped inside, he could tell something was off. From her demeanor alone, he knew something had happened, he just didn't know what. He wasn't sure if something had happened between the partners, or if they'd had a rough call, and though they hadn't heard anything through the radios, that didn't mean nothing bad had happened, Matt pushing his chair back slightly as his girlfriend stepped into the common room.

"Hey Dawson! I got a question for you about Molly's, I think we should-"

"Not now, Herrmann." She cut him off, her voice barely sounding like her own as she walked straight to Casey, the look on her face only further confusing him as he noticed the hurt shining in her eyes.

"Hey baby…" He spoke softly, Gabby stopping far enough away from him to where he couldn't reach out to comfort her. "How was your call?" He asked simply, figuring that was the best place to start, Gabby clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth before she glanced around the room, seeing practically everyone staring at them.

"Can we talk?" She questioned back, Matt immediately nodding as she walked behind him back out towards the hallway, Gabby not even waiting for him to get up before she was out of the room, Casey furrowing his eyebrows as he got up from his chair and followed her. But Gabby didn't stop in the hallway, Matt a few feet behind her as she led him outside, Gabby taking him to the side of the firehouse out by the dumpsters, the man knowing she only came out here when she needed complete privacy. And while he had no idea what to expect, he knew something had happened, and he was ready to do whatever she needed from him, the two coming to a complete stop a couple yards away from the firehouse, Matt leaving little room in between them as she turned around to face him.

"What happened, Gabby?" He asked, worry dripping from his voice as he locked gazes with her, Matt sure he saw a look of betrayal flicker in her eyes, her actions only further confusing him when she took a step away from him, regaining some distance between them.

"You went to see Bryan?"

Matt's eyes fell closed the second those words left her lips, the man bringing his hand up to rub over his forehead as the air around them turned thick, Gabby's expectant eyes boring into him as she waited for any sort of explanation from him. Though the longer he went without saying anything, the more agitated she became.

"Antonio called me," She started when he had yet to speak up, Matt lifting his head back up to meet her dark gaze, "Before we got to our call, he called me and asked me about you going to see Bryan a few days ago. And I had no idea what he was talking about." She continued, her voice faltering slightly as she crossed her arms over her chest, Gabby not missing the look of regret that covered his face, though she wasn't too impressed with that right now. "I just… God, I don't even know what to say, why did you go see him?" She questioned, Matt opening his mouth to respond, but she kept talking before he could. "Why didn't you tell me? Why did you think it was okay to go without talking to me first? When you, more than anyone else, know how much I don't want anything to do with him…"

"That's why I went." He murmured, his words cutting through her ranting as her eyes narrowed slightly, Gabby clearly not liking his answer, but she remained quiet to let him continue. "Because I knew you didn't want to see him, you didn't even want to talk about it, which I understand, I know you didn't want to think about it, or him… but he kept asking to see you." He replied, Gabby running her tongue along the inside of her cheek as their eyes stayed locked on one another. "Every day, he was asking to see you. He clearly wants something from you, and I was worried that if we just ignored him, then he'd try and get to you once he got out, so I went." He told her as calmly as he could, Matt hating to see the look of hurt shining in her eyes, knowing he was the reason it was there. "I went to tell him to leave you alone, and that you wanted nothing to do with him, so he would back off… I wanted to tell you, I did, but I just…" He trailed off, Gabby shaking her head slightly before she spoke up.

"But you didn't tell me." She replied sharply, Matt drawing in a deep breath before he nodded. "And how did you even know he kept asking? How did-… Antonio." She cut herself off, Casey wincing slightly before he nodded, the man rubbing his hand along the back of her neck as Gabby released a heavy scoff, the woman beginning to pace back and forth in front of him. "That's just great." She replied sarcastically, her hand coming up to rub over her temple.

"Gabby…"

"You two have been talking about this behind my back, planning all this, going to visit Bryan when you knew I didn't want to."

"He didn't know I was going." Matt replied quickly, Gabby's head snapping back towards him, the firefighter not wanting Antonio to take the blame for this when it was his fault. "I… I didn't tell anyone I was going, he only knew because he's been keeping tabs on Walker, if anyone goes to see him, and he was told I went… When I finished, he was waiting for me outside." He told her, Gabby pursing her lips together. "And he told me to tell you, and I was going to, I just…"

"Why?" She cut him off, the woman stopping her pacing as she turned her body back towards him. "...Why didn't you tell me? Why did you go, for _days_, without saying anything?" She questioned roughly, Gabby unable to mask the hurt in her voice as Matt's sad eyes stayed locked on her.

"I wanted to, there just… wasn't a good time." He replied lamely, Gabby scoffing heavily before she turned away from him. "We've been so busy these last few days, we've barely even seen each other, and I knew this wasn't something that could just be said in passing… We needed to actually sit down and have a conversation about it, but there wasn't time-"

"You could've made time." She cut in, Matt releasing a soft sigh before he nodded, the man knowing she was completely right. "I just… I don't even know.." She trailed off, clearly trying to wrap her mind around all this.

"Gabby-"

"When did you even go?" She questioned quickly, not missing the guilt that flickered in his eyes before he responded.

"...The morning after last shift." He answered, Matt seeing her realization set in as she raised her eyebrows.

"You mean when you told me you were working?" She asked, though they both knew the answer, Matt giving her a nod anyway. "So you lied to me."

"Baby-"

"No, don't do that, Matt." She cut him off, the woman beginning to pace once more as she cradled her head in her hand. "I… I can't believe you didn't tell me, and then you lied about it."

"I messed up." He spoke up quickly, Gabby refusing to look his way. "I should've told you, I should've told you before I even went, and I'm sorry I didn't. I'm so sorry, Gabby, but after I went, I just didn't know how to tell you… I know you don't want to talk about him, or think about him, and I didn't know how to bring it up without hurting you-"

"You doing this behind my back hurt me." She interrupted, Casey's eyes falling closed for a moment as he drew in a slow breath, the man's heart tightening in his chest.

"I'm sorry." He replied, Matt taking a step towards her, the firefighter grateful when she didn't step away. "I'm so sorry, for all of it-"

Casey got cut off by the sound of the bells ringing throughout the firehouse, the man cursing under his breath as ambo and squad got called out, Gabby drawing in a deep breath as their eyes locked on one another, Matt seeing up close just how hurt and betrayed she felt right now.

Without another word from her, Gabby stepped around him, Matt swallowing the lump in his throat as he turned back to watch her go, his mouth opening before he could even stop himself when she got to the door.

"I'm sorry, Gabby." He repeated softly, the paramedic drawing in a deep breath before she reached for the door handle, Gabby turning back to look at him as she opened the door. "I'm sorry… I know you're mad at me, and you have every right to be. I never should've kept this from you, and I'm so sorry."

Dawson's eyebrows furrowed slightly, the woman biting down on her bottom lip before shaking her head slightly, both of them knowing they didn't have any time to finish this conversation right now. "I'm not mad, I just… don't know what to think right now. And I-" She cut herself off, Matt keeping his eyes on her as he waited for her to get the words out. "...I really wish you hadn't lied to me." She told him, her voice faltering.

And the second she finished speaking, she was gone, Gabby disappearing back into the house to go do her job as she left a frustrated and upset firefighter behind, the man cupping the back of his head with his hands as he began to pace back and forth, the reality of how badly he screwed up settling around him as he stood outside alone.


	60. Chapter Fifty Nine

**Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all. I wanna say a quick apology for the chapter being a day late this week. I know I told you all last week the chapter would likely be posted later than usual, but I still just want to say sorry for that. I tried to get it done early, but I wasn't able to. But hopefully this one was worth the little extra wait.**

**There is a Rated M section in this chapter, just so you all know.**

**I hope you enjoy! Thank you for reading.**

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**FIFTY NINE**

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Gabby tapped her pen against the stack of papers in front of her, her mind a thousand miles away as she stood at the nurses station at Lakeshore, her eyes staring off into space as her attention was anywhere but the world around her. She'd forced herself to keep focus on call, the PIC knowing well enough that it didn't matter what was going on with her; when she was out there, she couldn't let things in her personal life affect her. But now that their patient had been dropped off, and she'd had time to let her mind wander, she had done just that, Gabby barely having gotten a word written down on the papers underneath her arm, the sound of the constant tapping filling her head as her mind flooded with the conversation she'd had with her boyfriend just a little over an hour ago now.

The conversation that had completely blindsided her.

"Earth to Dawson." Shay spoke up, the blonde having just come back from a lengthy chat with Kendra after her partner assured her she could handle the paperwork. But when Shay approached her, and saw the paramedic completely lost in thought, with not a single thing written down, she knew something was going on with the PIC.

And she knew it most definitely had to do with Casey.

Though Gabby hadn't filled her in on much of the conversation with her brother from their last call, she knew Matt had been the topic of that discussion, and that he'd done something he shouldn't have. Something he hadn't told Gabby about. But what he'd done, she wasn't sure. All she knew was that whatever it was, it had completely shifted Gabby's demeanor, her previously bright and happy partner now clearly upset.

"Dawson." Shay tried again when Gabby hadn't noticed her, the woman's eyes snapping into focus as she looked towards her partner, Dawson's eyebrows rising when she realized Shay had been staring at her.

"Sorry, what'd you say?" She questioned, Shay's eyes narrowing slightly as they flickered towards the unfinished paperwork, the blonde taking a deep breath before finding Gabby's gaze.

"...You need me to finish that?" She asked back, side stepping Dawson's question as Gabby glanced down to the papers underneath her arm.

"Oh, uh- No, I can do it. It's fine." She replied, Shay giving her a nod before Gabby returned her attention to the work she needed to do before they could head back to the station.

But even though Dawson had started to work on their paperwork, it was still clear to the blonde that her friend wasn't really here, Gabby quickly scrawling out the necessary notes onto the paper, the PIC not doing her work with nearly as much precision as she normally did. But regardless of her tense and slightly unsteady demeanor, Shay said nothing, the paramedic knowing now wasn't the time, and definitely not the place to interrogate her friend as to what had happened between her and the truck Lieutenant.

Releasing a heavy sigh, Gabby handed over the completed papers to the nurse before the medics began to leave, the women pushing out their gurney out to the ambulance in silence, the two of them getting it put back in the rig before moving to their respective seats. Neither of them said a word as Shay started up the engine and began heading back towards the house, Gabby's gaze focused out the window as her hands were clasped together in her lap, the PIC not missing the continuous glances from her partner while she drove.

"Alright, out with it." Shay spoke up after they'd been driving for over five minutes, the silence around them nearly suffocating as Gabby looked her way, seeing the expectant look covering Shay's face. "What did he do?" She continued when the PIC stayed silent, Shay clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth.

"It's nothing, Shay-"

"Clearly it's something." She countered as they came to a stoplight. "You wouldn't be so… not like Dawson if it was nothing. And I tried to leave it alone, I know you didn't really wanna talk about it earlier, but clearly whatever he did is bothering you." She spoke pointedly, her words causing Gabby to draw in a slow, deep breath as her eyes focused forward. "So what is it? … What did lover boy do?"

Shay started driving again when the light changed, the blonde staying quiet while she waited for Gabby to speak up, the woman knowing there was nothing else she could say to get Dawson to talk; she just had to wait for her to want to.

But it took Dawson longer than anticipated to speak up, the PIC remaining quiet as Shay pulled onto the driveway and into the garage, the paramedic putting the rig in park before turning her attention towards her friend. Gabby was fidgeting in her seat slightly, ambulance 61 hidden behind the rest of the rigs as the two of them stayed put, Shay willing to wait for however long it took for Dawson to open up.

"...He went to see Bryan."

Shay's eyebrows raised quickly, the words taking her by surprise as Gabby watched her closely, the blonde needing a few seconds to digest what her friend told her.

"I- ... Why?" She questioned, Gabby pursing her lips together before releasing a heavy sigh.

"I don't know… We didn't really get that far." She breathed out, Shay nodding as she waited for her to continue. "All I know is he said he went to tell Bryan to leave me alone," She spoke, Shay's eyebrows furrowing in confusion, "I guess he has kept asking to see me-"

"Kept?" She interrupted, Dawson seeing the confusion covering her partner's face, Gabby soon understanding that Shay had no idea what she was talking about, the PIC clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth before she spoke up.

"Bryan asked to see me." She replied, Shay's eyebrows furrowing together tightly. "Or, he's been asking a few times to see me, I guess. But I didn't know it had happened more than once… Antonio told me at Matt's birthday party." She explained, earning a slight nod from her friend.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

Gabby shrugged slightly as she moved her gaze back out the windshield, the woman taking a deep breath before responding. "Because I wasn't going to see him, so I didn't think it mattered." She spoke softly, Shay not missing the slight wince that covered her face.

"Okay." She replied gently, knowing how difficult of a subject this was for her friend, Gabby giving her a nod before clearing her throat.

"Yeah, so, uh- Bryan was asking to see me, and Matt went to tell him to leave me alone." She reiterated, Dawson clenching her neck as she shook her head slightly. "Though, if I had to guess, that probably wasn't all he said."

"Yeah, I doubt it." Shay agreed, straightening out her back slightly before the next words fell off the tip of her tongue before she could stop them. "But good for Casey."

Gabby's head turned back towards her, Shay swallowing thickly before meeting her friend's gaze, finding a slightly uncertain look covering the PIC's face. "Shay…"

"What?" She questioned, knowing they were diving into somewhat murky waters. "If I had to guess, I'd say Casey went there to defend you… To tell Walker to shove it. And probably more than that. So good for him." She continued, Gabby releasing another heavy sigh as her eyes moved forward, the woman staying silent while Shay kept her gaze on her, it nearly impossible to miss Dawson's tense demeanor.

"He shouldn't have gone, Shay." She replied shortly, the blonde's gaze narrowing slightly in uncertainty.

"Is that what all this is about?" She questioned, Gabby smacking her lips together as she looked down towards her lap. "You're mad at him for protecting you?"

The second those words left the blonde's lips, Dawson couldn't help but scoff, the woman shaking her head as the muscles in her back tensed. "He didn't need to protect me. Bryan's behind bars-"

"For now." Shay interjected, Gabby slowly lifting her head and meeting her partner's gaze. "He's behind bars for now. But here soon, he won't be." She continued, Shay not missing the look of apprehension that quickly flickered in Dawson's eyes. "He'll be out, free to do whatever he wants… You can't blame Matt for worrying about that." She spoke carefully, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip as she thought over her friend's words. "He worries about you, Gabby. Especially when it comes to Walker, and clearly, that asshole wants something… I can't see any world where Casey would be okay with that." Shay said, pausing for a split second to see if Gabby was going to say something, but the brunette stayed quiet, the paramedic sighing softly before speaking up once more. "Honey, Matt would do anything to keep you safe, you know that… You can't really be all that surprised he went-"

"He lied to me, Shay." Dawson cut in, her voice barely audible, but it was enough to stop the blonde from continuing, Shay drawing in a deep breath before pursing her lips together. "He lied right to my face, multiple times, with something that I deserved to know about…"

"So you're mad that he lied, not that he went." She searched for clarification, Gabby running her tongue along her teeth as she shook her head.

"I'm not mad, I'm just-"

"Upset." She finished for her, Dawson taking a slow breath, knowing she didn't need to verbally confirm her friend's words, Shay's face softening as she reached out to run her hand along Gabby's arm.

"...I just wish he didn't lie about it." Gabby continued quietly, "I know you're right, that Matt just wants to protect me, but that doesn't excuse the fact that he lied to me… That he went days without saying anything, and that I had to find out from my brother that he went to go talk to Bryan. He should've told me." She spoke, her voice getting rougher by the second. "He shouldn't be keeping things from me, but this especially… He had no right to not tell me about this."

"You're right." Shay agreed, Gabby continuing to take slow breaths as Shay squeezed her arm supportively. "You're completely right… No matter why he went, he shouldn't have lied. And you have every right to be upset about that, but you know Casey, babe… He'd never intentionally try and hurt you." She reasoned, Dawson drawing in a slow breath as she hunched forward in her seat, Shay's comforting hand finding its way to Gabby's back. "That man loves you more than anything, Dawson. I'm not saying he was right to keep this from you, that doesn't excuse it, but maybe you should talk to him… Try and figure out why he did what he did."

Gabby gave her a slow nod, Shay patting her back before she reached for her door handle, Dawson lifting her head slightly to find her gaze, the blonde waiting for her with a supportive smile.

"Listen, you be as mad, or as upset with him as you want… But at least go talk to him, and soon. If anything just so you know why he didn't tell you." She reiterated, her words earning one last nod from the PIC before both women climbed down from their rigs, Dawson wiping her clammy hands on her pants as they continued towards the firehouse.

As they walked around the rigs, they found most of the members of squad seated at their table, Severide leaned back in his chair reading the paper as Shay went up to him and sat on the table beside him, the firefighter lifting his head up when he noticed her presence.

"Hey, how was the call?" He asked, Shay shrugging softly as Gabby's eyes danced around the garage.

"Fine, nothing too serious." She replied, Severide nodding in response.

"Kelly, do you know where Casey is?" Dawson spoke up, the Lieutenant turning his attention away from his best friend to look at the PIC, Gabby standing a few feet away from them, the firefighter noticing her strange demeanor instantly.

"Uh, last I knew, he was in his office." Kelly replied, Gabby offering him a thankful nod before she took off for the far set of double doors, the paramedic figuring it best to avoid the common room altogether right now as she headed inside, not noticing how both Shay and Severide were staring at her as she went.

"What's going on there?" Kelly spoke up once she'd disappeared through the doors, Shay huffing out a breath before glancing back towards the other members of squad, the men doing their best to pretend like they weren't listening in, even though the paramedic knew they were.

"Your buddy Casey," She started, the woman lowering her voice as she spoke, "He messed up… Lied to Dawson." She spoke vaguely, the squad Lieutenant's eyebrows furrowing as he quickly came to realize there was definitely a story there, but one that probably couldn't be told to him right now.

Inside the firehouse, Gabby navigated her way through the hallways of 51 as she headed for the bunkroom, the paramedic stepping inside the quiet room. From first glance, she could tell the room was empty, aside from her boyfriend in his office, Gabby's tongue poking out between her teeth as she continued towards his partially closed door. But as she got closer, her steps slowed down when she realized he was on the phone, the firefighter leaned against the edge of his desk with his legs crossed in front of him, his palm lifted up against his cheek as she heard his soft voice filtering out into the room through the small space left between the door and its frame.

But without even knowing who he was talking to, Gabby immediately knew this couldn't have been a pleasant phone call, the girlfriend recognizing how tense his entire body was, how his back was curved forward slightly, his stance telling her all she needed to know about how unwelcome this conversation was.

"I really don't even know why you're calling me." She heard, her eyebrows knitting together tightly as she reached out for the handle, Gabby momentarily forgetting about her reason for coming to see him when she heard the tone in his voice.

When she opened the door, she could tell she'd startled him, despite the fact she'd done it as slowly as possible, Matt jumping slightly before his spine straightened, Gabby not missing the rigid look on his face when he looked up, though it softened instantly when he saw it was her standing in front of him. Drawing in a deep breath, he nodded her in, Gabby stepping completely inside the small room before closing the door behind her as Matt continued speaking to whoever was on the other end of the line.

"Listen, can we do this later? I'm at work." He breathed out, Gabby sensing his obvious frustration at this person, her eyebrows furrowing as she moved to stand across from him, crossing her arms over her chest as she rested her weight down against his bed frame. "I know, I will-" He spoke shortly before sighing, "I promise… Yeah, uh- You too. Bye." He finished, Matt quickly bringing his phone down from his ear and ending the call before looking up towards his girlfriend, the man tossing his phone down onto the desk as he met her gaze.

Neither of them said a word for a few moments, Matt unsure of where her head was at after how they left things earlier in the day, though he could only hope that her coming and seeking him out was a good thing, the man watching as she chewed on her bottom lip, clearly thinking over whatever was going through her mind.

"Who was that?" She spoke up, Matt's eyebrows furrowing slightly, the man a little thrown by the question before he shook his head slightly.

"It was nothing." He replied with a shrug, Gabby giving him an unimpressed look as her eyes narrowed slightly, Matt releasing a heavy sigh before his hand came up to rub along the back of his neck.

"Matt."

"It was my mom." He gave in, not missing the varying emotions that played over her face before she landed on surprise, Gabby's eyes flickering back towards the phone sitting behind him before she found his gaze once more.

"Is everything okay?" She questioned, her concern evident as her arms fell down to her sides, Gabby's hands gripping onto the bed frame beneath her as Matt gave her a quick nod.

"She's fine I guess, just wanted to talk." He replied lamely, Gabby watching him closely while he spoke. "She uh, wished me a happy birthday… Or a happy belated birthday, I guess." He told her, noticing the slight frown that pulled on her lips. "She called a few minutes ago, I didn't really get to the bottom of whatever she wanted, but she said she wanted to see me." He finished, Casey not wanting to leave anything out, especially considering how he'd already lied to her once.

"Are you going to?" She asked, Casey running his tongue along the roof of his mouth as he thought over her question.

"I don't know… I feel like I should. So probably, yeah." He responded, Gabby straightening her spine before she nodded.

"You didn't have to end the call because of me, you know." She told him, Matt's head falling to the side slightly. "It's been awhile since you two have talked."

"It's okay, I'd rather talk to you, anyway." He played it off, Gabby pursing her lips together as she shot him a knowing look.

"Matt…"

"It's fine, babe. Really." He promised her, his tone more serious than before, Dawson sucking in a deep breath. "I'll call her back later, figure out what she's wanting." He added with a soft smile, Gabby eyeing him skeptically before she gave him a nod, the firefighter drawing in a slow breath as the air around them shifted, that heavy feeling that had been present before her call settling back around them as they locked eyes on one another. "And, uh, I know you and I need to talk, too." He spoke, her eyes moving down to the floor in between them before she gave him a nod.

"Yeah, we do." She responded quietly, Matt sucking in a sharp breath as he waited to see if she was going to continue. But when she didn't, Casey released the air he'd just breathed in, the man pushing himself up off the desk and walking the short distance to her, Gabby's eyes raising from the floor as he came to stand directly in front of her, the soft look in his eyes calming her despite the situation.

"I'm really sorry, Gabby." He spoke quietly, a flash of regret flickering in his gaze as he reached his hands out to grip her arms, his warm palms sending an involuntary shiver through her spine. "Really, I am… I wish I could tell you just how sorry I am, but I hate lying to you. I didn't want to, I just…" He trailed off, rubbing her arm gently as her head tilted to the side slightly, their eyes never leaving one another.

"Why did you?" She questioned after a pause of silence, Matt taking another deep breath as she spoke up again. "Why didn't you tell me you were going? Why didn't you tell me afterwards?" She repeated her same questions from earlier, Matt rubbing his thumb over her skin as her uncertain eyes focused on him.

From her tone alone, he could tell she wasn't angry. That her earlier words had been true; she wasn't mad at him. But he knew he hurt her, and to him, that was worse.

Taking a steadying breath, Matt slowly took a step back before gently grabbed a hold of her arm, pulling on her body lightly to prompt her to stand up, the woman complying easily as he led them to his bunk. The couple sat down together on his bed, their knees brushing against one another's as her hands fell into her lap, Gabby waiting patiently for whatever explanation he had as to why he handled this the way he did.

"I should've told you before I went," He started, Matt reaching out to rest his hand over her leg, Gabby keeping her eyes on him as he focused down on her lap, "I know that. I should've asked you before I did anything, I never should've gone before I knew how you felt about it… I messed up the second I decided to go and didn't say anything, I know that." Casey told her, the paramedic nodding slightly as he took a slow breath. "And if I could go back, I'd probably do things differently, but I just… It makes me so angry." He spoke roughly, Matt forcing himself to meet her eyes, immediately seeing her confusion before he continued. "How he wouldn't stop asking to see you, how he obviously wants something from you… After everything he did to you, it just made me furious, and I felt like I needed to go and put a stop to it. But I knew how you felt… I know you didn't want to see him, and I was afraid that if I told you I was wanting to go, you'd tell me not to… And I wouldn't have, I swear to you I wouldn't have gone if you asked me not to, but I just- I was so mad, and I felt like I had to go and tell him to back off." He rambled, Matt getting everything off his chest as Gabby listened to his every word, the woman nodding slightly at him to keep going, Casey shaking his head slightly before he reached for her hand, Dawson offering it willingly. "But it was stupid. And it wasn't fair to you… You come first, always. But especially with this. I let my anger at him get in the way of that, and I'm sorry. I never should've lied to you." He finished, the firefighter exhaling a sharp breath after the last word left his lips, Gabby pursing her lips together in deep thought as silence surrounded them, Matt giving her however long she needed to process what all he'd told her in such a short amount of time.

But clearly, she didn't need long as Gabby looked back up at him after barely a minute had gone by, the two locking eyes before she spoke up. "I… I get why you did it." She said, Matt's eyebrows raising slightly, his girlfriend not at all reacting the way he expected, but he said nothing as she continued. "I'll be honest, I don't know what I would've said if you came to me and told me you wanted to go visit Bryan… But I know you were just looking out for me, so I can see why you went, and I can almost see why you didn't tell me first, but I don't understand why you didn't say anything after." She spoke, the slight edge of hurt in her voice sending a sharp pain through his chest. "It's been two days, Matt, and you said nothing… Why didn't you tell me after you went?"

"I was going to." He replied the second she finished, Gabby running her tongue along her bottom lip as he gave her hand a slight squeeze. "After I saw Antonio at the prison, I was gonna come home, or go to my old place, and tell you… But then Shay was there, and I knew this was a conversation that needed to be just us, so I figured I'd wait until we got home. But we didn't really have a change then, either, with Shay staying most of the day, and how tired we were- I know it's not a good excuse." He cut himself off when he saw the disapproving look on her face. "It's not, I know that. I still should've told you, but in my head it made sense. It just didn't seem like a good time, so I decided to wait and tell you the next morning." He explained the best he could, Matt waiting for a slight nod from Gabby before continuing. "But then that morning, you left before I was even really awake, and I didn't see you again until we were at Shay and Severide's last night, and there just… There wasn't a good moment for me to tell you. There was never a good time, but I was going to tell you…"

"When?" She asked, her voice quiet and un-accusatory, Matt drawing in a deep breath before responding.

"Tomorrow after shift." He replied, not missing the hesitant look that flashed in her eyes, Matt shaking his head quickly as he knew exactly what was going on in her mind. "I know that sounds like a lie." He added, rubbing his thumb along the back of Gabby's hand. "It sounds bad, like I'm only saying that because you found out, but I swear to you, I was going to tell you." He promised, his gaze never leaving hers. "I was going to tell you in the morning, no matter what. I didn't want to wait any longer than I already had. I swear, I was going to." He told her, watching his girlfriend closely as she thought over her words, Gabby clearly trying to decide whether she believed him or not. And considering the reason they were having this conversation, he couldn't say he blamed her.

"...Okay." She said, her voice barely above a whisper, Matt's eyebrows raising as she took a deep breath. "If you say you were gonna tell me, I believe you… I wish you would've just told me, but I believe you." She reiterated, the man's body relaxing as her words washed over him, Matt nodding slowly as he shifted himself closer to her, Gabby catching his gaze.

Before any more words could be said, Matt dropped her hand and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into him in a tight hug, his hands clasped together behind her back as his head rested against hers. Gabby was a little caught off guard by the action, but she relaxed into him nonetheless, the paramedic always finding his hold comforting regardless of the situation, Matt's hand running up and down along her back as she leaned down against his shoulder. The two sat in a soft silence for a few moments, Casey continuing to rub her back while they held onto one another, their chests rising and falling against each other with every breath, Gabby feeling him press a kiss to the back of her head before he spoke up.

"I really am sorry." He murmured against her hair, Gabby drawing in a deep breath as her hand gripped onto his arm.

"I know you are." She replied just as softly, Matt kissing her head once more before they pulled back, the man brushing a piece of hair behind her ear as his thumb stroked over her cheek.

"Yeah, but still, I need to say it… I never want to hurt you, to be the thing that hurts you, but I know I did. And you have every right to be angry at me for keeping this from you." He told her, Gabby leaning her head into his palm slightly as they locked eyes. "And I know that me apologizing can only do so much, but I truly am sorry. For all of it."

"Matt…"

"I thought I was doing the right thing." He continued, Gabby seeing just how mad at himself he was over all of this, the woman reaching out to place her hand over his leg before she gave his thigh a gentle, reaffirming squeeze. "By going to see Walker, and telling him to leave you alone, I thought I was doing the right thing, but I know I handled it all wrong… And after talking with Antonio, I realize I might've just made things worse, but I promise I wasn't trying to hurt you. I just know that with Walker… You don't like talking about it. And I get it, I do… What happened to you because of him was awful, and you don't owe me anything, but I guess that's why I was a little hesitant to bring it up." He spoke quickly, his mouth moving faster than his brain could keep up, Gabby listening to every word. "And I know that's part of it, too… That I just don't know if you're alright." He admitted, Gabby's face faltering slightly as Matt took a breath. "When it comes to Walker, I don't know how you're feeling, and it worries me, because I want to know you're okay… I _need_ you to be okay, and I don't know that you are. So I think me going to see Walker, it felt like it was something I could do to make sure you were okay. And I… I don't know it that even makes sense-"

"It does." She cut in, Matt sighing softly before he nodded, the man rubbing his hand gently over her cheek before he dropped it down to her side, Gabby pursing her lips together as she thought over her next words. "I… I know I kind of shut you down whenever you try and talk about him, and it's not because of you, I just… It's not something I like talking about."

"I know it's not." He murmured, giving her a supportive smile, encouraging her to continue.

"I know I can't change what happened, so I don't think I need to focus on it. But I'm okay… Or, at least I feel like I'm okay." She explained the best she could, Matt giving her an understanding nod as she continued on. "It's not like I can't talk about what he did to me, I'm choosing not to… But I'm as okay as I can be with all of this, I just didn't realize it was something you were this worried about."

"Of course I'm worried." He responded, Gabby pursing her lips together. "Where Walker's concerned, I'm always worried about you… And I'm not sure how much you love that, but I'm sorry, that's never gonna change." He added, his voice a little lighter as his words caused a soft smile to tug on her lips.

"Yeah, I know it won't." She replied softly, the paramedic feeling a rush of warmth flood through her chest as he smiled. "You've always been overprotective."

"Well, when the person I love most in this world gets hurt, that's not okay with me." He spoke honestly, Gabby swallowing the thick lump in her throat as she watched his gaze move down to their conjoined hands. "I just hate that I was the one who hurt you." He murmured, Gabby's eyes falling closed for a split second as his words rang in her head.

If she hadn't already known just how apologetic he was for this, she did now, Gabby opening her eyes to find him looking back at her, regret shining in his gaze as he gave her hand another squeeze.

"I know I keep saying it, but I'm sorry, baby… For lying, and for not telling you in the first place. I know I broke your trust and that's not okay. That's the last thing I ever want to do… I'm really sorry, Gabby."

Nodding slowly, Gabby leaned forward and wrapped him up in a hug once more, the girlfriend feeling him relax himself into her as his arms came up to circle her body, Matt pulling her as close to him as she could possibly get before digging his head into her neck. Her hand came up to cup the back of his neck, Gabby feeling his deep breaths hitting her skin as they held onto one another in his office, Matt's warm palm running up and down her back as she pressed a kiss to his covered shoulder.

"I love you." He whispered against her, Gabby unable to stop the slight smile that tugged on her lips before she let herself relax against him, her fingers beginning to play with the hairs at the base of his neck.

"I love you, too." She replied just as softly, Gabby feeling Matt press a kiss to her skin before they reluctantly separated, Casey keeping his hands on her as he only pulled back far enough to see her. "And it's okay." She breathed out, Matt rubbing his hand along her arm as his eyebrows raised slightly. "You going to see him- it's okay… Just please don't lie to me again."

"I won't." He replied as soon as she got the words out, Gabby nodding as he leaned forward to press a kiss to the side of her head. "I promise, I won't." He assured her, his words earning another nod from his girlfriend as he pulled back yet again, the two locking eyes on one another as Gabby took a deep breath.

"Good." She replied, Matt giving her a nod as he ran his hand along her thigh, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip as she thought over her next words, the question on the tip of her tongue having been gnawing away at her since she first found out where Matt had gone. "So uh…" She started, clearing her throat as Matt waited for her to continue, "What did you say? … To Bryan?" Gabby questioned, his head cocking to the side slightly. "I know you went there to tell him to leave me alone, but I'm guessing you said more than that…" She prompted, watching her boyfriend take a deep breath before he responded.

"Yeah, uh… I did." He replied, Gabby waiting with an expectant look across her face, waiting for him to continue, which he soon did, the man going through every single thing that happened.

Starting from the beginning, he told Gabby everything that happened, from how he debated leaving the second he got there, to him actually seeing Bryan, and what all had been said- _everything_ that was said. It wasn't the watered down version he gave Antonio, Casey knowing Gabby deserved to know what all had been discussed between him and Walker at the prison, Matt not missing the grimace that would occasionally appear over her face as he recanted all of it. And even though he hated seeing the effect some of Walker's words still had on her, he told her, Matt doing his best to leave nothing out, including how he'd threatened him, and his talk with Antonio once he left.

It hadn't been an easy conversation, but when he finished, he couldn't help but feel like a small weight had been lifted off his shoulders, Matt thankful that there were now no more secrets between them, Gabby fiddling with her hands in her lap as she ran her tongue along her bottom lip.

"That's it?" She questioned after a few moments. "There's nothing else?"

"That's it." He promised her, reaching out to rub his hand along her back as they locked gazes, Matt watching a soft sigh escaped her lips before she nodded. "...Are we okay?" It was his turn to ask a question, her deep brown eyes focused on his bright blue ones as she gave him another quick nod, Dawson giving him the assurance he needed as a small smile covered her face.

"We're okay."

* * *

Casey slid his key into the lock on their front door, the man desperate to get out of the raging Chicago heat as he pushed open the door, the cool air inside their home a huge difference from outside as he stepped into their inviting apartment, the man quickly closing the door behind him to keep their air conditioning in, Matt routinely securing the lock before he discarded his boots and walked further into their home.

"Babe?" He called as he turned the corner, Matt immediately seeing his girlfriend in the living room on the couch, Gabby turning back to meet his gaze as he walked up to the counter and tossed his keys and phone down onto the hard surface.

"Hey baby." She greeted, Gabby tossing the blanket off of herself and letting it rest over the back of the couch before she pushed herself up, her bare feet padding across the floor while Matt felt his mouth go dry when she began moving towards him, the sight of her in his t-shirt, a pair of underwear, and not much else bringing a content smile to his face. "How was your job?" She questioned, coming up to him to press a quick kiss to his lips before she began to pull away, but he didn't let her get very far, Matt keeping her close to him as he held onto her, the action causing her nose to scrunch up before she tilted her head to the side. "You smell."

"Well, that's cause I've been working all morning." He replied, leaning forward to capture her lips in another kiss, his hands sliding down from her waist underneath his shirt covering her body, his palms soon finding her warm skin as he brought her closer, Gabby smiling softly against his lips before she pulled back, Matt opening his eyes to find a smug grin covering her face.

"So, I take it that it was an actual construction job this time?" She teased, Matt raising his eyebrows before a slight scoff escaped his lips, though he knew he deserved the jab. And truthfully, her joking around with him about what had happened over the last few days was refreshing, Matt knowing her teasing was just another reminder she wasn't mad at him.

"Very funny." He replied dryly, a soft giggle escaping her lips before he kissed her once more, effectively cutting off her laughter as his hands roamed her skin before sliding down to cup her ass, the thin, lacy material covering her lower half not leaving much to the imagination as he grabbed ahold of her, his touch eliciting a low moan from Gabby as she pressed her hips into his.

When air became a priority, the two pulled back, their chests heaving as Gabby's eyes flickered to the clock on the wall behind him, the woman sucking in as deep of a breath as she could manage before speaking up. "You need to get cleaned up before we go over to my parent's house." She said in between breaths, Matt glancing behind him to get the time, a devilish smirk forming over his face as he turned back around, the man squeezing her flesh in his palm roughly.

"We have a few hours…" He spoke, his words falling between his lips like honey as the look in his eye caused warmth to pool in her stomach while his hand slid back up to the waistband of her underwear, his fingers teasing the material. "If you'd like to join me." He prompted, Gabby feeling him tap his hand against her lower back while his other ran over her side, the woman finding it difficult to concentrate as she was focused on the feeling of his hands on her.

"I'd love to." She replied softly, Dawson not missing how his smile grew when she accepted his offer. "But like you said… We have some time." She continued, pulling herself from his hold and taking a few steps backwards. "If _you'd_ like to join _me_." She repeated his earlier words, Gabby saying nothing else before she turned around and headed for their bedroom.

Matt all but ran after her, the man catching up to her by the time they got to the door, his hands reaching out to touch any part of her he could as she continued to the bed. Having some semblance of sense left, Casey quickly went and closed the blinds before he turned back around, the blood in his body rushing south when he saw she'd already discarded the shirt she'd stolen from him, her upper half completely bare as she laid herself down on his side of the bed, Gabby running her hands lightly over her stomach as they locked eyes.

Without needing anymore prompting, Matt tore his dirty shirt from his body and tossed it to the ground, knowing it could be dealt with later as he began to work on unbuckling his belt, his gaze focused on the rise and fall of her chest as she waited on him. Nearly tripping out of his clothes, Casey managed to get his jeans, boxers, and socks off quickly, the man not missing the nearly impressed look on his girlfriend's face when she caught sight of him, his want for her painfully obvious as he walked towards the bed.

When he got closer, Gabby slowly slid her hands down her body towards her underwear, but Matt swatted them away when she began to slide the material down her legs, his reaction earning a soft laugh from her as she knew exactly what he wanted. And he didn't disappoint when he hooked his fingers underneath the lace clothing and forcefully yanked it down her legs, Gabby lifting her hips slightly to help him remove her underwear before he tossed them back behind him. His darkened eyes trailing over her nude form, Matt drinking her in as he stood beside the bed, Gabby taking the moment to look him over as well as his warm hand ran along the outside of her thigh.

And while Gabby would never complain about getting to see Matt in all his glory, she was soon growing impatient from the lack of contact; and by the look on her boyfriend's face, she suspected he was doing that on purpose, a soft pout forming over her lips as she widened her legs slightly, Matt's gaze moving south as her hands began to run over her legs.

"Please." She murmured, knowing her pleading could get him to do nearly anything as Matt immediately climbed down on top of her, the man's body settled in between her legs, forcing them further apart as her thighs resting on either side of his hips, his hands roaming her bare skin as he leaned down to capture her lips in a heated kiss.

Their movements were quick, and full of need, as Matt ran his hand along the front of her stomach before sliding down further between her legs, a soft gasp escaping the back of Gabby's throat when his finger ran over her, her desire obvious as he continued moving back and forth against her while his lips moved to her neck. With each passing moment, Gabby was becoming more and more ready, a low whine leaving her lips when he slid a finger inside her, her hand gripping his bicep while his lips marked the skin on her neck and her upper chest. His pace was agonizingly slow, Matt working her up as he'd done many times before, his movements never speeding up as he added another finger, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip as his lips moved towards her breasts, the combined sensations sending shivers through her spine.

"Matt…" She breathed out, her eyes closed tightly as his lips were focused on her body, the man releasing his hold on her before he looked up, finding her face scrunched up in a look he knew well.

"Yes?" He questioned lightly, Gabby unable to see the smirk on his face as her eyes stayed closed, her eyebrows furrowing when he began to gradually increase his pace, Matt leaning back down to graze his teeth over her sensitive skin before capturing her nipple between his lips.

"Please, baby." She said again, Matt continuing on as if she'd said nothing, his hand moving a little quicker than it had a moment ago, but nothing close to enough to get her to where she wanted to be. "Baby." She nearly begged, the intense feeling in the pit of her stomach beginning to grow as he switched to her other breast, beginning to give it the same treatment as the first, Matt not responding to her pleas as her bottom lip fell in between her teeth.

Then without warning, he adjusted his angle, Matt brushing against that delicate spot inside her, causing a soft, surprised shriek to escape her lips as her back arched up off the bed, Matt smirking proudly against her skin before he continued his methods, her body trembling underneath him as incoherent sounds began to fall from her lips. With each moment that passed, he continued to speed up, Gabby barely able to hold on as he continued his work on her body, his hand and his mouth doing all the right things as he brought her closer and closer to that edge, the feeling soon becoming overwhelming as he continued with reckless abandon. Matt had to use his leg to keep hers apart, Gabby fighting against the intense feeling he created within her, her moans and pleas continuing as he kept a quick pace, Matt determined to finish what he started.

And within seconds, he did, Gabby crying out as her entire body shook underneath him, Matt looking back up towards her as he kept his relentless pace, his methods sending shockwaves through her body as she rode out wave after wave of almost unbearable pleasure, her toes curling down against his calf as her hand came up to cover her face.

"That's it, baby." He murmured, pressing a kiss over her upper chest while he continued on, Gabby's legs feeling like jelly as she lost all sense of herself, the incredibly overpowering sensation forcing her to completely let go. "That's it." He repeated, slowly pulling his hand back as her lower half continued to tremor, Matt pressing open mouth kisses along the top of her chest and her collarbone to help calm her down as she sucked in deep breaths, Gabby's hand gripping onto his arm tightly as the aftershocks coursed through her.

Knowing well enough that she needed some time to recover, Matt gently ran his palm along her side as he continued kissing her skin gently, Gabby's hand slowly moving down from her face as she took slow breaths, her body in a state of euphoria as that tingling feeling lingered in her stomach. Loosening her grip on his arm, Gabby began to slide her hand up towards his shoulder, Matt lifting his head up from her chest to find a lazy smile shining back at him.

Before either of them said a word, Gabby moved her hand towards his cheek, rubbing over his skin softly as she continued to steady her breathing, Matt turning his head to the side to place a kiss against her palm.

"...You okay?" He questioned, his words slightly muffled by her hand as he turned back to face her, Matt needing confirmation before they went any further. Though by the look of complete contentment on her face, he knew she'd enjoyed herself.

"I'm perfect." She murmured, Matt's smile widening before he pressed another chaste kiss to her chest.

"Good." He practically whispered as he returned to his position between her legs, Gabby feeling him pressed against her as his body hovered over hers, Matt leaning down to capture her lips in a gentle, passion filled kiss. "Do you need a minute?" He questioned against her lips, Gabby shaking her head slightly as she wrapped her arms around his back, desperate to have him as close as possible before she kissed him once more, that being all the assurance he needed before he reached down to guide himself into her.

A soft gasp escaped her lips when he entered her, Matt moving as slow as she needed him to as her nails dug slightly into his back, her legs hiked up around his waist as they got into that all too familiar position, Casey resting for a moment once there was no space left between them. But within seconds, Gabby pushed her hips up into his, the action spurring on his movements as they began moving together, the couple swallowing each other's moans as they spent their time focused on nothing but one another, both of them wishing they could live in this moment for as long as possible.

* * *

"So, I take it you didn't kick Casey out."

Gabby looked up from the fresh glass of water she'd just gotten herself, the sound of voices from the living room filtering in as she turned to see her brother standing beside her, the younger Dawson not having heard him come in. And when she registered his words, her head cocked to the side, an unimpressed look covering her face when she saw the gleam in his eye.

"What?" He asked when he saw her glare. "It's a valid question… After we finished talking, you seemed ready to kill him."

"Matt and I are fine, Antonio. And can you keep it down, the last thing I need is Mama and Papa thinking Matt and I are fighting when we're not." She spoke quietly, Antonio scoffing lightly before he leaned his hip into the counter.

"So I take it you two talked about it?" The detective pressed, Gabby giving him a nod. "And he had a good excuse? For why he lied to you?"

"Is there ever a good excuse for lying?" She shot back, Antonio clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth before shrugging softly.

"Fair enough." He replied, Gabby shaking her head lightly before angling herself towards her brother.

"We talked, Tonio." She responded, Antonio nodding slowly as he waited for her to continue. "He explained why he did what he did, and why he waited so long to say something. Then he told me what he and Bryan talked about, and him and I are good."

"Okay, good." He replied after a long pause, Gabby eyeing him closely as she heard the skeptical tone in his voice, her eyes narrowing into a tense glare, silently urging him to speak up, Antonio holding his hands up in defense immediately, the siblings able to understand exactly what the other was thinking. "Look, I'm glad you two are fine... Honestly, I was expecting this to blow up into a whole big thing, and Casey ended up on Severide's couch. Or worse, mine. So believe me, I'm glad you two talked and everything's good… But I guess I'm just surprised you're not still mad at him, is all." He explained, Gabby pursing her lips together before she drew in a deep breath, the woman crossing her arms over her chest as she mimicked her brother's stance.

"Do I like that he lied to me? No, I don't. Not at all. But now that I know why he did what he did, there's no reason for me to hold a grudge against him for this… Not when he feels bad enough as it is." She told him, Antonio nodding slowly in response. "I wish he'd handled things differently, and so does he, but I…" She trailed off, the older Dawson's eyebrows furrowing in question as he waited for her to continue, but she never did.

"You what?" He pressed, Gabby bringing her hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose as she thought over how to voice these next words to her brother, Antonio taking a slight step forward before she spoke up.

"I… After everything with Bryan, how he treated me for years- Not even the abuse," Antonio's spine straightened at the word, but he tried not to react to it, the man knowing how big of a step that was for her to be speaking so freely about what she'd gone through, "but just little things, how he'd never want to try and work things out, whether he pretended to or not. Or how he'd talk to me when I was upset, or trying to have a real conversation with him… I don't know, this may sound stupid, and it's not like I don't already know how different the two of them are, but being able to actually sit down and talk with Matt, and have him listen… For us to be able to work through something, then move on from it… It's just- it's refreshing, to be in a relationship like that." She breathed out, a slight frown forming over his lips as her words washed over him. "And it doesn't excuse him lying, at all… But he told me himself that he messed up, and I know he meant well, so... him and I are good."

Slowly, Antonio nodded before he took a step forward and wrapped his sister up in a hug, Gabby a little caught off guard by the action, but she reciprocated nonetheless, her eyebrows furrowing as she felt him tighten his grip on her.

"You okay, Antonio?" She questioned, the man nodding against her shoulder before they pulled back, Antonio offering her a small smile.

"I'm fine, I'm just… I'm really glad you have Casey." He told her, the honesty in his words bringing a bright smile to her face, the look of pure joy shining in her eyes causing him to grin as well. "You deserve to be happy, and I'm so glad you have that with him." He told her, Gabby's smile never faltering as she gave him a nod. "And I wasn't trying to cause any problems between you two when I told you, I just wanted to know how you were doing. But as long as you're good, I'm good...Though I'll still kick his ass if he lies to you again." He added, the younger Dawson scoffing lightly before she pushed against her brother's chest lightly.

"Yeah, so will I." She joked, her words eliciting a chuckle from the man as their mother walked into a room.

"There you two are." She huffed out, Antonio turning around to face her as he stood beside his sister. "Come on, it's time for dinner." She chastised, Gabby and Antonio both nodding before following their mom out into the dining room. As they entered the cozy room, Gabby saw her father and Matt standing in front of their seats, clearly waiting for them as she shot her boyfriend a warm smile.

"Hey beautiful." He greeted, his voice low, but still loud enough for her family to hear as heat flooded her cheeks, Gabby not missing the knowing look from her mother as they all got to their seats. "You gossiping about me in there?" His words were much softer this time, Gabby looking up at him with a raised brow, the woman nudging his hip slightly before responding.

"Wouldn't you like to know." She challenged, Matt shaking his head with an amused grin on his face.

"Alright, come on, sit, sit," Camila instructed. "Let's eat before the food gets cold."

Just as Matt had stepped back to pull out Gabby's chair, the doorbell rang, Camila releasing a soft breath before she stepped away from the table.

"I'll be right back, you all go ahead and sit, I'm sure this won't take too long." She replied, earning some nods from her family before they continued to take their seats, Matt waiting until Gabby was situated before he took his seat next to her; the seat that had unofficially become his over the last few months.

With the house mostly quiet, it was easy to hear Camila make her way to the front door, the sound of her opening it and greeting whoever was there being heard in the dining room as they all waited for her to get back. But the next person Casey heard wasn't someone he was expecting at all, Matt's eyebrows furrowing when he heard the familiar voice reach his ears. The voice he'd recognize anywhere, the one he grew up with every single day.

"_Hi, I'm uh- I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm looking for my son._"


	61. Chapter Sixty

**Hi everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all, I hope you guys like it. Thanks for still sticking around with me on this story, it means a lot. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this one.**

**Also, just a little heads up, there will not be a new chapter for this story next week. I'm gonna take some time to focus on the next update for If We Never Say Goodbye, and I don't wanna try and overdo it, so I'm gonna take a week off from this story. But there should be the next update in two weeks. I just wanted to let you all know, because I know some of you do wait for these updates every week. Thanks for understanding.**

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter, thanks for reading!**

* * *

**SIXTY**

* * *

Camila stepped through the foyer, the woman trying to push down the small bit of annoyance she felt at the disruption to their family dinner while she continued towards the front door, knowing that whoever had shown up to her home had no idea they were interrupting anything as she reached for the door and pulled it open. The second she opened it, her eyebrows furrowed slightly, Camila being met by an unknown woman as she stood on the porch in front of her, the Dawson woman putting a small smile on her face before speaking up.

"Hello." She greeted, her words bringing a similar smile to the woman's face. "Can I help you?"

"Hi, I'm uh- I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm looking for my son."

Confusion immediately covered Camila's face before she nodded slightly, the uncertainty of everything settling around her. "Alright, well, I'm not really sure how I can help." She spoke softly, her confusion only growing when she saw the smile on this woman's face widen. "Is he lost?"

"No, I'm sorry- I should've been more clear. And I apologize for showing up unannounced, I'm sure you all are busy, but my son is Matt." She spoke, realization immediately covering Camila's face as she took a slight step backwards, the unsure look in her eye never leaving as Camila was well aware of the distance between Matthew and his family. "Matt Casey."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I had no idea. Come in, come in." She offered, Nancy giving her a thankful smile before stepping inside the inviting home. "I, um, I didn't know you'd be joining us."

"Well, Matt didn't either, this is sort of an unannounced visit, I…" She trailed off when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye, Nancy and Camila both turning to find Matt standing just inside the foyer, his eyes focused tightly on his mother while Gabby came up behind him, the tension and confusion Casey was holding onto evident as Camila looked back and forth between everyone in the room, the older Dawson not missing the worried look covering her daughter's features as Gabby reached out to place her hand on Matt's back.

"Mom?" He questioned after a few seconds, Matt barely registering Gabby's palm placed on him.

"Hi sweetheart." She greeted as Casey took a slight step forward, Gabby following his lead as they came to maybe a foot away from their mothers.

"What are you doing here?" Matt asked, his eyes flickering to Camila before landing back on his mom. "How did you know I was here?"

"I need to talk to you, honey… Hi dear." She greeted Gabby, Nancy completely ignoring his second question as her eyes focused on his girlfriend, Matt glancing back to find her smiling politely at his mom.

"Hi Nancy… It's nice to see you again."

"You too, honey." She replied with a soft smile, Matt's eyebrows seemingly permanently etched together as he crossed his arms over his chest, his mom glancing back towards Camila. "I'm sorry for just coming by, I didn't mean to disturb your evening."

"Nothing to apologize for." Camila waved her off, though the woman did sense how Matt's demeanor had changed since he walked into the room. "Matthew's family is always welcome. I'm Camila." She greeted, Nancy offering her a bright smile before nodding in response. "My husband, Ramon, and our oldest, Antonio, they're in the other room."

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Nancy." She said, reaching out to shake the woman's hand as Matt cleared his throat.

"This is, uh, Gabby's mom. We're at their house." He spoke pointedly, but Nancy ignored it as she just offered them a small smile. "...What are you doing here, mom?" He questioned again, Nancy pursing her lips together before focusing her attention on her son.

"I told you, I needed to talk to you."

"Here? Right now, when we're trying to have dinner? I don't even know how you got here." He spoke quickly, Gabby sensing his rising tension before she tapped his lower back gently with her hand, knowing the action always calmed him down in the past. And her methods seemed to work, Matt forcing himself to take a deep breath and Gabby bit down on the inside of her cheek. She wasn't entirely sure why he was so hostile towards his mother, though she figured it probably had something to do with how she'd just suddenly popped back up in his life these last few days, Gabby knowing him and his mother had always had a complicated relationship. And even if that wasn't entirely it, she was sure he had a good reason for his feelings, her hand staying firmly on his back as Nancy looked around the group.

"Can we, um… Can we have a moment to talk? Alone?" She questioned, Matt drawing in a slow, deep breath, before he nodded, the man glancing back towards Camila and Gabby.

"Can you give us a minute?" He asked, his eyes focused on his girlfriend as she immediately gave him a nod.

"Of course." She responded softly, Gabby giving him as supportive a smile as she could as Camila took a step towards the door.

"You two take all the time you need." Camila spoke, reaching out to rub her hand along Matt's arm before she left, Nancy not missing the genuine smile that fell onto her son's face as he quietly thanked the woman. Gabby, on the other hand, paused for an extra moment before she left as well, but not before she pushed herself up and pressed a quick kiss against the side of his face, murmuring something Nancy couldn't make out before she left the room, Matt's eyes focused on her until she was out of sight.

"So… I see things with Gabby are still going well."

Nancy's voice grabbed his attention, Matt's straightening his spine as he turned back to face her once more, the man drawing in a deep breath before he gave her a nod, his mother not missing the look of confusion that was still covering his features.

"They are." He replied simply, his eyes narrowing slightly before tracing over her face, Nancy soon matching his look.

"What happened to your face?" She questioned before he could say anything else, her gaze tracing over the remains of the scratches and slight bruising on his skin.

"It's from a call at work, I'm fine... What are you doing here, Mom?" He questioned once more, the man willing to repeat himself until he got an answer, Matt seeing how she averted her eyes away from him; a nervous habit he knew all too well. "How did you know I was here? What is this?" He pressed, waving his hand back and forth in between the two of them, Nancy pursing her lips together before she responded.

"I need to talk to you, or ask you a favor, rather…" She started, Matt unable to stop the heavy sigh that escaped his lips as his palm came up to grip the back of his neck, Nancy sensing his uneasiness before she could even finish getting the words out. "And, well that's what I was trying to talk to you about when I called, and you said you'd call back, but you didn't… So I came here, I didn't realize you were with her family, though."

"That doesn't explain how you got here." He countered, Nancy taking a few slow breaths before she spoke up.

"I went to look for you the other day at your apartment, but you weren't there… " She started, Matt giving her a slight nod.

"I don't live there anymore, Gabby and I moved in together." He said, watching as a small smile formed over his mother's face, Matt's face softening slightly when he saw her genuine joy.

"That's great, honey. Really, I'm so happy for you two." She told him, Matt giving her a slight nod. "I know when I spoke with Gabby awhile back, she said you two weren't living together, so I'm glad to see things are going so well for you two… I'm just glad you're finally with someone who makes you happy." She spoke honestly, Casey's defenses weakening as he gave her a slow nod.

"Me too, Mom… But I still don't know how you knew where I was, unless you followed us here." He spoke, his tone showing he was joking, but the second he saw the guilty look on his mother's face, his back tightened, Matt releasing a heavy sigh before shaking his head. "Are you serious?"

"Honey, I'm sorry, but I really needed to speak with you, and I called you a few times today and I couldn't reach you-"

"I was working." He replied, Nancy's eyebrows furrowing slightly as she spoke up before thinking her words through.

"But you got off shift yesterday morning." She told him, a look of confusion settling over his features before he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, I did… How did you know that?" He questioned, Nancy soon avoiding his gaze as realization settled over him, Matt releasing a slight scoff before shaking his head. "Wait- have you been following me?" He asked her, the look on her face giving him all the answer he needed as he took a slight step back. "Unbelievable…" He muttered, Matt bringing his hands up to run over his face.

"Honey-"

"How long have you been following me?" He asked in disbelief, Matt doing what he could to keep his voice calm, knowing Gabby's family was not far away at all. "Have you been following Gabby, too?"

Nancy's eyes narrowed at the accusation, the woman crossing her arms over her chest before standing up straighter, his mother shaking her head roughly. "Don't say it like that, like I'm some stalker- I'm your mother. Your mother who's been trying to get in contact with you, who you've ignored aside from one phone call, so yes, I did go to the firehouse yesterday to see if you were working, and when I saw your truck, I waited. And I did follow you back to your new apartment, but I wasn't trying to spy on you, or Gabby, it was nothing like that. I just needed to talk to you… But then I realized you both would probably be trying to get some sleep after work, and I didn't want to disturb that," She explained, Matt's gaze softening slightly, though he wasn't entirely sure he believed her reasoning. "I figured I'd come back today, but when I got there this morning you were gone, and I wasn't sure if Gabby was home, either…"

"I had a construction job." He answered when she'd gone silent, Nancy giving him a nod before she continued.

"You weren't there, so I left and figured I'd come back later, then when I got there, I was… Well, I was trying to figure out what to say, then I saw you two were leaving, and I just…"

"Followed us." He replied, Nancy drawing in a slow, steadying breath before she nodded, Matt huffing out an exasperated breath before taking a slight step closer to his mother. "You can't just be following me, or Gabby, around, Mom… Or showing up at Gabby's parent's house. That's not okay."

"I know, and I'm sorry. Truly, I am, but I couldn't get you on the phone… When you answered my call the other day, honestly I was surprised you did that. And, I've gotta be honest honey, I'm not sure where this sudden animosity is coming from, and why you won't talk to me…" She spoke pointedly, Matt pursing his lips together as he saw the slight edge of hurt in her eyes, the man rolling out his neck as he felt tension continuing to build in his muscles. "But I'm sorry for following you tonight, I didn't think it through, and I should've just waited until you reached out, but I need your help, and I couldn't get ahold of you…" She finished, her words causing Casey to blow out a heavy sigh before he responded.

"I just… I've had a lot going on, Gabby and I both have, and I knew whatever you were wanting, I-" He stopped himself, knowing he shouldn't say his next words out loud as they were sure to hurt his mother's feelings even more. "We've just had a lot going on." He added lamely, Nancy watching him closely, her motherly instincts kicking in as flash of worry shined in her eyes.

"...Is everything alright? Are you and Gabby okay?" She pushed, Matt pausing for a moment, the man holding his breath before he spoke up.

"Her and I are fine, we've just been dealing with some stuff…" He spoke as vaguely as he could, knowing he'd kind of talked himself into a corner, that his mom likely wouldn't settle with his answer. But he knew he couldn't give her much more than that.

"Everything _is_ alright between you two, isn't it?" She questioned, her eyes flashing behind Matt, back towards the hallway where Gabby had disappeared through, her voice low. "You can tell me if something's wrong, honey."

"No, it's nothing like that. It's not anything between us…" He spoke, almost defensively, Matt not liking where this conversation was headed. "There's just been some other things going on, and it's had us a bit preoccupied. But I'm sorry for not answering your calls." Matt did what he could to steer the conversation back to her, and why she was here, knowing if he didn't, his mom would continue to press the matter. And that was not something he would be getting into with her. Not only was everything that he, and Gabby mostly, were dealing with incredibly personal, and not his information to share, even if he could talk about it, he knew the topic would hit a little too close to home, and that the best thing he could do was just move on. "You kind of just showed up again out of nowhere, but I didn't realize whatever you were wanting to talk about was this urgent." He added, Nancy drawing in a deep breath.

"It is… I, um- I need you to do something for me." She spoke carefully, wringing her hands together as Matt ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek, the man waiting to see what she was going to say. "And I know it's a lot to ask, but I, uh- I've kinda got myself in a jam, here." She told him, Nancy wincing slightly when she saw the look that covered her son's face. "And it's not what you think, I haven't done anything, but my ex-" She cut herself off, Matt taking a few shallow breaths to keep himself quiet as he wanted to let her finish, though he certainly already had a few things he wanted to say. "He's just not a good man, he's not the man I thought he was…"

"Did he hurt you?" Matt asked the second she finished, Nancy not missing the concern she heard in her son's voice.

"No, no, it's nothing like that, sweetheart." She replied with a sad smile. "He's just mixed up with the wrong kinds of people, the kinds of people I can't be around…" She said, earning a knowing look from her son. "And I messed up, I should've ended things a long time ago, but I didn't. And now he's gotten himself in trouble, and I- They need proof I wasn't involved in it." She told him, Matt's pensive gaze focused on her as he digested her words.

"...Were you?" He asked, Nancy immediately shaking her head.

"No, I wasn't. I swear to you, I wasn't." She promised, Matt drawing in a slow, deep breath. "I wasn't there… He got mixed up with a couple of bad guys, and one of them-" She cut herself off, Matt raising his eyebrows. "He shot one of them."

"Mom…" He breathed out, bringing his hands up to rub over his face, Nancy immediately shaking her head.

"I wasn't involved, Matthew. I swear to you, I wasn't." She spoke forcefully, her voice no doubt reaching the dining room. "I had nothing to do with it, I didn't even know what all had gone on until the cops showed up at my door asking questions… Apparently the man is in critical condition, but stable. But this entire thing has become a mess, and my parole officer, they need to know I wasn't there when it happened… That I wasn't involved."

"What do you need me for?" He asked, his words nearly cutting hers off, though Matt had a feeling he knew exactly what was coming.

"I… I need you to tell my parole officer I was with you." She spoke, Matt immediately releasing a heavy scoff as he shook his head, the man beginning to pace back and forth. "Matt-"

"You can't be serious." He huffed out, his feet burning holes through the floor as he continued to walk back and forth.

"Matthew, honey-"

"You really came all the way here, to Gabby's parent's house, just to ask me to lie for you? When I have no idea if you're even telling me the truth right now?" His words were rhetorical, Matt releasing a few more heavy breaths as he clenched his hand by his side.

"I am telling you the truth." She spoke firmly, Nancy taking a step towards him as his pacing slowed down. "I promise, I'm telling you the truth. I wasn't involved with this, Matthew. But I don't have anyone to say otherwise." She explained, her words causing him to look back towards him, his eyes tracing over her face before he spoke up.

"Your boyfriend- ex, whatever he is, he won't say you weren't there?"

"Him and I… It just didn't end well. I can't count on him to help me with this, and your sister-" She cut herself off, Matt grimacing slightly, "You're just the only person I know who could help me, sweetheart. And I need your help." She breathed out, Nancy clenching her hands together nervously. "This thing- this mess, I can't get dragged down with this… I've done well, I've stayed out of trouble. And my time on parole is almost up… I can't have anything wreck that. Especially not this. Not when I didn't do anything." She spoke, her son drawing in a deep breath as he took in her words, Matt staying silent as a heavy feeling settled around them. "I swear to you, Matthew, I wasn't involved in this. But I don't have anyone to prove that…"

The silence between them prolonged for a few more moments, Matt doing what he could to keep his breathing under control as he tried to figure out what to say to her, his mind running rampant as he worked through how overwhelmed he felt in this moment, this being the last thing he was expecting when he came to dinner tonight with Gabby's family.

"What _were_ you doing?" He asked roughly, Nancy's eyebrows furrowing as he broke the quiet around them.

"What?"

"When this guy was shot- when whatever happened, happened… What were you doing?" He asked again, his voice barely audible as Nancy pursed her lips together, their eyes locked on one another as Matt waited for her answer.

"...I was at home.. Alone." She replied, seeing the flash of hesitance that appeared in her son's gaze, Nancy immediately shaking her head as she took a step closer to him. "Matthew, I swear to you, that's where I was."

"Then why do you need me to lie for you?" He interrupted, Nancy drawing in a deep breath as she shook her head. "If you were just at home, not doing anything, you wouldn't need me to lie for you…"

"I panicked, okay." She admitted, Matt's eyebrows furrowing in confusion as the words left her lips.

"What?"

"I panicked… When my parole officer asked me the other day where I was, I panicked, and I said I was with you." She explained, a look of disbelief flickering in his eyes before he scoffed heavily, Matt immediately shaking his head.

"Goddammit, Mom-"

"Matthew-"

"No, why did you drag me into this?" He questioned harshly, his anger taking over as his voice got higher, the Dawson's surely able to hear him in the other room. "If you weren't doing anything, why not just say that?! Why drag me into this shit?"

"Because I thought my own son would have my back!" She yelled, Matt's chest heaving as her loud voice rang throughout the room, the man drawing in a deep breath to steady his anger as Nancy's eyes narrowed. "I told you what happened… I panicked, I thought they wouldn't believe me, and you were the one person I knew- I _thought_ would help me. And now if you don't, I could get in some serious trouble-"

A dry chuckle escaped his lips, the sound cutting her off as Matt shook his head roughly. "Is that really what you're doing? You're trying to guilt me into lying for you?"

"I'm trying to get you to help me." She countered, her tight gaze never leaving her son. "I need you to believe me when I tell you I wasn't doing anything wrong, I just need you to help them believe that… All you would have to do is tell them I was with you, and Gabby, if you want-"

"Do _not_ bring Gabby into this." He nearly growled, Matt's eyes darkening when his mother mentioned his girlfriend. "You hear me? Don't make her a part of this."

Nancy was taken aback by the tone in her son's voice, Matt seemingly not caring that he was speaking to his mother anymore the second she mentioned Gabby, the older Casey recognizing that protective look in his eye as he straightened his back.

"Okay, I won't." She promised, his glare never lifting. "I haven't… I only mentioned you, I didn't say anything about her- I wasn't sure if you two were even… I only mentioned you." She settled on, Matt drawing in a deep breath before he nodded, the tension in his body lessening slightly. But only for a moment, the air around them thick as Nancy's eyes darted around the entryway, knowing she still had no answer from her son. "So, um… Will you do it?" She questioned, his bright blue eyes still a few shades darker than normal as he focused in on her. "Will you help me?"

"You mean will I lie for you?" He responded roughly, Nancy drawing in a deep breath.

"Honey…"

"I don't know, Mom." He spoke, his tone clearly showing his aggravation at her before he ran his hand along the back of his neck. "I… I don't know." He repeated, Nancy biting down on her lip before she nodded. "When- when would you need me to talk to them?"

"I've been putting them off for a little bit, but my parole officer is gonna wanna speak to you soon… She, um- She might just go around me, and contact you directly if I keep holding things off… So I'm not sure." She explained, Matt releasing a soft sigh before he nodded, the man feeling the pressure in his head continue to grow. "I just- I need your help, Matthew… Please."

"...I need to think about it." He breathed out, Nancy clenching her neck tightly, clearly holding back on what she wanted to say. "I just… I don't know, Mom. You kind of blindsided me with this, and I need a second to think."

Slowly, she nodded, Nancy biting down on the inside of her cheek before she took a slight step away from him, her body moving her towards the door, sensing she had done all she could, and the best thing now was for her to go. "Alright, well, um… I'm sorry, again, for showing up here, and for interrupting your evening… Thank you, for listening to what I had to say… It would mean a lot to me if you could do this for me, sweetheart. But you take some time, think about it." She told him, Matt giving her a slight nod before she took another step backwards. "I'm gonna get going, just, uh- apologize, to Gabby's family for me."

And without so much as a goodbye, she was gone, Matt standing frozen in his spot as the door closed behind her, a heavy feeling of uncertainty weighing him down as he stood in the foyer, like he wasn't even sure if that had been a real conversation. Drawing in a deep breath, he ran his hand along the top of his head, Matt trying to get a handle on himself before he walked back into that room, the man not even sure what he'd be walking into. He wasn't stupid, he knew they'd probably heard most, if not all, of his conversation with his mother, especially when they'd started yelling at one another, but truthfully, this entire thing had been such a blur, he couldn't even fully remember what all they might've heard. And because of that unexpected interruption, and the conversation that followed, Matt couldn't say he was eager to walk back into that room, the man feeling a sense of embarrassment wash over him that he hadn't felt in a long time. But he knew he couldn't just stand here much longer, the firefighter sucking in a quick breath before he forced himself to walk back towards the dining room, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion when he was met with an empty room.

Glancing around, he tried to figure where they might've gone, the man continuing towards the kitchen, guessing that to be the most reasonable explanation as to where the Dawsons had gone. And his assumption was proven correct the second he stepped through the doorway and saw them all inside the room, Camila, Ramon, and Antonio sitting at the small kitchen table under the windows, while Gabby was perched close to him by the door, her body resting against the counters as they all waited for him to be done.

Gabby noticed him first, Matt immediately seeing the confusion and worry resting in her gaze, her lips turned down into a frown as her eyes traced over his features, clearly trying to get a read on him. And within seconds, the rest of them noticing his presence as well, Camila immediately standing up as Matt cleared his throat, the man trying to will away the warmth he felt spreading to his cheeks as the discomfort set in.

"Hi Matthew." Camila spoke warmly, Casey offering her a small smile as her eyes flickered behind him, like she was looking for someone. "Is your mother staying for dinner?" She questioned, Matt giving her a weak smile before he shook his head.

"No, she uh- She had to get going." He replied, his words earning a nod from her as both Ramon and Antonio stood up as well. "But she did want me to tell you she was sorry, for stopping by the way she did." He continued, Camila's eyebrows furrowing as she walked towards him. "And I'm sorry, too… I didn't know she was coming, but I just- Yeah, I'm really sorry about that."

"Oh, nonsense." Camila waved him off with a comforting smile. "You know you're welcome here any time, which means so is your family." She added, the woman coming to press a quick kiss to the side of his face as Matt bent down slightly. "I'm just sorry she wasn't able to stay, but you don't need to apologize for anything, sweetheart." She assured him, rubbing over his arm as he gave her a grateful nod.

"Thank you." He murmured, the woman nodding once more before she stepped past him, Ramon following close behind her, the man patting his shoulder with a strong grip before he left as well, Antonio soon leaving too, but not before offering him a strong nod, showing his silent support for the man until it was just Matt and Gabby left in the room.

She hadn't moved from her spot against the counter, Gabby's eyes focused on him as Matt brought his hand up to run over the side of his face, Casey feeling like he didn't have to keep his composure as much now that it was just himself and his girlfriend. Seeing the tension he was holding onto, Gabby used her hips to push herself off of the counter, the woman walking towards her boyfriend as he pressed his fingers against his closed eyes, Matt clearly more affected by this than he wanted to let on.

Drawing in a deep breath, Gabby reached out to run her hand over his shoulder, her touch causing him to lift his head as he dropped his hand from his face, Matt immediately finding her warm, compassionate eyes focused on him as she ran her palm up to the back of his neck. They stood in silence for a few seconds, the two not needing words to know exactly what was going on in the other's head, Gabby sighing softly as her thumb ran along the side of his neck.

"How much-" He started, shaking his head slightly as he leaned into her touch. "How much did you all hear?" He questioned with a slight wince, Gabby's reaction giving little in the form of an answer as she continued stroking his skin.

"Some… Most of it." She spoke honestly, Matt pursing his lips together before he nodded, Gabby not missing the look of embarrassment she saw flicker in his eyes, though she wished it wasn't there. "My parents were trying not to listen, but…"

"She was loud." He finished, Gabby giving him a slight nod as he released a heavy breath, Matt bringing his hands back up to cradle his face as he steadied his breathing, Gabby's worry for him only growing.

"...Do you wanna go home?" She questioned softly, Matt's eyebrows furrowing slightly before he shook his head slightly, Gabby's gaze tracing over his features.

"No, no I'm fine… I just wanna enjoy tonight with your family."

"Matt…" She spoke, clearly unconvinced as the man shook his head once more.

"I promise, I'm alright." He assured her, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before she nodded, knowing she wouldn't be able to change his mind. Without a word, she reached for his hand, Gabby lacing their fingers together before she pushed herself up and pressed a gentle kiss against his lips, the woman feeling him relax into her before he reciprocated the action, everything else just melting away as they focused on one another.

When she pulled back, Matt kept his eyes closed for a moment, Gabby not missing the content, small smile one his face as he took a few deep breaths, Gabby rubbing her thumb along the back of his hand as he slowly looked at her. The smile on his face widened when he saw her, Gabby noticing how much calmer he was than a moment ago, Matt bringing their conjoined hands up to his lips before pressing a kiss to her skin, Gabby giving him a soft smile.

"Let's go eat." He told her, Matt stealing another kiss before slowly leading her out of the kitchen towards the dining room, Casey determined to enjoy this night with Gabby and her family, and do what he could to not focus on the words from his mother that were weighing heavily in the back of his mind.

* * *

Matt rolled out his neck as he stepped out of the bathroom, the tension from the evening having settled in his muscles, his towel wrapped securely around his waist as he looked up, finding his girlfriend sitting in the middle of their bed, the t-shirt covering her body certainly belonging to him as she looked up from her book.

"Feel better?" She asked, Matt nodding slightly as he walked over towards her, Gabby marking her place in the book before leaning over to place it down on the nightstand, Casey sitting himself down on the edge of their bed with his back to her.

"I do… I'm exhausted, though."

The couple had been home from the Dawson's house for a little over an hour now, Gabby having jumped in the shower first while Matt hung back in the living room, wanting to catch up on some scores from a few different games, before he went and joined her in the shower. But they weren't together for very long until she got out, Gabby leaving him with a quick kiss before she went through her routine before bed, Matt not bothering to hide the fact he stole a few glances at her while she stood at the sink wrapped in her towel before she left him alone in the bathroom. But in all that time together, they hadn't really talked about what happened.

She hadn't asked him about it, and truthfully, he knew she probably wouldn't. Not tonight, at least. But he knew he needed to talk to her. He couldn't avoid the conversation, especially not with her. And if anything, he needed to talk to her just to get her feedback, so she could help him through this. But still, despite his need to talk to her, he was a little hesitant to open up to her about his family, and his mother specifically. His past wasn't something he liked to talk about, with anyone, ever. It wasn't anything he enjoyed thinking about, let alone tell other people about.

But he knew Gabby wasn't just anyone. And if there was one person he'd _want_ to talk to this about, it'd be her. That much he knew for sure. Especially after everything they'd just worked through with him going to see Bryan, the last thing he wanted to do was keep anything from her. But still, the thought made him nervous, because there were things no one else knew about with his family and his past. Things he'd never told anyone, not even Hallie. And he was apprehensive to let anyone in on that part of his life.

But even with that hesitance, that wasn't the only reason he was a little wary of having this conversation with Gabby, Matt unsure of how his girlfriend would feel when he filled her in on everything that had happened with his family when he was younger.

"Matt..."

Matt's eyes snapped into focus when he heard Gabby's voice, the man turning his head back slightly as he felt the mattress shift, his girlfriend moving to sit on her shins behind him as her hands came out to rest over his shoulders. A frown immediately formed over her face when she felt how tense his body was, Gabby releasing a soft sigh as she began to lightly run her hands along his skin.

"Sorry, what'd you say?" He murmured as Gabby started to massage his neck and his shoulders, Matt's head lulling forward as she rubbed over the knots in his body, the woman staying quiet while she continued pressing her hands into him. A low moan escaped his lips when she hit a particularly sore spot, Gabby continuing her methods as her thumbs dug into his muscles, Matt's body relaxing back into her. And as her skilled hands moved over him, he could feel himself losing more and more of the tension he was holding onto, Gabby knowing exactly what to do to help him feel better as she switched between his neck and his shoulders, his sounds of appreciation for her methods coming every few moments as his hands came out to rest on the mattress beside him.

"Your shoulders are really tight, baby." She spoke softly after a couple minutes of massaging him, Matt rolling out his neck as soon as she paused, the man noticing immediately how much easier his body could move.

"Yeah… Guess you just need to do this more often." He replied lightly, hearing the scoff that came from her lips before she continued, Gabby digging her thumb into one rather large knot just above his shoulder, Matt biting back a few curse words as she worked the sore area.

"Don't get your hopes up, mister." She told him, Matt unable to stop his smile as she ran her fingers up and down his neck, Gabby making sure to be thorough as he reached one hand back to rest beside her leg, the feeling of his skin against hers comforting as he felt himself relax more and more. "...Though maybe I could be persuaded." She added, her words earning a chuckle from her boyfriend as he began sliding her hands over the tops of his shoulders before reaching down around towards his chest, Gabby shuffling her body closer to him until she was pressed against his back.

Instinctively, he leaned back into her, Gabby's knees coming to rest on either side of his hips as she placed her chin on his shoulder, Matt's arms resting comfortably against her legs as she continued to lightly run her hand along his chest. The two took a moment to decompress while Matt focused on the feeling of her body against his, the man able to feel most of her as his thin shirt did little to separate them, the warmth radiating from her chest flooding him with a sense of security as they held onto one another.

"What were you saying before?" He asked once more after a few seconds of silence, Gabby pressing a gentle kiss against his shoulder as her arms hung down in front of him.

"I was just wondering if you were alright." She responded, feeling him release a soft sigh as she pressed another kiss to his skin. "You seemed kind of out of it." She continued, both of them skirting around the topic he knew she was curious about, though he was also aware she wouldn't want to be the one to initiate it, Matt giving her a soft smile before reaching up to grab a hold of one of her hands.

"I'm okay… I just- I don't know." He started quietly, Gabby nodding against him as she waited for him to continue. "My mom showing up at dinner, all of that, I… I wasn't expecting that at all tonight." He breathed out, Dawson not missing how his grip on her hand tightened. "I can't believe she just showed up to your parents house… Will you tell them I'm sorry again?" He questioned, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing as she pulled her head back away from him slightly. "I know they were nice about it, but she kind of messed up our night…"

"You already told my mom like four times, babe." She replied, Matt drawing in a deep breath before he nodded. "Trust me, you don't need to apologize anymore. You never needed to apologize at all…"

"Yeah, I did… Her just showing up like that, her coming and disrupting everything… That wasn't okay." He replied, Gabby hearing a slight hint of hostility in his tone, the same one that had been there earlier this evening."I just wish she hadn't done that."

"Do you wanna talk about it?" She questioned the second he finished, Gabby rubbing her free hand along his bare chest as he released a soft sigh, his reaction making her back off a bit. "We don't have to. I just know you're upset about this, and I want to help you." She continued, her boyfriend remaining quiet as he took a few slow breaths. "You know you can always talk to me, right?"

"I do." He replied instantly, his voice barely audible as she leaned her head against his. "I do know that." He confirmed, the man clearing his throat before speaking up once more. "But everything with my mom, and my family, it's-"

His voice got caught in his throat, Gabby's slow breaths hitting his skin as he thought over what he wanted to say, and how he wanted to say it, his girlfriend waiting patiently as he tried to process through the hundreds of thoughts running around in his mind, Matt eventually speaking up after a couple minutes of silence.

"It's just a lot." He settled on, the man wincing slightly as the lame words left his lips, Gabby merely nodding once more against him, Matt feeling her draw in a deep breath as her hand stroked softly over his chest.

"Baby, you know I get it if there's some things you can't talk about. I know better than anyone." She murmured against his ear, Matt giving her a nod as he squeezed her hand supportively. "So if there's some things you can't talk about, or don't feel ready to talk about, I completely understand. But, when you are ready, with whatever it is… I'm here to listen." She assured him, Matt leaning his head further into hers as they sat on their bed, her words calming him considerably as the combination of her soothing voice and the warmth of her touch kept him grounded.

It was quiet for a few moments, Gabby staying silent as she took steady, slow breaths, her boyfriend relaxing more and more into her body as she kept them upright on the bed, his finger tracing patterns along the back of her hands as he matched her breathing.

"She asked me for a favor." He spoke up after a few minutes, Gabby giving him a slight nod, encouraging him to continue. That much, she already knew, Dawson having heard enough of his conversation from earlier to know Nancy had asked him to do something he clearly didn't feel comfortable doing. "She, um- It's a long story, but she was in jail for a while-" He cut himself off, the words hanging heavily around him as waited for some sort of reaction from his girlfriend; he waited for her to tense up, or for her to shy away from him, especially considering everything they were dealing with when it came to Walker, but she didn't. She didn't pull away, she didn't react much at all, Gabby just continuing to rub calming patterns over his chest while taking steady breaths.

"Okay." She murmured when his pause had lasted a little longer, Gabby's mind flooding with hundreds of questions, but none she was going to ask him right now.

"And all that- it's such a mess, and everything that happened, I- I don't know if-"

"Hey, hey." She soothed, Gabby pulling back so she could get a better look at him, the woman adjusting her body to sit next to him on the bed as she sensed his growing anxiety. "It's okay." She spoke, Matt looking towards her as she sat down beside him, her feet resting on the floor beside his as she reached up to run her fingers through his damp hair. "Just take a breath, it's okay." She instructed, Matt nodding before following her lead, the man feeling himself calm down every time he breathed air into his lungs.

"Sorry…" He murmured, Gabby immediately shaking her head before she leaned forward to press a kiss into his hair.

"Don't apologize." She told him, Matt releasing a heavy sigh before nodding, Gabby sensing just how difficult a subject this was for him, and it nearly broke her heart.

In all the time they'd known each other, she'd rarely seen him like this; so lost, and anxious. The only time she could remember was after everyone had been told the lies about him and Hallie, Gabby remembering just how broken he'd been right after that happened. But other than that, she couldn't remember a time seeing him this distraught, and she couldn't say it was something she enjoyed witnessing.

"I'm just… There's a lot that happened there, and yeah- she was in prison for a while… For a long time." He told her, Gabby knowing now wasn't the time to push for any more details about what had happened with his mom as she gave him a nod. "But she's been out… She got out on parole, instead of serving out the rest of her sentence. She's been out for almost five years, and her time is almost up, but she- She did what she always does, and she gets mixed up with the wrong people. She can't help herself." He breathed out frustratedly.

"What happened?" She questioned, figuring that was a safer place to start, Matt drawing in a deep breath before he began to explain what all his mother had said earlier.

He wasn't sure how much detail he needed to go into, Matt well aware his conversation with his mother hadn't exactly been a private one, but still, he told her everything, Casey knowing she'd need to know all of what had been talked about this evening before she could help him come to a decision, Gabby listening intently to every word, the woman digesting what he was telling her as quickly as she could.

"And I just- I don't even know anything about this guy, he ex- But I don't know why she'd risk messing things up. I don't understand why she was ever with him in the first place, but now this is all just one big mess, and she's dragging me into it." He huffed out, rubbing his hand tiredly over his face as Gabby gave him a nod.

"What would happen if you didn't lie for her?" She asked him, Matt catching her gaze before he responded.

"Honestly? I don't know… Maybe nothing. But it wouldn't look good for her. She already told them she was with me, so if I go and say she wasn't, I don't know what would happen… I don't know anything about this guy, or the people with him… I don't know if they'd try to drag her into this or not." He spoke with furrowed brows, Gabby nodding slowly as she digested everything he'd told her.

"Do you know what you're gonna do?" She questioned after a few moments, the man clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth before he shrugged.

"Honestly? I don't know… I mean, I can't lie for her, can I?" He questioned, his eyes locked on her as she pursed her lips together. "What if they find out the truth? Surely there's consequences for that, and I don't even know if she's telling _me _the truth or not… I have no idea if she's lying about where she was when this happened, and I-" He cut himself off, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing together as she saw him hesitate.

"...What?" She questioned, Matt running his tongue along the inside of his cheek before he shook his head, Gabby hearing him release a quiet scoff.

"There's a part of me that feels like I should just leave this alone." He admitted, their eyes locked on one another as he tried to gauge her reaction. "I… I mean, why should I help her? She's doing what she's always done, and that's come to me when she needs help. When she gets herself in trouble, suddenly she appears and is in my life again, but other than that? I mean, she hasn't been here… Hell, she couldn't even remember my own fucking birthday." He huffed out as she sensed his anger growing, the woman running her hand along the back of his head and neck to try and calm him down, Gabby coming to understand why Matt felt so much animosity towards his mother. "I just… There's a voice in the back of my head telling me that I should just ignore her, and run the other direction. Because I didn't cause her to be in this mess. I've hardly seen her, let alone do I know what all she's been doing, and I feel like I should just leave it alone… And whatever happens, happens…" He spoke, though Gabby could sense there was more to it, the woman soon realizing exactly what was going through his mind the second they locked eyes. "But then there's the other part of me, that can't help but worry that if I don't do this…"

"She'll end up back in there." She spoke up, Matt drawing in a deep breath before he nodded.

"I don't even know how big of a chance it is, I mean, they'd have to be able to prove she was actually involved, right?" He questioned, Matt clearly searching for answers as Gabby gave him a slight nod.

"Yeah, I think so…"

"But if she doesn't have anyone to say she wasn't there, and they try and pull her into this… I don't know what might happen." He breathed out, Gabby scratching his scalp lightly as he placed his palms over his legs. "And, regardless of how things are between her and I… If something were to happen, and she ended up back in there, especially if she didn't do anything… I don't know if I could live with that." He admitted, his words causing a slight frown to form over her lips before she nodded. "She may not be the best mom, but she's still my mom, and after everything that happened, I just- I don't know if I can turn my back on her… But I don't know what to do. I don't know if I should help her." He spoke, his voice unsure as he searched her eyes for any sort of answer, Matt seeing nothing but sadness shining back at him, Gabby knowing she couldn't give him what he was looking for.

"I… I don't know what to tell you, baby… If this were me, would I do it for you?" She questioned rhetorically, stroking her thumb along the back of his neck. "In a heartbeat. Or if it was Antonio, or my parents, yeah, I would. Without a doubt… But I know things with your mom-" She cut herself off, taking a breath before she continued. "They're not easy. I know I don't know much… I don't know what happened, or why she was in prison, but even if I did, I can't make this decision for you, baby." She told him, Gabby trying to keep her own feelings out of it for his sake.

But she hated that Nancy brought him into this, she hated how Matt felt so conflicted, and the thought of him helping her made her nervous. For all the reasons he said, she had no idea what would happen if he lied and got caught, but she also knew it wasn't her place to make this decision for him. Especially when she couldn't sit here and say she wouldn't do the exact same thing for her family.

Releasing a heavy breath, he nodded, Matt reaching his hand out to place his palm over her bare leg, the man giving her skin a comforting squeeze before finding her gaze, Gabby seeing a look she couldn't quite read shining back at her. "I think… I think I'm just gonna leave it alone." He spoke, Gabby slowly nodding, the woman somewhat shocked by his answer but she said nothing. "I know this might end up hurting her, but I- I don't want to be involved in all this, and I don't want _you_ to be involved, either. And if I did lie for her, you'd be a part of this too because you know about it, and if she is lying about where she was… I don't want to do anything that might make this come back on you." He continued, Gabby running her tongue along her bottom lip. "And with your parents, and god forbid Antonio- if they ever found out, I… The last thing I want is for any of you to be drug into this. So I think it's for the best if I just stay out of it."

She gave him a slow nod, Gabby offering him a small smile as he watched her closely, Matt clearly needing assurance that she thought he was making the right decision.

"Okay." She replied, Matt pausing for a moment before nodding. "If that's what you think is best, then that's what you should do." She told him, Matt giving her a quick nod before he straightened out his back.

"I do… I think it's for the best." He repeated, Gabby nodding in agreement before she leaned forward to press a kiss to his lips, Matt's arm immediately snaking around her waist as he relaxed into her.

Their movements were soft, and slow, Matt thankful for the contact more than anything else before they slowly pulled away from one another, Gabby seeing the heavy exhaustion present in his gaze, a small smile forming over her face before she stroked her thumb along his cheek.

"Let's get some sleep, yeah?" She questioned, Matt nodding almost immediately before he leaned in to give her one more quick kiss, the couple pulling away as quickly as they met before Matt stood up. While he got dressed for bed, the man exchanging his towel for a pair of boxers, Gabby made herself comfortable underneath their covers, the woman laying on her back on her side of the bed while she waited for her boyfriend. And as he walked back towards her, she extended her arm out, a soft smile forming over his face as he paused a few steps from the bed. "Come here." She prompted, waving her hand before he walked the short distance left between them and climbed in beside her, his head immediately nestling into her chest as he wrapped his arm around her waist, Gabby holding onto him tightly while he settled against her.

They didn't switch roles like this too regularly, but Gabby sensed he needed the comfort, the woman running her hand through his short hair as his ear rested just over her heart, the pair holding onto one another with a secure grip as they decompressed after their surprisingly eventful evening, Gabby only letting go long enough to reach over and turn off the lamp, bathing the room in complete darkness so they could finally sleep.

* * *

"God, I'm telling you, we need to rectify this whole 'the Dawson's only inviting Casey over for family dinner' thing, it seems a little messed up, if you ask me." The blonde paramedic huffed out as they sat in the back of the rig, the women currently working through their list of inventory. Though it had ended up being more of Shay complaining than anything else, Dawson's partner not too impressed by the lack of time she'd spent with Gabby's parents ever since Matt came into the picture, especially when the topic of their last dinner came up. Though Shay had only gotten the highlights, Gabby knowing it wasn't her place to bring up everything that had happened that night.

"Shay, you're more than welcome to come." Gabby replied with a chuckle as she looked over their list, missing the playful glare her friend was giving her.

"Right? Like I could take away from Ramon and Camila's time with Casey… I swear, they love him more than you." She replied, Gabby scoffing before she lifted the board up and lightly tapped Shay's side with it, the action causing both of them to laugh before the blonde held her hands up in defense. "What? You know I'm right."

"Yeah, no comment." Dawson replied, Shay shaking her head in amusement before returning her attention to the task at hand, the paramedics wanting to get this done while they had the luxury of being alone in the house, truck, squad, and engine having been called out to a fire right at the start of shift.

"Uh huh, I'm sure…"

"Gabby."

A familiar voice cut off Shay's words, the PIC's face covered in confusion before she even looked up, Gabby soon finding the older woman standing a few feet outside their rig, Shay glancing back and forth between her partner and this lady she didn't know.

"Nancy." Gabby spoke, her voice not hiding the uncertainty she was feeling as her eyes flickered back and forth between Matt's mother and Shay. "What, uh… What are you doing here?" She questioned cautiously, knowing she had to be careful with the extra set of ears next to her.

"I came to talk to you… And Matt, but I take it he's not here." She responded, Nancy clearly having noticed the near empty garage.

"Yeah, uh- okay… Shay, can you- I need a minute." She stuttered out, her partner nodding reluctantly before she moved to climb down out of the rig.

"Of course… I'll be inside." She responded, the paramedic offering the older woman a small smile before she walked towards the firehouse, Gabby climbing down out from the back of the rig as well, Dawson keeping her distance as she waited to make sure Shay was out of sight before returning her attention to Nancy.

"I'm sorry for just showing up like this…" She spoke before Gabby could get a word out. "I know I keep springing up on you all, and I don't mean to, but this- It's important. And I needed to come here…" She said, Gabby's back tensing slightly as she had a pretty good idea of why the older Casey was here. "I just- I need you to talk to Matt for me." She requested, Dawson releasing a heavy sigh before she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Nancy…"

"I need you to get him to help me." She continued like Gabby hadn't said anything, the desperation in her voice clear. "I'm assuming he talked to you, and told you what happened, and I need you to talk to him."

"You really need to speak with him." Gabby cut in, knowing the woman had no idea Matt had decided not to help her, and Dawson couldn't be the one to tell her that.

"Gabby, he'll listen to you." She pushed on, Dawson releasing a heavy breath. "I don't know much about my son these days, but one thing I do know is that if anyone can get him to see reason, it's you." She said, Gabby unable to stop her eyes from narrowing as those words left her lips.

"This isn't just something he needs to 'see reason' on." Gabby bit back suddenly, Nancy hearing her rough voice, the older woman surprised to hear how upset she sounded. "I'm sorry, but what you're asking him to do… That's not some little thing, Nancy. And even if it was, I'm not gonna tell him what to do."

"I know, I know it's a lot." She countered. "I know that, and it's not fair to him-"

"You're right." Gabby cut in, her voice hard. "It's not fair to him. It's not fair to him at all, he deserves better than that. You, showing up out of the blue, asking him to do this- to _lie_ like this for you, after you haven't been there for him. That's not fair to him." She snapped, Nancy clearly taken aback by her tone as Gabby's harsh glare focused on her, the paramedic unable to keep her annoyance at the woman across from her hidden any longer.

"Gabby, you don't know-"

"You couldn't even remember his own birthday." She interjected, Nancy pursing her lips together before she sighed heavily. "He's your son, and you barely remembered that. And if I had to guess, I'd say the only reason you told him at all was because you needed something from him."

She could tell her words had been like a slap to the face, but a part of Gabby didn't care, Dawson's need to protect Matt outweighing everything else. Because while she didn't know much about the history of Matt and his mother, she knew how affected he was because of whatever had happened between them, not to mention what was happening right now, and she couldn't help but feel angry at the person who had left him feeling as lost as he did.

"I'm really not trying to cause any problems here, I promise I'm not." Gabby continued when Nancy had yet to say anything, the paramedic having calmed down a bit as his mother's gaze stayed locked on her. "But your son has been alone, for a long time… Certainly for as long as I've known him, he hasn't had you in his life, and then you show up now only when you need something, he doesn't know how to feel about that." She spoke, her truthful words slicing through the thick air. "So no, that's not fair to him. And I'm sorry if I'm overstepping, or being rude, but you just showed up and asked this huge thing of him, with no regard for him in any of this."

"That's not true, Gabby." She fought back, Gabby pursing her lips together before straightening out her spine. "I know you're just trying to protect him, and I'm glad he has you, but, no offense, you have no idea what you're talking about. You've been in my son's life for all of two seconds, so I don't need a lecture from you." She spoke harshly, her words getting more hostile by the second as Gabby gave her little in the form of a reaction, their gazes locked on one another as the paramedic clenched her neck.

"...I think you should go." She responded quietly, Nancy releasing a heavy breath before she nodded, the woman tightening her hold on the bag over her shoulder before she took a step back.

"Yeah, I probably should." She agreed, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek as Nancy began to walk away. But she only got a few steps before she stopped, Dawson keeping her eyes on her as she looked back. "...I know you have a problem with me because of this, because of how Matt feels, and I can't change that, but if you'd just talk to him... I need his help. I served my time for what happened to his father, I don't deserve to go back there." She spoke, Gabby keeping her face blank despite the new information she'd just been given, "And I know I haven't been the best mother, that he's had to do a lot on his own, but I love him, Gabby. I love my son, and I love his sister, and I want to be able to be here for them. To make up for all the time I've lost… And if he doesn't help me, I might not be able to do that. So please, Gabby… Please, talk to him."

She turned back around nearly as soon as she'd finished, Gabby unable to keep back the words sitting on the tip of her tongue, the woman blurting out her next sentence before she could even stop herself.

"You've been out for five years…" She spoke roughly, her words causing Nancy to stop, but she didn't turn back around, Gabby seeing her tense slightly. "If this was really about him, you would've shown up a long time ago."

Her harsh words hung in the air, Nancy staying silent as she stood frozen in her spot for a moment, before she began walking without another word, the woman disappearing from the garage. With frustration coursing through her body, Gabby turned back to the rig, the woman huffing out a heavy breath as she slammed her hand against the back of the ambulance before she could stop herself, pain shooting through to her fingertips while she hung her head down to the ground, the woman coming to realize she just might've made this all much worse.


	62. Chapter Sixty One

**Hi guys! Here's the next chapter for you all, I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for reading!**

**Also, there is an M Rated section in this one, just so you all know.**

**Stay safe, everyone xx**

* * *

**SIXTY ONE**

* * *

Dawson paced back and forth in the bunk room outside of Matt's office, the paramedic keeping her head angled to the ground as she waited for her boyfriend's inevitable return, her mind racing as she tried to steady the trembling in her hands while the minutes passed slowly. She wasn't entirely sure how long she'd been in here, Gabby having come straight here after her impromptu conversation with Nancy, but it felt like it had been hours, Dawson becoming more and more trapped inside her own head with the more time that passed without 81 returning to the house.

She knew she messed up; she absolutely did. Regardless of what Nancy was asking of her son, Gabby had no place inserting herself into it, especially when she didn't know much of the story there at all. So her speaking to Nancy that way, she knew she fucked up. She probably just made this already uneasy situation all the worse, but she couldn't help it. She tried to keep her mouth shut, she tried to not engage, but the older Casey was making it so difficult, to the point where Dawson couldn't stop herself. But as she often did, she felt like she pushed it too far, Gabby most likely overstepping her boundaries where Matt and his mom were concerned. And she couldn't help but feel mad at herself because of it, Gabby wishing she'd been able to just leave it alone and let Matt deal with it. But the girlfriend-side to her made that nearly impossible, as she knew Matt deserved better than what he was getting from his own mother.

Gabby wouldn't pretend to understand anything about their relationship, or act like she knew how Matt and his mother got along, but what she did understand was the fact that Matt was upset. He was upset by what Nancy was asking him to do, and he was upset by whatever had gone on between them in the past, and that wasn't okay with her. Regardless of what she knew, or didn't know, Matt being hurt wasn't something she'd ever be okay with. And she didn't care that it was his mother who played a part in it, she wouldn't just stand there and act like everything was fine, like Nancy's actions hadn't hurt her son. Because they had. And Matt didn't deserve to get drug into all this the way she'd so abruptly pulled him into it. It wasn't fair to him, and Nancy needed to know that.

But still, Gabby couldn't help but feel like she shouldn't have been the one to say it. That regardless of how she felt, it wasn't her place to insert herself into something that was clearly between the two of them, no matter how much she felt the need to protect her boyfriend. Though, her mixed feelings aside, she knew there was nothing she could do about it now until she talked to Matt and let him know what had happened, unless Nancy had already done that.

Outside in the garage, Matt released a heavy breath as he hopped down the passenger side of truck 81, the man shrugging off his turnout coat and hanging it up on the side of the rig before working on getting out of the rest of his gear, the chatter of the men around him filling his ears as he continued to undress. The call they'd just returned from hadn't been anything too serious, luckily enough everyone got out okay, but it had taken up a good chunk of the day, Matt more than ready to, hopefully, have some time to decompress before getting called out again.

Once he got his boots back on, the Lieutenant began to walk towards the firehouse, the parked ambulance beside his rig telling him Gabby and Shay were still here as he stepped around his firefighters who were taking a little longer to get out of their gear, their conversations slowing them down as Casey walked around the back of the truck, the man intent on heading straight inside to get something to eat, as well as see his girl. But when he walked around squad, his steps slowed when he saw one of the paramedics sitting at the squad table talking with Severide, Matt's eyebrows furrowing as he looked around, hoping to see the PIC out here as well, but he couldn't find her anywhere.

"Hey Shay," Casey spoke up, his voice pausing her conversation with Kelly as the paramedic looked towards him, her eyebrows raised in question. "Where's Gabby?"

"She's inside." She replied, Matt seeing the almost pensive look on her face as she answered his question, a slight hint of confusion covering his features before Shay continued. "I think she's in your office."

"Alright." Casey responded, giving her a thankful nod before moving towards the double doors, knowing his desire for food would have to wait as he was now more interested in finding his girlfriend and making sure everything was alright. Things had been fine before the call, it being just another normal day here at 51, and in any other circumstance, he just would've asked Shay if something happened as Gabby being in his office when the house was empty didn't happen often. But from her demeanor alone, Matt could tell the blonde seemed to be a little unsure, herself. And with practically all of the firehouse out in the garage, Casey figured it best to not press the situation, the Lieutenant knowing that if something actually were wrong, Gabby wouldn't want it to be broadcasted to the entire house.

As he stepped through the double doors, Matt immediately took a right to the go to the bunk room, the completely empty common room a bit eerie as he headed for his destination in the mind, his long stride getting him there rather quickly as he slowly pulled the door open.

Before even stepping into the room, he could see his girlfriend pacing back and forth in front of his office, her movements nearly burning a hole through the floor as her head hung down towards the ground, her posture causing his own spine to straighten as worry flooded his system, Casey unsure of what to think as he stepped further inside. She hadn't noticed him yet, Dawson clearly still caught up in her own head enough to not register the sound of the door opening or closing, Matt's steps slowing down when he got closer to her. As he was thinking over how to approach her, Matt knowing more than most just how startled she could get, the woman suddenly looked up, Gabby having sensed his presence as he stood a few feet from her, her steps stopping abruptly in front of his open office door. The second their gazes locked, he could immediately see the uncertainty and apprehension hiding in her brown eyes, Casey's eyebrows furrowing as he closed any distance left between them while Gabby took a deep breath.

"What's going on?" Were the first words that left his lips, Matt knowing pleasantries were useless at this point as all he wanted was to figure out what was upsetting her, and fix it.

Dawson paused when the question left his lips, Matt immediately noticing the hesitance in her demeanor as she thought over the words resting on the tip of her tongue, the man becoming more and more concerned as he waited for her to respond. But when moments passed and she said nothing, he was all ready to speak up again, to try and help without knowing what the problem was, but he never got the chance as Gabby suddenly blurted out what was weighing on her mind.

"Your mother was here."

It took a moment for him to register what she said, confusion flooding his features as Gabby bit down on her bottom lip, Dawson unsure as to what type of reaction she was going to get from him as the topic of his mom wasn't exactly a pleasant one.

"What?" He finally got out after nearly a minute, Gabby releasing a heavy sigh before nodding back towards his office, the paramedic wanting some privacy for the conversation they were about to have as Casey gave her a nod in response, the couple walking the few short steps into his office before Matt shut the door behind them, effectively shutting them off from everyone else. "My mom was here?" He questioned Gabby giving him a nod as he stepped around her towards his desk, Casey leaning his body weight into the furniture as Gabby stood in front of him with her arms crossed over her chest. "When?"

"While you were out, maybe half an hour ago, I'm not sure." She replied, Matt hesitating for a second before nodding quickly. "She was looking for you."

Another heavy sigh escaped his lips, Matt bringing his hand up to run along the side of his rest before he shook his head, Gabby seeing his frustration beginning to grow as he took a few slow breaths. "Yeah, I know I need to call her, tell her I'm not getting involved in this." He breathed out, Gabby nodding slightly. "I'm sorry she just showed up here, she's gotta quit doing that, god- I'm sorry you had to deal with that." He rambled out, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing in slight confusion, the woman unsure of why he was the one apologizing. He had nothing to apologize for, in fact _she_ was the only one who needed to be apologizing; he just didn't know that yet. But before she could respond, she saw his face pale slightly, Dawson taking a step closer to him as she saw the immediate look of worry that flashed in his eyes. "She didn't- Shay wasn't around when you all talked, was she?"

Gabby's face softened after she heard his words, the paramedic knowing the last thing Matt wanted was for this to become a house issue, and have his personal business all through the firehouse. Especially with something like this, Dawson shaking her head quickly, her silent reassurance causing him to relax before he gave her a nod.

"No, she wasn't… I asked her to leave before I talked to your mom." Dawson verbally assured him, Matt drawing in a deep breath before a grateful smile covered his face.

"Thank you." He murmured, relief washing over him as Gabby gave another quick nod. "I had no idea she'd show up here, though I guess after her following us to your parent's house, I shouldn't be surprised by anything she does anymore… But still, I need to call her, she can't be showing up here, not where I work. Not about this." He huffed out in frustration, the paramedic knowing he was talking to himself more than anything else before his eyes moved up from the ground to meet her gaze, Gabby offering him a small smile. One that immediately calmed him down as a similar look covered his face. "Just… Thank you, for handling that. I really appreciate it."

"It's fine, baby." She responded, the tear of endearment causing his smile to widen a bit as Gabby took another step closer, Matt soon sensing her hesitance as his smile shifted into a slight frown. "But, uh- there is something you should know…"

"What is it?" He questioned, the man pushing himself up off the desk to stand up straight, the look on her face telling him something was seriously bothering her, Matt coming to realize the uneasiness he saw from her moments ago outside his office had to do with more than just his mom coming to the firehouse.

"When your mom was here, her and I talked, and… I kind of-" She cut herself off, Matt noticing the wince that graced her features before she averted her eyes down to his chest. "We kind of got into it."

His eyebrows furrowed as he took in her words, Matt staying quiet as Gabby slowly lifted her head back up, locking eyes with him as she tried to gauge his reaction. Though he was giving little away, Casey pursing his lips together as his eyes stayed locked on her, Gabby suddenly feeling very exposed under his stare, the woman having no idea what to expect from him. But suddenly, his face softened, the man shaking his head as he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth before he spoke up.

"What did she do?"

His words caught her off guard, Gabby's head tilting to the side as Matt's softened gaze stayed focused on her. "What?" She questioned, Casey taking a deep breath before he reached out to place his hands on her arms, Gabby's body immediately relaxing into his touch.

"What'd she say to you?" He elaborated, though his words had her no less confused, Matt scoffing lightly before he continued. "I know you, Gabby. You wouldn't have gotten into a fight with her unless she said something, so what was it?" He pressed, Gabby grazing her teeth along her top lip.

"It wasn't so much what she said to me, but what she was saying about you." She prefaced, Matt's eyebrows furrowing in confusion before she continued to explain what happened earlier today, the paramedic still a bit wary of how he'd react.

Though regardless of that, she told him, Gabby keeping his eyes on him as she went over every detail of her conversation with his mom, from the first things that were said when she showed up, to Nancy trying to get her to convince him to lie for her, to everything after that, she told him all of it, Matt staying silent the entire time. As she recanted her story, she could tell some of the things that had been said surprised him, from both her and from his mom, but she made sure to leave nothing out, the paramedic knowing she owed him that much. But it wasn't lost on her how deadly quiet he'd been, and she certainly didn't miss the way his body tensed when she mentioned the thing Nancy had said about his father. But still, she told him everything.

"And then she said how she was asking this of you because she wanted the chance to reconnect with you, and with your sister… How she missed out on a lot of time already, and she didn't want to risk going back to prison and missing out on any more, but I-" She cut herself off, a heavy grimace covering her face as Matt raised his eyebrows, the man clearly wanting to know what else had been said.

"You what?" He questioned, his voice rough from lack of use as he hadn't spoken at all since she first started telling him what happened.

"I said that… I said that she wasn't doing this for you, because if she was, she would've been here five years ago." She admitted, Matt's face remaining blank as a nearly nauseating feeling of guilt settled in her stomach, his reaction giving her nothing to go on as she tried to figure out how upset he was. But still, he stayed quiet, his eyebrows furrowed together as he drew in a deep breath, Gabby immediately shaking her head as a hint of panic started to settle in her mind. "I'm sorry, Matt." She practically whispered, her unsteady voice snapping him from his haze as his vision came into focus, Casey immediately seeing the distress written across her face. "I shouldn't have said any of it, I know I just messed all this up, and I shouldn't have. I don't know what happened between you two, or what she did, and I shouldn't have gotten involved, I just- I couldn't help it. I know how much this has upset you, and it's killed me- knowing this is hurting you." She only paused long enough to take a breath, Matt unable to get a word in as the nervous words fell from her mouth. "Because I never want to see you upset, and the way she was talking about all of this so casually, like what she was asking wasn't a big deal, it bothered me. But still, I shouldn't have said all that. I should've stayed out of it, and let you handle it, and I'm so sorry, I messed up-"

Her rambling was cut off by Matt pulling her into a tight hug, the man able to sense just how worried she was about this entire thing, though she relaxed almost immediately the second his arms wrapped around her, Gabby releasing a heavy breath before she brought her arms up around his back, the paramedic holding onto him just as tight. Her head was nestled into his neck, Gabby's breathing steadying out as Casey moved his hand up to cradle the back of her head, their embrace comforting them both as they stood in his office, Matt sighing softly before he pressed a kiss to the side of her head.

"It's okay." He murmured, Gabby's breath hitching in her throat before she pulled away from him slightly, only enough to get a look at him as she kept her arms around his waist, Matt immediately seeing the uncertainty in her eyes. "Really, it's fine. I'm not mad at you." He assured her, knowing she needed to hear those words out loud. "My mother, yeah, I'm mad at her, but not you… You didn't do anything wrong, babe."

"Are you sure?" She questioned, Gabby obviously needing the extra reassurance that they were okay. And after everything she'd gone through in the past with Walker, he couldn't say he blamed her, though it still didn't sit well with him. "Because I wouldn't blame you for being upset with me. I really didn't mean to cause any issues between you two, or between your mom and me, I just…"

"You were looking out for me." He finished for her, Gabby's eyes softening as a small, weak smile formed across his lips. "What you did, you were just trying to protect me, and I love you for it…"

"Okay…" She breathed out, though he could sense she wasn't completely convinced. "I'm still sorry, though." She added, Matt shaking his head slightly before pulling her back towards him.

"It's alright." He murmured before leaning forward to press a lingering kiss against her forehead, Dawson nearly melting into the contact. "And, I mean, it's not like I don't understand the impulse." He added before he pulled back once more to get a look at her, Gabby drawing in a deep breath as a sheepish look covered his face, the reference to his recent visit to the prison not going unnoticed by his girlfriend. "So really, don't worry babe… If this causes issues between me and my mom, I'll deal with it. But she never should've shown up here in the first place, and from what I can tell, you weren't wrong for what you said… Honestly, you probably told her some things I never would've been able to." He said as a slight frown tugged on her lips from his words, Gabby taking a slight step back from him as her arms fell down to her sides, Matt losing contact with her as well as he noticed the wary look on her face. "...What is it?"

Drawing in a deep breath, Gabby crossed her arms over her chest, Casey head tilting to the side curiously as he waited for her to speak up. "Do you… Look, I know after what just happened between her and I, I'm probably the last person who should be giving you this advice," She prompted, her words only intriguing him further, "but do you think that maybe you should talk to her?"

Confusion quickly covered his face, the man running his tongue along the inside of his cheek, Gabby soon sensing his uncertainty as she spoke up before he could question her.

"I meant- I know you're gonna call her and tell her what you told me, unless you've changed your mind about helping her…" She spoke cautiously, Matt releasing a heavy breath. "Are you still in the same place with that?"

"I am… I'm staying out of it." He answered softly, Gabby giving him a nod before continuing.

"Alright, well I know you said you're gonna call her, and tell her that. But I meant maybe more you _talking _to her. About everything… Whatever happened between you two, how you're feeling about all this, and everything that happened today." She told him, Gabby seeing the unsure look in his eye as he relaxed his weight into the desk. "I mean, she said she did want to try… To try and be a part of your life again, maybe she does… Maybe that's why she is doing all this."

"Didn't you just say she didn't mean it, though?" He questioned, though his voice wasn't accusatory, Matt's words soft as he tried to understand her reasoning, the paramedic sighing softly before she nodded.

"I did… But baby, it doesn't matter what I think. I barely know the woman, and after today, I doubt she'll ever really want to know me any better anyway, but my opinion isn't what's important here. You are… You are the only thing that matters in all this, at least to me, anyway," She spoke strongly, Matt unable to stop the small smile that fell over his lips. "And, from what I can tell, this strained relationship you two have, it's hurting you… All of this is upsetting you, and if you two talking could at least fix that… Whether you help her or not, if you think this is something she's serious about, that she wants to make an effort to be in your life, then I think you should talk to her." She explained as best she could, Gabby giving him a small, weak smile as she finished talking, the girlfriend just trying her best to support him as much she could regardless of her own personal feelings, as he had done that for her time and time again.

"I… I don't know." He replied after a beat of silence between them, Gabby giving him a slight nod before she stepped back towards him, Matt widening his stance to give her room to stand in between his legs as his hands returned to their familiar position on her lower back. "Would I love to have a relationship with my mom again? Of course I would, but even at our best, things between us were never great… They were never what you have with your parents. Hell, they were never even what I have with your parents." He told her, his words holding more vulnerability than she expected as she placed her hands on his shoulders, the woman rubbing up and down over them, and along the front of his chest, doing whatever she could to comfort him. "And truthfully, I don't even know if my relationship with my mom is worth fixing… I don't know if I believe that she actually _wants_ to fix it." He told her, Gabby nodding sadly as her hands came to rest on the top of his shoulders, her thumb stroking lightly against the side of his neck. "I know you two don't know each other very well, but everything you said- I think you're right. I don't think she actually wants to be in my life, I think she's here because she needs something, and when this goes away, I won't see her again. She might try to make an effort at first, but I don't see it lasting. Even when she showed up out of the blue a few months ago, I was expecting her to need something. I still don't even know what all that was about, but I- I don't know, I don't think she actually cares about fixing things between us."

"Matt…"

"It's fine." He was quick to assure her when he saw the sadness in her eyes, Matt rubbing his hand along her back. "Really, it is… I'm fine. I'm good." He promised her, Gabby pursing her lips together as she kept her gaze focused on him. "Everything in my life right now is good. I'm happy… And you and I, we're good." He continued, Gabby giving him a nod in agreement. "Aside from everything going on with Walker, everything's going well for us right now."

"Yeah, it is." She agreed softly, Matt giving her a small smile before continuing.

"My life right now, it's good… I'm happy the way things are; the happiest I've ever been. I've got my people… I have everyone here, and your parents, and Antonio most days." He spoke with a soft smile, Gabby shaking her head lightly. "And, most importantly, I've got you." He added proudly, Gabby nodding as her grin widened slightly. "I've got everything I need… I have my family. And truthfully, I don't think she's serious about wanting to be a part of that, so I'm good." He told her, Gabby's eyes tracing over his face before she slowly nodded, the woman tapping her thumb against his neck.

"Alright… I just wanted to make sure." She responded, her words bringing a soft smile to his face before he nodded, the man pulling her closer to him as her head rested against his shoulder, the two connecting in a tight hug as he ran his hand up and down her back.

"I know." He murmured, Matt pressing a kiss to the top of her head as they continued relaxing into one another, the contact alone keeping them both grounded as Gabby moved her arms down to wrap around his back, keeping him even closer than he had been just seconds ago. "And it makes me love you even more."

Gabby smiled softly against him, the paramedic nuzzling her head into him before pressing a kiss against his shoulder. "I love you, too."

The couple stood in a comfortable silence for a few long moments, neither one of them making any effort to move as they enjoyed one another's presence, the feeling of Gabby's chest moving against his comforting as her hands came to rest just above his belt, Matt occasionally pressing kisses against her hair.

"You know…" He started after a couple of minutes, Gabby's mind coming back into focus when she registered his voice, the woman waiting to see what he had to say, "it's been a rough few days here between the two of us." He told her, his words catching her slightly off guard despite the truth to them, Gabby nodding against him after a second.

"Yeah, it has." She agreed, Matt continuing to move his large palm up and down her back.

"And I know a lot of that was on me, with going to see Walker. But then all this stuff with my mom, it's just… it's been a lot. For the both of us. And it makes me think we should take a break from it all, and get away for a few days."

Gabby's head pulled back when she heard his suggestion, the woman raising her eyebrows as she locked eyes with him, seeing the small grin resting across his face. "Get away, huh?"

"Yup." He replied, popping the word as it left his lips. "With everything we've had going on, things coming up," He spoke carefully, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek before nodding, "I think it would be good for us. To take a shift off and go away for a weekend. For us to get some time together… Just you and me."

A content sigh left her lips as he spoke, her reaction alone telling him just how much she appreciated the idea before a soft smile formed across her face. "That sounds incredible." She breathed out, Matt matching her grin before he nodded, the man rubbing his hand along her back.

But before he could respond, Matt's phone began to buzz in his pocket, both of them feeling the vibrations between them as the man released a soft breath before dropping his hand from around her waist and reaching for his phone. The second he saw the caller id, a wince covered his face, Matt shaking his head slightly before he silenced the call and slid his phone back into his pocket, the man looking back towards his girlfriend to find a knowing look across her features.

"Let me guess… Your mom?" She questioned, Matt nodding in response as Gabby sighed softly. "I'm sure she's just calling to tell you how much of a bitch your girlfriend is." She added, Casey's head tilting to the side as he feigned pondering over her words, Gabby narrowing her eyes when she saw his playful demeanor.

"Yeah, probably." He responded simply, Matt unable to stop his grin from growing as she playfully punched his side, light chuckles escaping his lips as Gabby hit him once more.

"You think you're so funny." She spoke, Casey shaking his head before he leaned forward to press a quick kiss to her lips, Gabby sighing against him before she kissed him back, the woman just glad to see him as lighthearted as he was after the conversation they'd just had.

Before she told him about what happened with his mom, she truly had no idea what to expect from him. Knowing Matt as well as she did, there was a part of her that was hoping he wouldn't be upset with her, but it was the unknowns of everything with his mother that had her nervous. She wasn't sure what type of reaction he'd have, as the topic of his mom had never been an easy one. But clearly, she should've known she had nothing to worry about.

"I am pretty funny, yeah." He replied, his soft voice pulling her from her thoughts as he tightened his hold around her waist.

"Mhmm… But all jokes aside, you probably should call your mom back, babe." She told him, his smile faltering slightly as he drew in a heavy breath.

"I know, and I will… I just wanna enjoy my time with you a bit longer-"

His words got cut off by the bells ringing out above their heads, Gabby biting back a smirk as they heard 61 being called out, the firefighter holding onto her huffing loudly before she tapped her hand against his side. "Looks like our time is up." She spoke, Gabby leaning forward to press a hard kiss to his lips, the action stunning him for a moment as she pulled back before he could even reciprocate, Dawson chuckling softly as she disentangled herself from his arms. "I'm gonna go, and you have things you need to do, too." She added pointedly, Matt giving her a nod as she stepped towards the door. "I love you."

"Love you too, babe." He replied without missing a beat, Gabby giving him a proud smile as she stepped out into the bunkroom. "Be safe out there."

Gabby blew him a kiss before nodding, Matt's own smile growing as he watched her hurry out of the bunkroom, the man keeping his eyes on her until she was out of sight before he returned his focus to the task at hand, the Lieutenant knowing his girlfriend was right. He needed to talk to his mom, and he needed to do it now. Because if he didn't, he knew she would just keep showing up, and that couldn't keep happening, especially not here at work.

As he released a heavy sigh, the man reached into his pocket and pulled his phone out, Matt dialing the familiar number before putting the device up to his ear as he tried to ignore the lingering feeling of guilt spreading through his gut. He knew he was doing the right thing, or at least he thought he knew he was, but despite that, he couldn't help but feel a little worried. Worried about what this meant for his mother, with him choosing not to help her. But those conflicting feelings aside, he also knew this was really the only choice he had. Even if he wanted to help her, he couldn't; not when Gabby was involved. Because even though he'd told his mom he wanted to leave her out of it, now that his girlfriend knew what was being asked of him, that brought her into this. And he wouldn't ever do anything to risk Gabby getting in trouble, not because of him, and certainly not because of his mom.

And he knew he needed to tell his mom that, but her phone just continued to ring, Matt taking another deep breath as he waited to see if she was going to pick up or not, the man a little confused as to why she wasn't answering, especially considering she'd just tried to reach him moments prior. But she never picked up as he soon got her voicemail, Matt huffing out a breath before he waited for the dial tone, the man not wanting to prolong this any more.

"Hi, Mom, it's me. I, uh- I know you just called, but, um… Gabby told me what happened today, with you coming to the house and what was said between you two, and I-" He cut himself off, shaking his head as he brought his hand up to rub over the side of his face. "I'm sorry you're in this mess, I really am, but I don't want any part of it. You can't keep showing up everywhere, and you especially can't make this Gabby's problem. I am sorry, and I wish I could help, but I can't lie for you… You asking me to do this, it isn't fair to me, and I can't be a part of this… And if you didn't do anything like you say, it shouldn't matter… I'm sorry, I really am, but I can't help you, Mom."

Without saying another word, the man hung up the call, knowing there was no going back now as he roughly tossed his phone behind him onto the desk, Matt pushing him up off the furniture quickly as varying emotions flooded his system. But as he stood up straight, his eyes caught movement outside his office, the man stopping abruptly when he saw Severide standing just beside his open door, Matt's eyes widening slightly in surprise at the unexpected visitor.

He wasn't sure how much Kelly had heard, but by the look covering his friend's face, he could only assume he'd heard some of the call, Severide's eyes flickering back towards his desk before meeting Matt's gaze, a flash of worry immediately showing across his features.

"You all good, man?" He asked carefully, Matt drawing in a deep breath before he nodded, the truck Lieutenant walking towards his door and stepping past Severide as he got out into the bunk room.

"Yeah Sev, I'm good." He assured him, Casey patting him on the shoulder before he headed for the hallway, the man desperate to just put all this behind him.

Though, knowing his mother, it wouldn't be that simple.

* * *

"Matt, baby-"

Gabby choked out the air in her lungs as she ground down onto him, her nails digging into his chest as his palms gripped her hips tighter, Matt doing all he could to help her movements as she bounced up and down on top of him, the man meeting her thrust for thrust as their moans and whines filled the thick air in their bedroom. She could feel herself getting close, Gabby slowly losing more and more control over herself as Matt increased their speed, the woman barely able to form a coherent thought as she arched her back, her head falling backwards as her muscles began to tremble, Matt grinning smugly up at incredible view he had of his girl.

But his smile soon faltered when she tightened around him, Matt shuddering underneath her as he did all he could to keep up his rhythmic pace, though between the show she was currently giving him, and the feeling of her around him, it was nearly an impossible task. But he persisted nonetheless, Matt gripping her body tighter as he lifted his hips up off the bed, a surprised whimper leaving her lips as he brought her closer and closer to the edge, Casey ignoring the stinging pain he felt in his skin as her nails bit into him, Gabby surely leaving her marks behind.

"Matt…" She practically whined, Matt able to read her better than anyone else as he knew she was almost there, her near pleading giving him a newfound sense of determination as he picked up his pace, Gabby using her leverage against his chest to help him as they moved faster. While he had her help, he took the opportunity to move one of his hands towards her chest, Matt gripping her flesh in his warm palm while Gabby kept up her steady pace, the two nearing the end together.

But it was Gabby who let go first, her legs trembling around his waist as he felt her tumble over the edge into pure bliss, Matt doing what he could to keep up his pace as he wasn't quite there yet. If not for his hold on her, she likely would've collapsed down against him, Gabby's entire body shaking as she rode out that high she so desperately craved, the warmth of his hands on her only intensifying the feeling as her body nearly strangled him. But he continued on, Matt not slowing down as he felt himself get closer and closer, Gabby doing all she could to encourage his movements despite the fact that her body felt like jello, her mind barely able to grasp much of anything aside from Matt and the wonderful things he was doing to her. Though even in her hazy state, she could feel the tell tale signs of his release getting closer, Gabby wanting to make sure he felt just as good as he'd made her feel as she continuously tightened herself around him, the action causing him to choke on breath as he hand tightened on her hip, no doubt leaving his own marks behind on her skin.

It took a few moments, Matt's relentless movements making it hard for her to ever really recover from the euphoric sensations she was experiencing, but when she regained more control over herself, she moved her focus to the man underneath her, Gabby sliding one hand down to his stomach while her other moved to rest on top of his that was gripping her chest. Squeezing the top of his hand gently, she slowly removed it from her body before bringing it up to her lips, Gabby continuing to grind down onto him as she leaned forward slightly, Matt watching her with wide eyes as he felt himself losing more and more control despite the fact that Gabby had slowed their pace down considerably.

Without a word, she pressed soft kisses against his hand before taking his thumb in her mouth, Matt instinctively gripping her jaw as she took over most of the work, Gabby regaining some of the speed they lost as she felt the muscles in his abdomen tense underneath her hand. It felt like everything started happening at once as her reckless movements caused him to lose control, Gabby feeling her boyfriend nearly swelling inside her before he finally hit his breaking point. It almost caught her off guard, Matt filling her up as a satisfied smile covered her face before his finger fell from her mouth, his hand touching any part of her he could as he slid down her body, the woman continuing to move while he gave her everything he had.

She slowed down at a gradual pace, Matt's low whines and moans filling her with a sense of pride as his hands came to rest on her hips, Gabby's up and down movements turning into back and forth ones as she did everything she could to make sure he'd gotten everything out of this he could; so much so that it soon started to become too much, the man far too sensitive for what she was still doing to him as he began to squirm underneath her.

"Baby." He breathed out, Gabby grinning softly before she came to a complete stop, a heavy, satisfied breath escaping his lips as he locked eyes with her, the image of her glistening body on top of him something he would never get tired of as her bottom lip tucked between her teeth. They took for a few moments for both of them to settle, Gabby's body still trembling in the aftershocks of their time together, as was his, both of them content to stay here for a little while longer.

"Hi." She eventually spoke up, the simple word bringing a smile to his face as a light chuckle escaped the back of his throat, Matt finding the sudden shift in her demeanor amusing as he ran his hands along her sides.

"Hi." He replied just as she leaned down towards him, the woman capturing his lips in a surprisingly chaste kiss as her chest pressed into his, both of them moving together before he slowly pulled back, Matt moving his hand up to brush a few pieces of stray hair behind her ear. "Thanks for joining me for my nap." He spoke softly, Gabby laughing lightly before she pressed another kiss to his lips.

"You're welcome… Though I guess I didn't let you get much sleep." She responded sheepishly.

"No, not really. But you won't find me complaining." He replied, Gabby raising her eyebrows as a sheepish grin covered her face.

"Oh, I know… I mean, you definitely weren't complaining when I had my-"

He cut her off with another kiss, Gabby giggling against his lips before she reciprocated the action, the woman kissing him back for a few moments before she began to pull away, Matt tapping his fingers against her bare lower back as a chill coursed through her. "...What time are you supposed to meet Shay?" He changed the course of their conversation, his eyes glancing to the clock on the nightstand, seeing it was nearing seven pm.

"Uh, maybe in two hours or so? We didn't really set a time." She told him, Matt giving her a nod before she carefully rolled off of him, the man missing her warmth instantly as she moved to sit on the edge of the bed, Gabby reaching down to the floor to grab Matt's t-shirt that she'd pulled off of him earlier. "You still coming with me?" She questioned as she glanced back towards him, a small smile tugging on her lips when she saw his eyes trailing over her bare form until she put his shirt on, the material soon covering her body from his appreciative stares.

"Absolutely." He replied, Gabby giving him a nod before she stood up and headed for the bathroom.

"Well, that's fine, but you're gonna need to feed me first." She spoke, Gabby winking before she stepped through the open bathroom door, Matt chuckling softly as she disappeared out of sight.

"Yes ma'am!" He called after her before he collapsed back down onto the bed, a content smile forming over his face as he continued to decompress after their unexpected, though not unwelcome, evening in bed together.

After a few moments of quiet, Matt huffed out a breath before forcing himself to lift up and reach over for his phone on the nightstand, the man resting back into their pillows in the middle of their bed before looking at the device in his hands. He quickly took in the usual notifications; a few work emails, and a couple messages from Severide, along with one from Shay, but it was the last one that caused him to sigh heavily, the firefighter smacking his lips together as he saw a missed call and voicemail from his mom.

This had been the second time she'd tried to reach out to him since he left her that voicemail yesterday on shift, and while he hadn't been ignoring her either time, he couldn't help but dread the conversation he knew was coming, Matt huffing out of a heavy sigh before unlocking his phone and going to his calls, the man clicking on his voicemails before putting the phone up to his ear.

"_Hi honey, it's me again… I know you told me you wouldn't be helping me, but please, I really think we should talk more about this. I need you to do this for me, sweetheart. I talked to my parole officer again today, and she's waiting on you for your statement… Just- Please, honey, I really need you to do this. I know you not wanting to help, I know that's not you- that's Gabby talking._" Matt's eyebrows furrowed as he heard his mother's desperate voice, his body tensing as she mentioned Gabby. "_For whatever reason, she doesn't like me… I'm not sure what all she told you about what happened between us at the firehouse, but I can assure you I didn't do anything wrong… Please, just call me back, Matthew. Please._"

As his mom finished speaking, Gabby reemerged through the open doorway leading to the bathroom, still clad in only his shirt with a soft smile resting over her face, Matt tapping out of his calls before placing his phone down on the mattress.

"You okay?" She questioned as she got closer, her smile wavering slightly when she noticed the unsure look in his eye. But Matt simply nodded, the man glancing at his phone before looking back up at her as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I'm good… Just got a voicemail from my mom." He told her, Gabby wincing slightly before nodding understandingly.

"She's still wanting to talk to you, huh?" Dawson asked as she reached out to run her fingers through his tousled hair, the man giving her a nod in response.

"Yeah, she is… I guess her parole officer is looking for me. Needs a statement." He explained, Gabby nodding as she rubbed her thumb along the side of his head, Matt leaning into her touch.

"I'm sorry, babe."

"It's alright… I'll have to call her back, but right now we should get ready. Especially since I have to feed you." He spoke lightly, Gabby's smile returning to her face before she nodded, the woman rubbing his head once more before pulling her hand back.

"Well, you know how I get when I'm hungry." She told him, her nose scrunching up adorably as she spoke, Matt immediately nodding with raised brows.

"Oh, trust me, I know… Now let's go," He spoke with a sudden urgency, the man tossing the sheets off of him, leaving him completely bare as Gabby stood up, Matt soon following her lead. "We need to shower, and knowing how you get in there, that'll probably take a while." He teased her, Gabby cocking her head to the side as his hands reached for the hem of his shirt covering her body, the woman pressing her palm against his chest softly.

"How _I_ get?" She questioned with a scoff, Matt smirking proudly before he ripped his shirt off of her, Gabby shivering involuntarily as they both stood completely nude in the middle of their bedroom. Casey admired the view for a moment before he nodded once more, the man turning her around and leading her towards the bathroom.

"Yeah, how _you_ get… You can never keep your hands off of me." He continued to joke, Gabby shaking her as she let him lead the way. "Though I can't blame you."

"Oh please." She muttered, her exasperated words causing him to chuckle as they continued into the bathroom, both of them well aware that if anything, his words should be the other way around. That _he_ was the one who had trouble keeping his hands to himself when they showered together. But she let him have his fun, Gabby not pressing the issue as they got ready to take a shower together, the couple well aware they had limited time to get cleaned up before they needed to leave the apartment.

But that didn't stop them from making the most out of the time they did have.

* * *

"You want another one, Dawson?" Shay asked from behind the bar, her white rag tossed over her shoulder as Gabby glanced down to the half-full glass in front of her, the woman shrugging before giving her a nod.

"Sure." She responded, Shay nodding in response before moving to make her friend a fresh drink while Gabby's eyes looked around the busy bar, it taking only seconds before her gaze landed on Casey. Her boyfriend was seated across the room at a table with Kelly, though Severide was more focused on the blonde woman that Gabby noticed had come up to them about ten minutes ago, Matt keeping himself preoccupied with the drink in his hand while he occasionally talked to his friend.

"Here you go."

The sound of Shay's voice pulled her from her thoughts, Gabby tearing her eyes away from her boyfriend to look back towards her friend, the blonde paramedic having followed her line of sight to Casey before sliding the drink closer to Gabby, Dawson giving her a thankful nod.

"How's everything there?" Shay questioned, Gabby raising her eyebrows as Leslie's eyes moved back towards Casey. "With lover boy? You two still good?"

"We're fine." She replied without hesitation, Shay pausing for a moment before giving her a nod, the woman behind the bar clearly wanting to press more, but she didn't. It was no secret Shay had been curious about the woman who showed up at the firehouse yesterday, but the one time she openly asked about it, Gabby really didn't have much to say, the brunette knowing it wasn't her information to share. "We actually talked about getting away for a weekend." She continued, Shay raising her eyebrows before a soft smile formed across her lips.

"Yeah?"

"Mhmm… Matt wants to go away for a bit, just him and I." Dawson added, Shay's smile only continuing to grow.

"That'll be fun."

"I think it will be… We both need it." She breathed out, the smile on Shay's face falling slightly before she nodded.

"Yeah, there's seemed to be a lot going on." Shay started, her eyes flashing back towards Casey, "with the both of you." She continued pointedly, Gabby pursing her lips together before she nodded.

"He's been dealing with some family stuff." Gabby responded vaguely, knowing Shay wouldn't stop until she got something, the blonde more worried than anything else.

"I figured it was something like that…" She said, Dawson giving her a slight nod.

"Yeah, but he's fine… We're both good, we just think some time for the two of us would be good."

"I think so, too. You two deserve to have a nice weekend somewhere, away from all the craziness here." Shay agreed, Gabby smiling softly before she nodded. "And good on Casey for the idea." She said with a knowing grin, Gabby's own smile widening before she glanced back at Matt, her eyes immediately locking with his as he was already watching her, his inviting grin growing even more when she looked at him.

"Yeah… he did good."

Across the bar, Casey gave Gabby a quick wink before she turned her attention back to Shay, Matt releasing a heavy breath as his eyes moved back to Severide and the blonde he'd been talking with. When this woman first showed up at their table, she'd made her interest in both of them known, but when Severide made it clear Matt was a happily taken man, she shifted her interest to Kelly instead, which Casey was more than grateful for. Though her presence had kind of taken away from his night out with his friend, Matt all ready to get up and just go hang out with Gabby and Shay as Severide was clearly preoccupied.

But just as he'd said goodbye to his friend and was about to head towards his girl, he caught sight of someone entering the bar, someone he hadn't been expecting as the man soon saw Matt as well. Changing his path, Matt walked towards him, offering him a warm smile as they came to stand by an empty table.

"Hey, Antonio, I wasn't expecting you here tonight." Matt greeted, the two men connecting in a quick hug before pulling back, the older Dawson smiling softly before looking around.

"Yeah, I was talking to Gabby, she said you all would be out here tonight so I figured I'd stop by." He replied, Matt giving him a nod as Antonio ran his tongue along his teeth, the man clearly wanting to say something more. "And I… I haven't really had a chance to see you, or Gabby, since dinner the other night… I wanted to check in, see how you two were doing- with this stuff with your mom."

Matt pursed his lips together before he drew in a deep breath, the firefighter gently crossing his arms over his chest as he nodded, the man knowing Antonio was bound to have a few questions. But as Casey's eyes traced over the man's face, Matt's eyebrows furrowed when he saw a knowing look covering his features, realization soon setting in as the younger man released a heavy sigh.

"...You know, don't you?"

His voice was barely audible, Matt speaking softly in the loud bar as a slight wince covered Antonio's face.

"About my mom… With her being in prison- _Why_ she was in prison… You know." He said again, Antonio huffing out a heavy breath before he nodded, Matt shaking his head slightly before straightening his back, the detective sensing how uncomfortable his sister's boyfriend was.

"When I looked into you, after all that mess with Hallie…" He started to explain, Matt taking another deep breath before he nodded.

"Yeah, I guess I should've realized that would've come up." Casey responded after a few seconds, Antonio nodding slightly in response as Matt shook his head quickly. "...Why didn't you ever say anything?" He questioned almost immediately, the older man running his tongue along the inside of his cheek.

"I figured it wasn't my place." Antonio responded, his words catching Matt's attention, the cop quickly continuing. "Trust me, there was a part of me that wanted to tell Gabby, and keep her away from you- I'm sorry, man. But she's my sister, and seeing all that..." He cut himself off when he saw the look that crossed Casey's face, Matt waving him off before his arms fell to his sides.

"It's fine, I get it… Between what all had been said about me, and what my mom did- I guess I'm just more surprised you _didn't_ say anything."

"Yeah, honestly so am I… And like I said, I wanted to. But then when I came to the firehouse and talked to you, and I just- I don't know, I got this feeling you wouldn't hurt her…"

"Never." Matt interjected strongly, even though he didn't need to. "I'd never do anything to hurt her, Antonio."

"I know you wouldn't… And I knew that then, too. That's why I didn't say anything. I wasn't sure who all knew, if anyone knew, and I didn't feel like it was my place to air all that out. So after I spoke with you, and saw how good of a guy you were, I didn't say anything." He explained, Matt hesitating for a moment before he nodded, the firefighter's eyes flashing towards his girlfriend, Gabby having yet to notice her brother's presence as she continued to talk to her friend.

"I appreciate that." Casey breathed out before looking back towards Antonio. "Really… Thank you, for not saying anything." He continued, the older man shrugging slightly before he caught Matt's gaze. "I know that couldn't have been easy, to not tell Gabby."

"You don't need to thank me… Like I said, I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt her. And I can't imagine what that was like for you growing up, but you're not your parents, Casey. You were a kid, and their actions, that's not on you. That much I do know. So you don't need to thank me for anything." He replied, Matt swallowing the thick lump that formed in his throat before he nodded, the air around them turning thick once more as Antonio ran his tongue over his bottom lip. "But, uh…" Antonio started, the older Dawson looking towards Gabby for a split second before continuing, "does my sister know?"

The look that immediately covered Casey's face gave Antonio all the answer he needed before Matt slowly shook his head, the detective sighing softly before he glanced back towards Gabby.

"Are you gonna tell her?" He pressed, Matt nodding immediately before he spoke up.

"I am… I'm gonna talk to her about it, I just- It's not the easiest thing for me to relive." Casey admitted, not missing the pitiful look that flashed in Antonio's eyes. "But even aside from me, I've also been a little hesitant to bring it up, because of everything she went through with Walker." He spoke quietly, Antonio's neck tightening as the weight of Matt's words hit him. "So I just… Don't wanna bring up any bad memories, I guess. I know she's dealing with everything, and she's doing well, but up until recently that hadn't really been the case. So I guess that's just made me a little weary to talk about it…" He finished, earning an understanding nod from the older brother.

"I get that." Antonio breathed out. "I do, and, as her brother, I appreciate it… But you know you can tell her, Matt. You don't need to be afraid to talk to her about this… If anything, she'll understand more than other people would." He reasoned, Matt running his teeth along his bottom lip before he nodded. "She has a… unique perspective on things like this. One I wish she didn't have. But she does, and knowing my sister, she wouldn't want you to keep this from her because of that."

"Yeah, you're right." Casey agreed after a moment, Antonio giving him a nod before the firefighter opened his mouth to continue, but he never got the chance as a familiar voice cut him off.

"Hey big brother, I wasn't expecting you here tonight."

Antonio and Matt both turned at the sound of Gabby's voice, an instantaneous smile forming over Casey's face when he saw the way her eyes lit up as she walked towards them.

"Yeah, figured I'd come by and have a few drinks with my little sis." He replied, Gabby's smile widening before she brought her brother in for a hug, Antonio rubbing his hand over her back before they separated.

"Well, Shay can get you whatever you want over there." She spoke, Antonio giving her a nod before walking towards the bar, leaving the couple alone as they stood by the table.

As Gabby turned towards her boyfriend, her smile faltered slightly when she saw the almost worried look on his face, confusion settling in across her features as they locked eyes with one another. "You alright?" She questioned, bringing her hand up to the side of his face and stroking her fingers along his skin, Matt smiling softly before he nodded.

"I'm good, babe." He replied, turning his head to press a kiss against her palm before he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Alright…" She responded after a beat of silence, her gaze flickering behind Matt before looking back up at him. "I'm sorry Kelly ditched you." She added lightly, Matt scoffing as he turned back to look at his friend.

"Oh, it's fine… I'd much rather be spending my evening with you, anyway." He told her, his words bringing a proud grin to her face before she leaned into him, Matt pressing a lingering kiss against her hair as they made their way back to the bar, both of them ready to enjoy their night with Shay and Antonio, and do what they could to forget about their problems for a little while.


	63. Chapter Sixty Two

**Hello everyone, here's the next chapter for you all! I know it's a bit shorter than usual, but I hope you all enjoy it! And I wanna say a quick thank you to everyone who's still reading this story, and to those leaving me reviews. It means the world to me, thank you so much for all your support.**

**Also, I mentioned this in my I Won't Let You Go update, but I know not all of you read my other stories, so I just want you all to know that there will be no update for this story, or I Won't Let You Go, next week. But I should be back the week after with updates for you all!**

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**SIXTY TWO**

* * *

Casey stood at the counter in the kitchen while he vaguely listened to the chatter going on around him in the common room, the man working on preparing his late afternoon lunch as 81 had just gotten back from their last call, the Lieutenant skillfully assembling his sandwich before reaching for an orange from the fruit bowl in the middle of the counter.

"Somebody tell me we're eating something good for dinner." Mouch's exasperated voice filtered through his ears, Matt looking up as he continued peeling the fruit in his hands in time to see Shay scoff from the table behind the man sitting in his usual spot on the couch.

"You just had lunch." The paramedic fired back, earning a sharp wave from the firefighter before he shook his head, Matt narrowing his eyes slightly in amusement before refocusing his attention on the task at hand.

"Scrapping around for leftovers is not a lunch." Mouch continued, the man shuffling towards the edge of the couch before looking back, his eyes moving around the room. "I want some real food… Where's Dawson?"

Shay's eyebrows furrowed at the mention of her partner, though it took only seconds for the woman to understand what he was wanting, Leslie glaring slightly before she shook her head.

"You're not gonna make her cook for us, are you?" She questioned, her words earning a heavy scoff from the older man before he shook his head.

"Please, like any of us could _make_ Dawson do anything, well aside from maybe Casey-" Mouch spoke, his subtle shot gaining the attention of more first responders around them, though the Lieutenant hadn't seemed to hear him. "But I was thinking more along the lines of I could ask her if she'd mind cooking for us."

"Ah… Uh huh, I'm sure you were." Shay replied with a smug grin, Kelly shaking his head beside her before the blonde glanced around. "But to answer your question, I don't know where she is… But I'm sure lover boy could tell you." She added with a proud smirk, the firefighters around her chuckling before a few of them turned back to look at Casey, the man off in his own little word as he ate his food.

"Yeah, I'm sure he could… Hey Lieutenant." Mouch tried, but the man didn't seem to hear him as he popped a piece of orange in his mouth, Casey's gaze focused downwards.

"Casey!" Herrmann tried after a second, the firefighter clearly startled before he looked up, finding practically the entirety of Firehouse 51 staring at him.

"What, Herrmann?" He questioned, the older man nodding back to Mouch as Matt's gaze shifted in that direction.

"Where's Dawson?" Mouch asked, Matt glancing off to the side before he answered.

"In the bathroom." He said simply before taking another bite of his late lunch.

"See? Told you he'd know." Shay replied, her words causing Casey's eyebrows to furrow slightly, the man understanding that he'd definitely missed the part of their conversation that involved him and Gabby.

"Why?" Matt pressed, Mouch shaking his head slightly before he shrugged.

"I was just wondering if you'd think she'd be up for making us some dinner?" He asked as Matt's head cocked to the side. "I mean, you know better than anyone just how great her food is. And I think it's warranted after the shift we've had so far." He continued, Casey mulling over his words for a moment before he responded.

"Well, you're right, I do know how great her food is… But that's something you'd have to ask her, Mouch." Matt replied, the older man huffing out a breath before he nodded. "Though if today stays like it has been, I doubt she'll want to." He added, seeing the nearly defeated look that covered his face.

"...I bet she would if you asked." He suggested, an unimpressed look soon covering Casey's features as he raised his eyebrows.

"I'm not gonna try and get her to cook for everyone just cause you don't want to eat a sandwich." Casey responded, his words earning a few laughs from their friends as Mouch shook his head.

"You're just saying that because you get her cooking all the time." He countered, Matt's head tilting to the side just as he felt his phone buzzing in his pocket, Mouch offering him a small smile before adding. "Respectfully, Lieutenant."

"Uh huh." Casey spoke, clearly not believing his words before the firefighter reached down to grab his phone from his pocket, Matt tuning out everyone around him as he looked at the Caller ID flashing back at him, his neck tightening before he shook his head.

He knew he should answer the call. In the three times she'd called him, in less than twenty four hours, he'd either missed it, or ignored it. And considering how her last voicemail went, he knew he should pick up and speak to her. But talking to his mother wasn't exactly something he wanted to do right now.

And a lot of that had to do with Gabby.

He'd be lying if he said his mother placing blame on Gabby didn't anger him, her voicemail from the day before yesterday leaving a bad taste in his mouth. He'd made this decision on his own, and while he had taken Gabby and her advice into account, that didn't mean she was forcing him into anything. And he really did not like how his mother was blaming her for the choice he made.

But not only that, Gabby factored into this in other ways, too, because ever since their conversation last shift, he hadn't been able to get her words out of his head. About how maybe he should try and see if there was a relationship worth salvaging there between him and his mother. Because even though their history was rocky, and he hated that not only had she put him in this position, but she'd brought Gabby into it, she was still his mom. She was family, and there was a part of him that hadn't been able to shake the feeling that maybe Gabby was right; maybe, regardless of him helping her or not, he should still at least try and see if his mom meant what she said. That he should figure out if she was serious about wanting to be in his life or not, and fixing things between them, because at least then he'd know. There'd be no uncertainty, whichever way it went, and _he_ could at least say that he put the effort in.

And maybe one of the biggest factors in all this was that regardless of how it played out with his mom, he knew he'd have Gabby by his side every step of the way.

The vibrations of his phone stopping pulled him from his thoughts, Matt releasing a heavy sigh as he saw the missed call notification pop up across his screen, covering the photo of him and Gabby he had proudly displayed as his background, the man shaking his head before sliding his phone back into his pocket and refocusing his attention on his lunch, Casey knowing he had some decisions to make before he could answer any of those phone calls.

A few feet away, Gabby stepped inside the common room through the conference room door, no one noticing her presence at first as everyone was pretty much occupied by their own things, her eyes immediately landing on her boyfriend as she saw him standing behind the counter, eating his lunch. A soft smile formed over her face as she walked towards him, though her look faltered slightly when she noticed him deep in thought, Matt obviously not aware of her presence as she came up beside him.

Before saying a word, she lightly bumped his hip with hers, the movement causing him to look up, Gabby seeing the immediate realization in his eyes before a warm smile covered his face, Matt's entire body relaxing when he saw her.

"Hey baby." He greeted, Matt leaning over to press a kiss to the side of her head before he did anything else, Gabby smiling softly at the action as he pulled back.

"Hi." She responded, Gabby reaching out to place her hand along his lower back, rubbing lightly over his shirt before she rested her cheek against his arm.

"You hungry?" He questioned, knowing she hadn't eaten anything since this morning, the woman shrugging slightly against his body.

"Kinda… Not sure what I want, though." She replied, Matt nodding before he held out the half of his sandwich he had yet to dig into, Gabby smiling softly before she took the food from him. "Thank you." She added, Casey smiling softly before pressing another kiss to the top of her head, Gabby taking a bite while Matt continued snacking on his oranges.

"Oh, Dawson, there you are." Mouch spoke up, the man finally realizing her presence in the room as she looked over at him, her eyebrows raised slightly.

"What's up Mouch?"

"I was talking with the Lieutenant here, and we'd been thinking-"

"Oh no, don't drag me into this." Matt interrupted, Gabby glancing towards him with an amused expression before the two firefighters began bickering back and forth, no one noticing how the door from the garage opened. "-This was entirely you, Mouch." He added, Mouch opening his mouth to respond but they were cut off by the sound of Cruz's voice.

"There he is." He spoke, Gabby's eyes moving towards the entrance of the common room to find Joe standing there with a woman none of them recognized. She was wearing a suit, the older woman already looking a little agitated as her eyes followed Cruz's gesture.

"Are you Matthew Casey?" She asked, her eyes focused on Matt as Gabby felt his back tense slightly, her boyfriend clearly a little confused as to who this was.

"Yeah, that's me." He replied, Gabby rubbing her hand over his waist before he stepped away from her, Matt moving around the counter as the unknown woman stepped further inside. "How can I help you?" He questioned, the lady pursing her lips together before clasping her hands over the black folder in her hands, her intense gaze focused directly on Matt.

"My name is Joyce Atkins, I'm here to speak with you about your mother, Nancy Casey."

The second those words left her lips, Matt's entire body tightened, Gabby mimicking his reaction as she walked around the counter and slowly came up behind him, Dawson leaving a few feet of space as she was suddenly very aware of everyone else in the room.

"Mr. Casey?" She pressed when Matt had said nothing, Casey clearing his throat as he came to snap out of his daze, the Lieutenant's eyes bouncing around the room to find many curious stares on him. Drawing in a deep breath, he nodded, before looking over towards the conference room.

"Yeah, uh- Alright. We can go in here." He spoke as surely as possible while holding his arm out, the woman nodding before walking in that direction, Matt locking eyes with Gabby as he began to follow her.

Without a word, she gave him a reassuring nod, the supportive smile on her face calming him down considerably before he faced forward, Matt walking into the conference room and shutting the door behind him.

There was an unsure feeling in the common room, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before she walked back to the kitchen, the PIC missing all the confused glances from her friends as they stared at one another.

"Uh Dawson," Herrmann spoke up, the paramedic looking towards him just as she returned to her spot behind the counter. "What's all that about? With his mom?" He questioned, Dawson taking another steadying breath as her eyes flickered to Shay, seeing the understanding look in her eye before she looked back to the firefighter.

"Nothing you need to worry about, Herrmann."

Her strong words were enough to shut him up as he merely gave her a nod before returning his attention to the television, everyone in the room understanding that while Gabby knew what was going on, it wasn't something she was going to be sharing with them.

Inside the conference room, Matt stayed a good few feet away from this woman as he leaned his body down against one of the tables, Joyce flipping through the folder in her hands as they'd been in silence for nearly a minute, Casey waiting for her to take the lead on this as he knew exactly what was coming.

"Well, Mr. Casey, you are an extremely hard man to get a hold of." She started, Matt pursing his lips together before he shook his head.

"Yeah, I'm, uh- sorry about that, I didn't know you were trying to reach me." He told her, though his words weren't entirely true.

"Yes, well, we have been. And I apologize for showing up at your work, but I wouldn't be here if it weren't necessary." She continued, Matt giving her a quick nod as she glanced back down to her folder. "And this won't take very long, either, I just need to ask you a few questions."

"Alright." He replied, Matt keeping his face neutral despite the heavy feeling of guilt that began to spread through his system.

"Now, I'm sure you're aware of this… situation with your mother." She prefaced, Matt giving her another nod. "But all I need from you is to know your whereabouts last Monday evening, and what you were doing."

Her words hung in the air for a moment, Matt steadying his breathing as his arms were crossed over his chest, the man staring straight at this woman, Joyce wearing an expectant look on her face as she waited for him to speak up. And before he could even really register what he was saying, his next words flew out of his mouth.

"I was having dinner with my mom."

It felt as if his throat nearly closed up the second he said it, a rush of a hundred different emotions flooding his body as he came to realize what he'd done. But it was too late to go back now as Joyce gave him a slight nod, Casey not missing the almost relieved look in her eye before she continued.

"Where?" She asked, Matt taking a breath before responding.

"You said last Monday?" He clarified, the woman giving him a nod as he paused for a moment before speaking up. "Yeah, we were at my apartment, she came over for dinner." He told her, knowing he had no choice but to continue going along with this, though he was mentally kicking himself with every word that left his mouth.

"How long was she there?" She pushed on, taking down notes as he spoke.

"A few hours, until around 11 or so." He responded as casually as he could, the man having no idea if this was actually helping his mother or not. But based on the pleased look he was getting from Joyce, he figured he was saying all the right things.

"And was anyone else with you? Your girlfriend, or sister, or anyone?"

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up when she mentioned Gabby, Matt feeling anger begin to rush through him as his mother had promised him she hadn't brought Gabby into it.

"Girlfriend?" He asked, the woman looking up at him with a slightly confused look before she shook her head.

"Sorry, I was just assuming the woman you were standing with out there," She started, Matt drawing in a deep breath as she nodded out towards the common room, "that she was your girlfriend." She explained, Casey pursing his lips together as he nodded in understanding.

"Oh, uh- No, she's not. Just a friend." He spoke quickly, the woman nodding once more before taking down more notes, Matt grimacing slightly as he shifted his weight uncomfortably against the table. He knew he was likely creating a deeper and deeper hole for himself, with how many lies he's told in a matter of minutes, but this particular lie was one he didn't feel guilty about. Because he knew if he said they were together, Joyce would likely drag Gabby into this room and ask her the same questions, and he refused to let her become a part of this. He wanted to keep her as far away from this as he possibly could, so if lying about them being together would help accomplish that, he didn't care.

As he sat here while Joyce continued jotting down some notes, he couldn't really understand why he'd suddenly changed his mind and covered for his mom, but, his lapse in judgement aside, one thing that hadn't changed was making sure Gabby was protected in all this. That was all that mattered to him at this point.

"Alright, well, I think I've got all I need from you." She spoke, Matt's eyebrows furrowing before he nodded, the man pushing himself up off the table. He was a little surprised she wasn't grilling him more, but it wasn't something he'd question as she closed up her folder before looking back at him. "If I have any more questions, my office will give you a call. Again, I'm sorry for just showing up here, but this was important." She told him, Casey giving her an understanding nod.

"It's fine." He replied, his voice sounding foreign from his own as she began walking towards the door that led to the hallway.

"And, uh- between you and me, I am glad to hear your mom was with you." She spoke up, Matt raising his eyebrows slightly as he waited for her to continue. "I've been her parole officer for a long time, and I know she's had a few issues in the past, but she's really done great lately… And with her time almost up, I'd hate for something like this to derail her." She told him, Casey keeping his face blank before giving her a slow nod, Joyce offering him a small smile. "But I won't waste anymore of your time, thank you Mr. Casey."

Without another word, she was gone, Matt watching her through the windows as she headed back in the direction she came from, the man drawing in a deep breath as he slowly became overwhelmed by a rush of different emotions, the main one being anger.

He fucked up, he knew he did. He shouldn't have lied for her, he said he wasn't going to and now he'd likely just created a huge mess for himself. But he couldn't help it. Whatever it was, whatever obligation he felt towards his mother, had made him cover for her. Before he could even really understand what he'd done, he lied for her, and the entire thing made him nauseous.

His nervous energy caused him to begin to pace around the room, Matt's hands coming up to clasp together behind his neck as he moved back and forth in the same five feet of space, his head hanging to the ground as he tried to figure out why the hell he'd done what he did.

He was so caught up in his own head that he didn't hear the door open, or notice the paramedic step inside, making sure the door was closed behind her before she walked over to him, Matt completely unaware of her presence as he moved.

"Matt." She spoke softly, Gabby staying a few steps away as paced, but he wasn't able to hear her. "Baby." She tried again, the term of endearment working as his head snapped up, his gaze immediately locking on hers as she saw all the confusion and anger he was currently holding onto, his expressive eyes giving him away as he stopped moving. "What happened?" She questioned, her words barely audible as she closed the rest of the distance between them.

"I said she was with me." He blurted out, Gabby's eyes widening slightly as she reached out to place her hand on his chest.

"What?"

"I- I panicked, or something, I don't know. But she asked, and I said my mom was with me."

Gabby drew in a deep breath, the woman trying to hide just how shocked she truly was as she could sense her boyfriend was struggling with this.

"I don't even know why I said it- I told her I wasn't gonna do it, I told you I wasn't gonna do it, but I did and I don't-"

"It's okay." Gabby soothed, Matt taking a few quick breaths as he looked to her, her voice alone able to help calm him down better than anything or anyone ever had, their eyes locked on another one as her smile only continued to settle him, Casey reaching out for her hand which she willingly gave.

"I'm sorry." He murmured after a few long moments, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing slightly as her head tilted to the side. "I did what I could to keep you out of it- she thought we were together, but I told her we were just friends, but I shouldn't have lied for her. God, I'm sorry."

"It's okay." She repeated, Gabby taking another step closer as she lifted her free hand up to his neck, stroking her thumb softly along his skin as he nodded. "I told you I'd support you no matter what you did, yeah? And I know this… This thing is tricky, but she's your mom, baby. No matter what we talked about, she's still your mom. And you wanted to help. So it's okay, alright? Everything's fine. We'll figure it out." She assured him, her calm words helping him relax as he took another slow, deep breath.

"Should we tell Antonio?" He questioned, Gabby's eyebrows raising slightly before she shook her head. "I mean, maybe try and get ahead of this if it comes back-"

"I'd leave him out of it." She was quick to tell him. "Unless something happens and you need help, I wouldn't tell him… I don't want him involved in this unless he has to be."

"Yeah, yeah, you're right, I'm sorry. I just- I panicked, I'm sorry." He apologized once more, Gabby giving him a small, supportive smile before squeezing his hand.

"It's alright." She told him, Casey taking a few deep breaths before he nodded. "You were just trying to help your mom… You've got a big heart, and I know that's why you did it. It's part of why I love you so much… Everything will be fine."

Before either said another word, Matt dropped her hand long enough to wrap her up in a tight hug, Gabby's chin resting on his shoulder as he angled down towards her, his arms holding onto her as tightly as they could while her hand came up to the back of his neck, her other rubbing along his back while she felt his breath hit her neck.

"I love you." His muffled words soon found her ear, Gabby smiling softly as her fingers played with the hair at the base of his neck, the woman nodding against him before pressing a kiss to his skin.

"I love you, too." She repeated, her words causing him to hold onto him tighter as he melted into her, Gabby trying to ignore the fact that she was sure everyone in the common room was looking at them through the windows, her main priority being to make sure Matt was alright.

They continued holding onto one another for a few more minutes, Gabby feeling him become more and more relaxed as time continued to pass, the woman making no moves as she wanted to let him be the one to pull back first. Which he eventually did, Matt giving her one last tight squeeze before he slowly pulled away from her, but he was still close enough to keep his hands on her hips as hers slid down to his chest.

"...You okay?" She questioned as her eyes traced over his face, Gabby offering him a supportive smile as she lifted a hand up to brush through his hair, Matt leaning into the contact before he gave her a slight nod.

"Yeah, I am, I just- God, I hope this is over." He breathed out as an understanding look flashed over her face. "I'm so tired of this, I just want it to be done… I hope it is." He added, though Gabby could tell he was worried, the paramedic knowing he was concerned that he might've just made this worse for all of them, if they found out he was lying. And she couldn't say she didn't have the same concern, but now wasn't the time for her to focus on that, Gabby giving him a strong nod.

"I hope so, too… Hopefully, we can just put all this behind us." She agreed, Matt nodding slightly as a small smile formed over her face. "And you know whatever happens, you've always got me. I'm not going anywhere." She reminded him, Gabby sensing he needed to hear it.

Her words caused him to smile, his eyes falling closed for a split second as Gabby continued rubbing her hands through his hair. "I know I do." He replied after a moment, his eyes opening to find her still watching him, with nothing but support and love shining back at him. "And I love you for it." He told her again, the soft grin that formed over her face enough to flood his body with warmth as she nodded, Gabby sliding her hand down to rub over his cheek as their eyes stayed locked on one another.

"I love you, too. And like you said, hopefully now this is all behind us, and your mom won't have this hanging over her anymore… We can all just move forward." She encouraged, Matt pausing for a moment before he nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, we can… Like our weekend away together." He responded, his simple words causing her smile to widen.

"Yes, exactly like that." She replied, Matt turning his head to the side to press a kiss to her palm before he spoke up.

"I can't wait for that… Especially after all of this, I can't wait for us to get away for a little bit. To have nothing to worry about except each other." He spoke as he continued to calm down, Matt feeling a little more level headed than he was moments ago, his words earning a nod from her as he gave her hip a squeeze.

"I'm excited too, baby." She replied, brushing her fingers along the edge of his hair one last time before she dropped her hand. "I think we both deserve it." She added.

But before Matt could respond, the bells rang out above their heads, Gabby sighing softly as she heard ambo being called out along with squad. Tapping his hand against her waist, Matt leaned forward to press a soft kiss to her lips, Gabby reciprocating the gesture before she pulled back, knowing she couldn't keep Shay waiting.

"Be safe out there." He told her, Gabby giving him a nod while she stepped backwards towards the door, Matt instantly missing the warmth of her presence as she hesitated by the door.

"I will… You sure you're okay?" She questioned, Matt smiling softly before nodding as well.

"I'm fine." He assured her, the man not wanting her worried about him while she was going out to do her job, Gabby giving him one last smile before she walked out into the hallway, Matt's face faltering slightly once she was out of sight, the man doing what he could to not worry about the events of the last twenty minutes.

Because despite his original plan, he'd done the opposite of what he said he was going to. And now there was nothing he could do except wait, and hope this didn't come back to bite him in the ass.

* * *

Casey ran his hand lazily up and down Gabby's back as they sat on the couch in their living room, her head resting down against his chest while their eyes focused on the TV in front of them, the couple doing what they could to enjoy their afternoon off together. Gabby's legs were up over his lap, Matt's other hand lightly massaging her leg, her hand resting against his stomach while his chin was resting against the top of her head.

They'd been sitting like this for nearly an hour, the couple content to rest here and watch the movie Gabby had picked out, both of them knowing with the busy evening they had planned later, sitting here together right now and relaxing was the only thing they wanted to be doing. Tonight they were supposed to be going out with Shay and Kelly, and likely ending the night at Molly's to meet up with some of the firehouse, meaning it would be a very late night for the couple. And it was something that they were both looking forward to, despite the fact that Matt was still feeling a little hesitant around everyone since last shift.

It was clear that everyone was worried about him, their friends having expected the worst after that woman came to the house wanting to talk about his mom, then them seeing Gabby comforting him the way she had been, the whole thing had raised some red flags in their minds. And they hadn't hesitated to ask him about it once he'd finally left the conference room. But after some assurances from Matt that everything was fine, they'd seemed to drop the subject, at least in front of him, especially when it was clear it wasn't something he was wanting to talk about. So everyone moved on pretty quickly, even though he was well aware they all had questions. But he could only hope they were questions they'd keep to themselves tonight, though he had a sneaking suspicion that even if they didn't, one glare from Gabby would shut them up before they could even finish asking. And regardless of what conversations would be had tonight, he was still looking forward to having a nice night out with his girl.

The sound of Gabby's stomach growling soon pulled him from his thoughts, Matt chuckling softly as she pulled her head back, a sheepish look covering her face as he ran his hand along her back, his palm resting on the bare skin above her shorts where her tank top had ridden up.

"You hungry?" He asked her, Matt quickly glancing towards the clock, seeing it had been a few hours since they'd had breakfast, Gabby nodding before she slowly disentangled herself from him, the woman placing her feet down on the ground.

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna heat up some of that pizza we have." She replied, Matt shaking his head before he pushed himself to the edge of the couch.

"I got it." He responded, Gabby flashing him a thankful smile as she curled her legs up under herself.

"Thanks babe." She told him, Matt nodding before he walked around the couch to head back towards the kitchen. But he barely got a few steps before they heard a knock on the door, Matt's eyebrows furrowing as he glanced back to Gabby.

"You expecting anyone?" He asked, Gabby shaking her head before he changed his path towards their front door, the man padding across the hardwood floor as the person knocked once more.

When he got to his destination, he flipped the lock before pulling the door open, Matt's eyes widening slightly when he came face to face with his mom, Nancy immediately noticing his shocked expression as they stood there in the doorway.

He hadn't spoken to her; since what happened on shift the day before yesterday, he hadn't called her, or talked to her, and honestly he was a little surprised to see her here now.

"Mom, uh- hi." He said, his voice uncertain as they stared at one another. "What… What are you doing here?" He questioned, Nancy drawing in a deep breath before she responded.

"I came here to see you... and to say thank you." She told him with a small smile, Matt pursing his lips together before sighing softly. "I, um, spoke with Joyce… She told me everything was fine, that my story checked out." She continued expectantly, though Matt remained silent. "And I… I can't thank you enough, Matthew."

"Mom-"

"I know I asked a lot of you, and that it wasn't fair. It wasn't fair of me to come to you at all, and ask you do that for me, but you did, my sweet boy." She continued, Matt running his tongue along his bottom lip as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You helped me, and I just wanted to come and tell you how much I appreciate it, and that I'm sorry, for all of this."

Casey remained quiet for a moment, the man unsure of what to say to her as he felt a little thrown by her gratitude. He was sure she meant it, that she wouldn't have bothered coming all this way if she wasn't grateful for what he'd done, regardless of how it happened. But still, he didn't know how to respond, Matt feeling a bit of lingering resentment towards her for even putting him in this position in the first place, the man drawing in a deep breath before finally speaking up.

"...I helped you this time, but you can't keep doing this, Mom." He said roughly, Nancy's smile faltering slightly before she nodded. "Getting involved with those people, it could ruin your life, and mine. And Gabby's. And God knows who else… You can't keep doing this."

"I know I can't." She agreed almost immediately. "I know I have to be better… Believe me, this was a real wake up call, sweetheart. I don't want this to ever happen again… I need to be better, I want to be." She told him, Matt pausing for a moment before he reluctantly nodded, the man still a little wary of her words. "And I meant what I said before, I want to be a part of your life- A part of yours and Gabby's life..." She added, Matt's eyes narrowing slightly. "I know things between her and I are a little… rocky."

"Yeah, I'm not the only person who deserves an apology here." He was quick to cut in, Nancy releasing a heavy sigh before she nodded once more.

"I'm not proud of what happened, showing up to your work and fighting with her, that's not what I wanted at all, I just- I was so worried."

"That's not all I'm talking about." He pressed, Matt seeing the realization that settled across her face before she spoke up.

"I know it's not." She continued, shaking her head slightly. "I should have never blamed her for this. I wasn't fair to her, this isn't her fault. And it's not your fault, it was no one's but mine. And I was wrong to place that blame on her. I'll apologize to her for that, but I panicked." She did her best to explain, Matt gnawing on the inside of his cheek. "I didn't mean to come into your life and make things hard on you, or on Gabby, and I'm sorry I did, but I knew how bad this could've possibly gone for me and I was freaking out… Because I served my time, I paid for what happened to your dad, and the thought of going back there, when I didn't do anything, it made me a little crazy. But I should've never taken that out on you, or on Gabby, and I'm sorry, honey."

Matt nodded slowly, the man taking a moment to think over her words as a heavy feeling hung in the air around them, Nancy clenching her hands together as she waited for her son to say anything, but he never did, the woman drawing in a deep breath before she continued.

"And I know you don't owe me anything after this, I know how badly I screwed up… All of it. But you have no idea how much this means. You truly saved me Matthew, and I can never thank you enough for that." She spoke, Matt pursing his lips together as his eyes moved down to the ground, the man clearly thinking over his next words before he finally spoke up.

"So this is done?" He questioned, Nancy's eyebrows furrowing. "This mess you got yourself in, it's done? It's over?"

"It is… I spoke with my parole officer yesterday, and again this morning… I'm cleared." She told him, Matt feeling a bit of relief spread through him at her words. "I'm fine… You and I both are. This is over."

Her words gave him the confirmation he needed that everything was alright, Matt having had this feeling of numbness washing over him for the last 48 hours since he'd spoken with her parole officer.

"Alright." He breathed out, Nancy giving him a nod before she smiled softly.

"And, uh… I wasn't just here to say thank you." She prefaced, Matt's head tilting to the side as he waited to hear what else she had to say. "I'm not sure what you're doing today, and you might not want to, after everything, and I'd completely understand, but would you and Gabby like to go out for dinner tonight? My treat?" She asked, Matt releasing a slight breath as he shifted his weight between his feet. "It's okay if you don't, I get it… I messed up with this, and while I do want to be a part of your life, I realize I can't force anything here. So if you don't want to, it's okay, but I just thought I'd ask."

"We, uh… We can't tonight. Gabby and I already have plans." He told her, Matt not missing the way her face fell slightly. "But maybe some other time?"

"I'd like that." She replied almost instantly, Matt giving her a nod before she took a slight step backwards. "Well, I won't take any more of your time, I'll let you get back to Gabby, just- Thank you again, Matthew… Really." She told him one last time, Matt unsure of how to respond as he gave her another nod, the woman smiling softly before she turned to walk down the steps.

But she didn't get very far before his voice stopped her.

"Hey, uh- mom." He spoke up, Nancy halting about halfway down the steps before she turned back to look at him, the firm look on his face confusing her until he continued. "I know you're grateful to me for this… but never put me in that position again."

His words were sharp, Nancy breathing in slowly before she nodded, Matt turning to leave before any more words could be said, the man shutting the door and locking it before heading back for the living room. He didn't want to think about this anymore, or focus on it. He and his mom were fine, they were in the clear, and now all he wanted to do was enjoy the rest of this afternoon with his girlfriend, and put this entire thing behind him. And from the sound of it, that's what his mom wanted, too.

But he could only hope she meant it.


	64. Chapter Sixty Three

**Hi everyone! Here's the next chapter for you guys, I hope you all enjoy! If you can, it'd mean a lot to me if you could leave me a review and let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!**

* * *

**SIXTY THREE**

* * *

Casey walked through the halls of firehouse 51 with a huge grin on his face, his content demeanor apparent to anyone who might see him as he made his way to his destination, his quick chat with Boden having left him quite excited as he got the common room, the Lieutenant hearing the voices of his friends before he even stepped inside. As he walked through the side door, his eyes moved around the room, seeing nearly everyone right where they'd been when he left not even ten minutes ago, aside from one person. When he glanced down at the table where he and Gabby had been sitting, he found both their seats empty, his gaze jumping around until he soon found her, his girlfriend standing behind the counter.

Changing his path, Matt walked in that direction, Gabby's back facing him as she spoke with her partner, the blonde paramedic smiling softly when she saw Casey approaching him, Shay cutting off their conversation to speak up.

"There's lover boy." She said with a proud grin, Gabby turning to look just as he came up beside her, Matt's hand instinctively moving to her waist as a grin formed across her face, Dawson leaning slightly into his side as Shay watched them. "We were wondering where you ran off to."

"I was talking to Boden," He replied, Shay nodding knowingly before Matt focused his attention solely on Gabby, the gentle look on her face causing his own smile to grow. "And I double checked with him, we're all good to have next shift off." He told her, her bright grin staying on her face as he leaned forward to press a kiss to the side of her head, Matt feeling Gabby relax into him as he ran his hand along her side.

"Oh yes, the magical weekend getaway." Shay spoke up once more, Gabby stifling a laugh as Matt released a soft sigh, the man pulling his head back to look towards their friend. "I know Dawson here is _quite_ excited for that." She teased, Gabby narrowing her eyes slightly as it was Matt's time to chuckle, the man rubbing his girlfriend's side as Dawson shook her head slightly, the PIC knowing that whatever else her friend was wanting to say, it was nowhere near appropriate. "I mean, just this morning she was telling me all about how she was looking forward to you two spending all your time together, doing nothing but having-"

Gabby stuck her foot out, stomping her boot down on top of Shay's to cut her off, the action not strong enough to physically hurt her, but enough to leave a sting as the blonde groaned in response.

"Ow! Jesus, Dawson-"

"That's what you get for lying." Gabby replied, Matt shaking his head in amusement as Shay took a slight step back, the woman wanting to be far enough away to where Dawson couldn't stomp on her foot again.

"I don't know, I think I'd like to hear more about this conversation from this morning." Matt interjected, his words earning a chuckle from Shay as Gabby zeroed in her slight glare on him. "What exactly _do_ you have planned for us?" He continued to tease her, knowing just how easy it was to get her embarrassed, especially about him.

"Quit drooling, _Casey_," Gabby fired back, her feisty attitude causing his smile to widen as he tightened his grip around her waist. "All I told Shay was that I was excited for us to get away from everything, that's all." She spoke, sending her partner a pointed look as Shay laughed once more, Casey coming to realize that Shay had in fact been exaggerating as Gabby focused her attention back on him. "Though the few things I do have planned won't be happening if you don't stop."

"Yes ma'am." He was quick to respond, Shay shaking her head as a smile formed over her face while she watched the two of them, Gabby unable to keep the straight look covering her features as she leaned back into his side.

"Oh, you two are adorable." Shay spoke up, both Gabby and Matt looking towards her. "Disgusting, but adorable." She breathed out as Casey cocked his head to the side. "And I hope you all have fun on your little trip."

"Thank you, Shay." Gabby replied sincerely, Matt nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, thanks… That was almost nice." Casey joked, the other blonde narrowing her eyes before lightly punching his arm, Matt laughing as Shay walked away from them, the paramedic flipping him off before leaving the couple by themselves at the counter. Shaking her head, Gabby turned to face her boyfriend, Matt's proud smile still prominent as he was watching Shay walk away, before his eyes moved towards her, his smile growing when they locked eyes with one another.

Before either said a word, Matt took a slight step closer to her, the man not caring that they were in a room full of their friends as he returned his hand to her side, Gabby leaning her body weight back into the counter.

"So, everything with Boden went well?" She questioned, Matt giving her a nod as his eyes flickered behind her towards the house, seeing that they all were preoccupied with their own things, and weren't paying any attention to them as they displayed a little more affection than they normally would.

"It did." He responded softly, Matt not missing the way her eyes lit up, the obvious look of joy on her face flooding him with a warmth he'd never be able to fully explain, the man knowing just how needed this weekend away was.

It had been a few weeks since he'd first brought up the idea to her; since everything with his mother had happened, and the mess that had become. In having to deal with everything surrounding his mother, and feeling like they had a sword hanging over their heads while they just waited for something bad to happen after Matt lied for his mother, it had taken some time to sit down and work out their little trip. Though, thankfully, nothing had ever come of his lie, and Nancy seemed to be in the clear. But between that, and getting everything with the house squared away, Matt's simple suggestion of a weekend away together had quickly become more of a task to plan than originally anticipated. But they'd done it, or rather Matt had done it, and by this time tomorrow, they'd be well on their way out of the city and up to the cabin Casey had rented out for them, the firefighter and paramedic both desperate to get this time together.

Though things had calmed down considerably in the weeks that had passed since Nancy showed back up, and the couple had managed to work through the disruption she'd caused, they were both still exhausted. Physically, and mentally, they were worn out, and not only did they feel like they needed this time away for them as a couple, they definitely knew they needed it just for themselves as well.

They needed a few days to recharge, and have nothing to focus on but one another, because between Nancy's sudden reappearance in Matt's, and now Gabby's, life, along with the looming knowledge that here soon Bryan would be finish up his sentencing, there were some moments where it felt like they barely had a second to breathe. And they'd both be lying if they said there hadn't been some harder moments, as well. Whether it was Matt worried about things with his mom, or Gabby feeling a bit anxious about everything with Walker, they'd had a lot on their plates recently. And this little getaway was something they hoped could help alleviate some of that stress, even if only for a couple of days.

"Herrmann's filling in for me on truck, and he's already got a relief PIC lined up for 61." He continued once he'd pulled himself from his thoughts, Gabby nodding with a soft smile as he ran his hand along her side. "You and I are good to go."

"Good." She responded quietly as she lifted her hand up to rest over his chest. "I'm so excited." She murmured, the soft tone in her voice not deterring her enthusiasm.

Matching her genuine smile, Matt nodded before he leaned forward to press a gentle kiss against her forehead. "So am I." He whispered against her skin, Matt giving her another quick kiss before he pulled back to meet her eyes. "You have no idea how much I'm looking forward to this."

Her head tilted to the side slightly, Gabby rubbing her hand over the grey material covering his chest, her nose scrunching up slightly before she responded. "Oh, I think I have some idea." She replied with an amused tone, Matt smirking before he nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, yeah, you're right." He replied without hesitation, Gabby's smug grin growing before she tapped her fingers against his chest just over his heart. "But regardless, this weekend is gonna be amazing."

"I think so, too." She agreed just as the bells rang out above their heads, everyone hearing 61 being called out, Matt instantly taking a slight step back when he realized her services were needed.

Shay got up immediately and began heading towards the garage, Gabby stepping out of Matt's hold as he offered her a small smile. "Be safe out there." He told her, Dawson nodding in response.

"I will."

"Casey!" Shay called, her loud voice gaining the entire room's attention as the woman stood just outside the common room, her hands resting defiantly on her hips. "Stop feeling Dawson up, we gotta go."

Her words caused the room to immediately burst into laughter, Matt shooting her a deep glare as Gabby scoffed heavily, the PIC shaking her head while she walked towards her partner, Dawson shoving her shoulder before they headed for the door. Casey, on the other hand, was left to deal with the snickers from his firefighters, the Lieutenant not hesitating to shoot daggers towards his men who were a little too amused as he willed away the slight hint of embarrassment he felt from Shay's constant teasing.

* * *

"So," Shay spoke up as she drove through the streets of Chicago, their sirens blaring while they made their way to their patient, Dawson turning to look at her partner, "I know I was kind of giving you two a hard time back there."

"Kind of?" Dawson asked with raised brows, Shay biting back a laugh before she shrugged, the blonde keeping her eyes on the road.

"Well, it's too easy, I'm sorry… But, in all seriousness, you and Casey seem to be doing well." She said, Gabby furrowing her eyebrows slightly before she nodded.

"Yeah, we are." She responded, Shay sparing a quick glance to her before refocusing her gaze on the road. "We're fine."

"And, uh- _you're_ doing well, too?" She questioned, Dawson no less confused as her head tilted to the side. "I mean, not just with Matt, but you in general?" She prompted as Gabby ran her tongue along the inside of her cheek, the PIC unsure of where this conversation was headed.

And apparently Shay had picked up on her confusion as well, the paramedic speaking up before Dawson could question her.

"It's just that-" She cut herself off, pursing her lips together before she reluctantly continued, "everyone's kind of been worried about you." She told her, her words doing nothing to clear anything up.

"About me?" Dawson asked, her uncertain tone hitting Shay's ears.

"Well, about Casey, too, but yeah, you…"

"Why?" Gabby was quick to ask, Shay releasing a soft sigh as she made her way through the intersection, Dawson waiting patiently for her friend to answer.

"We've all just been a little concerned, because we're getting close to…" She trailed off, Gabby drawing in a deep breath as she came to realize what her friend was talking about, Shay shaking her head slightly before she continued. "We all know it's coming up, but no one's wanted to say anything."

"Shay, I'm fine." She said quickly after her partner finished, the blonde shooting her a quick, knowing look.

"Dawson-"

"I'm serious, I'm okay… I appreciate you all being worried, but I'm fine."

"Don't give me that, Gabby." Shay replied, shaking her head slightly. "Your asshole of an ex is about to get out of prison, you don't need to pretend that doesn't affect you."

Gabby's lips parted slightly as she was somewhat surprised by Shay's bluntness, the blonde soon realizing how her words must've sounded before she shook her head quickly, Shay shooting her a remorseful look before speaking up once more.

"Sorry, I'm sorry." She added quickly, regret laced in her tone. "I shouldn't have said that, but I'm just worried about you… This whole Walker thing, I can't pretend to know what that was like for you, but I just- I wanna know you're alright." She told her, Gabby rubbing her hand along the side of her head as her eyes fell closed, the woman taking a few steadying breaths before responding.

"I appreciate that, Shay, I do… But I'm not lying when I say I'm okay. At least right now, I'm fine… It's not like he's getting out tomorrow, and with everything else that's been going on, I haven't focused on it too much." She told her, though her words weren't entirely honest. "But I'm honestly more worried about Matt right now than anything else." She admitted, those last words leaving her lips before she could really even register them, Shay picking up on them instantly.

"Yeah, I know you are… All that mom stuff he's been dealing with." Shay spoke, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before she nodded.

Though Shay, or no one in the house, knew any details after Nancy's parole officer had shown up to the firehouse a few weeks ago, it was clear that Casey was dealing with family issues. And while Gabby knew everyone wanted to know what was going on, they hadn't asked him about it, the entire thing becoming some unspoken thing within the firehouse more or less. Everyone was curious, and they all wanted to help, but they also knew better than to ask him or Gabby for any details, even Shay not pressing for information as she realized this wasn't something they'd be sharing with anyone.

"Though he seems to be doing alright." She continued, Gabby giving her a soft nod. "But really, you two have had a lot going on, so you can't blame us for being worried babe. About the both of you." She continued, the blonde repeating her earlier words as Gabby ran her tongue along the inside of her cheek. "It's just because we care, and we love you."

"I know." Gabby responded as Shay pulled up to the scene, the paramedics knowing they wouldn't be able to talk about this for much longer. "And we appreciate it, we do… But we're good."

"Good." Shay replied before they climbed down out of the rig, the paramedics focusing their attention on the task at hand as they knew there was someone in need of their help.

* * *

Shay watched on with worried eyes as Gabby walked around the back of the rig, the PIC grimacing slightly as she moved, her gaze focused a few feet in front of her as she had her hand resting lightly over her side. Keeping her eyes on her friend, Shay looked her over once more, just as she had done multiple times over the last hour, her concern only growing as she saw her friend in more and more discomfort.

"Are you sure you don't want to go back to the hospital?" Shay asked, her words causing Dawson to look up, the blonde wincing when she saw the slight redness already forming over Gabby's arm, Shay knowing the mark was only bound to get worse as Dawson shot her a tense look.

"Like I told you already, I'm fine."

"But we really should've had someone at Lakeshore at least look at you while you were there, I know that had to have hurt-"

"I'm fine." She cut in, Shay sensing her friend's annoyance at the constant questioning, but the paramedic didn't care. Not when her partner had been hurt.

"No, I don't think you are. And even if you were, when Matt finds out, he'll make us go back to the hospital anyway." Shay didn't miss the way Gabby paused when she said Casey's name, before Dawson shook her head and kept walking, the blonde watching her curiously before Gabby finally spoke up.

"I'm fine, Shay. It was nothing." She repeated, Shay's eyes narrowing in confusion as they walked towards the firehouse.

"Wait, Gabby- You're not gonna tell him?" The blonde questioned, stopping their path in the middle of the garage, Gabby releasing a heavy sigh before turning towards her, Shay seeing the almost indignant look on her face. "You need to tell him."

"Tell him what?" She asked rhetorically, Shay shooting her a knowing glare.

"Dawson-"

"It was nothing. We were just helping a patient."

"Yeah, and you got knocked to the ground." She fired back, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before shaking her head.

"I'm fine, Shay. It's just part of the job, this isn't a big deal." She spoke, leaving no room for argument as she continued walking inside, the blonde reluctantly following after her.

When they got inside the firehouse, they saw most of 51 sitting in the common room, Shay's eyes immediately going to Casey as he sat in his usual seat at the head of the table, his head lifting up the second he registered their presence. A bright smile formed over his face, Shay watching as he and Gabby looked at one another, the paramedic seeing his smile grow as they had some sort of silent greeting before Gabby headed off down the hallway.

Based on the look on Casey's face alone, it was clear Gabby hadn't given him any reason to worry, the man looking just as content as he had been before they left for their call, Shay turning to watch Dawson disappear down the hallway before the blonde walked into the common room. Shay earned a few greetings from her friends, the woman reciprocating the gesture as she headed straight for Casey, because despite what Dawson said, she couldn't help but feel like Matt needed to know.

"Hey Shay." Matt spoke when she got to him, Shay pursing her lips together as she stopped beside him, the man's smile faltering slightly when he saw the focused look on her face. "How was the call?"

"You, uh… You should go talk to Dawson." She told him, Shay keeping her voice low as Matt's eyebrows furrowed, his back straightening as uncertainty immediately consumed him.

"What happened?" He pressed, pushing his seat back slightly as the combination of his words and movement gained the attention of some of the firefighters around him.

"I think she might've gotten hurt on our last call, our patient-"

"She's hurt?" He cut her off, his voice a little louder than before as he stood up quickly, everyone in the room turning to look at the two of them as Matt's eyes focused on his friend. "What happened?" He questioned again, Shay drawing in a deep breath before she continued.

"Our patient had a seizure when we were trying to help him… He hit her on accident, and she got pushed to the ground." She explained, Matt pursing his lips together as his eyes moved towards the hallway where Gabby had just been. "And it took her a few seconds to really shake it off, she seems to be hurting a little bit."

"Did she get checked out?" He asked as he took a step past her, Matt already heading in the direction she went as Shay turned to face him.

"No, she didn't… She said she didn't need to." She explained, Matt giving her a slight nod before he hurried out to the hallway, the man walking with a purpose as he left his confused friends in the common room, all of them turning to look at Shay as the woman released a heavy sigh, Severide finally being the first one to speak up.

"Wait- What happened to Dawson?"

Out in the hallway, Matt was unsure of where Gabby went, but he knew there were only a few places she could've been as he tried to keep his worry under control. Stopping by the side door into the bunk room, Matt popped his head into the room, looking around quickly to find it empty before he continued towards the bathroom.

When he stepped inside, he soon found his girlfriend, Matt seeing the first stall door closed as he released a soft breath, the man moving towards the sink to wait for her to finish as he leaned his body weight into the counter. Crossing his arms over his chest, he had a few moments to steady himself, the man knowing he'd definitely gotten a little worked up after what Shay said.

He'd just seen her minutes ago, he knew she couldn't have been too badly hurt. But regardless, he hated the thought of her being in that position at all, the idea of her being hurt by a patient and him not being there leaving a bad feeling in his gut.

It was barely a minute later when Gabby stepped out of the bathroom stall, the woman adjusting her belt before she looked up towards him, Dawson clearly not surprised to see him standing there as she walked up to the counter. Before saying a word, Gabby turned the water on, the paramedic beginning to wash her hands as Matt angled his body towards her, the man trailing his eyes over her form, looking for any sign of injury he could find.

"Based on the look on your face, I'm guessing Shay told you." She finally spoke up as she ran her soapy hands underneath the water, Matt drawing in a deep breath before he reached out to grip her shoulder.

"She said your patient hit you?" He replied, Gabby furrowing her eyebrows slightly as she looked at him. "And that you fell, and seemed a bit hurt."

"He didn't hit me, he just knocked into me when he was seizing." She clarified, Matt nodding slightly.

"But you're hurt?"

"Just sore." She told him as she turned the water off and began to dry her hands. "When I fell, I landed on the curb, so my side is a little sore," She explained, not missing the wince that covered his face, "but I'm fine."

"What about that?" He questioned after she'd turned to face him, Matt nodding towards the red mark on her arm that he was seeing for the first time.

"It's from where I hit the ground." She responded, seeing the worry lines creased over his forehead, Matt's eyes focused on discoloration covering her skin. "...Matt." She spoke, trying to gain his attention, but he had yet to tear his eyes away from her arm. "Babe."

He finally met her gaze, Casey seeing her deep brown eyes watching him as she shook her head slightly.

"I promise you, I'm fine. I would tell you if I wasn't." She said, her voice soft as she reached out to grab his free hand. "This is just a part of the job, it's happened before and it'll happen again. If something were seriously wrong, you'd be the first to know, but I'm fine. Just a little sore." She continued, watching as her boyfriend's face softened before he reluctantly nodded, Gabby tilting her head to the side slightly as a small grin formed over her face. "Nothing that a weekend away with my boyfriend can't fix."

The words left her mouth slowly, Matt releasing a sigh before a slight smile tugged at his lips, Gabby's own grin widening before she stepped closer to him.

"Is that right?" He played along, Gabby nodding as she gave his hand a firm squeeze.

"Mhmm… That'll fix me right up." She continued, Matt pursing his lips together before he nodded, the man sliding his hand on her shoulder down to rub lightly over her arm, Casey being gentle as he grazed the red area along her skin.

"Well, I guess I can't argue with that." He replied, Gabby smiling softly before she lifted up slightly to press a light kiss against his lips, the woman taking advantage of their moment alone as she felt him smile against her before kissing her back.

"Yeah, I didn't think you would." She murmured against him, Gabby kissing him quickly once more before pulling away, finding Matt's eyes focused on her face, the man wearing a look she couldn't read as her eyebrows furrowed slightly.

But before she could question him, the bells rang out once more, calling the entire house to an apartment fire a few blocks away from them, the paramedic blowing out a heavy breath before her and Matt moved towards the door.

"You sure you're up for this?" He asked as they stepped out into the hallway, Gabby giving him a reassuring nod as they headed for the garage.

"I'm good… Promise." She told him, Matt nodding in response as he knew there was no more than needed to be said between them right now as they had to focus their attention on their jobs, though Matt knew he'd be keeping an eye on his girl throughout the rest of their shift, the firefighter needing the extra reassurance that she was in fact okay.

* * *

"How are you feeling?"

Gabby turned her head towards her boyfriend as they sat in his truck, the woman having to look away from the beautiful scenery around them as she registered his question; the same question he'd asked her multiple times since yesterday, Gabby knowing she'd be much more annoyed if it wasn't so obvious he was just worried.

Since she told him of the unfortunate incident on call yesterday, Matt hadn't stopped checking in with her, needing to know she was alright. Especially after this morning, when they were leaving shift and Matt noticed she was a little sore, Gabby having been unable to hide it from him, he hadn't stopped checking in on her, her usually attentive boyfriend even more thoughtful than normal.

"I'm fine, babe." She replied softly, Matt tearing his eyes away from the nearly deserted road for a split second before looking back.

"You sure? You're not too uncomfortable or anything? Cause we can pull over for a few minutes, if you need to." He offered, Matt sensing her amused look despite the fact he couldn't see her, the man quick to speak up before she could say anything. "It's just I know your side is still sore," He defended, Gabby smiling softly as she kept her eyes on him, "so if you need to get up and move around a bit, I don't mind to stop." He elaborated, Gabby biting back her slight scoff before shaking her head.

"Aren't we only like ten minutes away?" She questioned back as her nose scrunched up slightly, Matt clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth before he responded.

"Still." He deflected, Gabby unable to stop her laugh as Matt glanced to her, both of them smiling wide. "Do you want me to stop?"

"I'm good, Matt. I promise." She told him, Casey nodding before returning his complete attention to the road ahead of him, the man removing one of his hands from the steering wheel and placing it on her thigh, giving her leg a firm squeeze.

The rest of their drive was done in relative silence, Gabby taking in the trees and woods around them while her hand rested on top of Matt's, the woman feeling more and more relaxed as she looked out on their peaceful surroundings. And soon enough, they'd arrived at the cabin Matt had rented for them, the man pulling up the gravel driveway and coming to a stop beside the building, Gabby's smile widening when she took in the cozy, serene cabin in front of them.

From first glance, she could already tell this place was much more than what she ever expected, Gabby continuing to take in her surroundings while Matt killed the engine of his truck.

"You ready to go see the place?" He asked, Gabby nodding before they got out of the vehicle. Matt was quick to grab the suitcase he'd put in the back, the bag holding everything they'd need for the next five days as Gabby held onto her purse. Once they had all their stuff, Matt locked up the truck before they walked on the path up to front steps, Gabby staying a slight step behind her boyfriend as she took in everything around her, the view they had of the lake from the front porch nothing short of incredible as they walked up the steps towards the door.

The porch held a swing, and a few chairs on the opposite side, giving plenty of seating for the two of them to sit out and enjoy the view they had, Gabby breathing in the fresh air as Matt got the door open. Stepping aside, he let her go in first, Gabby stepping up into the cabin before Casey followed behind her.

It was hard for her to hide her surprise as she walked into the spacious cabin, the outside of the building deceiving for just how large this home was as you could see everything from their vantage point.

"Wow." Gabby breathed out as she stepped further in, Matt putting their suitcase down before shutting the door behind them, both of them taking in the beautiful home they'd be staying in the next few days.

The open layout of the cabin gave them the perfect view of the living room, dining room, and kitchen, the huge windows in the living room giving them another fantastic view of the lake, while the up to date home gave them a warm, cozy vibe the second they walked in. But it was hard to appreciate just how nice this cabin was from their spot in the doorway, Gabby adventuring further inside as her and Matt decided to take a little tour.

From the main area of the home, to the huge master bedroom, which also had great views of the lake, along with the incredible bathroom in their room, to the smaller rooms throughout the cabin, it seemed as if this place just kept getting better and better, Gabby more than ready to spend time with her boyfriend here while they took some time just for themselves.

But as they were walking around, Gabby couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt in her gut, the woman knowing this couldn't have been a cheap rental for Matt, even though they were only staying a few days, Dawson suddenly wishing she'd been a little more involved in the process before he paid for this entire thing by himself.

"And there's a hot tub outside in the back." Matt spoke up, Gabby tuning back into their previous conversation about the home as they walked out towards the kitchen.

"Oh yeah?" She asked, Matt turning to face her with a proud grin on his face.

"Yeah… I figured we'd definitely get some use out of that." He spoke shamelessly, Gabby scoffing heavily as they stopped by the counter.

"Maybe if you're lucky." She replied quickly, Matt chuckling before shaking his head slightly, the man running his tongue along the inside of his cheek as Gabby met his gaze.

"Well, let's hope I do… But yeah, there's the hot tub," He repeated, Matt clearly needing to keep the subject moving as Gabby suppressed a laugh, "and I don't know if you saw the dock outside, but they've got a boat." He continued with a soft smile. "I talked to the owners, and it's fine if we take it out, so I figured one or two of these days we could spend the day out on the lake."

"That sounds great, baby." She replied, Matt nodding with a bright, genuine smile.

"Yeah, I thought it would be fun… I'm really looking forward to this, I think it'll be good for us-"

Casey was cut off by Gabby closing the distance between them and grabbing his face with her hands, the woman slamming her lips into his in a heated kiss. She could tell she'd stunned him, Matt taking a few moments to kiss her back, but within seconds he did, his hands moving gingerly towards her waist as he deepened the movements between them, Casey moaning into her mouth as she held onto his face.

They moved together for a few comforting moments, Matt careful to not hold onto her side too tightly as she pressed her body into his, Casey sensing a heaviness behind her actions that he didn't necessarily understand. But the two pulled away when air became a necessity, their chests heaving as Matt raised his eyebrows slightly, clearly unsure as to what he'd done to deserve that.

"You didn't have to do all this." She spoke in between breaths, Matt's face softening before he ran his hand along her hip, the man tilting his head to the side as Gabby stroked her thumb along his cheek.

"I know… But I wanted to." He replied simply, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip. "Things have been hectic for us lately, and then with everything you've been dealing with, everything you've gone through… I just wanted this to be nice for us, and for you." He told her, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before sliding her hands down to his chest. "You deserve a break, and a nice weekend like this… I wanted to make sure everything was perfect."

He could barely get the words out before she kissed him again, Matt smiling softly before kissing her as well, their movements much more gentle and tame than seconds before, Gabby nearly melting into him before reluctantly pulling back.

"I love you." She murmured, her words causing Matt's smile to widen as his hands slid around to her back, effectively pulling her closer before he kissed her once more.

"I love you, too."

* * *

Matt and Gabby stood together in the kitchen, the couple working on loading up the dishwasher as they'd finished their dinner barely ten minutes ago now, Dawson rinsing off the last plate before handing it to her boyfriend, the man placing it in its rightful spot before closing the dishwasher. It was a little past seven in the evening, Matt blowing out a heavy breath as Gabby grabbed her glass of wine off the counter, the two silently deciding to go sit out in the living room as they continued to wind down for the night.

They'd had a relatively easy first day here, Matt and Gabby having not done much beside settle into the place they were calling home for the next few days. After they'd finished their makeshift tour of the cabin and property earlier in the afternoon, they'd quickly got to work on putting all their things away before they did anything else, Gabby not wanting to live out of their suitcase while they were here. Then once they'd finished that task, they decided to venture out into the small town where they were staying, the two soon ending up at a nice little grocery store only about fifteen minutes from them. They knew they'd need food, and since neither Matt or Gabby had any desire to leave while they were here, they decided to go ahead and get all they'd need during their stay. Then once they'd returned home, they hung out for a little while before starting on dinner, Matt cooking steaks out on the grill while Gabby prepared their other food in the kitchen.

And now that they were done, they were looking forward to having an equally as relaxing evening, Gabby waiting for Matt to sit down in the middle of the couch before she sat down beside him, the woman tucking her body into his while keeping her drink steady in her hand, Matt resting his beer on his leg while wrapping his other arm around her body. Releasing a soft sigh, Gabby took a long sip of her drink before resting her head down against his shoulder, the woman settling into him as the soft music they had playing on the TV surrounded the air around them.

They went minutes without saying a word, the two content to just sit in the comfortable silence together for a little while longer, Matt stroking his thumb along her bare arm as he pressed a gentle kiss against her forehead, the action causing a soft smile to form over her face.

But despite the contentment they felt in this moment, it was soon cut short when Matt's phone began ringing as it sat on the coffee table in front of them, the man releasing a heavy groan before he reluctantly leaned forward, the movement causing him to have to unwrap his arm from around his girlfriend, while Gabby lifted herself up off of him. Placing his drink down on the table, Matt picked up his phone, the man blowing out a soft sigh before glancing back towards Gabby.

"It's my mom." He told her, Gabby nodding in understanding.

This had become somewhat of a common occurrence over the last few weeks, Nancy and Matt speaking to one another a few times during phone calls since he'd covered for her, the mother and son having had more contact recently than they'd had in a long time. And despite Gabby's own apprehension, she'd been supportive of him the entire time. Though her and Nancy hadn't spoken since their fight, if you could call it that, and Gabby still felt a little unsure about the whole thing, and she knew Matt did as well, she'd done all she could to support him reconnecting with his mother, Dawson smiling softly before she gave him a nod.

"You should answer it." She told him, Matt smiling softly before he answered the call, the man putting the phone up to his ear.

"Hey Mom." He spoke, Gabby leaning back against the couch as she reached out to place her hand on his back, the woman rubbing along the back of his shirt gently as he spoke with her. "Yeah, Gabby and I got here fine-... Yeah, we're excited." He answered questions Gabby couldn't really make out, the woman's voice sounding muffled. "Oh, it's okay, we just finished up dinner, but you're fine [...] Yeah, uh-" He cut himself off, Matt glancing back towards Gabby, the woman slightly surprised by the uncertain look on his face, Dawson suddenly feeling like she was intruding on his conversation with his mother as the feeling in the air shifted. "Yeah, no I know what day it is…" He spoke as he turned to face forward, "No, it's fine. But I think I'm working that day, but uh- No, I don't see her. I haven't spoken to her in awhile." He breathed out, Gabby drawing in a deep breath as she continued rubbing her hand over his back as Matt hunched forward, rubbing his hand along the side of his face. "It's okay- No, it's fine. I, uh, I'll call you when I get back to Chicago? [...] Yeah, I will. Alright… Bye Mom."

Matt hung up the phone, the man releasing a heavy sigh as he hung up the call, Casey having yet to look her way again as he placed the device down on the coffee table beside his beer, Gabby not missing how he still seemed to be a little more tense than he had been before he spoke with his mother. But she waited a few minutes before saying anything, Gabby running her tongue along her bottom lip as Matt pressed his hand against his eyes, trying to fend off the headache he felt building in his head.

"Everything okay?" She asked softly, Gabby sliding her hand up to massage the back of his neck, hoping to help alleviate some of the pressure he felt in his body.

Blowing out a heavy sigh, Matt nodded before he sat up a little straighter, the man turning to look at her as he wore a small, weak smile on his face. "Yeah, yeah, everything's fine, babe." He replied, Gabby nodding as she leaned forward to place her drink on the table.

"You sure?" She pressed, her concern evident. She didn't want to push too hard, Gabby well aware that everything with his family, and his mom especially, was a touchy subject for him, but she wanted to know he was alright.

"Yeah, I'm okay… My mom, uh- She was just wanted to see if we could see each other next week, because-" He cut himself off, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing slightly as she shuffled closer towards him, Matt releasing a soft breath before he looked at her. "It's just that it's the anniversary of when my dad…" He trailed off again, an immediate frown forming over her face as she soon understood what he was trying to say. "Of when he died." He finished getting the words out, Gabby's frown deepening as she ran her hand along the back of his neck.

"Baby, I'm so sorry." She spoke softly, her voice settling him as the weak smile returned to his face, Matt waving his hand in the air in front of him before he returned.

"It's okay." He responded, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing in worry as he continued, Matt offering her a slight nod. "I'm fine. I remembered it was coming up soon, and my mom said she meant to ask me earlier, before we left…" He was rambling a bit, Matt clearly trying to gather his thoughts as his mom had brought this up when he wasn't expecting it. "But I guess she's wanting to do something next week, see me or something, on that day- I don't know." He finished, sadness shining in Gabby's gaze as she saw him slowly retreating into that lost man she'd seen when the topic first came up weeks ago. "I'm just sorry she called, and this is..." He cut himself off yet again, Gabby becoming more concerned as he was seemingly more and more unsure. "I know this kind of ruined our little bubble, I didn't mean-"

"Hey, hey, it's fine." Gabby interjected, the woman keeping her voice soft as Matt glanced back up at her. "Don't apologize for this, I know this has to be hard on you. But you never have to be sorry for anything like this." She told him, Matt breathing deeply before he nodded. "I'm just so sorry, Matt. I didn't realize that day was coming up…" She told him, the man shaking his head slightly, knowing she had nothing to apologize for. She didn't know when his dad died, let alone how he died, or that his death wasn't something Matt necessarily mourned.

She didn't know any of that, she barely knew anything about his family, and there was a part of him that hated it, because he felt like he was lying to her. Even though that wasn't entirely the case, he still felt like he was keeping things from her, especially since Antonio knew of his past when she didn't. And though that wasn't his fault, he still felt like it wasn't fair to her. Not when she'd let him in and trusted him with the deepest, most personal and painful aspects of her life, he didn't feel right leaving her in the dark about this.

He just hated that this was a conversation he had to have with her at all.

"Matt."

Gabby's soft voice pulled him from his thoughts, Casey's vision coming into focus as he met her eyes, Matt seeing the obviously worried look coming from his girlfriend as she scratched the back of his neck, the man sensing this wasn't the first time she'd tried to get his attention.

"Yeah, sorry, I just- Got lost in my head, I guess." He admitted, his words doing nothing to relieve her worry as he drew in another breath. "But really, you don't need to feel bad about this, I'm fine."

"Baby, it's okay if you're not fine… This is your dad-"

"Yeah, my dad who was an asshole." He breathed out before he could stop himself, Gabby hearing the anger in his voice as his body tensed up again. Though she immediately knew that anger wasn't directed towards her, Matt's face softening before he ran his hand along his face again. "I'm sorry, it's just- it's the truth, he wasn't a good guy." He continued, Gabby nodding understandingly as she moved as close to him as she could, the woman sensing that they might just finally be getting into whatever it was from his past that left him with such a disdain for his own family.

"Okay." She murmured, Gabby placing her free hand on his thigh, wanting to keep as much contact with him as she could, knowing how much that always helped her in the past when he'd help her through moments like this. "I'm sorry things weren't good with your father." She continued, knowing she needed to handle this carefully, Matt shaking his head slightly before giving her a small smile.

"It's fine. Really, it is… He never- He never was a good guy. From what I remember, he was always an ass." He told her, Matt's voice a little unsteady as he spoke. "He was… just awful, to all of us. But to my mom especially. He was terrible to her, and I- I don't really miss him. If I'm being honest, I don't miss him at all." He spoke, trying to convey what he was feeling as Gabby gave him a compassionate nod. "So him dying, it didn't really affect me that much… But everything that happened because of it-... There's a reason I don't talk about this, and why things with my mom aren't good, and it's all..."

He was barely getting any coherent words out, his mind clearly all over the place as Gabby continued rubbing the back of his neck, Matt leaning into her touch as he took a few steady breaths. "You can talk to me." She nearly whispered, gaining his attention once more. "If you want to talk about this, I'm here." She promised him, Matt sighing softly before his eyes moved forward.

He knew he could talk to her, about anything. He didn't doubt that for a second. And he also knew he couldn't keep putting this conversation off; he didn't want to keep anything from her, he wanted her to know what had happened. For the first time, he had someone he knew he could completely trust with this, someone who he could be open and honest with. But even though he knew that, he was still a little scared. Because, his own issues aside, he knew this would hit close to home for Gabby, and the last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt her.

But he also knew she wouldn't want him keeping this from her because of her. She wouldn't want him to feel like he couldn't come to her, and that knowledge is what made him open his mouth once more, Matt looking back towards her before he spoke up.

"My dad… he didn't just die." He started, Gabby's eyebrows furrowed slightly as she waited for him to continue. "He was killed."

Matt saw the initial look of shock that covered her face before it soon morphed into devastation, Gabby's emotions shining in her eyes as she shook her head sadly, Casey knowing she was about to start apologizing for what happened to his father. But he continued before she could, Matt knowing he just needed to get the words out, his voice stunning her to completely silence as the few words left his lips.

"...He was killed by my mom."

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**Well, we're finally getting into Matt's history with his mom, and, what I think you all are more interested in, is how Gabby will react to it. I know a lot of you figured Matt's family background was similar to how it was on the show, so next chapter we'll be seeing how Gabby handles it. But I hope you all enjoyed this one, and are looking forward to their time away together, thank you so much for reading! It means everything to me that you all are still interested in this story, so thank you, for still supporting me. I'm so, so, grateful to you all for that.**

**I'll see you all next time. Stay safe, everyone.**


	65. Chapter Sixty Four

**Hi everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all, I hope you enjoy it and I can't wait to hear your thoughts!**

**Part of this chapter is M Rated, just so you all know.**

**Thanks for reading!**

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**SIXTY FOUR**

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"_...He was killed by my mom._"

Gabby's breath caught in her throat as the words left his lips, the woman unsure of if she'd heard him correctly as her eyebrows furrowed tightly, her previous look of hurt long gone as confusion settled across her features.

There was a thick silence between them, Matt keeping his eyes on his girlfriend as hers darted around, Gabby having to force herself to take a breath as she tried to grasp what he'd just said. But she still wasn't entirely sure she'd heard him correctly, Gabby finally meeting his gaze once more as neither of them said a word.

It wasn't until Gabby finally found her voice that they broke the quiet they were in, though her thoughts were still a little jumbled.

"I- Your mom… She what?" She stuttered out, Gabby clearly needing another moment to wrap her mind around he'd just confessed to her, Matt wincing slightly before she shook her head. "Sorry, I'm sorry-" She quickly spoke, the fog her mind was in beginning to clear as she saw his reaction to her words, Dawson knowing she needed to be careful about how she handled this. "I'm sorry, I just… Wasn't expecting that." She apologized once more, Matt shaking his head before giving her a weak smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"It's okay… I know I just sprung this on you, and I- this is a lot to drop on you, and I'm sorry. But I didn't want to keep this from you anymore…" He told her, Gabby nodding understandingly as her sad gaze focused on him. "I want to be honest with you about this, especially after all of this with my mom has come up, but I-" He cut himself off, Matt tearing his eyes away from her before hanging in his head down in his hands, a deep frown soon forming over her face when she felt his back tense underneath her hand, Gabby hating to see him looking so hurt.

She remained quiet as he took a few deep breaths, Gabby letting him work through whatever he needed to as she continued to rub his back. Her focus shifted solely to comforting him, the woman pushing aside her confusion and shock the best she could, all rational thought telling her there had to be a story there, for Nancy to have done what she did, as she kept her eyes on her boyfriend while he sat hunched forward.

With her hand still pressed firmly on his back, she felt him take a deep breath, her worried eyes tracing over his form as he ran his hand over his face, the man taking a few more breaths before he spoke up, her voice a little hard to hear as he was still facing the ground.

"That's why she was in prison." He murmured, Gabby nodding softly despite the fact he had yet to look at her. "She killed him, when I was in high school."

He finally lifted his head up to look at her, Gabby immediately seeing the hesitation mixed with pain shining in his eyes, the woman placing her other hand on his leg before squeezing his thigh gently, trying to give him all the reassurance she could.

"What happened, baby?" She questioned, figuring that was the easiest place for him to start, as her question gave him a out. It gave him the chance to share as much, or as little, with her as he wanted to, Matt drawing in a shallow, shaky breath as he clenched his hands together in front of him.

"My dad, uh… I've told you he wasn't a good guy. But he _really_ wasn't a good guy. He was-" He cut himself off once more, Matt wincing at the words that he knew he needed to say, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing as she noticed how much more tense he'd become.

"What is it?" She asked softly, giving his thigh another squeeze as Matt looked to her.

"...He was abusive." He spoke unsteadily, Matt watching as she processed the words he'd said. He saw the way her body immediately tensed, the word alone getting a reaction out of her, one that he hated to see, before she quickly masked it, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before she nodded. After the initial shock wore off, a deep look of sadness covered her features, Matt feeling as if he could see her heart breaking in her chest. "He, uh… He used to hit my mom. For as long as I can remember, he was always abusive."

Gabby nodded once more, the woman swallowing the thick lump in her throat before she spoke up. "Did he ever… Did he hurt you?" She questioned, like she was afraid of the answer, Gabby wishing more than anything that this hadn't happened to him as a child.

"No." He told her, Gabby releasing an immediate breath of relief, Matt nodding sadly. "Not physically, at least. He only ever hit my mom." He elaborated quietly, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before she nodded once more.

"I'm so sorry, Matt." She murmured as they locked gazes once more, Matt breathing shakily as he nodded once more.

"Yeah, it had just… It had been going on for a long time, and I- I don't know how she put up for it as long as she did. And I… I know she tried. She tried to deal with it, and they had separated. She was trying to start over, but he still just… He managed to always get back into her life, into our lives. And some of the things he'd say to me, and to Christie- I think that pushed her over the edge more than what he did to her. The way he treated us, she couldn't stand it and she just… Snapped." He rambled out, Matt's mouth moving faster than his head as he laid it all out there, Gabby listening to every word. "My mom, she's not a violent person. She never has been. But everyone has their limits, and the day she did it, my dad, he'd… He'd been awful to me, and my mom heard it and everything just… It blew up. And she killed him."

Gabby drew in a deep breath as she tried to digest everything he'd just told her, Matt turning forward as his admission hung in the air around them.

"I…" She stuttered, unsure of what to say as she was still trying to process everything, Matt glancing back towards her before giving her an understanding look.

"I know… It's a lot… And that's part of why I never said anything, because I… I don't like getting into it, and reliving all of it." He continued, Gabby nodding slowly as she figured it best to just let him talk. "Because... if I'm being honest, I don't blame her for what she did." He said, those words causing her back to straighten as their eyes stayed locked on one another. "I don't… And part of me even understands it. But what she did, it tore our family apart. My dad was gone, and my sister hated my mom for what happened… And that drove a wedge between Christie and I, because she couldn't understand how I didn't completely blame her for what she did, and it was like one day, I had two parents and my sister, and then the next day I had no one." He breathed out, his words getting more and more unsteady as tears filled Gabby's eyes, the woman continuing to rub his back as her desire to comfort him took over.

"I'm sorry, baby." She repeated again, Gabby not knowing what else there was she could say as Matt heard the pain in her voice, the man giving her yet another weak smile as tears filled his own eyes, as well.

"It's okay… But after that happened, it just… didn't really feel like I had a family anymore. I was alone, and kind of always was, until Hallie… But even that, I never told her the whole story and it just-" He cut himself off, Gabby wincing as Matt drew in a deep breath, both of them knowing just how terribly that all ended. "Nothing was ever the same after my mom killed him, especially not with my family, and I think I started to resent her because of that… Her and I, we were never super close. Even before all of this, we never had a strong relationship, but her doing what she did, it completely tore us apart, and that's why things between her and I are so tense, because while I understand why she did it, the fallout from it…" He trailed off yet again, Matt shaking his head as his thoughts became jumbled in his mind, Gabby leaning forward to rest her chin on his shoulder as she did what she could to give him any source of comfort.

"You were a kid, Matt… A kid who's entire life got turned upside down. You don't have to explain why you felt the way you did, or why you still hold onto those feelings towards your mom." She told him, Matt drawing in a deep breath as he listened to her words. "Because even if you can see why she did it, it doesn't change the fact that her choices still affected you… And that's more than any person should ever have to deal with, especially on their own." She continued sadly, Matt reaching out to grab onto her hand that was resting on his leg, the man giving it a firm squeeze.

"And I… I wasn't there, to know what all happened to your mom, but I can see why you'd understand why she did it." She continued, her words gaining his attention as he ran his thumb along the back of her hand. "As, um… As someone who's been there, in that position," She started, Matt's eyes falling closed for a split second as he instinctively tightened his grip on her hand, "I can understand the impulse, to just want it all to stop. And how you'd be willing to do _anything_ to get it to stop… I'm not saying I'd do what she did, but I can understand it. So I know why you feel that way." She told him, Gabby wanting to make sure he knew he wasn't alone in how he felt about this entire thing, though she knew she could only do so much to help him. "And I'm sorry it caused problems between you and your sister, but you're not wrong for how you feel. You're allowed to understand it, while also hating what it did to you, baby."

Nodding slowly, Matt gave her hand another squeeze, the man taking a few more breaths as she ran her hand along his shoulder, Gabby trying to be as supportive as she could be given the situation.

"Thank you." He murmured, Gabby giving him another nod as her fingers played with the hairs on the base of his neck, knowing how that usually calmed him, her mind going back to a few words he'd said earlier. And while she wasn't sure if now was the time to press him on it, she couldn't help but want to make sure he wasn't holding anything back, not from her.

"What, uh… what was the other reason?" She questioned after a break in the conversation, a blank look covering his face as she spoke. "Why you didn't say anything sooner? You said it being hard was part of it, I didn't know if there was anything else…" She said softly, Matt pursing his lips together as his back tightened, Casey not realizing his own words until she'd commented on them.

Gabby felt the shift in his demeanor instantly, a wave of confusion rushing through her, but she stayed quiet nonetheless, Dawson not wanting to force anything as she waited for him to feel comfortable saying whatever it was.

"I, uh… I wanted to tell you, but I was a little nervous to." He started slowly, Gabby nodding slightly as she pulled her head back so she could get a better look at him. "Just cause I didn't know how you'd react, or feel about what she did," He told her, Matt knowing he couldn't continue to tiptoe around the subject, the man breathing in slowly before he locked eyes with her, "...After everything you went through with Walker."

He heard her breath catch in her throat slightly, Matt sure the action was involuntary as he tightened his grip on her hand, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing together slightly before she took a slow, deep breath.

"My mom being in a similar situation as you had been, I didn't know if that would bring up bad memories for you, or be hard to hear about after everything you went through. And the last thing I'd ever want to do is hurt you, so I kind of put it off." He admitted, Gabby running her tongue along the inside of her cheek as she tried to figure out how to best respond to him.

"I… Matt, I don't want you feeling like you can't come to me about stuff, especially something like this, just because of what Bryan did." She told him softly as she worked on gathering her thoughts, Matt nodding immediately. "No matter what's happened with me, you can always talk to me."

"I know." He murmured, Matt lifting her hand up off his leg so he could lace their fingers together, as Gabby never took her eyes off of him. "And I knew you probably felt that way, even Antonio said so, I just- I was so afraid of upsetting you, that's the last thing I ever want." He continued, Gabby's eyebrows raising as she got hung up on one word in particular.

"Wait, Antonio- My brother knows?" She questioned, confusion laced in her voice as Matt released a soft sigh, the man nodding before he spoke up.

"He does… He's known for a long time, though I didn't know that." He responded, Casey sensing his girlfriend was no less confused than she'd been seconds prior. "He, uh- He found out when he looked into me, after the rumors about Hallie…" Matt explained, an understanding look soon covering her face. "He found out then, but I didn't know until recently that he'd known all this time… But he said the same thing, that you wouldn't want me keeping this from you, and I didn't want to either, it's all just- A lot to deal with." He breathed out, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before she nodded. "And then there was a part of me…"

"What?" She questioned when he had yet to continue, Matt lifting his free hand up to run along the side of his face before he spoke up.

"I guess there was a part of me that was worried that once you found out about my dad, after everything you went through with Bryan… that you'd worry I was like them." His words were barely audible, Matt almost afraid to say them as he forced himself to look at her, the man seeing different emotions play out across her face before she landed on one, his heart sinking into his stomach when he saw the look of complete devastation cover her face. "I know we talked about this after everything with Hallie, but I was afraid that once you knew about my dad, that you'd-... I just didn't want to give you any reason to think I might turn into him, because I won't."

"Matt-"

"I'd never hurt you." He cut her off, Matt needing to get this all out as more tears welled in both their eyes. "But I knew when I told you, you'd have every right to be worried. But I-"

"Baby." She was the one to cut him off this time, Casey drawing in a shaky breath before looking towards her, Gabby gripping his hand tightly in hers. "Listen to me… That is not something I'm worried about, okay?" She told him, and she could practically feel his entire body relax as a look of relief flashed in his eyes. "I know what kind of man you are, and I know you'd never do anything to hurt me… You're not your father."

The second she said those words, a few tears escaped down his cheeks, Gabby soon understanding just how badly he needed to hear that from her. And it broke her heart.

"You're not him. And that is not something I'd ever worry about, okay?" She reassured him once more, Gabby moving her hand off his neck to reach up and wipe away some of his tears, the man nodding slowly as a soft frown formed over her face. "Come here." She murmured, her words all the invitation he needed as he leaned towards her, his head resting against her chest as she adjusted them to sit back against the couch, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist as he held onto her with everything he had.

Sitting there in the heavy silence, Gabby couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in her gut at what all Matt had gone through, her boyfriend having dealt with more in his life than she could've ever imagined, and it felt like a knife to the heart at how this had all so clearly affected him. Not even just his father being abusive, or what his mother did to make it stop, but how he'd been carrying it around for his entire life. How he was worried about turning into the man his dad was; she couldn't imagine what that had been like for him, especially when people made up those rumors about him and Hallie.

And that thought alone nearly shattered her heart, his reaction to everything that had transpired from the house being told those lies all those months ago suddenly making even more sense, though she hated that it had even happened in the first place. She just hated all of it, as she felt his body trembling underneath her grasp, Gabby tightening her grip on him as she pressed a gentle kiss to the top of his head.

As they continued to sit here, all she wanted in this moment was to take his pain away. She would give anything to be able to do that, but she couldn't. All she could do was hold him, and let him know she wasn't going anywhere. That she would always be there for him.

So that's exactly what she did.

* * *

Casey released a soft groan as he slowly came into consciousness, the man gradually becoming more and more aware as he was pulled from his peaceful rest, Matt stretching out his back as he opened his eyes. He had to blink a few times to adjust to the light, the amount of brightness in the room telling him it was pretty late in the morning as he blew out a soft sigh, Casey surprised at just how at ease he felt in this moment, especially after the heavy conversation from last night, Matt not really even remembering them coming to bed. But he knew his relaxed state was for one reason, and one reason alone, and that was because of the woman lying next to him.

Turning his head over, an immediate smile formed over his face as he took in the state of his girlfriend still sleeping soundly on the pillow beside him. She was lying on her back, but angled towards him slightly as her hands were curled up against her chest, her hair all over the place indicating she'd had a good night's rest, his smile only growing as he watched her sleep.

It was something he'd done before, Matt never hesitating to watch her while she rested, the man knowing she'd done the same thing to him before, but there was just something about how calm she looked. How she was completely at ease; there was something about it that filled him with a warmth he couldn't explain, Matt wishing more than anything she could be this content all the time. Though with everything they had going on, he knew that was nearly impossible.

So he relished in these moments whenever he got them, Matt releasing a soft breath as he reached over to brush some of her hair from her face, Gabby turning into his hand slightly in her sleep, the action causing his grin to widen before he stroked his hand along her cheek, his eyes tracing over the face of the woman he loved more than anything else in this world, that fact only solidified by what happened the night before.

She taken finding out about his family better than he could've ever hoped for, especially after all she'd been through, and he couldn't help but feel like he didn't know what he'd done to deserve her. To deserve someone so caring, and kind; someone who loved him unconditionally. Who stood by his side no matter what. In all the time they'd known each other, in the time they'd been together, he still had no idea what he'd done to be worthy of someone like her. But all he did know was that he never wanted to take what they had for granted, he never wanted to take _her_ for granted. Because she was the most amazing woman he'd ever known, and he never wanted her to forget it.

Blowing out another content breath, Matt turned to lay on his side so he was facing her completely, the man reaching out to place his hand on her stomach, her body covered by his t-shirt as he gently ran his palm back and forth over her, her chest rising and falling steadily with each breath she took. But his touch alone wasn't enough to pull her from her sleep, Matt smiling softly as he slid his hand over to her side, gently pulling her a little closer to him, the man biting back a chuckle as he heard her groan, Gabby clearly not liking being pulled from her restful sleep.

She instinctively turned towards him, Gabby seeking out his warmth as he slid his arm around to her back, his hand sliding up underneath her shirt to rest against her bare skin as she dug her head into his chest, Gabby groaning once more as she ran her leg against his underneath the comforter.

"Good morning." She murmured, Matt feeling her warm breath hitting his bare chest before she pressed a kiss against his skin while he ran his hand over her back, the feeling of his skin on hers sending a slight shiver through her spine.

"Morning." He responded, his voice a little groggy as he had yet to speak since waking up minutes ago.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, the tenderness to her words filling his chest with warmth while she curled her arms in between them, their bodies molding together perfectly as they laid on his side of the bed.

"I'm okay." He responded after releasing a heavy breath, Matt keeping his voice low to not disturb the peaceful feeling around them, Gabby pressing another kiss to his collarbone before she pulled back slightly, Casey loosening his grip to give her room to move.

Before saying a word, her eyes traced over his face, Matt seeing the slight look of worry etched into her features before her gaze locked with his. "Yeah?" She questioned, Matt nodding with a soft smile.

"Yeah." He replied quietly, his response bringing a small smile to her face as she brought her hand up to cup his cheek, Gabby rubbing her thumb across his cheekbone slowly. "I'm alright, babe." He added, Matt turning his head to the side to press a lingering kiss against her palm before facing her once more.

"Good." She spoke, Gabby rubbing her hand along his cheek once more before she leaned forward to capture his lips in a gentle kiss, Matt smiling against her before he reciprocated her movements. He used the hand on her back to pull her closer, her chest pressed against his as their legs tangled together, the two gradually deepening their movements as Matt felt that familiar feeling of desire build within him. And based on their close proximity, he was sure Gabby could feel it, too.

Without breaking their kiss, Matt rolled them over, the man effectively pinning Gabby underneath him as a low moan escaped the back of her throat, the two beginning to lose more and more of themselves. Gabby's hands moved around to rest on his lower back, her nails lightly digging into his skin as his kisses trailed across her jaw down to her neck, Dawson gasping for air as he surely left his marks along her body.

But it soon became clear he was not happy with the amount of clothing still in between them, Gabby teasing the waistband of his boxers before he suddenly pulled back, the woman seeing a hunger in his eyes that she knew well, the sight alone causing heat to pool in her stomach. Huffing out a heavy breath, Matt made quick work of his shirt on her body, the man being careful with her while simultaneously yanking the material from her, leaving her in nothing but a pair of underwear as he guided her back down onto the mattress.

The second he could, his hands were on her, his warm palms moving over her sides up towards her chest, Gabby biting down on her lip as he teased her sensitive skin before gripping her breasts in his hands, his gaze locked solely on her body while she watched him take a moment to admire her. And this was a view he'd never get tired of as he hovered above her, Matt moving his hands back down her sides to give him an unobstructed view of her before his eyes found hers, Gabby seeing nothing but pure love and admiration shining back at her.

Silently, she smiled up at him, Matt reciprocating the gesture before he leaned back down towards her, the man capturing her lips in a slow, sensual kiss before he began trailing his lips back down her body. He made sure to leave no part of her untouched as he gave her the appreciation she deserved, Gabby's low moans and heavy breaths filling the thick air around them as he focused his attention on her chest. He moved slowly, Matt taking his time as his mouth switched back and forth between breasts, Gabby running her hands through his hair as she let him work.

While his lips stayed focused on her chest, his hand slid down her stomach, Matt pausing momentarily as a smirk formed across his face when he felt her muscles tighten underneath his touch, the man clearly proud of the reaction he elicited from her before he continued on. Gabby's breath caught in her throat when she felt him toying with the edge of her underwear, before his hand slowly disappeared underneath the material, Dawson biting down roughly on the inside of her cheek as he moved his hand lightly over her.

He continued teasing her for a few moments, but it wasn't until he slid a lone finger inside of her that a deep moan escaped her lips, Matt moving slowly while peppering her chest with kisses, his steady pace slowly increasing the heat building in the pit of her stomach as she pushed her hips down the bed, clearly trying to help his movements. But he continued on at the same near tortuous pace as he slid another finger inside of her, Gabby breathing deeply as she focused on the desire he was stirring within her.

But still, it wasn't enough to get her to where she wanted to be, and he knew it, Gabby scratching her fingers along the back of his neck as she felt him slowly speed up, though it still wasn't enough.

"Matt…" She murmured, the desperation in her voice evident as Matt released his grip on her chest with a soft pop before looking up at her, sending that overwhelming sense of need burning in her eyes. His hand continued to move methodically as they stared at one another, Gabby only breaking eye contact when he changed his angle and brushed against that spot inside of her, the action causing her eyes to close as her head fell back against the pillows.

But after a few moments, he stopped, Matt going back to his slow, rhythmic movements as a frustrated pant escaped her lips, Gabby pushing her hips up against him as Casey looked towards her.

"Baby." She pleaded, Matt smirking softly before he withdrew his hand completely, the man knowing he'd teased her enough as he pressed a gentle kiss over her breastbone before adjusting his positioning on the bed. Within moments, he'd removed his boxers, as well as her underwear, before settling his body in between her legs, the two finding that familiar position together as his chest pressed into hers, Matt reaching down in between them to slowly guide himself into her.

He gave her a moment to adjust as she drew in a sharp breath, Matt pressing a soft, open mouthed kiss against her neck as he reached out to grab her hand, Casey lacing his fingers through hers as their conjoined hands rested on the bed up by her head. Lifting his head up slightly, Matt met her eyes, Gabby giving him a nod of assurance before she kissed him slowly, Casey taking that as all the confirmation he needed before he began to slowly thrust in and out of her.

There was nothing rough or frantic about their movements, Gabby's legs hooked up around his waist to keep him close as they moved together, her free hand coming up to rest on his back as he gave her other hand a squeeze. And in this moment, they were focused on nothing but each other, Matt and Gabby doing everything in their power to show the other just how loved and appreciated they were, both of them wanting this time together to last as long as possible.

* * *

Matt listened to the soft sound of music coming from Gabby's phone as he took another bite of the sandwich he'd prepared before leaving the cabin, the warm sun beating down on them as they sat in the boat out on the lake. It was a peaceful afternoon, the water not too busy as their secluded cabin in the sparsely populated area gave them the quiet they were looking for, the couple not having seen too many people drive by since they ventured out into the water a few hours ago.

After their long, and much needed, morning in bed together, Matt and Gabby quickly decided that today would be the perfect day to spend out on the boat, the warm weather not too unbearable to be out in the sun all day. So once they'd finally drug themselves out of bed, they decided to wash up and get a quick breakfast before leaving, though that task ended up getting interrupted by Matt and his apparent need for her, which admittedly had taken Gabby a little bit by surprise.

With their prolonged morning in bed together, and even more time spent teasing one another in the shower, the last thing she expected was for Matt to be ready to go yet again while they were getting ready to leave. But she quickly found out just how wrong she'd been as she was out in the kitchen in her bathing suit for all of five minutes before she ended up leaned over the counter as Matt stood behind her, part of her swimsuit on the ground as he reminded her yet again just how much love he had for her.

And while that wasn't really how either of them entirely expected their morning to go, you wouldn't hear either of them complaining as they made great use of all this time just for the two of them, which was exactly what this trip was for.

And now sitting here out on the boat, he couldn't help but feel even more grateful they'd found the time to do this, Matt's eyes trailing over Gabby's bikini-glad form as she laid out along the back of the boat, his girl soaking in as much of the sun as she could. And he was all for it, Matt not minding the view one bit as she laid only a few feet from him.

Taking another bite of his mid-afternoon lunch, Matt's gaze moved up from her body back to her face, a sheepish grin covering his features when he saw her staring at him. Her eyebrows were raised in question, Gabby clearly having seen his watchful eye on her while he ate, the man's grin morphing into a proud one as he relaxed back into his seat.

"Hi beautiful." He spoke before she could say anything, Matt wiping off the mustard he felt on the side of his mouth as Gabby released a light scoff, the woman shaking her head as she lifted herself up to rest on her elbows, her sunglasses partially blocking her face from view.

"You wanna take a picture?" She questioned as she cocked her head to the side challengingly, Matt running his tongue along his bottom lip as he raised his eyebrows. "It'll last longer."

"Oh, I absolutely want a picture of this." He spoke without hesitation, Gabby shaking her head in amusement before pushing herself up, Matt's eyes never leaving her form. "In fact, I'll take a few pictures right now, if you'll let me."

Chuckling softly, Gabby swung her legs around to rest on the bench seat across the back of the boat, the woman pulling her sunglasses down slightly so he could see her.

"Put your tongue back in your mouth, _Casey_." She taunted him, Matt drawing in a deep breath before clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

"I was just answering your question, babe." He replied gently, Gabby unable to stop the slight smile that tugged at her lips. "And also that wasn't a no." He added proudly, Gabby grazing her teeth over her bottom lip before she pushed herself up and walked over towards the driver's seat where he was sitting, Matt immediately reaching out to rest his free hand over her bare side once she was close enough.

"No, it wasn't a no." She replied knowingly, Matt feeling his mouth go dry before he swallowed the thick lump in his throat, Gabby reaching over to grab his beer before picking it up and taking a long sip. "And maybe later we can do that, but you'll have to wait until we get back to the cabin… I'm not trying to get arrested." She added with a light laugh, Matt trying to push down his excitement at the thought of getting back to their temporary home as he nodded.

"Fair enough… cause if we get arrested for public indecency, the house will never let us live it down. Especially not Shay." He responded with a chuckle, Gabby nodding in agreement before taking another sip.

"Yeah, we're not tempting that." She spoke, taking one last drink before placing his beer back down, Matt reaching down into the cooler for her sandwich.

"You hungry?" He asked, Gabby thinking over his question before she nodded, Matt handing her the food before she sat down on the seat directly across from him, the man reaching down to grab another beer from the cooler and taking the cap off before handing it to her, earning a thankful nod from his girlfriend before they both continued eating.

But as they ate, it wasn't hard for Gabby to notice how quiet Matt had gotten within the last few minutes, the man staring off into the distance as he slowly ate his late lunch, the woman trying to decide whether or not to question it. This had happened a few times since last night; Matt seemingly going off into his own little world. She noticed it this morning before their shower, and again when they were getting ready to leave, as well as a few times since they'd been out on the lake. She wasn't even sure if he realized he was doing it, but she couldn't help but worry a little bit. But before she could say anything, he seemingly snapped out of it.

"So, I was thinking that maybe tomorrow we could venture into town a little bit," He spoke up, Matt meeting her eyes as she took another bite of her lunch, Gabby nodding in agreement. "I know we talked about just staying at the cabin, but I saw a few restaurants during the drive that looked interesting, maybe we could go check one of those out if you want."

"Sounds good." She responded, Matt smiling softly before he gave her a nod of his own, the man returning his attention back towards his food. But Gabby still was hung up on his prolonged silence earlier, the woman drawing in a deep breath before she spoke up. "You doing okay, baby?" She questioned, her words gaining his attention once more as he raised his eyebrows. "You just seem a little quiet."

"I'm fine... Just thinking." He told her, Gabby waiting for more of an explanation as he took a second to gather his thoughts. "Or trying not to think, I guess... About this stuff with my dad." He admitted, not missing the sad look that covered his girlfriend's face, but he continued on, Matt knowing he could be honest with her. "This time of year is always a little hard, and with my mom around again- I don't know, I'm just trying not to focus on it." He breathed out, Gabby nodding understandingly before placing her food down on the seat beside her.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" She asked, Matt thinking over her words before he shook his head.

"Honestly? I just wanna enjoy our time together, and not focus on stuff with my family." He replied, Gabby giving him an immediate nod.

"Then that's what we'll do." She told him, the woman pushing herself up from her seat to walk over to him, Matt placing his food down before she sat down in his lap, her arm wrapping around his neck as his circled around her waist to keep her close, Casey a little surprised by her action, though he'd never complain about it. "But you know I'm here, if you need to talk."

"I know you are." He replied, Matt leaning forward to press a gentle kiss against her lips, his nose scrunching up slightly as her usual scent was masked by a thick layer of sunscreen. "I love you." He murmured against her, Gabby smiling softly before she kissed him again quickly.

"I love you, too." She told him, Gabby running her hand along his back as she saw his smile widen slightly, his hand rubbing gently along her tender side before she spoke up once more. "So, what do you say we finish up our food, then we can get back out in the water?" She suggested.

"Sounds good, babe." He replied, Gabby soon seeing that familiar smug look return to his face, along with the recognizable gleam in his eye before he spoke up once more. "And then when we get back, we can see about getting some of those pictures I was promised." He added with a slight smirk, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip before shaking her head, her reaction getting a laugh out of him before he went back to his food, the woman just glad to see him acting a little more like himself despite the heaviness around them, even if it was at her expense.

* * *

Their heavy pants and moans could be heard throughout the room as Gabby rolled off of Matt, her body still trembling slightly from euphoric sensations that had just coursed through her body, Casey immediately pulling her into his side as her head rested on his chest, both of them working on steadying their sporadic breathing. Matt was running his hand lazily up and down her bare side, Gabby tracing her fingers along his stomach as heat radiated off of both of them, Matt pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head as he felt himself slowly start to calm down.

"I think that's gonna have to be it for today." He breathed out after a few minutes of silence, Gabby chuckling in amusement as he lifted his hand up to scratch her head, the woman nuzzling further into his chest as she tightened her grip around his waist.

"What? You finally tire yourself out?" She questioned from the security of his hold, Matt smiling as he continued running his hand through her hair, the man scratching her scalp gently. "Because you seemed fine when I was trying to enjoy some time to myself in the hot tub earlier," She started, Matt smirking shamelessly as memories of only two hours ago flashing through his head as he recalled himself joining her in the hot tub. While Gabby had planned on having a nice, relaxing evening outside after dinner, when Matt decided to join her it soon became the opposite, the man wanting to make good on those pictures of her he was promised. And what started out as some relatively harmless fun ended with Gabby's bathing suit on the deck beside the hot tub, Matt's own suit soon following before they headed inside to finish what they'd started. "And again on the couch." She added, Gabby clearly enjoying teasing him as he raised his eyebrows, Matt releasing a soft scoff before responding.

"And here I was thinking you would've been more impressed by my stamina." He replied, Gabby grinning against him before she ran her hand along his side.

"Oh trust me, I am." She responded, Matt smiling as he scratched her head once more.

"Just give me until tomorrow, and I'll be back into fighting shape… Well, maybe tomorrow night." He told her, Gabby laughing once more before she nodded against him, the woman pressing one last kiss to his chest before she disentangled her body from his, Gabby making her way to the bathroom while Matt stayed in bed.

She wasn't gone too long, but while he had a moment alone, it was impossible for his mind not to wander, a seemingly permanent smile covering his face as his head was full of nothing but thoughts of his girlfriend. And he'd have it no other way.

In the day and a half they'd been away on this trip, Matt already felt like this had done wonders for them. Even with all the talk about his family last night and today, and Matt finally getting that out in the open, it hadn't ruined anything between them. Gabby had taken it in stride, his girlfriend being more understanding than he himself even realized he needed, just further showing him why he was so in love with this woman. And with this trip away, he couldn't help but feel like they were closer than they'd ever been.

The sound of her footsteps against the floor pulled him from his thoughts, Matt looking towards the bathroom door just as she walked through it, his eyes instinctively trailing over her bare form as a shy smile covered her face, Gabby walking back towards him and crawling into bed, Casey immediately pulling her back towards him. Reclaiming her spot against his side, Gabby cuddled herself into him, regaining some of the warmth she'd lost when she got up, Matt reaching down to grab the sheet and lifting it up over them to cover her, Gabby's hand wrapping around his side as they relaxed into the mattress.

There was a sense of calmness that washed over them, the man rubbing his hand along her arm as they laid together, Matt focusing on the feeling of her chest rising and falling against his side while he stared up at the ceiling. He wasn't sure how much time had passed with them saying nothing, Matt not even entirely sure she was still awake as the late hour, combined with their eventful day left them both a little exhausted. But when he felt her shift against him, Gabby tightening her hold on his waist, he knew she was still awake, Matt smiling softly as he continued stroking her arm, the man eventually saying the first words that came into his mind.

"Do you ever think about it?"

His seemingly random question caused her to furrow her eyebrows, Gabby tilting her head up slightly to look at him. "Think about what?" She asked softly, Matt grinning down at her before she pushed herself up to get a better look at him, the man reaching out to squeeze her arm gently.

"How if one thing from that night had been any different, we might not be where we are right now." He told her, his words only confusing her further as she was having a hard time following him, Matt's smile widening before he continued. "The night we met… How we met, and how everything went after." He elaborated, Gabby gnawing on her bottom lip before she eventually spoke up.

"Where is this coming from?" She asked, Matt shrugging slightly before he released a soft breath.

"It's just been on my mind a lot these last few weeks… Or months, really. But especially since all this stuff with my mom started, and how you've been there for me through all of it… I don't know if I could've gotten through that without you. And it's just got me thinking about how I can't imagine not having you in my life at all." He told her, Matt doing his best to explain where his head was at as she listened to his every word. "But if things had been any different… if we hadn't met the night we did, if we didn't meet until I started working at 51, we might not have gotten here."

He paused for a moment, his silence giving Gabby the chance to really think over his words as he continued rubbing her arm, his eyes locked on her as she rested her hand over his chest, Matt offering him another smile before he spoke again.

"I don't know, I've just been thinking about us a lot lately… About how damn grateful I am for you, and all you've done for me. And it's just made me appreciate everything that happened for us to get where we are… Because while I know we hurt each other, and I wish some things had been easier, I'm just thankful we're here now. And that I get to love the most incredible woman in the world, and that she loves me back." He finished, Gabby feeling her heart swell in her chest as his words washed over her.

It took her a moment to gather her thoughts, Matt having taken her by surprise with his genuine and heartfelt words, the man continuing to watch her as she leaned forward, pressing a firm, heated kiss to his lips. Matt matched her passion immediately as his hand slid around to her back, holding her close to him while his other brushed some stray hair behind her ear.

When air became an issue, they pulled back, Matt stroking his thumb along her cheek as they caught their breath, Gabby smiling softly as their eyes locked on one another.

"I feel the same way, baby." She spoke in between breaths, her words causing a warm grin to form over his face. "Everything you said, I feel the same… If we'd met any differently, I don't know if we'd be where we are right now. But I'm so glad we are." She told him, her words not coming as easily as his, but she did her best, Matt nodding softly. "And how you said you didn't know if you could've gotten through everything with your mother without me… that's how I feel with you. Everything with Bryan, I-" She cut herself off, Matt drawing in a deep breath as he ran his hand comfortingly along her back. "I've told you this before, but there's not a doubt in my mind that the only reason I was able to get past all of that was because of you." She told him, Matt smiling sadly before he nodded. "So I'm with you, babe… No matter what happened between us when we first met, I'm thankful it all happened the way it did."

She was barely able to get the words out before he crashed his lips into hers yet again, Matt pulling her down towards him as her weight partially rested on top of him, Gabby sliding her hand up to his neck as his arm held her tightly around her back, the two holding onto one another like their lives depended on it as he deepened the kiss. It had stunned her for a moment, but she was quickly able to recover as they moved together, Gabby feeling every ounce of love he had for her in just this one kiss.

"I love you so much." He whispered against her lips once they'd finally pulled back, Gabby smiling softly as she moved back enough to get a look at him, Matt's eyes shining up at her. "More than you'll ever know."

"I love you, too." She responded, their bright smiles matching one another's before Gabby leaned down to kiss him once more, the couple relaxing into the bed as they held onto one another, the world around slowly them fading away.


	66. Chapter Sixty Five

**Hi everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all. You seemed to enjoy Dawsey's little much-deserved getaway together, and I hope you like this one, as well. I can't wait to hear what you think!**

**Real quick, I mentioned this in my I Won't Let You Go update, but I'm not sure if I'll have new updates next week or not. My birthday is on Saturday, so I might take some time, and give myself a little break, I haven't decided yet. Or I might try and finish up the next chapter of If We Never Say Goodbye. But either way, there might not be an update for this story next week, just so you all know!**

**Also, I missed it with my update last week, but it's been a year since I started this story, which is just insane to me. Thank you to everyone who's been reading this, whether you started from the beginning, or came along the way, I'm so grateful to each and every one of you. Thank you so, so much for all the support you've given me. It means the world to me.**

**I hope you all enjoy this one, thanks for reading!**

* * *

**SIXTY FIVE**

* * *

Gabby adjusted her ponytail as she looked at herself in the mirror, the woman clad in a pair of leggings and a t-shirt while she grabbed the bobby pin from between her teeth, Dawson putting it in place in her hair before doing one last once over of herself. Releasing a soft breath, she turned around and headed for the chair in the corner, Gabby sitting down before she began to put on her tennis shoes, a slight frown forming over her lips as the reality of her and Matt's plans for the morning set in.

She wasn't sure why she'd said yes, when Matt asked her in bed last night. And at first she thought he'd been kidding, Gabby not expecting him to want to do much of anything during their last day here at the lake; or, anything that included more than them being in bed, or out in the water. But still, for whatever reason, he wanted to do this, and he'd asked her to go with him, Gabby now somewhat dreading this run they were about to do.

Under any other circumstances, she wouldn't care to get a workout in with him. But with this being their last morning of their mini-vacation, running a few miles around the lake and through some woods wasn't exactly how she'd want to spend her time.

Dawson looked up when she heard Matt's footsteps coming into the room, the man eating a banana as he was already dressed in his running clothes, Casey smiling brightly when he saw her getting ready.

"Hi beautiful." He spoke, Gabby scoffing lightly before she finished tying her shoes, the woman standing up and walking towards him. "You ready to go?"

Before she answered, Gabby grabbed his hand, Matt smirking softly as she guided his snack towards her mouth and took a bite. "...Yeah, I am." She replied once she'd finished chewing. "Though I'm not sure how you managed to talk me into this." Gabby added, his head tilting to the side in amusement as he raised his eyebrows.

"All I did was ask if you wanted to go." He responded lightly, Gabby narrowing her eyes before she shrugged.

"Yeah, but you knew I'd come." She shot back, Matt holding out his hand to offer her the rest of his pseudo-breakfast, Gabby's face softening before she accepted it with a grateful smile, Casey watching her as she took another bite.

"Well, I mean, I know you just can't stand to be away from me for any extended period of time," He teased, Gabby shaking her head while she ate, "so of course you'd want to go."

"Mhmm."

"What? We both know it's true." He continued as she finished off the banana before she stepped around him to place the peel on the dresser, Gabby making a mental note to throw it away before they left, Matt following her movements as she turned back to face him. "You just love me so, _so_ much, being away from me kills you." He spoke smugly, Gabby crossing her arms over her chest, the man wearing a proud smile as he took another step towards her.

"Yeah, keep it up, Casey." She challenged, Matt stifling a laugh as his tongue poked out between his teeth.

"Am I wrong?" He asked back lightly, Gabby narrowing her eyes as his smile grew, Matt shaking his head before he reached out to rest his hand over her arm. "It's okay, you don't have to admit it." He spoke, the woman shaking her head as he gave her arm a gentle squeeze, Casey taking another step forward.

"You're on thin ice, buddy." She fired back, though she wasn't able to stop the slight smile that pulled on her lips.

"Buddy?" He questioned underneath his breath, Gabby's smile growing before she closed the distance between them, Matt's hands instinctively moving to her hips as her waist pressed against his, Gabby leaning forward to press a soft kiss to his lips before he could say anything more. The man smiled against her, Matt tightening his grip on her hips as he kissed her back, their movements slow and gentle. "But you know, you don't have to go with me… Though I think it will be fun." He told her once more, Gabby clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth before she responded.

"No, no, I'll go… Though you and I have very different definitions of fun." She countered, Matt smiling softly before she continued. "But just a heads up, I don't want to hear you complaining when you have to practically carry me back here."

"I'd have no problem carrying you back here if you want, babe." He replied without hesitation, Gabby cocking her head to the side.

"Please, like you could."

"Oh, is that a challenge?" He asked as he slid his hands around to her back and down to her ass, Gabby raising her eyebrows as she felt him grab ahold of her.

"Maybe… Though it might just be what you have to do, because this run will probably kill me." She replied with a slight groan, Matt shaking his head before he gave her body a light squeeze.

"You'll be fine. But believe me, I'll carry you if I need to… I've had a lot of practice." He responded, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively as Gabby tried to suppress her laugh.

"Fair enough." She told him, Matt smirking proudly before he leaned down to press a soft kiss to her lips, Gabby reciprocating as she moved her hand up to cup his cheek. "But we really need to go, before I change my mind." She added once they pulled back as Matt nodded with a knowing grin, the man giving her body one last squeeze before they separated, Gabby grabbing the remains of the snack she'd taken from him before heading for the door. "And just so you know, I'm expecting a massage when we get back."

A light scoff escaped his lips as she disappeared throughout the doorway, Matt unable to keep his smile from growing before he shook his head, the man following her path as he knew this was bound to be an eventful outing.

* * *

"_Yeah, we're leaving tomorrow_."

Gabby's voice filtered into the bathroom as Matt continued drying himself off, the man having just gotten out of the shower while his girlfriend was already in the bedroom, clearly talking to someone on the phone, though he wasn't sure who it was. But, if he had to guess, he'd say it was her mom. Rolling out his neck, he tried to shake the tiredness from his body, their long day seeming to have finally caught up with him as the man was more than ready for bed, though he knew he wouldn't be able to for a little while longer.

Today had been a busy, yet great, last day for them here at the lake. After their run this morning, which Gabby had handled incredibly well, the woman having had no issues keeping up despite all her complaining, when they got home, they immediately decided to head out on the boat and spend their day there. And while they'd had a lot of fun, the couple wanting to soak in as much time as possible relaxing before preparing themselves to get back into reality, they were both worn out by the time they got back to the cabin, the long day out in the sun having taken more out of them than they realized. Then after a quick dinner, they'd jumped in the shower, the two of them just enjoying the company while they washed the lake off of them. And now that they'd both completed that task, Matt knew it was time for him to deliver on that massage Gabby had been not so subtly reminding him about all day, which, despite his exhaustion, was a request he'd never say no to.

"_I'm not sure, I'd have to ask him._"

The sound of her voice pulled Matt from his thoughts, Casey drawing in a deep breath before a heavy yawn escaped his lips, his focus moving towards Gabby, despite the fact he couldn't see her. He wasn't sure how long she'd been on the phone, Gabby having gotten out of the shower with him maybe ten minutes prior, but regardless, he went through his routine slowly, not wanting her to feel like she had to rush her phone call.

"_We've had a great time, Mama,_" Her heard her once more, a soft smile forming over his face as his suspicions were proven correct, Matt tying his towel around his waist as he continued listening to her speak with her mom. "_Yeah, it was great- We've spent a lot of time out on the lake, the owners have a boat so we've been out on that… No, Matt found it- Yeah, it's great. He did good._" His warm smile widened, Matt glancing back towards the door to the bedroom. "_Yeah, we have… We needed it, with everything going on [...] Yeah, I think so, too… No, I'm not sure. I know this week, uh- We might be a bit busy, I don't know, but Matt and I will be sure to come by for dinner, and we can tell you how it was in person… Yeah, I'll tell him._"

Casey began moving towards the door, the man straightening out his spine just as he came through the doorway, the smile returning to his face when he saw his girl sitting in the middle of the bed, holding the phone up to her ear. She didn't notice him at first, Matt leaning against the frame as he stood there in his towel, the man taking the moment to drink her in as she tapped her free hand against her thigh. From his vantage point, he had the perfect view of who he thought to be the most beautiful person in the world, Gabby dressed in nothing but a thin tank top and a pair of underwear, with her hair pulled back in a bun while she leaned against the headboard.

Just as he finished looking her over, it was like she felt his eyes on her as she turned towards him, Gabby offering him a soft smile before she held her finger up, signaling she'd be another minute while she continued talking to her mom. But Matt waved her off, the man silently telling her to take her time before he walked over to the dresser, Casey pulling out a pair of boxers. Pulling the towel from his waist, the man slid on the clothing, stretching his arms out above his head before moving to take the towel back into the bathroom, Matt content to listen to Gabby speak on the phone until she was done.

"Okay, well I think Matt and I are gonna head to bed here soon… Yeah, I will- I will, I'll tell him." Gabby continued, her soft gaze catching Matt's as he stepped back into the bedroom, a bottle of lotion in hand as he grinned at her while walking towards the bed. "Alright… I love you, too. Tell Papa I love him. I'll talk to you later… Bye Mama."

She hung up the call just as he came to a stop beside the edge of the bed, Gabby looking up at him as she placed the phone down on the bed beside her, her eyes flashing towards the lotion in his grasp before finding his eyes.

"You ready?" He asked, Gabby nodding with a bright grin before she began to get situated.

Peeling the tank top from her body, Gabby slid down the bed and turned to lie on her stomach, not missing the way his eyes lingered on her before he grabbed her a pillow so she would be comfortable, the woman adjusting herself until she was in the most relaxed position possible while Matt climbed onto the bed beside her.

"How's your mom doing?" He questioned as Gabby's cheek was resting against her forearm, her eyes watching him while he lathered lotion on his hands.

"She's good, she told me to tell you goodnight by the way." She told him, watching as he nodded with a content grin. "And my dad said hi… And that he misses you." She added with an amused gleam in her eye, warmth rushing through her when she saw the genuinely happy look on his face. "They're having a movie night tonight." She finished, Matt raising his eyebrows as a slight smirk tugged on his lips.

"Without us?" He asked teasingly, Gabby matching his grin.

"Trust me, they would've loved for us to be there. That's part of what she kept telling me on the phone. But I told them we'd try and come see them soon." She spoke, Matt giving her a nod before he began to rub his hands over her back, Gabby shivering involuntarily at the abrupt change of temperature before she quickly adjusted, the woman waiting a second before saying her next words. "I, uh… I know this week, with everything…" She trailed off as she vaguely mentioned the anniversary of his father's passing, Matt pausing his movements for a split second before he continued on. "That comes first, and I know your mom was wanting to see you, so it might need to be next week… But just whenever there's a day you're feeling up for it, I think it'd be nice." She finished, Gabby unable to see the small, sad smile that was pulling on his lips as he continued massaging her back.

"Babe…" He started as he moved up to her shoulders.

"Hmm?"

"I'm okay." He reminded her, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before she pushed herself up to rest on her elbows, momentarily halting his movements as she met his gaze, Matt adjusting his positioning to sit down on the edge of the bed. "We can go and see your parents whenever you want, I'm good. You don't need to worry." He told her, Gabby eyeing him skeptically for a moment.

They hadn't really talked about it again, about everything with his family, not after that first night, and then when Gabby checked in on him that next afternoon. Those were the only times it had really come up, the couple just wanting to enjoy their time together as much as they could. But he knew it had been on her mind, Matt able to read her better than anyone else.

"Alright," She replied, Matt running his tongue along his bottom lip, "but you know telling me not to worry is pointless, right?" She asked with raised eyebrows, Matt smiling softly as his head tilted to the side. "I love you, and I'm always going to worry about you, especially with something like this." She explained to him, even though they both knew she didn't need to. "Just like you always look out for me, this goes both ways."

"I know." He murmured in response, Gabby giving him a quick nod as she watched his eyebrows furrow, Matt clearly focused on a thought in his head before he eventually spoke up once more. "But I'm good. Swear." He assured her, Gabby nodding once more. "Though speaking of worrying about each other… How are _you_ doing?"

It didn't take her long to know what he was asking, the day of Walker's release getting closer and closer as it continued to hang over their heads, Gabby drawing in a steadying breath as Matt kept his eyes on her.

"I know we've been focused on me a lot lately," He continued when she had yet to say anything, Gabby locking her gaze on his, "but I know this can't be easy for you. And we haven't really talked much about it… I just wanna know how you're doing."

"I'm alright." She was quick to answer, Matt giving her a slow nod. "I'm just… Choosing not to focus on it right now. But I'm fine, I promise."

"Okay." He replied without hesitation, Casey knowing better than to press this any further. "But you'll tell me if that changes?" He asked, Gabby smiling softly before she nodded.

"I will… Just like you have to." She told him, earning a knowing look from Matt as she turned the conversation back around onto him.

"I will." He repeated, the two smiling softly at one another before Gabby returned to her previous position lying down on the bed.

"Good… Now let's continue this, shall we?" She asked, the light tone in her voice making him smile before Matt sat back up.

"Yes ma'am." He told her, Gabby biting back a laugh before he began running his hands over her once more, the two falling into a peaceful quiet as Matt gave her a massage, both of them wanting to enjoy their last night here as much as they possibly could.

* * *

"There's the happy couple."

Gabby slowly let go of Matt's hand as they walked into the common room for their first shift back at 51, finding most of their friends there already as they prepared for the day ahead, Gabby quickly catching Shay's glance, the proud smirk on her face causing Dawson to shake her head before she returned her attention back to the room.

"We were beginning to think you were never coming back." Herrmann spoke up from his spot on the couch, Matt raising his eyebrows as he secured his shift bag over his shoulder.

"Yeah, well, I won't say we didn't think about it." Matt replied without missing a beat, his words earning a few laughs from their friends. "I think we both wish we were still there… No offense." He added lightly, Herrmann scoffing in response.

While the first responders were happy to be back at work with their friends, there was a part of them that already missed the serenity their trip had provided, neither one of them necessarily ready to get back into the swing of things just yet. But they didn't have much of a choice, and regardless of their desire to still be up in that cabin with just the two of them, both Matt and Gabby knew it was time to get back into their normal rhythm.

"Well, we sure did miss you, too." Herrmann replied sarcastically, Matt laughing as Gabby looked up at him. "We barely got by without ya."

"Oh, don't cry Herrmann, we did miss you guys." Casey continued to joke, the room laughing once more as Dawson focused on the bright smile on her boyfriend's face, the sight of him so carefree filling her with warmth. "We are glad to see you all, don't worry."

Herrmann waved him off, Matt chuckling once more before he looked down towards Gabby when she placed a hand on his arm, the two locking eyes on one another as his smile only grew. "I'm gonna go put my bag up, want me to take yours?" She asked, Matt giving her a slight nod before he slung it down off his shoulder.

"Yeah, thanks babe." He responded, handing the bag over to her before he gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, Gabby smiling softly before she headed for the hallway, while Matt moved over to the coffee pot.

"So, you two had a nice time, Lieutenant?" Cruz asked, Matt nodding as he got to the counter.

"We did… It was nice to get away for a little bit." He replied, not seeing Shay walk up to him as he prepared his coffee, the man only noticing her presence when he turned to head to the table, Casey jumping slightly in surprise.. "-Jesus Shay." He spoke quickly, his reaction causing some chuckles from around the room before everyone went back to their own thing.

"Hello to you, too." She responded, crossing her arms over her chest as Matt took a sip of his coffee, the man raising his eyebrows when he saw the unreadable expression in her eye.

"...What?" He pressed when she had yet to say anything, Shay cocking her head to the side.

"So, you didn't do it, huh?" She questioned, Matt's eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"Do what?" He asked back, Shay smirking before she took a step closer to him, the woman dropping her voice to a volume only he could hear as Matt took another sip of his drink.

"Take a break from going at it like bunnies to get down on one knee."

Casey began choking harshly on his coffee, Shay biting back her amused grin as his hacking gained the attention of the entire room, Matt continuing to cough as his drink went down the wrong way.

"You alright over there, Casey?" Severide asked from the table, Matt nodding as Shay began tapping his back, the Lieutenant placing his mug down on the counter before finding the paramedic's gaze once more after he'd regained some of his composure.

Knowing they had the attention of the entire room, Matt shook his head before nudging her towards the door, Shay laughing lightly as she walked towards the side hallway, Casey following closely behind her, missing the confused looks from their coworkers as they left. Once in the hallway, Shay took a few steps to give a little more distance from everyone before turning back to face him, the look of amusement having never left her face as Matt stared at her with a tense gaze.

"So, there won't be a Mrs. Casey for a little while longer… Or a second Mrs. Casey, I guess..." She spoke once more, Matt shaking his head, ignoring her comment about Hallie as he took a deep breath.

"What are you talking about?" He questioned, Shay smirking softly.

"You proposing to Dawson… I figured that's what this trip was for." She replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world, Matt drawing in a deep breath before shaking his head.

"God, you and Severide have got to stop with this," He spoke under his breath, Shay clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "I had no plans to propose to Gabby, this trip was for us to get away from everything, and have some time for us. It was in no way… that." He spoke, the man practically stumbling over his words as Shay watched him closely, Matt's eyebrows furrowing before he met her gaze. "...Why? Has Gabby said something to you?" His voice dropped slightly, Shay biting back a laugh as his curious eyes focused on her.

"Oh, I freaked you out, didn't I?" She asked with a bright gleam in her eye, Matt glaring tightly as he shook his head.

"Shay…"

"Fine. No, she hasn't said anything to me." She gave in, watching as Casey released a relieved breath. "I just figured with how serious you two are, you all living together, and how you made a big deal about making sure you and Gabby went on this little trip… I assumed it was something that was coming." She explained, her own gaze narrowing in on him as she was a bit thrown by his reaction. "...Why? Do you not want that?"

A look of confusion flickered over his face, Matt immediately shaking his head. "No, that's not it."

"Good." Shay cut in quickly, Casey seeing her protective best friend instincts starting to kick in, something he'd seen from Shay a few times since he first got to 51. "Because if you're not serious about this relationship-"

"You know how much she means to me." Matt was the one to cut her off this time. "It has nothing to do with that, I love Gabby more than anything, you know that." He assured her, seeing the small smile that formed over her face.

"I know… I just wanted to hear you say it." She told him, Matt shaking his head slightly as Shay's eyes flashed over his face, the blonde paramedic clearly wanting to say something. "But… What is the reason, then? Cause honestly, I'm kind of surprised you haven't asked her yet. I mean, I know you two haven't been together all that long, but since when have you and Dawson ever done things the conventional way?" She spoke, Casey drawing in a deep breath as he thought over how to best answer her, the man running his hand over his mouth before responding.

"That's just it, Shay… We haven't been together very long." He replied, the woman pausing for a moment before she nodded. "Is it something I've thought about? Down the line, yeah… Of course." Matt didn't miss the soft smile that covered her face as he spoke, Matt continuing before she had the chance to say anything. "But, it's exactly like you said. The months Gabby and I have been together have been great, but we've had so much going on, so much other stuff that we're dealing with… It's just not the right time. I don't want to rush anything, and potentially ruin things between us."

"I don't think a proposal would ruin anything…" Shay said, Matt meeting her eye.

"I'm not saying it would, I just don't want to go too fast." He countered, the paramedic nodding understandingly. "There's no reason too. Especially with our track record when it comes to things like this." He added, noticing the curious look on Shay's face. "My marriage, it went terribly, and Gabby's engagement… I know Walker's a piece of shit, but still- we just haven't had the best luck in the whole marriage department, so I don't want to do anything before we're ready."

Shay nodded as she listened to his explanation, the blonde shooting him an understanding smile before she reached out to pat his shoulder. "I get it… I just wasn't sure where you were at with all this. But as long as you've been thinking about it…"

"Yeah, you don't have to worry about that." He replied with a laugh, Shay smirking softly. "Gabby… She's it for me. I truly believe that." He told her without an ounce of hesitation, Shay seeing the shining look in his eyes as he spoke of her best friend. "And I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with her, and for her to be my wife… One day."

"Alright." Shay responded. "I guess I can accept that." She told him, Matt shaking his head lightly. "But, whenever you do pop the big question, I better be involved."

"Considering you're gonna have to help me make sure I don't fuck it up, yeah, you'll know." He told her with a laugh, Shay nodding in agreement before she patted his cheek.

"Good." She said shortly, Matt scoffing lightly as she began to walk away, though she didn't get very far before she stopped herself. "Although one thing I do not want to be involved in is the engagement night… You two can be freaky, and I want no part in that." She added, Matt glaring at her slightly. "And I haven't had the chance to talk to her today, but from what I heard from her while you all were at the lake, it's amazing Dawson's even able to walk." She spoke with a devilish grin, Matt releasing a heavy breath as he raised his eyebrows.

"Why are you so obsessed with our sex life, Shay?" He questioned, the paramedic shrugging as her smile widened.

"Just trying to make sure my girl is getting taken care of." She replied shamelessly. "But I know she is. And hearing the juicy details is about as much involvement as I'd like… So I'll leave the rest of that up to you."

"Yeah, thanks." He responded dryly, the woman chuckling before she continued to walk away. But she was stopped once again when Casey spoke up, the man finally saying what had been sitting on the tip of his tongue since this conversation started. "But, uh, Shay?" He started, Shay turning back around to face him with raised eyebrows. "Don't say anything to Gabby about this… About getting engaged." He requested, the woman pausing for a moment before she nodded. "I doubt this is even on her mind, and I don't think this is something she'd want right now anyway, but just… Don't bring it up."

Shay furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, a few of his words leaving an unsure feeling in her gut as she opened her mouth to disagree with him. But before she could, the bells above them rang out, calling all companies to an apartment fire, Matt breathing deeply before he shot her a thankful smile, the firefighter walking past her out towards the garage before she could get another word in.

* * *

Gabby glanced down the bar, her eyes soon finding her boyfriend as she checked in on him for what had to have been the tenth time this evening, the woman needing the assurance he was still doing alright while she worked. She'd told him over and over again he didn't need to come with her tonight, as well as offering to get Herrmann to cover for her, but he'd turned her down each time, Matt promising her he wanted her to come work, and that he wanted to come with her. So here they were, over two hours into her shift, Gabby having spent as much time with Matt as she could while also doing her job.

She didn't know what to expect from him right now; with the anniversary of his father's death tomorrow, she had no idea how he'd be handling that, especially after his admission during their little trip that this time of year was hard for him. But as far as she could tell, he'd been doing alright. He hadn't seemed to be acting any different, though that wouldn't keep her from continuing to check on him. Because while she'd seen him at some low points in his life, this thing with his family was something entirely different, and she refused to let him go through it alone. Even if he was alright.

"You should just go over there and mount him if you're gonna keep staring at him like that."

Shay's voice hit her ears, the brunette scoffing heavily before she turned to find her friend standing beside her, Gabby tilting her head to the side as Shay grinned from ear to ear.

"You never stop, do you?"

"No, because it's so easy to tease you two… Casey especially, he gets so embarrassed, it's kind of cute." She responded, Gabby raising her eyebrows. "Though really, why do you keep staring at him? There's no possible way you could be missing him, after you spent the better part of a week with his dick inside your v-"

"Shay." She warned, Gabby trying to ignore the stares of a few of the patrons seated at the bar that clearly heard what Shay had said, the blonde turning to look at them and shooting them a warm smile before she returned her attention to her partner.

"You're no fun." Shay complained, Gabby shaking her head before she reached for a new glass and began to fill it up. "But seriously… What's going on with you two?"

"Nothing." Gabby replied vaguely as she finished filling the glass, knowing she couldn't exactly talk about this with her friend. "I'm just gonna go give this to him." She added, Shay watching her with an unimpressed look before she nodded, Gabby placing her rag down on the counter before she walked down the bar towards her boyfriend.

He looked up when he saw her approaching, Gabby holding out the new drink with a soft smile before she placed it in front of him. "Figured you could use a new one."

"Thanks baby." He responded with a gentle grin, Gabby grabbing his near empty glass from him and placing it behind the bar.

"Did you ever hear from Severide?" She asked as she leaned forward, resting her palms on the side of the bar as Matt watched her, the man nodding.

"Yeah, he's not coming out tonight." He responded, Gabby nodding as she spared a quick glance down to her friend before looking back at him.

"Do you wanna come sit down there with me and Shay?" She offered, her eyes shining at him. "Shay will probably embarrass us, but at least you'll have some company."

"Sure, yeah." He accepted, Gabby's smile nodding before she nodded, Matt pushing himself up off his stool. But just as they were about to walk back towards their friend, his phone began buzzing in his pocket, the noise stopping them both as Casey put his drink down and reached for his cell phone.

"Is it Severide?" She questioned, Matt's eyebrows furrowing before his tongue poked out between his teeth, running along his bottom lip.

"No… It's my mom." He answered, Gabby drawing in a deep breath as she nodded.

She knew she probably should've been expecting this phone call, with Nancy having wanted to see Matt tomorrow. But when they hadn't heard from her again after her initial call, Matt assumed she'd changed her mind. Or fallen back into her old ways, and wasn't really thinking of him at all. But clearly, that wasn't the case.

"I'm gonna go take this." He told her, nodding towards the door as Gabby gave him an understanding nod, Matt answering the call as he began to head in that direction. "Hello?"

"_Hi Matthew._"

"Hi Mom- Uh, hold on a sec." He spoke as he tried to escape the buzzing bar, Matt pushing the door open and immediately was met by the quiet night just outside Molly's, the man going down the steps towards the sidewalk.

"_Everything alright?_"

"Yeah, yeah- I'm out with Gabby, and it's pretty loud in there."

"_Oh, I'm sorry, I can let you go._"

"No, it's fine… Um, how are you doing?" He asked, hearing her take a deep breath before she responded.

"_I'm alright. How are you? How'd your weekend with Gabby go?_"

"It was good, great… We had a lot of fun. And I'm okay, too. Gabby and I both are."

"_That's great, honey. I'm glad to hear that… So, I, um… I'm sure you know why I'm calling. With tomorrow._"

"Yeah…" He responded after releasing a soft sigh.

"_Have you, uh- Have you heard from your sister?_"

"No." He spoke. "Her and I don't really talk." He reminded her, his mom pausing for a moment before she continued.

"_Yeah, I called her, but I never heard back... But __I was thinking about it, about what to do tomorrow, and I- I was wondering if you'd be able to meet me at the cemetery?_" She requested, Matt's eyebrows furrowing. "_I know we don't… We haven't really been there. Or I haven't, but I'd like to go. And I want you to come with me._"

There was a heavy silence that filled the air around him, Matt pursing his lips together as he thought over her words, the man a bit surprised by what she'd asked of him. And he could tell she sensed that.

"_If you don't want to, or can't, I understand… I just wanted to ask._"

"No, uh… I'll go." He answered before he could talk himself out of it.

"_Yeah?_"

"Yeah, I will… What time?" He questioned as he brought his hand up to run along the back of his neck, his head hanging down towards the ground.

"_Eleven? We could go have lunch after, if you're up for it._"

"That's fine, Mom." He responded, Matt looking up when he heard the door open, Casey seeing Gabby come into view, his girlfriend seeing him instantly as she began to walk towards him.

"_Alright… We'll, I'll see you then, sweetheart._"

"Yeah, I'll see you… Bye mom." He told her just as Gabby got to him, Matt waiting for his mother's response before he hung up, the man looking up as he slid his phone back into his pocket. Before either said a word, he was immediately met by the compassionate look in Gabby's eyes, the woman reaching out to grab his arm as she stood in front of him.

"How is she?" She questioned, Matt breathing deeply.

"She sounded okay, considering." He told her, Gabby giving him a nod. "But she, uh… She wants me to go to the cemetery tomorrow… To see my dad." Matt spoke, Gabby's eyebrows raising slightly in shock she recovered.

"Really?"

"Yeah." He breathed out, Gabby giving his arm a squeeze as he met her gaze.

"Are you going?" She questioned, earning a nod from her boyfriend.

"I am… I don't know if it's a good idea, but- I told her I'd be there." He replied, Gabby giving him a sympathetic smile, a look she couldn't read flashing in his eyes before he spoke up once more. "Would you… Will you come with me?"

Her face softened as the words left his lips, Gabby rubbing her hand along his arm before sliding her palm to his chest. "Of course I will." She told him, Matt releasing a soft breath before he nodded. "If you want me there, I'm there… As long as you think it'll be okay." She added, his eyebrows raising slightly. "I don't want to intrude on this, with you and your mom."

"You won't be." He all but cut her off, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek before she nodded, sensing just how much he needed her to come with him tomorrow. "I want you to be there."

"Then I'm there." She promised, Matt swallowing thickly before he gave her a nod of his own, the man pausing momentarily before he leaned forward and wrapped her up in a hug, Gabby reciprocating the action as she held onto him tightly.

They stood there for a few moments, Gabby rubbing her hand along the back of his neck as Matt breathed her in, the woman letting him decide when he was ready to pull back, which he eventually did. With her hand on his cheek, Gabby's eyes traced over him, the woman seeing a look of exhaustion that hadn't been there before, Matt breathing deeply before he spoke up.

"I think I'm gonna head home." He told her, Gabby nodding with an understanding look before she glanced back towards the bar. "I just… I'm kinda tired."

"Okay… I'll go tell Shay we're leaving." She replied, Matt immediately shaking his head.

"You don't have to, I don't want you to leave because-"

"I want to. Otis is here, Shay will be fine. Just give me a minute." She told him, giving him no more room to argue, Matt nodding before she ran her hand over his cheek, Gabby offering him a warm smile before she headed inside. Drawing in a deep breath, Matt kicked his foot against the pavement, the man waiting patiently for Gabby to come back as he leaned against the side of the bar, Casey more than ready to just get home with his girl and get some sleep.

* * *

Casey put his truck in park before they looked around at their surroundings, Gabby drawing in a deep breath as she took in all the headstones around them, the woman wincing slightly. She's always hated cemeteries, she had ever since she was a kid, but she kept that to herself as she undid her seatbelt, knowing nothing about today was about her. This was about Matt, and making sure he was okay.

"You ready?" Gabby asked softly as she looked up to him, Matt giving her a soft nod before unbuckling and getting out of the truck, Dawson following his lead. She waited by her door as he walked around to her, Gabby grabbing for his hand as soon as he was within reach, the woman using her free hand to hold onto his arm before they began walking.

Dawson wasn't sure exactly where they were going, so she let Matt take the lead as she looked around, Gabby feeling his grip on her hand tighten every so often, the woman just trying to give him as much silence reassurance as possible. And soon, Nancy came into view, Gabby and Matt seeing her before she noticed them, the woman standing off on the path by herself.

"Hi Mom." Matt spoke up when they got close enough, Nancy turning towards the voice the second she heard it with a soft smile on her face. A smile that faltered when she saw he wasn't alone, despite the fact she quickly tried to mask it, though Gabby couldn't say she was surprised by the reaction.

Her and Nancy hadn't seen each other in awhile, not since that day at the firehouse all those weeks ago where they got into it, and Gabby could only assume she hadn't expected her to show up with her son today. But despite how awkward things were between them, Gabby pushed all that aside, not wanting to do anything to make things harder for Matt.

"Hi Nancy." Gabby greeted, the woman offering her a weak smile.

"Gabby, hi… I wasn't expecting to see you today." She spoke, Gabby glancing towards Matt, who spoke up before she could.

"I asked her to come." He replied simply, Nancy nodding in understanding before she turned her complete attention to her son.

"Well, I'm glad to see you… Both of you." She spoke before giving her son a hug, Matt stepping away from Gabby long enough to hug her back.

"You too, Mom." He replied, Nancy rubbing his back before they separated, Matt drawing in a deep breath before his gaze moved off to the side.

"Are you, uh… Are you ready?" Nancy asked him, Matt running his tongue along the inside of his cheek before he nodded.

"Yeah… But can I- Can I have a second alone first?" He questioned, Nancy's eyebrows furrowing before she immediately nodded, Gabby mimicking her action.

"Of course." The older Casey spoke.

"Yeah, baby, whatever you need." Gabby murmured, rubbing his back comfortingly before he nodded, the man giving them both a small smile before he walked off into the grass. She kept her eyes on him as he maneuvered his way around, until he came to a stop at what she assumed to be his father's headstone maybe ten yards away from them, Gabby having to force herself to look away from him as she didn't want to feel like she was intruding, Dawson crossing her arms over her chest as she kept her eyes to the ground.

There was an uncomfortable silence around them, Gabby unsure of what to say, if she should even say anything. Not only had they not really resolved things between them, aside from Matt telling her his mother had apologized, but with everything going on today, Gabby didn't want to make things harder on her. So she opted to stay quiet, though it soon became clear Nancy wasn't going to take the same approach.

"Thank you for coming with him."

Gabby looked up when she heard her voice, meeting Nancy's eyes as they stood on the pavement.

"This entire thing, today… It's not easy. I appreciate you being there for him."

"Of course." Gabby replied without hesitation, the older woman nodding before she spared a quick glance to her son, Dawson seeing her shake her head before she continued.

"...I'm guessing you know now." She said, Dawson furrowing her eyebrows slightly as she waited for the woman to elaborate. "About what happened to his father." She spoke, realization covering Gabby's face before she nodded, Nancy drawing in a deep breath.

"He told me." Gabby murmured, Nancy pursing her lips together as she paused for a moment more, Dawson waiting to let her take the lead.

"I… I can't imagine what you must think of me." She eventually said, a look of confusion covering Gabby's face, Nancy sparing a glance back towards her. "But his father… I'm not sure how much you know. I'm guessing Matt told you everything. But what I did, I-" She cut herself off, Dawson's face softening as she took a deep breath.

"You were hurting." Gabby spoke up, her words taking Nancy by surprise as the woman raised her eyebrows. "I think you were hurting, and you just wanted it to stop." She continued softly, Gabby sparing a look towards her boyfriend before speaking once more. "And I think you were worried, that one day he'd start hurting Matt, and Christie." She finished, Gabby tearing her eyes away from her boyfriend to find Nancy watching her closely, the older woman taking a few steadying breaths.

"I… Thank you, Gabby." She said quietly, Gabby shaking her head.

"You don't have to thank me for anything. What you were going through… I know what that does to a person." She breathed out, Nancy's eyebrows furrowing as she heard the tone in Gabby's voice, the older Casey not sure what to make of it. "I'm just sorry that happened to you. But you don't have to explain yourself to me."

Nothing else needed to be said between them, at least not now, as Nancy nodded while Gabby's words hung in the air, though the two women felt a little better around each other now that they'd had a moment to talk. But as silence fell over them, Gabby wasn't able to focus much on Nancy anymore, her attention moving back towards her boyfriend as she watched him shifting on his feet while he continued to talk to his dad. And while she had no idea what he was saying, she didn't need to know, Gabby just hoping that whatever conversation was being had, it would help Matt begin to let go of some of the heavy emotions he'd been holding onto for most of his life.


	67. Chapter Sixty Six

**Hello everyone, I'm back with the next chapter for you all! Thank you so much for understanding me taking last week off, but I'm glad to be back and posting this update. And also, thank you so much for the birthday wishes, it means everything to me. You all are so, so kind, thank you for that.**

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and I can't wait to hear what you think. Thank you so much for reading!**

**Also, there is a small little M-Rated part in the beginning of this one, just so you know!**

* * *

**SIXTY SIX**

* * *

Gabby's legs trembled around Matt's waist as he stilled deep inside her, her body taking everything he was giving her as he pressed wet, open-mouthed kisses on the top of her chest, the sound of her pants filling the air around them as her nails dug into his back. Her breaths were short, and choppy, Matt trailing his lips along her skin until he came to rest in between her breasts while Gabby rode out the waves of intense pleasure he'd created within her. And once they finally came down, he pressed one last kiss against her warm body before carefully rolling off of her, Matt not missing the soft whine that left her lips when their bodies disconnected.

Both of them continued to catch their breath, Casey grabbing the sheets that had found their way to the end of the bed and placing the material over them, Gabby resting her hands over her stomach as her tongue poked out between her teeth, Matt keeping his eyes on her while a proud smirk tugged on his lips.

"Good morning." He spoke up after nearly a minute, Gabby chuckling softly before she turned her head towards him, her eyes opening to meet his gaze.

"Good morning." She repeated breathily, Gabby saying her first coherent words since she'd been woken up by her energetic boyfriend nearly half an hour ago, the only sounds that had left her lips up to this point being pants and moans, along with her occasionally calling out his name. "This is a very, very good morning." She added, Matt's smile widening as he reached out to place his hand below hers on her abdomen, his thumb rubbing against the side of her wrist while he felt her breathing underneath his touch.

"It definitely didn't suck." He agreed, Gabby laughing once more before blowing out another breath and resting her head back down on the pillow, her hair sprawled out around her while Matt propped himself up on his elbow. The sheets were bunched at his waist, his hand still firmly placed on her as her eyes fell closed, Gabby relaxing back into their bed as he kept his gaze on her. "...In fact, I think we should start more mornings like this."

His words caused her to open one eye, Matt smiling shamelessly before Gabby scoffed, the woman turning her head away from him as she slid her hand down to partially rest over his. "I think we do just fine, babe." She murmured, Gabby practically able to see the bright grin covering his face despite the fact her eyes were closed. "..._But_, I wouldn't be opposed to it, either." She added softly, Matt smirking before he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips, catching her off guard for a split second as she hadn't seen him coming.

Their soft, sleepy kisses continued, the pace a definite shift from what they'd just been doing moments prior as he rubbed his hand over her stomach, partially resting his weight on top of her as her free hand lifted up around him to grip the back of his neck. He felt her lips turn up into a smile against his, Matt sliding his hand down to her side over the sheet, effectively pulling her closer. As the minutes passed, their movements became more and more heated, Matt pulling the sheets down to give him room to roam her skin, the change in temperature combined with his warm palm running over her body causing a chill to course through her spine, as he began moving his kisses down her jaw to her neck.

Her eyes opened as her breaths became heavier, Matt attacking the skin on her neck as he focused on that spot that he knew drove her crazy, while his palm slid up to grip her chest, Gabby's hand sliding down his back. It was becoming more and more difficult for her not to become completely lost in him, his methods of keeping her attention more than effective as he started teasing her sensitive skin in his palm. Blowing out a harsh breath, Gabby forced herself to look towards their nightstand to check the time before she quietly cursed under her breath, though based on the way Matt became more attentive, she was sure he thought it was for him.

"Baby." She murmured, scratching his back as her eyes fell closed, Matt smirking against her neck before he gently bit into her skin. "I don't think… We don't have time." She spoke as coherently as she could, though the man partially on top of her was making that increasingly difficult.

A soft, displeased groan escaped his lips before he reluctantly lifted his head up, Matt turning to look towards the clock as well, seeing his girlfriend was right in the fact that if they didn't get up and out of bed here soon, they'd definitely be late for work. Huffing out a breath, he soon met her gaze, his face softening when he saw her bright brown eyes shining up at him, Matt unable to stop the small grin that formed across his face as he began moving his hand up and down her side.

"I guess you're right." He replied just as softly, not wanting to completely ruin the peaceful moment they were in. Though he knew with them needing to get up, it would soon be gone anyway. "Though I'm not entirely opposed to us calling in sick." He added, Gabby raising her eyebrows before another slight chill moved through her, Matt chuckling lightly.

"I don't know, that's probably not the most professional thing to do." She responded as her fingers delicately ran across the base of his spine, Matt breathing in deeply. "And we also probably shouldn't jinx it."

"Yeah… Yeah, you're right." He repeated reluctantly as she scrunched up her nose in amusement. And while he found the sight absolutely adorable, he still leaned down to kiss her anyway, Gabby relaxing into him as they moved together slowly. "Alright," He started once they separated, neither of them really in any hurry to leave their bed even though they both knew they had to. "How about you go shower first, and I'll make us some breakfast." He suggested, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing as her head tilted to the side. "...What?"

"Nothing, it's just… You don't want to join me?" She questioned back softly, with an almost challenging look in her eye before she tucked her bottom lip in between her teeth. Blowing out a heavy sigh, his eyes fluttered closed, it taking all the willpower he had to not just forget about all their responsibilities at the firehouse and stay locked away in this room for the rest of the day.

"You're gonna be the death of me, woman." He spoke under his breath as she continued teasing the skin along his waist, the sweet sound of her laughter causing him to reopen his eyes, before he was immediately met by hers. "...We will most certainly be late if I take you up on that offer," He continued, his voice back to a normal volume as his thumb stroked along her side just over her ribcage. "So you go and shower, I'll get the coffee started and make us some food." He told her, Gabby nodding before he leaned down to steal another quick kiss, both of them having to force themselves to pull away after a few wanting moments so they didn't get lost in one another again.

As he begrudgingly lifted himself up to sit on the edge of the bed, Gabby pulled the sheets back up over her to protect herself from the chill in the air, Matt reaching for his boxers that he'd removed earlier in the morning before standing up and putting them on. "You want toast, or a bagel with your eggs?" He questioned as he turned to face her just before getting his boxers in place, Gabby smiling softly as she pushed herself up to rest on her elbows.

"Bagel, please." She responded, Matt nodding with a soft smile before he leaned down for one last kiss, his girl looking far too desirable for him to just walk away, the feeling of her smiling against him sending a rush of warmth through his body. "Now go, or we really will be late." She whispered against him, lifting her arm up to gently push against his bare chest before he stood up.

With a proud grin on his face, he nodded before heading for the door, the man only gone for a few seconds before she heard him call back a reminder that she also needed to get out of bed, Gabby smirking softly while she tossed the covers off of herself and headed for the bathroom, stretching out her tired and euphorically achy muscles as she began to get ready for the long day ahead.

* * *

"_Dawson! We need a medic over here!_"

Casey's voice flooded through their radios as they worked the scene, Gabby picking up the paramedic bag before reaching for the radio strapped to her chest, Shay giving her an approving nod before Dawson headed off in that direction.

"Oh my way, Casey." She replied through the radio as she began navigating herself through the maze of first responders, victims, and bystanders, the horrific accident having drawn quite the crowd. "Coming through!" She spoke as she maneuvered through all the people, and gurneys, and equipment needed to rescue anyone stuck in their vehicles due to the pile up.

When they arrived on scene nearly half an hour ago, it felt like nearly every company in the city had been called, though when they got their first look at the crash, it soon became clear as to why. There had to have been at least fifteen vehicles involved in the accident on the highway, along with a rather large truck carrying concrete cylinders in the middle of all the madness, making their jobs all the more difficult. And while none of them had any idea as to what had actually caused the accident, that wasn't too important right now as their focus was on helping those who had been injured.

"_Dawson!_"

"Coming, Casey!" She told him through the radio once more, sensing just by the urgency in his voice that whatever he was looking at wasn't good. And when she got closer to the car he was working on, she was beginning to understand why, as she took in the sight of the crushed metal partially underneath the truck holding the concrete.

But it wasn't just that, as it was the fact that even Dawson could tell the straps holding the cylinders up looked weak, at best, the paramedic unsure of how much time they had before they'd fall down on top of the vehicle, despite their attempts to keep it up.

"We've got a victim trapped over here." He spoke when he saw her, his voice pulling her from her thoughts as Gabby nodded before she walked towards the back of the car, knowing her only way over was to climb across the top of the trunk as the car was pinned from both sides. "We need him stabilized before this thing goes." He added quickly, Dawson glancing towards the truck before she nodded.

With Herrmann's help, she slid across to the other side, Gabby moving carefully as to not create too much of a shift, Matt helping her down onto the ground before she rushed over towards the passenger side door, Jenkins grabbing her ambo bag and bringing it over while Gabby got to work.

"Has he regained consciousness?" She asked as she began looking through her bag, Matt shaking his head as he kept an eye on the scene around them.

"No, he's been out since we got here… Managed to get the driver out, but they're in rough shape." He informed, earning a sharp nod from Gabby before she continued to work.

It was like everything was moving at warped speed, Dawson quickly checking over what she could as she collared the man, the amount of blood coming from his head, and his obviously broken legs not leaving the greatest feeling in her gut. "Casey, can you grab my radio?" She asked, as her gloved hands were covered in blood, Matt giving her a nod before reaching around her and picking up the radio strapped to her chest, placing his hand on the button as he lifted it up. "Shay?"

"_Yeah, Dawson?_"

"We need a gurney over here, by the truck- Now." She spoke, her voice holding her own sense of urgency while Casey held onto her radio.

"_On it_." Shay replied back, Gabby nodding before Matt dropped the radio back down against her body as he looked towards his firefighter.

"Jenkins, go help Shay." He ordered, the woman nodding before she ran off in that direction, leaving only him and Dawson on this side of the car, while Herrmann and Mouch were on the other side waiting for instruction. "How's it looking, Dawson?"

"Not good, we need to get him out as soon as we can." She replied, Matt nodding before he waved Herrmann and Otis over, needing the man's assistance just as Shay and Jenkins got back with the gurney. "Shay, I need the backboard." Dawson ordered, the blonde nodding before her and Jenkins passed it over the car, Shay soon coming to help as well.

The first responders began working together seamlessly as they carefully extracted the victim from the car, Casey using the spreader to push the crushed dash back, before they slowly maneuvered the unconscious man onto the backboard. It was a tedious process, all of them following Dawson's lead as she directed each of them on what to do. But as they were working on lifting him out, it wasn't lost on Casey how the straps holding up the cylinders were starting to tear, the man's eyes widening when he saw them shifting and fighting against their restraints.

"We've gotta move!" Casey ordered just as one of the failing straps snapped, the first responders moving faster to get the man from the car, Shay, Jenkins, Herrmann, and Otis carrying the backboard away from the wreckage.

But the man was barely in the clear when the other strap broke, Matt turning back just he saw the heavy bits of concrete beginning to shift and fall down off the truck. And it was like he could barely even think, his eyes widening as he watched the object barreling towards them, Matt instinctively grabbing ahold of Gabby and pulling her to the ground, using his entire body to shield her as much as he could as the piece of concrete fell down on top of the crushed car.

The noise was nearly paralyzing, Matt just waiting for that crushing weight to hit him as he protected the paramedic beneath him, the sound of her confused whimpers causing him to tighten his grip, his entire body covering hers as they were huddled against the side of the car.

But despite Casey waiting to feel the intense pain of being hit by the concrete, that feeling never came, Gabby jumping slightly when one of the cylinders hit the ground just beside them, the object brushing against Matt's back as it rested up at an angle against the crushed car, effectively pinning them against the vehicle.

"We're okay." He murmured as he cradled her head, even though he wasn't entirely sure if he'd hurt her or not in their rush to the ground, Matt doing everything he could to stay calm as the sound of more concrete falling hit their ears.

"Lieutenant!" They heard Herrmann yell. "Dawson!" He added, just as another piece of concrete hit the ground, bouncing into the one keeping them in place, Matt grimacing as he felt a slight pressure against his side.

"We're alright!" He called back, feeling Gabby take heavy breaths as he continued shielding her, knowing she had absolutely nothing aside from him to keep her safe.

The entire thing lasted for all of maybe twenty seconds, but it felt like an eternity as Matt kept covering her with his body, it taking some time for Gabby to completely understand what all had happened. But what she did know was that the slight stinging pain in her side from hitting the ground was nothing compared to how painful it would've been to be crushed by one of the tons of concrete that had fallen from the truck, Gabby taking slow breaths as she focused on the feeling of Matt rubbing her head.

"You okay, baby?" He whispered once he was sure everything had stopped shifting, effectively pulling her from her haze as she nodded, the two not able to really see each other in the position they were in. "Alright… Can you get up?" He asked as he pulled back as much as he could, though with the concrete resting up against his side, he only had so much room to move.

"Yeah… Yeah, I can." She told him, Matt nodding before he slowly let go of her, the firefighter doing what he could to not move too much as he wasn't sure of how much his body was affecting the positioning of the concrete.

"Okay. Go ahead and go, I'm right behind you." He assured her, Gabby nodding before she carefully crawled out from under the heavy object resting against the car, Herrmann quickly helping to pull her up as their victim was secure on the gurney. And once he was sure Gabby was clear, Matt quickly moved out from under the concrete, the Lieutenant not wanting to tempt fate as he hurried up to his feet.

Even after he was clear, he made everyone take a few more steps back, his hands holding onto Gabby's arms as he led them all away from the car, the first responders getting out of the way just as the concrete cylinder they'd been under shifted and collapsed to the ground right where he and Gabby had been. But there was no need to focus on it, Matt keeping his attention on his girl while his firefighters went to assist Shay.

He knew they didn't have much time, that Gabby needed to get to work, but he couldn't help himself from taking a few moments to check her over, Matt drawing in a deep breath before he met her eyes, seeing a similarly uncertain look shining back at him. "...You sure you're okay?" He asked softly, knowing she was a little shaken, as was he admittedly. But he needed to know she was at least physically alright before they went their separate ways.

"I'm good… Are you?" She questioned back, Gabby checking over him the same way he had moments prior.

"I'm good." He repeated, earning a nod from her as he gripped her arm tightly, Gabby giving him a soft smile before she hurried off towards her partner, knowing she needed to focus on the man that needed their help right now, Dawson well aware that once she got away from the scene she'd feel a little more at ease.

* * *

Shay tapped her pen against the counter as they stood at the nurses station in Lakeshore, the blonde waiting impatiently while her partner finished up their drop off paperwork, Gabby working as quickly as she could as she sensed Shay's growing desire to get back to the house. But along with her slight impatience, Dawson also sensed her friend's worry, Shay having been keeping an eye on her since they left the gruesome call maybe half an hour ago.

"Go ahead." Dawson spoke up when she felt Shay's gaze on her yet again, the PIC turning towards her with a knowing look.

"What?" Shay feigned confusion, Gabby shaking her head before raising her eyebrows. "Fine… Are you sure you're okay?" She questioned once more, this being the third time Shay had asked her since the near miss back at the scene. "You don't need to get checked out or anything? I mean, that was a close one… Closer than it probably should've been."

"I'm fine, Shay." She promised with a soft smile. "No worse for wear… You're right, it was a close one, but I'm good." She added, Shay nodding before a slight smirk tugged on her lips.

"Well, it helps when you have your knight in shining armor there." She replied cheekily, Gabby unable to stop herself from rolling her eyes, despite the soft smile that tugged on her lips. "What? It's not like I'm wrong. And it was kind of cute- I mean, it was scary, don't get me wrong." She corrected herself when Dawson gave her a tight glare. "But I swear, I've never seen Casey move that fast… Well, except for that time he yanked you from the car his first shift here." She continued, Gabby cocking her head to the side at the memory, that day feeling like a lifetime ago. "But, to my point, the man moves fast when the love of his life is in danger." She finished with a proud grin, Gabby scoffing heavily as she turned her body towards her friend.

"Casey and I didn't even like each other his first shift here…"

"Yeah, but you had already slept together." She countered, Gabby biting her tongue as she knew she had no room to argue. "So it's close enough… Regardless, I'm just glad you two are alright." She told her, her voice turning more serious as Dawson gave her a nod.

"Me too." She responded before going back to her chart, Shay's eyes moving around the room, her back tightening when she saw multiple pairs of eyes on them, even though they'd look away once they realized their stares had been caught.

"And plus, I'm kinda glad you don't need to get checked out, cause I just wanna get out of here… Everyone keeps staring at us." She added, dropping her voice considerably so no one would hear her, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before she looked around as well.

There was a lot of truth to Shay's words, the PIC having noticed it as well the second they got their patient dropped off. For whatever reason, her and Shay seemed to have gained the attention of most of the nurses here, the men and women doing a terrible job of hiding their obvious stares as paramedics hurried to finish their work.

"Like what the hell is their problem?" Shay continued, Gabby shrugging softly before looking back down towards the paperwork. "...You know, I wonder if they know about you and Casey." She mused, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing as she continued to work. "I bet Hallie spread that around, probably made up some lies about you two, and got everyone here to hate you."

"Shay, easy…" Dawson tried to reel her back in, but the blonde wasn't having it.

"What?"

"Hallie has no problem with Matt and I," She started, keeping her voice low. "Why would she do that?"

"For the same reason she lied to everyone about sleeping around behind Matt's back, and getting knocked up by some other dude." Shay replied without hesitation, Gabby pursing her lips together before shaking her head.

"I don't think she's been saying anything about Matt and I, Shay." She responded, earning a shrug from the blonde before she leaned her weight into the counter.

"Well, I guess we'll never know… But speaking of."

Gabby heard the immediate shift in her friend's tone, Dawson looking up just in time to see Hallie coming towards them, the doctor clearly not aware of their presence yet as her head was focused down on the iPad in her hands. But it was like she immediately sensed them, Dr. Thomas looking up right at Dawson as soon as she got to the nurses station, the woman pausing for a split second.

They'd done pretty well recently, at not seeing one another during their drop offs at Lakeshore, though admittedly they hadn't been here much lately. But whether Hallie had been splitting her time between other departments, or she'd taken some extra time off to be with her child, Gabby wasn't sure. But regardless of the reason, they hadn't really run into one another a lot recently, not until today.

Drawing in a deep breath, Dr. Thomas continued towards them, dropping off a file she'd been holding onto with one of the nurses before walking to them, Gabby instinctively standing up a bit straighter as Hallie came to a stop across from them.

"Uh, hi Dawson… Shay." She greeted, the uncomfortable air around them quite easy to pick up on. But Gabby simply smiled, not wanting to make this situation any worse.

"Hi Hallie." Gabby replied, while Shay stayed quiet, the uncertainty around them only growing as Hallie spoke up once more.

"...Were you all at that big accident?" She questioned, clearly trying to make small talk with the paramedics, though Dawson couldn't help but wish she wouldn't.

"Yeah, we were." Shay told her, the blonde's voice a bit rough as she tapped her hands against the counter. "It was a bad one."

"That's what it sounded like… We've got a few patients from that one, it seemed rough. I'm glad you guys are okay, though." She continued, Gabby pausing for a moment before she nodded, unsure of exactly what to say to that. "So, um… How is-" She cut herself off, wincing slightly as Dawson knew exactly what, or rather _who_, she was wanting to ask about. "How's Matt doing?" She questioned, Shay biting back a scoff as she knew she just needed to let Gabby handle this.

"He's doing well." Gabby responded without hesitation, not missing the slight smile that formed over her lips.

"Good, that's really good… And how are things with you two?" She asked, Gabby swallowing thickly as she met Shay's gaze.

"Him and I are great." She told her honestly, sensing that her boyfriend's former wife genuinely just wanted to know how things were with him. And by the way her smile widened, Dawson assumed her suspicions to be correct.

"That's good to hear, Dawson." She spoke softly, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek before nodding. "I'm happy for you guys." She added, Dawson merely nodding as she was unsure of what to say to the woman who had so badly hurt the man she loved more than anything.

"Thanks." Gabby managed to get out before she returned her attention to her paperwork, the PIC very much wanting to finish this so they could get out of here.

"Hey, uh, Hallie- I've got a question…" Shay spoke up once more, Gabby's back immediately tensing as she wasn't sure what was about to be asked. And considering how Shay and Hallie's last conversation went, Dawson could only imagine what the blonde was wanting.

"What is it?" Dr. Thomas asked, clearly a little apprehensive as well.

"Do you, uh… Do you know what's going on here?" She questioned vaguely, Hallie's eyebrows furrowing in slight confusion.

"I'm sorry?"

"Why everyone's staring at us?" She pressed, realization settling in over Hallie's face before she nodded.

"Oh, that- Yeah, I think it's because your house is kind of famous around here." She answered vaguely, Shay and Gabby both sharing an unsure look.

"Why?"

"Because of that firefighter… The one in prison."

Gabby's body immediately tightened as she swallowed the lump that had seemed to form in the back of her throat, the PIC feeling Shay's eyes on her as Dawson forced herself to take a deep breath.

"He's from 51, right? I'm pretty sure that's why… He's kind of been the talk around here lately." Hallie continued, the woman oblivious to Dawson's reaction as the paramedic looked down towards the counter.

Gabby knew there were rumors around the department as to why Bryan was in jail; some of which included her, and some that didn't. And she wasn't stupid enough to think no one through the CFD would talk, though she'd always done her best to ignore it on the off chance she heard any of the rumors. But what she didn't realize was that talk of him had gone past the fire department, and had spread through to the hospitals, as well.

"And, I mean… None of us really know what happened there, we've heard some things, but everyone says different stuff," Hallie started, her eyes focused more on Dawson. "But, you know how nurses are and their gossip. So he's kind of been a topic of discussion around here… Especially considering how he's getting out soon, isn't he?"

Shay didn't answer her, the blonde keeping an eye on her friend as Gabby ran her tongue along the inside of her lip, before she nodded tightly. "In, uh- In a few days, yeah." Dawson responded quietly, wincing slightly as the words left her lips.

"How do you guys even know about that?" Shay jumped in, her defenses rising as Hallie looked towards her.

"I don't know who first found out here, I just know I hear people talking about it, a lot… Nurses, and firefighters and paramedics who come in and out of here…" She explained carefully, Gabby's eyes falling closed as she took another breath. "He was kind of the only thing people were talking about back when it happened, then I guess with him getting out soon everyone's talking again... Though, uh, whatever happened, I'm just sorry you all had to work with him… He doesn't sound like the best guy." Hallie continued, Gabby's hand clenching tightly as it sat on the counter, the woman dropping her pen abruptly before she took a step back from the counter.

The movement gained both Shay's and Hallie's attention, Dawson gripping her hands together tightly as she focused her attention on her partner. "I'm gonna head out to the rig, can you finish this?" She asked suddenly, Shay immediately giving her a nod.

"Yeah, I got this… You go." She told her, Gabby nodding before she began heading for the door, the paramedic not bothering to say a goodbye to Hallie as she gripped her radio tightly in her hand, both Shay and Dr. Thomas watching her until she disappeared through the sliding doors.

"...Is she okay?" Hallie asked softly, Shay pursing her lips together as she focused her attention on the paperwork in front of her.

"She's fine." Shay responded firmly, her voice harsh as she didn't bother hiding her dislike for the woman now that Gabby was gone. Especially considering how Hallie was the reason Dawson had left so quickly, even if she didn't realize it.

The palpable tension around them continued to grow, Shay not looking the woman's way again as she finished up the last of the paperwork, the paramedic quickly handing it off to the nurse before leaving the hospital without another word.

When she got outside, she found the rig exactly where they'd left it, Shay jogging around to the driver's seat, finding Gabby in her usual spot before she even opened the door. And as she got inside, Gabby still hadn't looked her way, Shay unsure if her friend even realized she was there as she stared out the window, Dawson's hands clasped together in her lap. Not wanting to startle her, she carefully reached out to rest her hand over Gabby's arm, the PIC looking towards her as her vision snapped into focus.

Neither of them said a word initially, Shay watching her closely as Gabby drew in a deep breath, the blonde trying to get a read on her friend. From her initial once over, Dawson seemed to be okay. But still, she couldn't help but worry.

"...It's five days, yeah?" Shay questioned quietly, not missing the slight grimace that covered her friend's face before she nodded.

"Yup." She responded simply, both of them knowing there didn't need to be any more elaboration as they spoke of Walker's impending release. "And I'm fine." She was quick to add before Shay could even ask.

"I didn't say anything."

"I know, but you wanted to. And I'm fine, Shay. Really." She promised, the paramedic waiting a moment before she nodded.

"Okay… I won't bug you about it, I know I've done that enough over the last few months." She spoke lightly, trying to lessen the heaviness in the air around them. And, thankfully, it seemed to work as Gabby smiled softly. "And I know you have lover boy, but I am here if you need anything." She reminded her, though they both knew she didn't need to.

"I know you are." Gabby promised, Shay nodding before they both reached for their seatbelts, knowing they needed to get back to the house.

"And I might start with making Hallie keep her damn mouth shut." She added as she began to drive away, Gabby scoffing lightly as she looked towards her friend.

"She didn't mean anything by it, Shay." Dawson replied, the blonde paramedic shrugging as she pulled out into the road.

"Maybe not… But I still don't know why she tries talking to you in the first place. It's just weird, and you'd think she'd understand she has no business knowing anything about your life, or Casey's." Shay responded, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before she looked back out towards the road.

"Yeah, maybe…" She murmured, Shay glancing towards her friend for a split second before returning her attention to the road, sensing Gabby wasn't wanting to dwell on this conversation.

"But enough about her," Shay started, her words regaining Gabby's attention as they came to stop at a light. "That big family get together is tomorrow night, yeah?" She questioned, Gabby sighing heavily as her eyes widened a bit. "The Dawson's and the Casey's… Or Casey, I guess." She corrected herself, Gabby clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth before she nodded.

"Yup… Tomorrow night." She replied, Gabby still unsure of how the evening was going to go.

When Matt first brought up the idea of getting everyone together, she was supportive, even if she was a bit hesitant, Gabby knowing how much this all meant to him, her boyfriend having been pretty excited to get her parents and his mom all together for dinner.

Since the anniversary of his father's death, he and his mom had continued rebuilding their relationship, which also included Gabby forming one with Nancy as well. And while she was all for it, Gabby happy to see Nancy making an effort with her son, she was still a little wary. Because despite the fact that she felt like she had a better understanding of his mother now that she knew some of what she'd been through, she still couldn't shake the way Nancy had treated her son in the past. So it boiled down to Gabby having a constant battle with herself, the woman doing what she could to support Matt and build a relationship with his mother, while also remaining cautious of the whole thing, knowing from her boyfriend's own recants that his mom could up and disappear at any moment. Though, for his sake, she hoped that wouldn't happen this time.

"And how do you think that's gonna go?" Shay asked with a soft smile, Gabby matching her grin before shaking her head.

"I hope well… I mean, I think it'll go fine. We're doing it at our place, so they'll be kind of some even ground there. And Matt's so excited," She spoke softly, her own words bringing a small smile to her face. "Nancy, she hasn't really seen our place, yet. She hasn't gotten the official tour or anything, so we're gonna do that, or hopefully have a nice dinner with both our parents. I think it's time, or past time really, that they get to know each other."

"I'm sure it'll be great." Shay replied, Gabby nodding as they continued driving back to the firehouse. "I don't know much about Matt's mom, but I know Ramon and Camila, and they can get along with pretty much anyone. Especially the mother of their favorite person in the world." Shay added with a knowing grin, Gabby feeling heat rise to her cheeks as she ducked her head, the PIC well aware of just how true Shay's words were. "But if I'm being honest, I still can't believe I didn't get an invite to the Dawson's and Casey's meeting for the first time." She huffed out, Gabby's look morphing into one of amusement as she tilted her head to the side.

"They've already met Nancy, Shay… Or my mom has."

"Not officially." She cut in. "Just when she showed up like a stalker to their house." Shay continued, Gabby wincing slightly at the terminology. Though she said nothing, because while Shay knew of Nancy's impromptu visit and some of the aftermath that followed, she wasn't aware as to _why _Nancy showed up the way she did. And Dawson intended to keep it that way. "But they haven't officially met the mother of the man you're living in sin with, and I'm a little bummed I won't be there to see it." She finished, Gabby narrowing her eyes as a rough scoff left the back of her throat. "...What? It's true."

"Yeah, and that right there is exactly why you're not invited." She joked, Shay rolling her eyes before waving her off, Gabby smirking proudly before the paramedics fell back into their easy conversation, the air around them light as they continued towards the firehouse.

* * *

Shay backed the rig into the garage, Gabby watching her driving abilities through the mirror before she came to a complete stop, the blonde killing the engine before both women climbed down from their seats.

"You think any of them made any lunch?" Shay questioned as Gabby came around the back of the rig, shrugging softly before they began walking towards the house.

"After that call, probably not." Gabby replied, Shay clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth before she nodded. "I'm honestly surprised they're back already."

"Yeah, guess you're right… Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll order in, I'm starving." She breathed out as they got to the double doors, Gabby pulling it open and letting Shay walk in ahead of her.

"That'd be nice, but at this rate I'll settle for anything." Gabby responded as they continued inside, seeing most, if not all, of the house sitting in the common room. Most everyone was in their usual seats, Herrmann and Mouch taking up residence on the couch while everyone else was scattered throughout the room, Matt residing in his typical seat at the head of the table, with Severide sitting off beside him.

"Hey, how'd the drop off go?" Herrmann spoke up when he noticed the paramedics, his question gaining the attention of the entire room as Matt looked up from his phone, Gabby meeting his eyes just as a soft smile formed over his face.

"It went fine." Shay replied with a shrug, knowing the specific details of their time at Lakeshore wasn't anything that needed to be shared with the entire firehouse, both medics walking towards the long table towards Severide and Casey.

"You guys finish up at the scene okay?" Gabby asked as they got to them, Shay collapsing down into the vacant chair beside Matt, the one that was more than likely meant for Gabby as Casey raised his eyebrows before returning his attention to his girlfriend.

"We did." Matt replied as she came to stand beside him, Gabby resting her hand over the back of his neck. "It took us awhile, we just got back maybe ten minutes ago, but it went fine."

"Good." She murmured, shooting him a soft smile as she began playing with his hair, while simultaneously rubbing her thumb along his skin.

"And we ordered in some subs." He added, Shay releasing a thankful groan before anyone could get a word in, her reaction causing Matt and Gabby both to chuckle as Shay shoved her hands into her pockets.

"Thank God." She breathed out, Matt tilting his head to the side in amusement before she continued. "Dawson and I were just talking about that and how hungry we were, bless you Matthew Casey."

The man laughed once more, Gabby shaking her head while Severide merely scoffed, Shay's antics gaining the attention of most of the room as she relaxed back into her chair.

"Well, I mean, it was Otis' suggestion, but you're welcome." Casey replied before looking up towards Gabby. "And I went ahead and just got your favorite, hope that's alright." He told his girlfriend, Gabby smiling softly before she nodded.

"That's perfect, thank you babe."

"What about me?" Shay cut in with raised brows as both Matt and Gabby looked towards her. "Did you get my favorite _babe_?" She joked, Gabby narrowing her eyes slightly while her boyfriend just chuckled, Casey leaning back into his chair with his hands resting on the arms.

"Severide already had you covered." He replied as Gabby continued rubbing her hand along his neck and back, Shay nodding before she gave him a wink.

"Thanks handsome."

"Alright, well as cute as this is," Gabby cut in, disrupting the harmless joking between her boyfriend and best friend as Matt looked up to her, "I'm gonna go to the bathroom… Let you two have some alone time." She teased, Matt smiling softly up at her as she dropped her hand, Gabby meeting his eyes. "Thank you for the lunch."

"You're welcome." He replied as Gabby leaned down to press a gentle kiss to his forehead, Matt rubbing his hand over her arm before she pulled back, intent on heading out of the room. But she wasn't able to get very far as Casey gave her arm a gentle squeeze, Gabby looking back down towards him. "...You still feeling okay?" He questioned, Gabby running her teeth along her bottom lip. "You're not sore or anything after earlier?"

"I'm alright." She murmured, giving him a reassuring nod before placing her hand on his shoulder, squeezing it softly. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine, baby." He promised, the two smiling softly at each other for a few long seconds.

"Oh, you're disgusting." Shay groaned, effectively pulling them out of their moment as Gabby rolled her eyes, the PIC turning back towards her partner with a slight glare. "I'm sorry, but it's true. You two are gross… Now get out of here, and let me have time with Casey."

Dawson chuckled softly before she stepped away from the table, Gabby putting her hands up in defense as she continued to take a few steps backwards. "My apologies, Shay… Just try and keep your hands to yourself." She challenged, the blonde scoffing lightly before turning back around in her seat to face the table.

"Don't worry, I know he's yours." She replied, Gabby shaking her head before leaving the common room, Matt turning his attention back to Shay once his girl was out of sight, finding the blonde's eyes already on him.

"You seem to be in a good mood today." He commented while still resting back in his chair, Shay shrugging before she leaned forward to rest her elbows on the table.

"Well, Dawson's in a good mood, so I am too… You know, aside from the whole almost getting crushed thing." Shay replied, not missing the way Casey immediately winced, before he looked back towards the direction Gabby went.

"Yeah, that was a close one." He breathed out, shaking his head slightly before returning his gaze towards his friend. "She is okay, though, right? She's not just telling me she's fine so I don't worry?"

"As far as I know, she's fine." Shay promised, Matt's body relaxing as he nodded, the paramedic sighing softly before she continued. "But I do think you should know…"

"What is it?" He pushed, Shay leaning forward towards him as Severide watched them closely, Leslie wanting to make sure this conversation couldn't be heard past the three of them.

"We did run into Hallie, at Lakeshore." She told him, Shay unsure of what reaction she'd get from him. But, to her surprise, he seemed completely unfazed by the mention of his ex-wife, which was definitely out of the norm compared to how he used to react whenever she'd be mentioned, Matt merely giving her a nod.

"What did she want? … She didn't say anything to Gabby, did she?" Casey asked, it becoming clear his only concern in this situation was making sure Hallie hadn't done something to upset Dawson, Shay quickly shaking her head.

"No… Well not like that, no. She just asked about you, and the two of you, how you were and all that." She explained, Matt giving her a nod. "But, um… When we were talking, Walker came up."

The second she said the name, Casey's spine straightened, his jaw tightening as he braced his hand against the edge of the table.

"What?" He questioned, though his question didn't need much of a response, Kelly's eyes flashing back and forth between them as Shay gave him a nod.

"How?" Severide asked, Shay pursing her lips together before she breathed deeply, the paramedic beginning to explain what had happened at Lakeshore earlier in the day. Everything from them dropping their patient off, to everyone staring at them, to their conversation with Hallie, before she finally finished with Dawson going out to the ambulance, Matt keeping his eyes on her as he listened to her every word.

"And when I went out there, she seemed fine…" Shay continued quietly as Matt brought his hand up to cover his mouth. "But when Hallie was talking about him, she just seemed… I don't know the right word, but she got out of there as fast as she could." She told him, Matt releasing a heavy sigh. "And I don't blame her… With everyone staring, and Hallie talking about Walker, I think that was the last thing she expected but… I think it just overwhelmed her." She told him, not missing the soft frown that graced his lips.

"But she's okay?" He asked quietly, Shay giving him a nod.

"As far as I can tell… She said she was, and she was acting like she was, but you know how she is… She always gets a little annoyed when I keep asking her." Shay replied, Matt giving her a nod. "Which is another reason I'm telling you this, because you're the only person who can check in on her without her getting mad." She added, Matt rubbing his palm over his cheek. "So maybe just keep an eye on her… I mean, I know you will anyway, with it only being a few days away…"

"Yeah." He breathed out, Shay shaking her head slightly.

"I can't believe it's been three months already." Severide added, both Casey and Shay looking towards him. "Though I can't believe the bastard only got 90 days in the first place."

"He deserved to rot in there." Shay spat, a flash of anger covering her face before she quickly composed herself, Matt gripping the edge of the table tightly before looking back towards the hallway, checking to make sure Gabby was nowhere in sight. "But I… With this being so close, I'm worried about her, Casey. Just please look out for her." Shay asked, her voice barely audible as Matt looked towards her.

They both knew Gabby wasn't one to need protecting, that she could handle herself, which is where so much of her irritation came from when everyone constantly checked in on her. But they also couldn't help but feel like she hadn't really let herself focus on the fact that here in a few short days, Bryan would be a free man. In fact, from her own admission, Matt knew she hadn't been focusing on it, let alone dealing with it. And he was worried, as was Shay, that when she finally let herself feel everything she'd been pushing down, it wouldn't be a pretty sight.

"I know she's alright right now," Shay continued, her words pulling Casey from his thoughts as she paused to take a breath. "But if the time comes where she's not…"

"I got her, Shay." Casey promised, Shay sighing softly before she nodded. "Whatever happens, you don't need to worry about that, she's my only priority here." He told her, the two meeting gazes as he gave her one last assuring nod, before repeating his words.

"I've always got her."

* * *

**Well, we're now just days away from Walker's release. And we've also got the first Casey/Dawson family dinner coming up in the next chapter, which should be interesting. But I hope you all liked this one, thank you so much for reading!**

**I hope you all have a great week, and stay safe, everyone xx**


	68. Chapter Sixty Seven

**Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all. We've got kind of a rollercoaster with this one, and this is my longest chapter in awhile, but I hope you all like it! And if you have the time, I'd really appreciate it if you could leave me a review, and let me know what you think.**

**Thanks for reading, stay safe everyone xx**

* * *

**SIXTY SEVEN**

* * *

Drawing in a deep breath, Gabby put in her earring to match the other one she was already wearing before giving herself a once over in the mirror, her hands running along her sides as she checked her appearance. Though tonight wasn't anything fancy, nothing that required her to get too dressed up as it would just be them, Nancy, and her parents, she still wanted to look nice for the occasion, Gabby's eyes moving over fitted burgundy top and dark washed jeans, her hair falling down in soft waves over her shoulders.

When she decided she was happy with what she saw, Gabby reached out towards her jewelry box, looking over her options before deciding on the simple, silver bracelet that Matt had gotten her a while back. It was nearly impossible for her not to smile when she saw it, the jewelry having been somewhat of a surprise gift to her. It wasn't for any special occasion, or event, it had been nothing but a sweet gesture from her boyfriend, Matt having gotten it for her simply because he wanted to.

She still remembered the day fondly, the memory of him coming home, telling her he had something for her one that still made her smile. It was something that was completely unexpected, and it had nearly brought her to tears at the time as Gabby was certainly not used to that kind of gesture. Most surprise gifts given to her in the past were solely to make up for things that had been said or done to her, not just because. So it was certainly a foreign concept to her, as even before Walker her taste in men hadn't been stellar, and when Matt came home with this surprise, it had definitely thrown her a bit, but in the best way possible.

As she fastened the bracelet on her wrist, a soft smile formed across her lips when she felt a familiar set of hands slid across her hips, Gabby not having heard him come into the room as she looked up into the mirror, being met by the sight of her boyfriend standing behind her with a charming grin on his face.

Even though he was mostly blocked by her body, she could still see part of his deep blue button down shirt, the clothing bringing out the color of his eyes as he moved one hand around to rest over her stomach, effectively pulling her back into him. "Hi." He murmured as his free hand moved up towards her neck, Matt gently moving her hair around to one side, letting it fall over her shoulder.

"Hi." She repeated just as his lips pressed into her skin, Matt placing gentle kisses over any exposed area he could find, the action calming as she relaxed back into him.

He pressed a soft kiss against the nape of her neck, before moving up towards her ear, Gabby's eyes falling closed for a split second as he gently tapped his thumb against her stomach. "You look beautiful." He all but whispered into her ear, his words bringing a small smile to her face as she slowly opened her eyes, finding him watching her through the mirror.

"You don't look so bad, yourself." She replied, watching as he grinned at her before returning his lips to her neck, the feeling of being pressed into his warm body too inviting to pass up as she let herself relish in this for a moment.

"You know…" He started after nearly a minute, Gabby raising her eyebrows as she waited for him to continue, the feeling of his warm breath hitting her skin nearly sending shivers down her spine. "I think we probably have some time before everyone gets here." He finished suggestively, Matt not needing to say any more as she knew exactly what he was wanting.

Smirking slightly, Gabby cocked her head to the side, the movement inadvertently giving his mouth more room to roam as he latched onto her skin. "Oh, do we?" She countered, feeling him hum against her neck. "I don't know, we barely got the place cleaned up from earlier, I don't think we should chance it." She continued softly, hearing a slight groan of displeasure come from the man behind her before his grip on her body tightened.

"What? It's not like I'm suggesting we go back out into the kitchen," He told her, Gabby feeling heat rise within her chest at the mention of their activities earlier in the day, the memories of a few hours ago flooding back as she thought back to when he'd interrupted her before she could start preparing dinner, any plans to focus on their meal being set aside for a bit as they made great use of their kitchen counter. And though their time together this afternoon was almost enough to make her want to do a repeat of that moment right here on their dresser, she knew they couldn't. "But I think we have enough time," He continued, Gabby well aware they both knew he was lying as they were already pressed for time as it was. "Maybe we could make some great use out of that guest room that never gets used."

A soft scoff escaped her lips, Gabby doing all she could to not focus too strongly on the feelings he was eliciting from deep within her. "I don't think so." She replied, hearing him sigh softly before lifting his head, Matt wearing a small pout across his face. "Oh, don't give me that, are you really upset that we can't have sex, _again_, when our parents will be here any minute?" She questioned with raised brows, Matt pausing for a moment as he mulled over her words, his head tilting to the side as his tongue poked out between his teeth slightly.

"...Well, when you put it like that." He huffed out, running his hand over her stomach while his other cradled her hip as Gabby laughed, Matt feeling the vibrations from her movements against his chest.

Shaking her head, Gabby released a soft breath before turning around in his arms, Matt loosening his grip enough for her to move, before all but pinning her body against the dresser. His hands gripped her sides, Gabby resting her palms on his chest as she met his gaze, seeing nothing but love and desire shining back at her. Though she knew her next words might make the latter disappear. "We'll have plenty of time for that later tonight." She told him, seeing a knowing look fall over his face. "And I'll make sure to make the wait worth your while-"

"You always do." He cut in before she could even finish the thought, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip before grinning softly.

"Smooth." She murmured, Matt matching her proud smile as he gave her hips a squeeze. "But for now, let's just wait, alright? Our parents will be here any minute, and though we haven't christened the guest room yet, we have to give your mom a tour," She reminded him, Matt pursing his lips together before he nodded, knowing she had a point. "So, it's probably best we don't."

"Fair enough." He conceded as he leaned towards her, Gabby's smile widening just as he pressed his lips into hers, both of them relaxing into one another as her weight rested against the furniture, their slow kisses filling them both with a sense of complete safety.

But that moment was soon interrupted when they heard the doorbell ring, Matt releasing another groan before pulling back slightly. "...We _will_ continue this later." He told her, pressing another quick kiss to her lips before stepping away, Gabby shoving his chest lightly as she nodded towards the door.

"Go get the door so I can finish getting ready." She instructed, Matt giving her that signature Casey grin before nodding.

"I can do that." He replied lightly, Matt hearing nothing but a soft laugh come from her before he stepped into the hallway. The sound of his steps were all that could be heard throughout the apartment, Matt making his way to the front door as quickly as he could, not wanting to leave whichever parents had arrived first waiting.

When he got to the front door, he quickly undid the lock, Casey pulling the door open to be met by the sight of Gabby's parents, their wide smiles causing one to form across his face as well. "Hi Ramon, Camila." He greeted, stepping aside to give them room to come in, Camila stopping to give him a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek, while Ramon shook his hand.

"Hi Matthew." Ramon told him, Casey shutting the door behind them before walking further inside their home.

"It's great to see you again, sweetheart." Camila told him, Matt smiling softly as they all made their way through the entryway.

"You too… I'm glad you all could make it." He replied as they came to a stop at the island in the kitchen, the smell of the dinner they'd prepared wafting through the room as it finished cooking in the oven. "And, uh, thank you… For doing this." He continued, seeing the slightly confused looks that appeared over their faces. "I'm glad we were able to get you guys and my mom together."

Camila's face softened, the woman only grinning as she came to realize just how important this night was for the man that had stolen her daughter's heart. "Oh Matthew, there's no need to thank us, we're always happy to spend time with you and Gabriela." Camila reminded him gently. "And I can't wait to see your mother again, to officially meet her… I'm assuming she's not here yet."

"No, she's not, but she should be soon." He replied as he heard footsteps behind him, Matt turning back to see Gabby emerging from the bedroom, his girlfriend walking up towards them.

"My sweet Gabriela, there you are."

"Hi Papa." She murmured, coming up to give him a hug and a quick kiss, before giving her mother a similar greeting. "It's great to see you."

"You too, honey." Camila replied, Matt smiling at the family in front of him before glancing towards the kitchen.

"Can I get you two anything to drink?" He offered, but as the words left his lips, the doorbell rang once more, Matt glancing over towards the door before looking to Gabby.

"I'll get the drinks, you go." She told him, Matt nodding softly before he slid past her, his hand running along her lower back until she was out of his reach, Gabby leading her parents further into their home while Casey got the door.

With his smile never fading, Matt pulled the door open, soon being met by the sight of his mother standing across from him, Nancy looking a little more tense than Ramon and Camila had. But when she saw her son, she relaxed a bit, the woman smiling softly before taking a step forward.

"Hi mom."

"Hi sweetheart." She greeted, giving him a quick hug before stepping inside, the two going through a similar routine as he had just done with the Dawsons. "I'm sorry if I'm a little late."

"Oh, you're fine, don't worry about it. Gabby's parents just got here." He informed her, Nancy nodding softly as they continued into the apartment, Nancy taking in her new surroundings as a few familiar faces came into view.

"Gabby." Matt spoke softly to gain her attention, all three of the Dawson's looking up at the sound of his voice, a hesitant grin appearing over Gabby's face as she placed the wine glass in her hand down before walking towards them.

"Hi Nancy." She greeted as she came to a stop beside her boyfriend, the older Casey giving her a warm grin.

"Hi Gabby… It's nice to see you again."

"You too." She replied, movement out of the corner of her eye gaining her attention as she saw her parents walking towards them. "Uh, Nancy, this is Ramon, and Camila, my parents." She continued warily, a little unsure of how to introduce the two, especially as they'd already met under some strange circumstances.

"Yes, of course I remember." Camila spoke warmly, extending her arm out to shake Nancy's hand. "It's so nice to see you again, and to officially meet you."

Nancy paused for a moment before smiling as well, the older Casey shaking her hand. "Yeah, I'm glad we were able to get together." She replied, the welcoming grin never leaving Camila's face.

"And I know Gabby introduced him, but you never got the chance to really meet Ramon." Camila continued, Gabby and Matt exchanging silent looks while their parents interacted, a proud smirk forming across Casey's lips as Gabby shot him a playful glare, both of them just happy to see everything was going well so far.

"Yeah, it's nice to finally meet the woman who raised such a wonderful son." Ramon told her, Gabby unable to stop the smile that formed across her face as her dad spoke of Matt, her boyfriend immediately turning pink as all eyes moved to him.

"I don't know about wonderful." He spoke up as his eyes locked on Gabby, his words earning a few laughs before turning back towards the group. "But mom, we were just about to get everyone drinks… And then I figured you'd like a tour, since you haven't really seen the place yet."

"That sounds great." She replied as Gabby moved towards the kitchen to continue preparing everyone's drinks.

"And Ramon, Camila, I know you two already know your way around, but you're more than welcome to join." He told them with a bright grin, the older Dawson's nodding in agreement.

Once all their drinks had been made, Matt began the tour of their apartment, the man sparing no detail as he walked his mom, and the Dawson's, through all the rooms, as well as stopping to give an anecdote or two every once in a while, his warm presence captivating all of them. And though Gabby had to leave about halfway through to finish up dinner, his voice was able to flood through the open layout of their home, giving her the perfect thing to listen to while she finished up dinner. The tour itself had taken all of ten minutes, maybe, there only being so many rooms in their apartment, but it had been a fun little start to the evening nonetheless, Nancy glad to finally get the chance to see where her son had been living since moving in with his girlfriend.

When they'd finished, Nancy broke apart from the group while Camila went to check on Gabby in the kitchen, and Ramon and Matt had gone to stand over by the TV, the older man repeating the story Casey had heard a handful of times already, about how challenging it had been to mount the television as Antonio had been little help. Though, to his credit, Matt listened as if he'd never heard it before, the two men laughing while they spent some time together before dinner.

As Nancy moved around on her own, she took in some of the smaller touches placed around their home, things that didn't really warrant an explanation as she stopped by the small bookcase in between their foyer and the bay windows, the furniture resting against one of the few walls inside their home. And as she stood there, she couldn't help but smile as she took in the photos they had lining the shelf.

There weren't too many, only a handful or so of photos in front of her, but she could only assume each of them held some level of importance to her son and his girlfriend, Nancy's eyes moving on each of them. Most were with other people, the older Casey seeing different people in the pictures she didn't recognize, though there was a blonde woman that looked quite familiar, Nancy recognizing her from the day she'd taken that ill-advised trip to the firehouse. But other than that, she couldn't really place anyone, that fact just another reminder of how she really didn't know much of what all went on in her son's life.

But she was hoping to fix that, this dinner being just another step in the right direction towards mending all those old wounds.

As she continued looking over the images, she couldn't help but focus on one particular, her eyes going to the picture of just the two of them, the _only_ one of just the two of them, the couple seemingly unaware the photo was even being taken. They were somewhere outside, Nancy wasn't sure where, but they were holding onto one another, Matt's arm wrapped around her shoulders to keep her close, while Gabby was tucked into his side, her hand lifted up to hold onto his while they smiled at one another.

A soft grin formed over her face as she reached out to pick up the photo, Nancy seeing a happiness radiating off her son that she was sure she'd never seen before. Even in his best moments, she was sure she'd never seen him with that much joy. Not until he met Gabby, the thought filling Nancy with a comforting warmth as she was beyond glad to see her son so content.

"They're so sweet, aren't they?"

The sound of Camila's voice hit her ears as she looked up from the photo, finding the woman standing a foot or two away from her with a soft grin on her face, her eyes focusing on the image before looking back up at Nancy.

"That was taken at my grandson's birthday party… Matthew and Gabriela, they were just kind of off in their own little world while all the kids were playing." She continued as she took a step closer, Nancy returning the framed photo to where she'd found it before giving Camila her complete attention. "And it was just too nice of a moment to pass up, so I took a photo… I think Gabriela was a little annoyed at me at first, but I knew the second she saw it, she loved it." Camila finished with a smile, Nancy matching her look.

"It's a great photo… They really are adorable together." She mused, her eyes catching the image one last time before she turned back to Camila, her eyebrows furrowing slightly as she spoke up once more. "So, you said your grandson's birthday?" She questioned, earning a curious look from the other woman. "Matthew's met more of your family?"

Her intrigued look soon morphed into a content one, Camila nodding softly as she glanced back towards Matt and Ramon, the men still standing over in the living room, both smiling wide as they talked, Nancy following her gaze. "Oh yes, he has. A lot of them- well, most of them, actually, God bless him." She responded before releasing a soft breath, Nancy focusing on her son for a split second longer before looking back to Camila. "There's a lot of us, but Matthew's met them a few times, everyone loves him."

Nancy couldn't help but smile at her words, the older Casey nodding softly in response. "I didn't realize he'd met your extended family, but that's great… I'm glad he has that." She murmured, Camila running her tongue along her bottom lip as Nancy spoke. "I'm glad he has you all." She continued, swallowing thickly as she met her gaze. "Matthew, he's… He's been on his own, for a lot of his life." The sad words left her lips quietly, Camila watching as Nancy looked back towards her son. "Which I'm sure you already knew, but really, I just- I want to thank you, for welcoming him into your family. Cause I can tell you have, and I can see how much you care for him. And the way he speaks of you all… I'm just glad to know he has that." She finished, her words somewhat jumbled as she tried to get across what she was thinking, Camila nodding with a compassionate look on her face.

"Of course, Nancy… But you don't need to thank us for anything." Camila was quick to respond with a small grin. "Matthew, he's an amazing man, and he feels like he's a part of our family… You raised an amazing son."

"Well, I wish I could take any of the credit for that," Nancy was quick to interject, "but that really is just all him."

"I'm sure that's not true." Camila replied with a comforting look. "I'm sure you have a lot to do with it, more than you realize… But whatever the case may be, you have an incredible son. A type of man I didn't even know existed anymore, if I'm being quite honest, but he… He's wonderful. How much he's helped my Gabriela, he truly came into her life when she needed him, and I couldn't ask for anyone better for her." She spoke confidently, Nancy smiling softly as she took in her words.

"They do seem great together." She replied softly, Camila giving her an immediate nod.

"They are… I'm not sure how much you've seen of them together," She started, Nancy pursing her lips together before she nodded.

"I met Gabby pretty earlier on in their relationship," She began to explain, Camila listening intently. "They had only been together for a couple of months at that point, I think is what Gabby said, back when Matt still lived at his old place. But, admittedly, I haven't been around much until recently." She continued, her words gaining a soft smile from the woman across from her. "But from what I've seen, and what I know of Gabby… How fiercely she loves him, and protects him, I feel the same way with Matthew… They belong together."

"They absolutely do." Camila agreed without hesitation, their conversation getting cut short as they heard Gabby call for Matt's help from the kitchen, her voice causing all of them to break from their small groups as they all went to assist the youngest Dawson with getting the table set, despite her protests.

* * *

Gabby stood at the counter in the kitchen as she worked on dishing out their dessert, her mother standing beside her putting the last of their dishes from dinner on the drying rack, while Matt was standing just around the corner on the other side of the island, waiting for instruction as he was tasked with taking the plates to the living room.

"Alright, can you give this one to your mom, and this one to my dad… And can you see if they want some coffee?" She asked as she handed him the second plate, Matt smiling softly as he picked up two forks.

"Of course." He replied as he caught her eyeline, Camila watching on as they stared at each other for a few seconds before Matt eventually forced himself away from the counter, Gabby never losing the smile on her face as she continued cutting up their dessert.

As she dished up dessert for the rest of them, Gabby couldn't help but think over their evening so far, the night having gone better than she could've ever imagined as Nancy and her parents got to know each other better. And despite her initial reservations, she was glad Matt had pushed so hard for them to do this, Gabby grateful to get this time with everyone together. For Nancy to not only get more time with her son, but herself and her family as well, Nancy and Camila having hit it off more than Gabby ever would've thought.

But for as happy as she was at how well the night had gone up to this point, she knew her boyfriend was even more excited, Matt having been thrilled the entire evening as it became more and more clear how well their families got along. And she knew that was exactly what Matt had been hoping for, Gabby knowing how important this entire thing was for him.

"Alright, that's the last of it." Camila spoke up, pulling Gabby from her thoughts as she glanced towards her mom, seeing her place the last pan on the rack as she gave her a soft smile.

"Thank you… Although you really didn't have to do that, Matt and I could've handled it." She reminded her, Camila waving her off before hanging the rag back up in it's rightful place over the handle to the oven.

"Oh, you know I don't mind, honey. You went through all this trouble for dinner, the least I could do is help clean up." She replied, Gabby giving her a soft smile just as Matt came back towards them. "Either of them want coffee?" Camila asked him, Gabby knowing her mother was about to jump at the chance to prepare it so they wouldn't have to, Matt shaking his head.

"No, they don't." He responded with a soft smile as he came to a stop in his previous place beside Gabby. "This mine?" He asked, glancing down towards the plate closest towards him, Gabby nodding just before he swiped his finger through the whipped cream and ate it, a satisfied smirk forming over his face. "Tastes amazing, babe." Matt added, Gabby suppressing a laugh as she shook her head.

"Maybe actually try it first." She countered, Matt giving her a shrug before he picked up his plate, along with the one he presumed to be Gabby's, along with two forks.

"Want me to get yours, Camila?" He questioned with raised brows, the woman immediately shaking her head.

"No, no I'm fine sweetheart." She replied, Matt giving her a nod before he headed for the living room, leaving the two Dawson women alone in the kitchen as Gabby slid her mother's plate towards her. "Thank you." She murmured, Gabby nodding softly, Camila's eyes moving back to the other room, watching as Matt placed both his and Gabby's plates down before he sat down in the chair, the bright smile never leaving his face. "...He looks happy."

Gabby looked towards her as the words left her lips, seeing the small smile resting over her mother's face. "Hmm?"

"Matt… He looks happy."

She turned to look in that direction, a complete sense of contentment flooding her body when she saw what her mother was referring to, Gabby biting down on her bottom lip gently. "Yeah, he does." She spoke in response, her words barely audible as Camila looked back at her.

"And you do, too." She added, Gabby opening her mouth to respond but then she paused for a moment, picking up on something in her mom's voice that she couldn't quite read. Meeting her gaze, Camila gave her soft nod, Gabby furrowing her eyebrows. "Which I'm glad to see..." She continued carefully with a knowing look.

"What do you mean, Mama?" She asked, Gabby still unsure of where her mother was going with this as she, more than most, knew just how happy the two of them were in their relationship. But the longer she remained quiet, the more Gabby came to realize her mother wasn't talking about her and Matt, she was only talking about _her_, it not being lost on any of them as to what was coming up. "...Mama." She sighed softly, Camila shaking her head.

"I'm sorry, mija, but I just want to know how you are." She continued quietly, knowing they weren't exactly alone. "We haven't talked about it much, at least not here lately, about how you're holding up." She pushed, Gabby's eyes falling closed as she took a deep breath.

"I'm fine." She replied as quickly as she could, her demeanor alone telling Camila there was more to the story as her daughter's entire body was tense.

"Okay… But sweetheart, it's okay if you're not. I mean, here in a few days, he'll-"

"Mama, I don't want to talk about this right now." She cut her off once more, Camila stopping herself for a moment as she thought over whether to continue the conversation or drop it, the mother not wanting to hurt her daughter. But based on her body language right now, if her immediate visceral reaction to just the thought of Bryan was any indication, Camila knew her daughter wasn't as okay as she was saying.

"I know you don't, Gabriela." She continued, Gabby slowly meeting her eyes as Camila noticed how unsure her daughter looked, both women too caught up in their own conversation to notice the other person approaching the counter. "But I just want to make sure you know you don't _have_ to be okay. That it's alright if you're not. You're always trying to be the strong one, but with what he did-" She cut herself off when she saw her daughter shy away at her words, Camila changing her train of thought immediately. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I just… I worry about you honey, with him getting out of prison..."

A slight hitch of breath caught their attention, both Gabby and Camila snapping out of their conversation and looking up to see Nancy just on the other side of the counter, the look on her face telling them both that she'd at least heard some of their conversation.

With her eyes locked on Gabby, Nancy saw the heavy look in her gaze, and the way her entire body was tense, the older woman unsure of exactly what she'd just walked into. Though she knew one thing for sure, that being she certainly wasn't supposed to hear any part of what had just been said. "I'm- I'm sorry, I just was coming to get more water." She apologized, Gabby plastering a fake smile on her face before pushing herself away from the counter.

"I can get that for you." She responded, Nancy pausing for a moment before she nodded, the woman coming around to hand Gabby the glass before she went to fill it up, neither Nancy nor Camila missing how her hands were trembling slightly before she got herself under control, Gabby wanting to go on as if nothing had happened. "Here you go, Nancy." Gabby replied as she turned back around, that wide smile that didn't quite reach her eyes still covering her face, Nancy graciously accepting the drink before she made herself scarce, not wanting to intrude on the very personal conversation any more than she already had.

When it was just the two of them, Camila drew in a deep breath, Gabby gradually losing her fake grin as she grabbed her drink, clearly intent on heading back into the living room to join everyone else. But her mother's voice stopped her, Camila reaching out to gently hold onto her arm.

"Gabriela," She started, Gabby pursing her lips together before meeting her eyes, Camila seeing them holding a lot less life than they had moments ago. "I'm sorry, baby. I shouldn't have said anything." Camila apologized, coming to realize she truly had picked the absolute wrong time to bring this up. Though, knowing her daughter, there likely wouldn't have been a right time, either.

"It's okay, Mama. I'm fine." She replied without hesitation, Gabby flashing her another forced smile before she headed for the living room, Camila keeping her eyes on her as she walked straight towards Matt.

Though they said nothing, Camila could sense that the second Matthew saw her, he knew something was wrong, his face softening as she came to sit on the armrest of his chair. His arm wrapped around her waist, Gabby resting hers along his shoulders as he kept his eyes on her. And while she couldn't hear what was being said, Camila knew he'd asked her something as Gabby gave what appeared to be a rather unconvincing nod, Matt pausing for a moment before he nodded as well, the woman's eyes never leaving the couple as she watched him rub his hand over her side, Camila figuring he was doing that as some sort of comfort without knowing what was wrong.

And as she stood here in the kitchen, she couldn't help but wish she'd left it alone, at least until there were less people around, Camila knowing she'd upset her daughter more than she'd ever want to. But there was nothing she could do to change it now, Camila releasing a heavy breath before reaching for her plate and heading for the living room, not wanting to damage any more of what had overall been a wonderful evening.

* * *

"Thank you for inviting me, sweetheart. I had a great time." Nancy spoke as the four of them stood at the door, Matt smiling warmly before leaning in to give her a hug.

"Me too, I'm glad you could make it." He replied, rubbing her back before they separated, Matt glancing towards his girlfriend's parents as Nancy looked past him back into their apartment.

"And I was hoping to say goodbye to Gabby, but I'm guessing she's still not feeling well." Nancy continued with a slight grimace, Matt drawing in a deep breath as his mother referenced his girlfriend's quick exit from their dinner maybe ten minutes ago, Gabby having left to go to their bedroom shortly after they'd finished dessert, excusing herself rather quickly as she clearly didn't feel well. Though for what reasons, Matt still wasn't sure. "I hate that she's feeling sick."

"Me too, but I know she had a good time, as well. And I'll tell her you said bye… Maybe she can come with us to lunch next week." He told her, Nancy giving him a nod before turning her attention to the Dawson's, Matt stepping out of the way to let them say their goodbyes. And while he was glad to see his mom and Gabby's parents getting along as well as they were, it was hard for Matt to completely focus as his curiosity and worry as to what was going on with Gabby was overtaking his thoughts.

He knew something was wrong, that much was obvious. As soon as she'd come into the living room earlier, he saw it written across her face that she was upset, or at the very least she didn't feel well, and she'd only continued to become more and more withdrawn as the night went on. She'd been quiet, and every time he'd look her way, it was either like she wasn't even there, or like she was about to cry. But with their company, he hadn't been able to get to the bottom of it, Matt knowing the absolute last thing Gabby would want was him drawing attention to whatever it was when they had guests over. So he didn't put up any resistance when she told everyone she was feeling a bit nauseous and was going to lay down, Matt figuring that maybe she just didn't feel well and needed to rest, but that didn't mean he wasn't somewhat anxious to get everyone out of here so he could go figure out exactly what was going on with her.

"Yeah, we'll definitely have to do something soon." Camila spoke, pulling Matt from his thoughts as he saw his mother and Gabby's making plans, the women having exchanged numbers earlier in the evening, as well. "And maybe we can talk the kids into doing family dinners like this more often."

"I'd love that." Nancy replied genuinely, Matt giving them both a soft smile before his mother focused on him once more. "Well, I've gotta get going, but I'll call you in a few days?"

"Sounds good, mom." He responded, giving her a quick kiss goodbye before opening the door and letting her out, Matt watching as she walked down the steps and headed towards her car, Casey not stepping back inside until he saw she got safely into her vehicle.

Releasing a soft sigh, he walked back in, finding Ramon and Camila both watching him, one looking far more concerned than the other as the three of them stood in the foyer.

"It was great getting to meet your mother, son." Ramon spoke up first, Matt looking towards him with a soft smile.

"Yeah, yeah it was fun. I'm glad you all had a good time."

"We did, though poor Gabriela." He muttered, Ramon obviously worried for his daughter. "Whatever's got her not feeling well, it seemed to hit her out of nowhere." He continued, Matt nodding in agreement with a grimace covering his face.

"Yeah, it did… But I'm sure she'll start to feel better here soon. I can call you all tomorrow, or the day after, to let you know how she's feeling… Hopefully she just needs to sleep off whatever it was-"

"This is my fault." Camila cut in unexpectedly, Matt's eyebrows furrowing as both he and Ramon turned towards her, the woman releasing a heavy breath as she shook her head. "I… I think this is on me."

"What do you mean?" Ramon pressed, Camila pursing her lips together before she reluctantly continued.

"After dinner, when Gabriela and I were in the kitchen, I asked her how she was- with Bryan's release coming up." She explained, both men immediately tensing at the name, Matt glancing back into their apartment. "And that upset her, more than I realized it would… I wasn't thinking, I shouldn't have said anything." She finished, Ramon releasing a heavy breath as his neck clenched. "But I'm just so worried about her… I don't know how much she's actually dealt with what happened to her, or at least what Bryan being released means for her, and I wanted to know how she was."

"I know you do honey, but did you have to bring it up during dinner?" Ramon questioned with a sigh, Camila breathing deeply as she looked towards her husband.

"I know I shouldn't have said anything about it, but you can't blame me for being worried about my daughter after the man who abused her is getting out of prison." She all but snapped, Matt keeping his breathing as steady as he looked between them, Camila's face softening as she glanced back to Casey. "I'm sorry, I just-"

"I know, I feel the same way." He told them softly, both parents watching him closely as Matt gave them a reassuring nod. "But I've got her." He repeated the same words he told Shay just yesterday, the same words he'd told himself over and over since this all first started, Ramon and Camila both nodding as he looked back and forth between them. "I know we're all worried, this thing with Walker, a lot of it's up and down for her," He spoke carefully, not wanting to divulge too much of how Gabby had been handling this, Matt knowing it wasn't his information to share. Even if it was to her parents. "And I know it's pointless for me to tell you to not worry, but I've got her."

"We know you do." Ramon spoke, the man obviously still a bit agitated at his wife for her timing, but he knew it wasn't the moment to get into it. "We'll get out of here, give you two some space… But don't hesitate to call us if you need anything."

"I won't. Thanks Ramon." He replied, the man nodding before he walked outside, Camila moving to head after him, but she stopped halfway out the door, Matt watching her every move as she turned back towards him.

"Can you… Will you tell her I'm sorry?" Camila requested, Matt hearing just how terrible she felt for causing her daughter any distress, Matt immediately nodding.

"I will." He promised, Camila drawing in a deep breath before she nodded. "But she knows you didn't mean to upset her."

Pursing her lips togethers, Camila gave him one last nod before she headed out of the apartment, Matt waiting for a moment as they walked towards their car before he shut the door, the sound of the lock sliding into place the only thing he could hear throughout their home. Unsure of exactly what he was dealing with, Matt quickly went through his routine of settling in for the night, the man closing all the blinds, getting them a glass of water, and turning off the lights before heading for the bedroom, Casey trying to ignore the overwhelming sense of heaviness he felt from this evening taking a turn he hadn't expected. And while he didn't fault Camila for wanting to know how her daughter was, he found himself feeling much like Ramon did; like he wished she would've waited.

But that didn't matter now, Matt getting to their closed bedroom door before quietly pushing it open, his movements slow in case she was already asleep. But when he stepped inside, he was met by nothing but an empty room, the lamp on his nightstand and the light flowing in from the bathroom the only source of light in the room as his eyes moved over their made bed. It was apparent from first glance that despite Gabby saying she was coming to lay down, she hadn't actually made it that far, the man assuming she was in the bathroom right now. Not wanting to overcrowd her, he decided to stay put, Matt placing the glass of water and his phone down on the nightstand before walking towards the dresser, intent on getting himself ready for bed. But just as he was about to open the drawer, he heard an abrupt noise come from the bathroom, it almost sounding like things had fallen off the counter, before it was quickly followed by the sound of loud gagging, Matt moving as fast as he could towards the bathroom as the sound of her vomiting hit his ears.

The second he stepped inside, he saw his girlfriend on the ground hunched over the toilet, her body shaking almost violently as she expelled the contents of her stomach, Matt rushing towards her and quickly pulling her hair away from her face, his free hand running along her back as she continued to get sick. It went on for a few minutes, Gabby hacking while Matt did what he could to comfort her, the man coming to understand that in her obvious rush to the toilet, she hadn't quite made it before she'd gotten sick, as he saw vomit not only on the tile floor beside her, but also some on the toilet seat.

Sighing softly, he shook his head as he kept close, Matt not entirely sure if she even completely realized he was here, her body practically laid across the toilet bowl as she continued coughing every few seconds. Though he wasn't even sure if she had anything left to throw up at this point, Gabby having worked herself up enough to the point of making herself sick over and over again, Casey hating to see her like this as he stayed as close behind her as he could, his feet planted on either side of her body.

"I'm sorry." He heard her quiet voice, Matt shaking his head despite the fact that she couldn't see him as he continued rubbing her back.

"It's okay, baby… It's not your fault." He responded softly, keeping the light grip on her hair as she stayed hunched over the toilet.

They stayed in this position for a few moments, Matt letting her take the lead as she slowly sat up, Casey reaching around her to grab her a piece of toilet paper to clean herself up, before grabbing another one for himself to quickly wipe off the toilet seat. He knew he'd need to come back and clean that, along with the floor, at some point, though that wasn't his highest priority right now as he flushed the toilet, his eyes refocusing on his girlfriend as she slid back to the wall, her chest heaving as she sucked in heavy breaths. He could see a layer of swear over her forehead, Matt's frown deepening as he took her in, her body clearly exhausted as her eyes fell closed, the man soon noticing she'd also thrown up on her shirt, as well. Or _his_ shirt, rather, Casey seeing at some point she'd changed into what she likely intended to be her pajamas as she was wearing one of his t-shirts and a pair of his boxers, Matt sighing softly before he took a step backwards.

Without saying a word, he walked the few steps out of the bathroom and towards their dresser, Matt quickly pulling out a fresh t-shirt and then stopping to grab the glass of water he'd gotten for them before walking back into the other room, Gabby looking up when she heard him. The second they locked eyes, he gave her a small, comforting smile as he came to a stop in front of her. "You wanna change out of that shirt real quick?" He asked, Gabby looking at him questioningly before she glanced down towards her shirt, wincing immediately as the smell of her own vomit hit her nostrils, the woman nodding before she leaned up off the wall.

Staying back out of the way, Matt gave her room to remove her t-shirt before handing her the new one, Gabby feeling her stomach still a bit unsettled as she covered up her bare chest once more, Casey placing the dirty piece of clothing on the sink, making a mental note to throw it in the wash before bed.

With her new shirt on, he handed her the glass of water, Gabby murmuring a quick thank you before she took a sip and swooshed the liquid around her mouth, before spitting it back out into the toilet. She did this a few times, Matt knowing she was likely trying to get the taste out of her mouth before she handed him the half empty glass back, Casey soon placing it on the counter.

Keeping his eyes on her, Matt watched as she leaned herself back against the wall once more, Gabby sliding her legs up towards herself as she rested her arms over her knees, her deep breaths filling the room as she tried to steady herself. Unsure of what he could do, Matt walked the rest of the way towards her, the man sitting down on the ground beside her, pressing himself up against the wall as his shoulder touched hers, Gabby immediately leaning her head down against him as they sat in silence.

Neither of them said anything for well over five minutes, Gabby finding the quiet oddly comforting, while Matt found it best to let her take the lead, as he so often did when it came to Bryan Walker.

"I'm sorry."

Her voice was hoarse as she repeated the same words she'd said earlier, Matt's eyebrows furrowing before he looked down towards her, though all he could see was the top of her head.

"Gabby…"

"I didn't mean to get sick, it just- It hit me and I couldn't stop it." She continued, Matt releasing a soft breath as he hated that she felt like she even needed to apologize for this, let alone twice. "And then leaving dinner… I shouldn't have left like that, not with your mom still here, but… My mom-"

"She told me." He responded quietly when she cut herself off, Gabby taking a slow breath before she nodded against him, Matt pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head. "And it's okay."

"No, it's not." She fought back immediately, her tone taking him by surprise. But within seconds, he realized her frustration wasn't so much aimed towards him, but herself. "It's so stupid, I shouldn't get upset at just the mention of his name, and her wanting to talk about it. It's not even like I saw him or something, it was just his stupid name." He could tell she was angry at herself, Matt overcome with sadness as he listened to her talk. "But when she brought it up, I just- I don't even know what happened. But I felt so sick after that, and it never really passed. I tried to ignore it, but it just kept getting worse, so I came in here, and… well you know the rest." She rambled out, her voice still a bit scratchy as Matt nodded, before he reached out to place his hand over her bare thigh.

"It's not stupid, baby." He assured her, squeezing her leg gently as she nuzzled herself deeper into his side. "Not at all. And you don't need to apologize for any of this." He repeated, hoping she'd believe him.

"But he shouldn't be able to affect me, not anymore." She told him quickly, her voice unsteady as he felt her starting to get worked up once more. "I shouldn't be upset about this, he doesn't matter."

Her breath caught in her throat as she finished her sentence, Matt's frown deepening when he felt her body begin to tremble beside him, his concern only growing as he rubbed his thumb along the outside of her thigh before dropping his grip on her.

"Hey, hey it's okay." He murmured, Matt moving away enough to give him room to lift his arm from between them before wrapping it around her shoulders, effectively pulling her closer as tears continued sliding down her skin. "You're right, he doesn't matter, but you do… And you have every right to be upset about this, about him getting out." He told her, hating to see her beat herself up over this. Especially when none of it was her fault.

"But I want to be past it." She nearly cried, her vulnerable words going straight to his heart as he instinctively tightened his grip on her. He knew she was struggling with this, that not only had the mention of Bryan affected her, but the way she reacted to it had messed with her head as well, Matt blinking back the tears forming in his own eyes as she continued. "I know I've been avoiding this, but this is why I haven't wanted to talk about it, because it's just… I feel so stupid, cause he still has this control over me. And sometimes I'm alright, I can talk about it without it being like this," She explained, waving her hand around in the air to show what she couldn't voice. "But then other times, it will all just hit me and I… I can't think of him without being debilitated by the fear that he'll come back, and do something. And with him getting out… It was supposed to be over, I just want this all to be over."

"I know you do." He was quick to respond, Matt ignoring the sinking feeling in his stomach that only continued to get worse, knowing he was the last thing that mattered in all this. "But you shouldn't feel bad for still being affected by someone who's hurt you… There is _nothing _wrong with you still feeling this way." He told her as his free hand wrapped around her to rest over her hip, Gabby sniffling softly before she nodded. "What he did, that's not just something you can get over. And sometimes it might be easier than others, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with this still affecting you. It doesn't make you stupid, or weak, or anything like that… I promise. You're allowed to be upset about this. However this makes you feel, it's okay." He spoke as strongly as he could, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before she nodded once more, Matt smiling sadly before kissing her head once more. "But I love you, and I'm here for you… I'm not going anywhere."

As they sat here, he kept repeating comforting words over and over as he knew how badly she needed to hear them, Gabby doing what she could to focus on Matt instead of the heavy thoughts weighing her mind down as she was finally starting to be confronted with everything she'd avoided for weeks, the sound of his steady heartbeat keeping her grounded as he rubbed his hand over her arm.

"Thank you..." Gabby murmured after he'd gone quiet for a moment, her voice barely audible as a small, sad smile formed over his face, Matt giving the top of her head another kiss before resting his chin there. "I love you."

"I love you, too." He told her again, Matt willing to say those words as often as she needed to hear them. "And everything's alright, okay? I promise, I'm right here… I won't let anything happen to you." He told her strongly, feeling her draw in a deep breath as he ran his hand comfortingly over her arm, Matt knowing all he could do right now was hold her, and make sure she knew everything would be okay.

* * *

"Alright, that's it for this morning… Let's have a good shift everyone." Boden spoke from his position in the front of the room, though Matt was barely focused on his words as his attention was on the woman sitting across the room from him, Gabby's back to him as she sat at her normal table with Shay. But even with his obstructed angle, he could tell she was stuck in her own head, Matt unable to stop himself from keeping an eye on her since they showed up to shift this morning.

When the Chief had stopped talking, the first responders in the room began to disperse, everyone getting up and moving around as they'd been dismissed; everyone except for Gabby, Matt noticing she had yet to move from her seat despite everyone else getting up around her. It wasn't until Shay gained her attention that she snapped out of her haze, the paramedics exchanging a few words before they both stood up, Matt noticing Boden's eyes on Gabby as well as her and Shay pushed their chairs in.

"I say we go do inventory, then we can go and get some of those bagels from the shop down the street… I think it's well deserved after first shift left the rig a mess." The blonde spoke to her friend, like nothing was different about today, Matt flooded with gratitude as Shay treated her like she always would, both of them knowing that's exactly what Gabby needed right now.

"Sounds good to me." Dawson replied, her eyes soon finding Matt's as they walked through the room. And the second he registered her gaze, a wide smile formed across his face, the firefighter giving her a quick wink before her and Shay continued out of the room, Casey hearing the blonde paramedic make some comment about 'getting one for lover boy, too' before they disappeared.

Blowing out a sigh, Matt brought his hand up towards his face, the man rubbing his hand along his temple before he lifted his head back up, Casey slightly startled when he saw multiple pairs of eyes on her. Aside from Severide watching him, Boden and Herrmann had stayed in the room as well, all three of them watching him as they were the last ones in the briefing room. Clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, Matt knew exactly what this was about, his gaze finding Boden's as the older man gave him a look.

"...Is she okay to be here?" He asked simply, his one question encompassing everything the Chief would need to know, as Matt gave him a quick nod.

"She said she is, so she is." He assured Boden, the man nodding strongly.

"Alright… But you'll keep me updated through the day?" He requested, Matt running his tongue along the inside of his cheek. "If anything changes."

"I will, Chief." Matt responded, his words seemingly enough to satisfy both Boden and Herrmann as they nodded before leaving the room, Matt huffing out a breath before he began moving for the hallway, Severide following after him.

"So, really… Without the bullshit, how is she doing?" Severide asked as they walked through the hallway, Matt's body tightening as their steps slowed down, the look on his face telling Kelly all he needed to know as the squad Lieutenant blew out a sharp breath between his teeth. "...Is it really that bad?" He asked, concern shining in his words as Matt ran his hand along his mouth.

"She's struggling… More than I think she thought she would." Casey spoke as honestly as he could as he thought over how Gabby had been the last couple of days, Kelly giving him an understanding look. "She spent so long ignoring it, but now that she can't… And it just kind of comes in waves, but it's hard on her, man."

"Well, no one can blame her." Severide responded softly, Matt nodding in agreement. "That asshole abused her for God knows how long, and all he got was a slap on the wrist for it." He replied bitterly, shaking his head in disgust. "I mean, he's about to be a free man after he made her suffer for years, I wouldn't be handling that well, either, if I were her."

"I know… The whole thing just- It fucking sucks. I don't even know how else to describe it." Matt breathed out frustratedly. "But we've got that restraining order, he knows he can't see her, so all I can do is just be there for her, and help her through it." He replied, Kelly nodding once more as they came to a stop at the end of the hallway.

"Do you, uh… Do you think he'll follow that?" Severide questioned, Matt raising his eyebrows. "The restraining order, do you think he'll actually follow it? Cause didn't he want to see her awhile back? And, as far as I know, she never went-"

"She didn't." Matt was quick to interject, Kelly giving him a strong nod.

"Yeah, so he wanted to see her, and she never did… Do you think he'll try anything now?" Kelly asked, Matt swallowing the heavy lump that had formed in his throat as his back tightened, Severide keeping his eyes on him as he waited for a response, not missing the way Casey's eyes darkened before he shook his head.

"Only if it's the last thing he wants to do."

The moment those words left his lips, Kelly thought he was kidding. But as the seconds passed, it became more and more clear that he wasn't joking at all, Severide's eyes widening slightly as he rested his hands on his hips. "...Casey."

"If he comes near her, Sev-" Matt cut him off, shaking his head as he clenched his jaw, Kelly seeing an anger in his friend he hadn't seen in a long time. "I won't let him hurt her." He spoke truthfully, Severide drawing in a deep breath before he nodded. While Kelly knew Matt would never actually go that far, he also knew that was about the only thing he _wouldn't_ do to protect Gabby, and that if Walker was stupid enough to come around again, Casey would make sure he regretted it, likely for the rest of his life, Matt taking a step towards the door before pausing for a split second as their eyes locked one last time, Severide giving him a slight nod.

"He _can't _hurt her again… Whatever I have to do to keep her safe, I'll do it."

* * *

The sound of the loud buzzing signaling the opening of the heavy gates was like music to his ears as he looked around, the man smiling ear to ear as he walked up towards the wide open gate, his steps pausing for a moment before he finally walked through. Drawing in a deep breath, he smiled even wider, his grin permanently etched into his skin as he took his first few breaths as a free man, Bryan looking around at the world around him, the world he hadn't seen from outside these bars in three months, the days moving by slowly as he served his time.

Time he never should've _been_ serving, if you'd ask him. Time that was wasted with him being wrongfully put behind bars, as he'd done nothing to deserve being in there. But there was nothing to be done about that now, Bryan knowing there was no use focusing on the past, at least not when it came to his time on the inside. Because now, he was out. He was out and he finally had the freedom to do whatever he pleased, which was something he certainly wasn't going to take for granted after wasting so much of his time inside that prison.

And part of him not taking things for granted anymore included him finding a way to see the one person he'd wanted to see since the day he walked into that prison, the person he'd thought of every single moment since the last time he saw her. The person who was at fault for him being locked up in the first place.

Though he didn't hold that against her, not anymore. Not when there'd been so much wasted time already, when he wanted nothing more than to see her, and to talk to her. And that was part of _why_ he wanted to see her, to tell her that he wasn't mad at her over what happened, though he most certainly could be. But he wasn't, and he needed to see her to tell her that... And deep down, he knew she wanted to see him, too. Though he knew with that damn, and unnecessary, restraining order, the one he had a feeling Antonio and Casey both forced her to get, it would be more challenging, Bryan knowing he needed to play this carefully.

But if he could find a way around that, he knew it'd be worth it, the smile never leaving his face as he walked further out into the world that had been withheld from him for so long.


	69. Chapter Sixty Eight

**Hello everyone! I hope y'all are having a great week so far. I've got the next chapter here for you all, I hope you like it. Most of you seemed to enjoy the last one, and I'm so glad for that. I can't wait for y'all to read this one, hopefully you like it, as well.**

**If you have the time, I'd really appreciate it if you could leave me a review, and let me know what you think. Thank you so much for reading, and I hope all of you have a great rest of the week.**

**Stay safe, everyone xx**

* * *

**SIXTY EIGHT**

* * *

Casey's eyes focused on his girlfriend while she sat on the opposite end of the couch, her gaze plastered on the book in her hands as she was curled up into herself, the throw blanket that usually resided on the back of the couch casually resting over her. They'd been sitting like this during the last hour, the couple having come home straight after shift and gotten comfortable, Matt changing out of his shift clothes into a t-shirt and sweatpants, while Gabby opted for a little less as she was only wearing one of his t-shirts and a pair of underwear, as that was her usual attire when they had nowhere to be. And while he was thankful to be into some comfortable clothes after a long shift, if the temperature in their apartment was any indication, he should've added a few more layers.

It was something he'd known about Gabby ever since the beginning, back when they first started this arrangement of theirs, long before they even got together, and that was that she loved it to be cold. No matter the temperature outside, she always wanted it cold, Matt vividly remembering how she'd told him that she'd rather freeze to death than be hot, which he couldn't help but think was a little dramatic. Though based on how chilly it was right now, he figured she meant it, the temperature in their home mimicking the cooler fall air that had set in outside as her desire for it to always be cold certainly hadn't changed since they moved in together.

And while he did find it to be a bit unusual and he didn't quite understand it, he never questioned it, it just becoming one of the things in their relationship that he let her dictate, as he would rather himself be a little chilly than have Gabby be uncomfortable. Though, he had a feeling the only reason she was so comfortable right now was because she had their blanket all to herself.

"...Matt?"

Casey's vision came into focus when he registered her saying his name, the man blinking quickly a few times as he was pulled from his thoughts before he looked to her, finding her tired, expectant eyes on him as her head was tilted to the side slightly, Matt soon understanding his name likely wasn't the first words she'd said to him.

"I'm sorry, what'd you say?" He questioned back, Gabby raising her eyebrows slightly.

"You're staring at me." She commented, Matt pursing his lips together as his eyes traced over her for a moment, trying to decide how best to proceed with this conversation. Though seeing that she seemed to be relatively alright, he decided to keep things light, a soft smile forming over his face as he looked down to her lap.

"Yeah, well I was just wondering if you were ever gonna share that blanket." He replied lightly, Gabby fighting off her own smile as she registered his words, Matt able to tell that she likely was expecting him to say something else, but she played along regardless.

"You want my blanket, huh?" She asked, Casey clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth before he nodded.

"I mean, I'd be fine with sharing… It's just a bit cold in here." He teased, earning a scoff from her before she placed her bookmark in her book, Gabby leaning forward to set it down on the coffee table.

"I might be able to be persuaded to come join you over there…" She told him, Matt's grin widening slightly as they locked eyes. "...But I need something to drink first." She added, Casey nodding understandingly as she tossed the blanket onto the back of the couch, the abrupt change in temperature causing a chill to course through her body as the air hit her bare legs. "Do you want anything?"

"I'm fine, thank you though." He replied, Gabby giving him a quick nod before she shuffled forward.

Pushing herself up from the couch, Matt's shirt rested just below her hips as she walked towards the kitchen, the man adjusting his angle in his seat so he could see her. His eyes stayed focused on her as she moved around their home, Gabby grabbing a glass from the cabinet before walking towards the fridge, her back to him while she got her drink.

But as she stood there, he couldn't help but notice how she kept looking off to the side, confusion covering his face as he continued watching her. Every few seconds, she'd glance towards the door before looking back down, Gabby soon finishing getting her drink and turning back towards the counter, Matt unsure of what she was doing. Though before he could question it, she began to walk around the counter, Casey figuring she was coming back towards him. But her path changed abruptly at the last minute, Gabby stopping herself and placing her glass of ice water down on their island in the kitchen before she walked towards the foyer, Matt watching her until she was out of sight.

He wasn't entirely sure what she was doing, Casey unable to see her as she'd disappeared down the hallway, but after a few long moments she reappeared, Gabby's eyes focused forward as she walked back to the counter like nothing had happened, the woman grabbing her drink and beginning to walk back towards him. But the second she caught his confused gaze, her steps slowed for a second, Gabby swallowing the lump that had quickly formed in her throat.

"Everything okay?" He asked her softly, his gaze flickering back towards the hallway before he looked back towards her, Gabby giving him a quick nod.

"Yeah, I'm fine… I was just, uh- I was making sure the door was locked." She told him quietly, almost like she was embarrassed of her words as realization quickly washed over him before he gave her a soft nod, Matt doing what he could to mask the frown that was desperate to form over his face.

Hearing what she was doing, he couldn't say he was surprised as she'd been like this all morning. He'd noticed it the second they woke up, and it was especially evident when they were leaving the firehouse; how she'd been on edge, and constantly looking over her shoulder. How she was seemingly tense all the time, Matt well aware of just how nervous today was making her.

Though it had been this way all day on shift yesterday, too, despite the fact she tried to hide it from everyone else, Matt seeing just how hard to reach and lost in her head she'd been while they were at work. And that behavior only continued into the night, as he knew first hand how little sleep she'd gotten as she'd spent the night with him in his office as opposed to being out in the bunkroom, that being his own idea after seeing how much the day had taken a toll on her.

And he understood it, with today being what it was, with the man that abused her now being free to roam the streets of Chicago, he completely got why all of this was so hard on her, though he'd tried not to bring it up. After her breakdown the other night, he'd been careful about the topic, Matt not commenting on it unless she did, as he didn't want to say or do anything that might push her over that edge again. Because regardless of how much he felt like that moment in their bathroom needed to happen, how she needed to let go of everything she'd been holding onto for months, that didn't make it any easier to witness. So he'd done all he could to support her, while letting her take the lead on how they approached the sensitive subject that was Bryan Walker.

But if this moment was any indication, Matt knew he might _need_ to say something, the boyfriend just hating that she felt so scared in the first place. He hated that she had a reason to feel like this, and he'd do anything to make it stop.

Giving her a soft smile, Gabby relaxed before she continued walking towards him, Matt shifting back to his previous position as she came around to the front of the couch, his girlfriend giving him a weak smile of her own. "Yeah, I locked it when we got home, babe." He reminded her gently, knowing Gabby had seen him do it, after she'd all but jogged to their front door and hurried inside the second they got home this morning, clearly not wanting to be out longer than necessary.

With a slight nod, Gabby placed the glass of water down on coaster on top of the end table beside him, Matt not missing how she glanced back towards their windows and stared at them for a few seconds, like she was making sure the curtains that blacked out the world around them were still drawn, before she stepped around him and sat back down on the couch, Matt's heart breaking a little more as he was beginning to realize how she couldn't even entirely feel safe in their own home.

"Right, yeah…" She responded, shaking her head slightly. "I just wanted to check, sorry."

"It's alright." He assured her without hesitation, Gabby drawing in a deep breath after meeting his worried gaze, her bottom lip tucking in between her teeth as she began to gnaw on her skin, Matt noticing the telltale signs of her anxiousness creeping in. "...Do you wanna talk about it?" He asked softly, watching as her leg began to bounce up and down slightly, his eyes moving over her face before finding her gaze yet again.

"It's- it's nothing, really, I don't know… It's stupid." She rambled out, his eyebrows furrowing as she looked down to her lap. "I mean, I know I shouldn't be worrying about it, he's not allowed to come near me, but…" She trailed off, drawing in a deep breath as she struggled to voice what was going on in her head.

Releasing a soft sigh, Matt leaned forward to place his own book down on the coffee table, Gabby watching as he adjusted himself on the couch, the man getting comfortable against the armrest while he lifted his leg up on the furniture and rested it against the back of the couch, his other staying planted on the floor as Casey extended his arm out, inviting her towards him.

"Come here." He prompted softly, Gabby not hesitating at all before she got up off the couch enough to be able to move closer to him, her body falling comfortably against his as she nestled herself into him, her head resting against his chest as her arms wrapped around his waist. As she settled in between his legs, he reached for the blanket that was resting on the back of the couch and tossed it over them, Matt feeling her snuggle deeper into him as he leaned back against the furniture, Gabby listening to the steady thumping of his heartbeat against her ear, the sound calming her as his arms tightened around her body.

They sat like this uninterrupted for a few quiet moments, Matt rubbing his hand up and down her back soothingly while the other rested over her hip. Though he wanted to talk to her, he knew there was only so much he could say that hadn't been said a hundred times, Matt having done all he could to reassure her as of late. But it didn't matter to him how often he had to repeat himself, as Gabby was the only thing that mattered here. And if what she needed was for him to continually promise that everything would be alright, that's exactly what he'd do.

But he didn't get the chance to as Gabby spoke up before he could say anything, her voice breaking the silence.

"...Do you think he'll try and see me?"

Her words initially took him by surprise, Matt not anticipating that question from her as he felt her arms tighten around his waist, the man staying quiet for a few seconds as he tried to think over how to best answer her. He couldn't lie to her, and he wouldn't, but he knew he didn't really have an answer for her. Not when he had no idea what was going on in Walker's head.

"I mean, I don't know, part of me thinks he's not stupid enough to do anything," She continued when he had yet to say anything, the comfort of his hold helping her feel safe and secure. "But I know him, probably better than anyone… Or at least I used to, but I know he wanted to see me before, and I never went. So I'm not sure if that'll-" She cut herself off, Matt feeling her tense underneath his hold for a split second before she relaxed, Gabby taking a slow, steadying breath. "I don't know, I just wanna know what you think… You're the one who's seen him." She finished as she kept her ear pressed to his chest, Matt wincing slightly as she mentioned his ill-advised trip to the prison; one he didn't regret, he'd just wished he'd handled it differently.

He continued to stay silent for a few more seconds, Matt carefully thinking over his next words, his hand still rubbing over her back comfortingly. "...Honestly? I don't know what he'll do, if he'll do anything." He breathed out, Matt instantly wishing he could give her any more assurance than that. "I really don't, baby."

"...Yeah." She agreed quietly, Matt releasing a soft sigh before pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"But you are right, after how he got off easy, I would like to think he knows better than to try and see you, but I'm not sure… When I went to see him, I know I told you how he was, he was angry, and kept saying how he wanted to see you," He treaded carefully, hating the way her body involuntarily tightened, "how he wanted to apologize, which I know was bullshit. But that was like a month and a half ago, so I'm not sure how much that's changed…" He trailed off, knowing his words likely weren't very comforting right now, but they couldn't ignore the realities of the situation. "But what I do know is that no matter what, I'll do everything I can to make sure he doesn't even have the chance to get near you again…"

"I know." She murmured, a small smile forming over his face when he felt her turn her head to press a gentle kiss against his covered chest, Matt giving her hip a gentle squeeze.

"And I know this isn't easy baby, that you just want this to be over, and I know you're scared… I wish there was anything I could do to make that feeling go away, but what I can promise you is that I'm here. And anything I can do to keep you safe, I'll do it…" He told her, Matt keeping his voice steady as they sat cuddled together on the couch. "Though I know you don't need protecting… You're the strongest person I know, and you can handle yourself, but this- this isn't something you should have to carry alone."

He felt her release a heavy sigh, his eyebrows furrowing as she began to mess with the material of his shirt on his back, Gabby pursing her lips together tightly. "Yeah, I don't know if that's true…" She breathed out quietly, her vulnerability shining through in her words, Matt unsure of what she was talking about until she continued. "I don't feel very strong right now."

"You are." He replied the second she finished speaking, his voice holding nothing but truth. "Believe me baby, you are so strong. Please don't even doubt that… You are the strongest person I've ever met, you being affected by all this doesn't change that." He told her, wrapping both arms around her as his forearms rested over her back, keeping her as close as he possibly could.

A soft silence fell over them for a few moments, Gabby gripping his shirt in her hand as she adjusted her positioning against him, the woman moving to lay on her stomach as she turned her head towards the back of the couch, Matt getting more comfortable as well. The sounds of their breathing were all that could really be heard, Gabby's head tucked just underneath his chin as he lifted his other leg up onto the couch and rested it over the back of her calf, Matt's body completely cradling hers.

"...You know what I think we should do?" He asked after a couple of minutes when it became clear Gabby wasn't going to say anything, his voice gaining her attention as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Hmm?"

"I think we should stay in the next few days," He suggested, Gabby raising her eyebrows as she listened to him, despite the fact that he couldn't see her. "With everything going on, I think we should just do nothing except sit at home and spend some time together… Just you and me." He continued, Gabby smiling softly as she was already starting to feel relaxed at the idea.

"Yeah?"

"Mhmm… I know you're supposed to work at Molly's tomorrow, but how about we get Shay to cover for you, and then we can just have a few days to ourselves before work." He elaborated as Gabby ran her thumb along his lower back before she nodded against his chest.

"I like the sound of that." She replied softly, Matt smiling proudly before he nodded as well.

"Then that's what we'll do… No outside world, no worrying about anything else, just you and me."

"Just you and me." She repeated quietly, her smile only growing when she felt him press another kiss to the top of her head, Gabby nearly melting into him as a rush of different emotions flooded through her.

She knew she couldn't avoid this forever, that she couldn't hide out and refuse to live her life because of _him_. And she wouldn't. She didn't want to give him that kind of control over her, not more than he already had. But it was hard, because she couldn't shake the nervous feelings that had already started to set in any time she thought about the fact that Bryan was now a free man. How, right at this moment, he was out there in Chicago. It was an unsettling feeling, to say the least, especially after how hard these last few days had been, and there was a small voice in the back of her head that she couldn't help but listen to, telling her that it was okay. It was okay that she needed some time, that she didn't feel ready to face the world right now. That it was alright how she _wasn't_ alright.

And it wasn't lost on her how that small voice sounded an awful lot like Matt.

Letting her eyes fall closed again, she continued to focus on the steady thumping of his heartbeat in her ear, his warmth drawing her in as she snuggled against him, Gabby feeling compelled to be as close to him as she possibly could, knowing how he was what she needed to hold onto right now. That, as hard as this was, and as hard as it would likely continue to be for a while, as long as she had Matt, she knew she'd be okay.

"...I don't know what I'd do without you." She whispered after a couple long minutes, her words barely audible as a sad smile formed over his face, Matt giving her body another firm squeeze before he moved his hand down to her hip, his palm sliding underneath the back of her shirt and resting on top of her warm skin, the man knowing how much that always calmed her.

"Yeah, well you'll never have to find that out." He murmured as his words brought a small smile to her face, the two falling right back into that comfortable silence as they held onto each other, this time with him being exactly what Gabby needed right now.

He was all she needed.

* * *

"There you go." Shay spoke to the customer across the bar from her as she handed him the drink, the man offering her a smile and a tip before he walked away. Tossing the bar rag over her shoulder, the blonde's eyes surveyed the somewhat empty bar, the slow night not exactly great for business, or for Shay as it hadn't proved to be the type of distraction she was hoping for.

When Casey had called yesterday and asked her to cover the shift tonight for Dawson, she immediately agreed, no questions asked. Because while she hadn't had the chance to speak to her partner, with as tense as Gabby had been when they left shift yesterday, she could only imagine the last couple of days hadn't been easy, and all Shay wanted to do was help in whatever ways she could. So if covering for her at Molly's tonight was what Gabby needed, she'd do it.

"Well, I guess it's just one of those nights." Herrmann spoke up as he walked towards her, Shay looking up as she leaned her weight into the countertop, her eyes locking on the older man as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Not many people wanting to come out tonight, I guess."

"Yeah, I guess so." She agreed with a small smile, Herrmann pursing his lips together before he glanced out towards the room, Shay following his gaze before he looked back to her, almost like he was checking to see if anyone was around.

"So, uh… Dawson was supposed to work tonight, wasn't she?" He questioned softly, Shay drawing in a deep breath before she nodded, the woman angling her body towards him.

"Yeah, she was… But Casey called me, asked me to cover." She replied carefully, Herrmann pausing for a moment before he gave her a nod of his own.

"Did he- Did he say why?" He questioned, Shay tilting her head to the side slightly. "I mean, is she okay? Or is it just with everything…"

"He didn't give specifics, no." She answered quickly with a slight shrug, indicating she didn't have much of an answer for him, Herrmann releasing a soft sigh before nodding once more. "I've only talked to him the one time, and it wasn't for very long… He just asked me to cover for her, and I said yes. Figured he wouldn't ask unless it was necessary." She breathed out, not missing the wince that covered Herrmann's face as he shook his head.

"That's what I'm worried about… With Dawson, and all this." He replied, Shay biting down on her lip before she nodded in agreement. "And I don't blame the kid for being upset over all this, hell I'm upset and it didn't happen to me, I just- I wish there was something else we could do for her…" He continued, Shay nodding in agreement as she tapped her fingertips on top of the bar.

"I know what you mean, I do too." She agreed, her spine straightening slightly as she broke eye contact with him. "But this really has nothing to do with us… It's not anything she needs from us, aside from us just trying to keep things as normal as we can, but it's more what she _doesn't _need from _him_…" Shay told him, realization washing over Herrmann as he understood exactly what she meant, the man leaning his hip into the counter as he looked at her.

"There hasn't been any sign of him, has there?" He asked quickly, his eyebrows knitted together tightly as his entire body tensed, Shay shaking her head slightly.

"Not that I know of, no… but I haven't really spoken to Dawson, I'm trying to give her space, and when I talked to Casey, he didn't mention anything. And I know Severide's talked to him a few times, Kelly said he'd be here soon, so we can ask him, but as far as I know, Walker hasn't tried to see her yet… Though it hasn't even been 48 hours since he got out, so I don't know. But I don't think he's tried to contact her." She hurried out, Herrmann sensing just how anxious the entire topic made her. And he understood it, knowing how hard Shay had taken all of this happening to her best friend.

"Well… if he has any sense, it'll stay that way." Herrmann replied shortly, Shay nodding in agreement just as a customer came up to them, both knowing their conversation would have to be put on pause so they could work.

Outside the bar, Severide locked up his car before pocketing his keys into his jacket, the man looking both ways before he began to cross the street towards the bar, knowing his friend was waiting for him inside. But as he got about halfway across the pavement, his steps slowed when he noticed something peculiar, Severide coming to an almost complete stop as he took in the sight of a man sitting on the hood of his car down at the end of the street in the opposite direction of the bar, Kelly's spine straightening when he realized exactly who was sitting there.

Changing his path instantly, Severide felt a burst of anger rush through him as his fists clenched by his sides, the Lieutenant noticing the smile on the man's face as he eventually got closer, a hearty chuckle escaping his lips when he saw Kelly walking with a determination towards him.

"You must be pretty fucking stupid." Severide spat the second he was close enough, his rough steps continuing as Bryan leaned unbothered against the hood of his car, his arms crossed over his chest with that same, smug grin Kelly had seen hundreds of times over the years resting across his face.

"Well, it's nice seeing you again too, Severide." Walker replied with another laugh, Kelly immediately shaking his head as he stopped a few feet from him. From what he could tell, Bryan looked pretty much the same as he had the last time he'd seen him all those months ago, and he clearly hadn't lost the attitude either, it taking all the willpower in the world for Kelly to not pummel the man across from him.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He shot back, ignoring Walker's words as Bryan gave a soft shrug, his eyes moving around the nearly empty street before finding Kelly's unwelcoming gaze.

"Just taking in the old sights now that I'm a free man." He responded, his smile on growing as he pushed himself up off the car, the man now eye-level with Severide, though Kelly didn't back down.

"You need to leave." He growled, Walker scoffing as his eyes moved down the road towards the direction of Molly's before shaking his head.

"Severide-"

"Stay the fuck away from her, Bryan." He all but shouted, the former firefighter raising his eyebrows as his head cocked to the side. "You know what'll happen if you go near her, just leave her the hell alone. How many times does it have to be said for you to understand she wants absolutely nothing to do with you?!" He finished angrily, Severide barely able to look at the man he once called his best friend, knowing how badly he'd hurt the person he claimed to love.

"Would you calm down, Kelly, I'm not here for her." He replied simply, Severide's glare narrowing even more. "I'm not trying to see Dawson, I just came by to see everyone else… You know, it's been awhile and all that," He continued, Kelly's angry look morphing into a near disturbed one, as he couldn't fathom how Walker could ever think they'd want to see him. "But since I'm not really allowed inside-"

"You're not allowed here, period." He cut him off, Bryan giving him a look before he continued on as if Kelly had said nothing.

"Since I'm not allowed inside, I had to wait out here… You know, that stupid restraining order and everything." He spoke with a laugh, Kelly grimacing at how carefree the man seemed. How he didn't seem to care at all about what he'd done, or the people he'd hurt, Severide feeling sick to his stomach as he was yet again reminded of just how much he'd misjudged him.

"You mean the _necessary_ restraining order?" Severide questioned back after a moment of silence, Bryan's smile widening before he shook his head.

"Kelly, let's not do this-"

"No, I think we should do this." He interrupted again, Walker's light attitude slowly faltering as the smile on his face fell. "We should absolutely do this, considering your ass spent three months in prison, and you still are acting like this."

"Acting like what?" He asked with a scoff, Bryan barely able to get the words out before Severide replied.

"Acting like you have no idea what you did!" He yelled, Bryan's eyebrows raising slightly as Severide took a step forward. "You're more upset about the fact you can't go into a bar, then you were about the fact that you beat Dawson! That you fucking choked her! You're nothing but a piece of shit, who should've rot in that cell!" He was practically screaming at this point, Walker seemingly unfazed by his outburst as Severide caught his breath, Bryan shaking his head slightly. "...What?" He spat, Bryan unable to stop his laugh before he ran a hand over his mouth. "I would love to know what's so funny…"

"Nothing, it's just- You really don't get it, do you?" He questioned, confusion covering Severide's face.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't you think if I should've been in that cell, I'd still be there?" Bryan asked him, Kelly's guard going back up as he glared at the man. "I never should've been in there in the first place, I didn't deserve to go to prison-"

"You've gotta be kidding me." Severide mumbled under his breath. "You really are that big of an asshole, aren't you? Even after you owned up to it yourself, after Gabby told her brother everything you did, you're still here lying, acting like you didn't spend years abusing Dawson."

"I never did a thing to her…" He cut in, the smirk on his face growing before he continued. "Nothing she didn't want, anyway."

Severide felt as if his skin began to crawl, the firefighter finding it harder and harder to resist knocking out the man in front of him as he shook his head angrily. "You are fucking unbelievable." He replied roughly, Bryan merely laughing before he shrugged. "You tried to fucking ruin her life, you beat her just because you could, and then terrorized her even after you broke up with her… Quit acting like she asked for that. Just get the fuck out of here, and stay away from Dawson." He barked, Walker waving him off.

"Say whatever you want, Severide, but I know the truth." He responded before turning to walk to his car door, Kelly never taking his eyes off of him. "And I know Gabby's made it her mission to get everyone to feel sorry for her, all cause she couldn't just keep her damn mouth shut, and keep her legs closed, but believe me, if you had to put up with half of the bullshit I did from her, you'd understand… And like I'd want anything to do with that whore anymore anyway." He added as he opened his door, Bryan meeting Severide's glare. "Casey can have her… Or whatever poor guy she's convinced to fuck her, since I'm sure the Lieutenant's left her by now… But trust me, I'm done with that bitch." He finished before sitting down in his car, Kelly clenching his neck tightly as he took a step away from the vehicle.

"Stay the fuck away from here, Walker." He warned him one last time before he continued across the road, Bryan unable to stop his smile from growing as he shut his door, Severide's body language alone telling him all he needed to know about how much he'd gotten under his skin. And as he sat there and watched Severide continue towards the bar, he had a strong feeling in his gut that this had gone exactly the way he hoped, the man knowing Kelly had believed every word he said.

* * *

Severide practically ripped open the door to Molly's, anger coursing through him as he stomped into the room, his eyes bouncing around the bar as he looked for one person in particular, the man practically holding his breath as he waited to see her. But luckily, he never did, Severide feeling himself relax for a slight moment when he remembered something about Shay saying she was covering for her, though he still needed to be sure.

When he caught sight of the other woman he was looking for, he headed in her direction, Shay looking up when she noticed the abrupt movement out of the corner of her eye.

"Hey Kelly- What's wrong?" She asked immediately when she noticed his tense demeanor, Kelly coming up to stand across from her and Herrmann at the bar, both of them staring at him expectantly as he gripped the edge of the counter.

"Where's Dawson?" He questioned back quickly, Shay soon wearing a look of confusion across her face.

"What?"

"Gabby… She's not here, is she?" He asked again, earning quick head shakes from both Herrmann and Shay.

"No, she's at home with Casey, as far as I know." Shay replied, Kelly's body relaxing even more before he nodded, though he knew this conversation was far from over. "...Why? What's going on?" She pressed, crossing her arms over her chest.

Drawing in a deep breath, Severide looked back towards the closed door to the bar, his gaze lingering there for a few moments before he returned his focus to his friends, Kelly doing his best to keep his voice steady as he spoke. "Bryan was here."

He saw the initial shock that consumed both of them, before it soon morphed into anger; though Shay got there faster than Herrmann as her eyes darkened almost immediately.

"...What?" She questioned, though they all had heard him, Kelly shaking his head slightly before he took a step closer to the countertop.

"Walker, he was here… just outside, before I came in." He elaborated, Shay clenching her jaw as she looked towards the door as well, the woman shaking her head before she tossed her rag down onto the bar.

"I'm gonna kill him." She snarled, Severide immediately shaking his head before he reached across the bar to grab her, effectively stopping her from moving too far. "Kelly-"

"He's not here." He continued, Herrmann releasing a heavy breath as Shay focused on Severide. "I got him to leave, he's gone… Told him never to come back." He explained, seeing varying degrees of rage coming from both Herrmann and Shay.

"Unbelievable… I can't believe he showed up here." Herrmann muttered, Shay clenching her hands together tightly as she shook her head once more.

"I'm gonna fucking kill him, Kelly," She repeated, her voice holding nothing but contempt for that man. "That piece of shit, I'm going to kill him. It's bad enough he did what he did to Gabby, but now he's already coming around trying to scare her, when he's been out, what? … For hardly a day, that fucking asshole, I'm going to kill him-"

"He said he wasn't here to see Gabby." Kelly cut in, hoping that would deter his best friend's threats of murder for a moment, but it only seemed to enrage her further as a heavy scoff left her lips, her dark eyes darkening even more.

"Oh, bullshit." She spat, shaking her head in disgust. "He was here for her, of course he was. I don't care what he said, there's no reason he'd come here aside from wanting to mess with her, because he's a fucking psychopath!" She shouted, her loud voice gaining the attention of the few patrons left in the bar, though she didn't seem to care.

"Shay…" Herrmann tried, but Severide spoke up before she could say anything.

"I'm just telling you what he told me… You're right, he's crazy for even coming here at all, but that's just what he said… He said he was done with Gabby, that that's not what this was." He explained, giving her the toned down version of the heartless man's words as he knew they would only enrage her further. "He said he wanted to see us, which I don't get considering we all hate him… But he seemed to be telling the truth... I don't know, I'm not inclined to believe anything that comes out of his mouth, but I don't think he was here for her." Severide spoke cautiously, Shay biting down roughly on the inside of her cheek as his words sunk in, her anger fading only slightly.

"...Why does he think we'd want to see him either?" Herrmann questioned, the older man looking back and forth between the roommates, both of them wearing unsure looks.

"I… I honestly don't know. But it took everything in me not to beat his ass to a pulp." Severide replied gruffly, Herrmann giving him a slow, understanding nod.

"You should've." Shay chimed in harshly, before bringing her hand up to rest over her mouth, the blonde clearly needing a minute for this all to sink in, the weight of everything starting to hit her, as she was sure Herrmann and Severide were feeling the same way.

Bryan had come here… He'd come here, to Gabby's bar, without a care in the world. And though he'd been cautious enough to not actually step foot on the property, that seemed to be all he cared about as he had no worries about being anywhere near here.

And that was an unsettling thought, one that made Shay's stomach turn, knowing that he had as much freedom as he did. That he was just out there, free to go almost anywhere he wanted, the whole thing nearly making her sick as the weight of this only continued to mount on her shoulders, Shay realizing that this must've been only a fraction of what Gabby had been feeling every single day.

"...We should call Casey." Herrmann spoke up after a few moments, Shay and Severide both looking towards him as he focused on Kelly. "I don't- I don't know if he meant it, that he wasn't here for Gabby, but they need to know." He told them, Severide drawing in a deep breath before he nodded and reached into his pocket for his phone.

He could feel them watching him the entire time as he dialed Casey's number and put the phone up to his ear, as well as while he stood there and listened to it ring, his friend never answering as it soon went to voicemail. Blowing out a sigh, Severide waited for the tone, before leaving him a quick message. One that he hoped Matt would return sooner rather than later.

"Hey Casey, it's Kelly, just calling to see if you had a minute to talk… Hope you and Dawson are alright, call me back when you get this... Bye."

* * *

Casey rolled out his neck as he and Gabby walked up the driveway towards the firehouse, the man staying as alert as he possibly could as he noticed his girlfriend looking back behind them every few moments, Matt giving her hand that was clasped in his a firm squeeze every time he felt like she needed it. It was something he did to keep her grounded, to remind her that he was here, as he knew she was still feeling a bit anxious at the idea of coming to work today. Though, despite his efforts, she hadn't wanted to call in sick, so here they were; even though neither of them hadn't gotten nearly enough sleep for the work they'd have to do over the next twenty four hours.

The second they got into the garage, he could sense Gabby felt a little more at ease, Matt offering her a warm smile as they continued towards the firehouse.

"Hey Casey, Dawson." Cruz greeted simply from his seat at the squad table, both first responders giving him a nod.

"Hey Cruz." Casey responded as they continued walking past the table, though they weren't able to get very far when they heard his voice once more.

"Oh, and uh- I know you just got here, but I think Severide was looking for you- Oh, there he is." Joe spoke as Kelly walked out through the double doors, his eyes immediately finding both Casey and Dawson as they stood by the table. And it wasn't lost on Matt how a quick flash of relief flickered in the man's eyes, though he just wasn't sure why it was there. "Severide, you wanted to talk to Casey, yeah?"

"Yeah, I was looking for you." He replied somewhat hurriedly as he came to a stop in front of them, Gabby looking back and forth curiously between the two men as Severide took quick notice of just how worn down both Dawson and Casey looked, there being a level of exhaustion present in their features that went beyond just being tired. "I was hoping you and I could talk?" He spoke pointedly towards Casey, Matt's eyebrows furrowing as his confusion only grew, the truck Lieutenant glancing towards his girlfriend, finding her equally as unsure as he was, but she merely shrugged, Gabby slowly dropping his hand.

"I'm gonna head inside… Want me to take your stuff?" She offered, Matt giving her a quick once over before he nodded, sliding the bag down off his shoulder and handing it to her.

"Thanks babe." He murmured, Gabby responding with a soft nod, giving a quick greeting to Severide before she walked towards the firehouse, Matt keeping his eyes on her until she was out of sight. Then the second she was, his confusion returned as he glanced at his friend, seeing just how on edge he was. "What do you need to talk about?"

Before he answered, Severide smacked his lips together, the man looking around and finding a few too many pairs of eyes on them, far too many for comfort with what they needed to discuss. So without saying a word, Kelly nodded back towards the coat room, Matt's eyebrows furrowing as he began to walk away, though he followed after him anyway, waiting for him to punch in the code before they stepped inside the empty room, letting the door fall closed behind them.

"What's going on, Sev?" He asked the second they were alone, Casey crossing his arms over his chest as Kelly ran his hand along the side of his face.

"Is everything okay?" He questioned back, Matt never losing that unsure look on his face as he didn't know exactly what his friend was asking, considering what was going on with Gabby right now.

"What?"

"You didn't answer my call last night, or call me back." He explained, watching the realization set in across his friend's face before he nodded.

"Oh, right, that- I'm sorry, I didn't see it until this morning." He replied, Kelly giving him an understanding nod. "It was… Well, it was a long night, I wasn't really paying attention to my phone." He added, his words causing Severide's ears to perk up, as the same worry he'd felt all last night started to come back with a vengeance.

"What happened?" He questioned, as Matt drew in a deep breath. While Kelly was mainly asking so he could be sure his friends were alright, he also knew it couldn't hurt for Casey to have someone to talk to, as Severide was sure this had everything to do with Dawson. And with Matt so focused on taking care of her, Kelly knew what kind of toll that could take on a person.

"It's uh- it's just Gabby… This Walker stuff, it's really messing with her." He spoke lowly, Kelly grimacing as he shook his head, Matt trying to think over how much he should divulge to his friend. "It's all just been… it's been pretty up and down for her." He continued as he released a heavy, tired sigh, his words holding a lot more truth that Severide could ever realize.

Though he'd been expecting it, Gabby had been very much all over the place the last few days; there were moments she was alright and seemed to be handling things, and others where that clearly wasn't the case. There'd been moments where she'd broken down, then others where she was just angry, both of which usually ended in tears. Moments when she just couldn't understand why all this was happening. And then other times, she was okay. And all of it, it was a lot to deal with, and Matt would be lying if he said he wasn't feeling a little physically and mentally exhausted from it all.

But he also knew that no matter what he felt, it was all the worse for Gabby, so he'd just tried to focus on doing what he promised he'd do, and that was be there for her. Every step of the way.

"She's struggling, it's been hard, and she's just- she's worried. She's afraid that he'll try and do something to her, and I think she's scared for me, too." He breathed out, Severide listening intently as Casey got this all off his chest. "And we're both just kinda messed up right now, our schedules and everything… Then leaving this morning, it was the first time we'd left the apartment since last shift, so that was a little…" He trailed off, waving his hand around in the air to emphasize what he didn't know how to voice. "But, at least right now, she's seemed to be alright. This morning went better than I thought it would…"

"That's good." Kelly replied encouragingly, hating to hear how hard this had all been on his friends. "And she's okay? I mean- okay enough to be here." He corrected himself when he saw the look on Casey's face. "You both are?"

"Yeah, she is… She's okay as she's gonna be, at least right now." He responded softly, Severide frowning slightly before giving him a nod. "I mean, the guy who abused her is walking around as a free man, so we're dealing with it the best way we can…"

"I know you are." Severide told him, Matt catching his gaze. "And you know all of us are here for you, if you need anything."

"We know, and we appreciate it… Trust me. But being here, and having you guys, I think will help her a lot." Matt replied, Kelly nodding once more before the truck Lieutenant blew out a heavy breath and took a slight step backwards. "And I appreciate the concern, for me and Gabby both." He added, Kelly smiling softly before Casey began moving towards the door.

"Wait- Casey." Severide's voice stopped him, Matt turning back around with raised eyebrows. "...The reason I called you last night."

"Oh, yeah." He responded, clearly having forgotten about it as he stepped back towards his friend. "What's up?"

Pursing his lips together, Kelly paused for a moment, trying to think over how to best approach the topic, especially after hearing about how hard things had been on them. But regardless of how much he didn't want to bring it up, he knew he had no choice; they needed to know, _Gabby_ needed to know, and this wasn't something he could keep from them.

"Sev?" Casey questioned when he had yet to say anything, Kelly blowing out a harsh breath before he spoke up.

"...Walker came to Molly's last night." He spoke quickly, knowing he just needed to get the words out.

But the second he did, Matt's entire body tensed, his face falling before a look of complete and utter rage covered his features. "...What?" He questioned, his voice not even sounding like his own as his single word was barely audible, Severide sighing softly before he began to explain to Casey exactly what happened.

And he made sure to leave nothing out; from the second he saw Walker outside, to all that had been said, to everything that happened with Shay and Herrmann, he told him all of it, Matt remaining silent the entire time as he listened to everything being told to him. The look of anger had never left his face, and it only became more apparent when he'd learned what exactly Walker had said about Gabby, Severide doing what he could to get a read on him, though it was nearly impossible.

"And then that's when I called you, and was gonna tell you what happened… But you were helping Dawson, I guess." Severide finished, Matt running his tongue along the inside of his cheek before he breathed deeply, the man shaking his head before looking down towards the ground.

Lifting his hand up, he ran it over his mouth, a range of conflicting emotions taking over as he tried to focus, though it was becoming more and more difficult with every passing second as his anger was beginning to take over.

"I'm really sorry, man… I mean, maybe he meant it, but we all agreed you needed to know-"

"There's no way he means it." Casey spoke roughly, those being the first words he'd said in a while as Severide pursed his lips together. "He was there because of her… I don't care what he told you, it was bullshit."

Severide opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, they both heard the sound of the numbers of the keypad being pressed, Matt turning back towards the door just as it opened, both men soon seeing Dawson come into view as she took a step inside.

"Hey, sorry…" She started as the door closed behind her, Matt immediately shaking his head as he did what he could to let go of any anger he was feeling right now, though it was nearly impossible. And he knew Gabby could tell something was wrong. "The guys said you were in here." She continued, Casey forcing a small smile onto his face before he nodded.

"Yeah, we were just talking… You okay?" He questioned, his worry for her taking over as he knew how quickly things could change for her, Gabby's eyes flashing towards Severide for a split second before finding Matt's gaze again.

"Yeah." She replied weakly, the paramedic looking back and forth between them once more, sensing just how tense the air was around them. "...What's going on?"

Taking a deep breath, Matt glanced to Severide before nodding towards the door, silently telling him to give them some space, which was a signal Kelly understood instantly, the man making himself scarce as he disappeared through the far door.

"What is it?" She pressed, crossing her arms over her chest, her eyes focused on her boyfriend as she watched him try and calm himself down, something clearly bothering him as he took a step closer to her, Matt reaching out to place his hand on her arm before he spoke.

"Severide told me that Walker showed up at Molly's last night." He told her carefully, watching as she slowly registered what he was saying, Matt soon seeing an intense look of worry shining back at him.

"He… What?" She questioned, her voice sounding a little lost as Matt rubbed her arm gently, the man pushing his own feelings aside as he focused on her.

"He showed up at Molly's… He didn't try to go in or anything, but he was there outside. Severide spoke with him, basically told him to never come back." He explained carefully, Gabby remaining quiet as she looked down in between them, her body unsteady as he knew this was exactly what she'd been afraid of. "Kelly, he said Bryan told him he wasn't there to see you," Those words grabbed her attention, Gabby looking back up at him for a moment. "That he was just there to see them, but I don't… I don't know if that's the truth. But he was at Molly's."

Gabby merely nodded as she slowly digested what had been said to her, Matt's worried gaze never leaving her as he tried to figure out how she was feeling. While it was something he'd always been good at, Casey able to read her better than anyone else practically since the moment they met, he'd become even more aware of her feelings over the last few weeks, Matt needing to know how she was doing without having to constantly ask her.

But right now… now, he couldn't tell. With her silence, and her refusal to meet his eyes, he couldn't exactly tell what was running through her mind right now, and it only made him that more concerned.

"...What's going on in there?" He asked gently, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before she looked up towards him, her glassy eyes causing a deep frown to settle in across his face. "Gabby…"

"I just wish he'd leave me alone." She murmured helplessly, Casey feeling his heart drop into his stomach as he saw her start to revert back into the scared woman he'd seen a lot of these last few days. "I… Severide said he wasn't there to see me, fine. But he still showed up to the bar, he knows exactly what he's doing and I- I want him to leave me alone." She repeated, her hands trembling by her sides as Matt continued to rub her arm.

"I know baby, I'm sorry." He whispered, bringing his other hand up to cradle her cheek, effectively getting her to meet his eyes as he stroked his thumb over her skin. "I wish he would, too… But I'm gonna call Antonio, let him know what happened… It'll be fine, alright? I promise." He assured her, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before she nodded, Matt's soothing words able to calm her down slightly as she leaned into his palm. "And I-"

He got cut off by the bells ringing out about them, Casey biting down on his tongue as he heard both ambo and truck being called out to an accident, a slight grimace pulling on his face before he looked to her once more.

"I'll call him when we get back...Are you okay for this?" He questioned before anything else, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek before she nodded, Matt already seeing her starting to put that facade back up like she was fine, though she clearly wasn't.

But he wasn't gonna question her; if she said she was good to do this, he believed her.

But that also wouldn't stop him from keeping an eye on her as they walked out of the coat room and towards their rigs, Casey knowing that even though he had a job to focus on, that didn't mean he couldn't look out for his girl, too, the firefighters quickly gearing up before jumping into the rig and heading off to the call, ambo following quickly behind them.


	70. Chapter Sixty Nine

**Hello everyone! I'm back with the next chapter for you all. And before we get started, I wanna say thank you for all the feedback on the last one. I'm glad to see you all are still enjoying this story, and I hope you all like this one too.**

**I know this chapter is a little shorter than normal, and I'm sorry for that. And I'm sorry for getting this update posted later than I normally do, as well. I wasn't sure if I was even going to be able to get a chapter out to you all for this story this week, it's been a difficult few days for me personally, so I didn't know if I'd be able to get this one posted. But luckily, I was able to, and I do really like how this chapter turned out, so I hope you all do as well. **

**Thank you so much for reading, I can't wait to hear what you think. Stay safe, everyone xx**

* * *

**SIXTY NINE**

* * *

Casey stood at the counter in the common room while ignoring the less than subtle stares from his coworkers, his foot tapping impatiently against the ground as his gaze focused solely on the double doors that were straight across from him, his arms crossed firmly over his chest. He'd been standing like this for awhile, Casey having been plastered to this spot ever since he came out here nearly ten minutes ago now, since he left Gabby in the seclusion of his office, though there certainly was a part of him that wished he was still in there with her right now. But he couldn't be, at least not while he was waiting on one specific person to get to the firehouse, the same person he'd called about half an hour ago to explain to them what had happened at Molly's last night.

And as expected, Antonio was livid when he'd heard of Walker coming around. Even through the phone, Casey could tell how angry he was as he'd been filled in on what the Lieutenant knew, and it was a feeling Matt completely understood. In fact, if not for him keeping his focus on Gabby ever since they returned from the call that had interrupted them this morning, he knew he'd be absolutely incensed at what Walker had done. But he couldn't be, he couldn't let himself feel that anger, not when Gabby needed him.

So he'd pushed it down, from the second Gabby walked into the coat room he pushed everything to the back of his mind. Though there was the nagging voice in the back of his mind telling him that once the older Dawson got here, his true feelings would be harder and harder to ignore.

Casey's eyes snapped into focus when he heard the door open, his spine involuntarily straightening as the detective rushed in, Antonio not focused on anything other than the man standing at the counter while Matt took a few steps towards him, the two meeting beside the table.

"Casey, man…"

"Hey Antonio." He greeted, going what he could to keep his voice as calm as possible while Antonio's eyes quickly darted around the room before landing back on him.

"Where's Gabby?" He questioned without another thought, it becoming clear to everyone in the room that Antonio's main priority at the moment was his sister, though most of them had no idea what was going on.

"In my office." Casey replied softly, Antonio pausing to take a steadying breath before he nodded.

"Is she-" He cut himself off, looking around the room once more. Though this time seemed to be a bit different, like he was realizing this wasn't exactly a private conversation they were having as everyone in the room was watching them. "How is she?" He rephrased, figuring that to be safer as his eyes refocused on Casey, Antonio not missing the flash of hesitation that flickered in his eyes.

"...She's okay." He responded softly, lifting his hand up to run along the side of his neck, the older man giving him yet another nod as he understood Matt wasn't going to go into more detail right now. Running his tongue along the inside of his cheek, Casey was just as aware of all the eyes on them, the man knowing they definitely needed to go somewhere a little more private before saying anything more. And while usually, his office would've been the perfect place for a conversation such as this, it wasn't an option right now as the entire reason Gabby hadn't left the bunkroom with him was she didn't want to be there while it was explained to her brother what all happened, his girlfriend making it very clear she had no interest in hearing it again. So their options were a little more limited now, Matt releasing a soft sigh before nodding towards the briefing room. "Let's go talk in here."

Not needing anymore prompting, Antonio took the first steps towards the room, Matt staying put for a split second as his eyes bounced around the room before they landed on Severide, his friend sitting next to Shay at the long table while they both watched him closely.

"Severide." He spoke simply, Kelly understanding immediately that he was wanted for this conversation as Matt turned to follow in the direction Dawson had gone. Pushing his chair back, Kelly stood up from the table, feeling Shay's eyes on him the entire time he moved. As he stepped around her, he gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, silently telling her everything would be fine before he walked across the room towards the door, ignoring the looks he was getting from everyone else.

From his position in the chair, Herrmann watched the door fall closed behind Severide, the firefighter able to see them through the windows but not able to hear what was being said as he sat up a little straighter. As a heavy feeling grew in the air around them, Herrmann adjusted himself in his seat, turning back towards the table to look at Shay, finding her also staring off in the direction Severide had gone.

"...What was that about?" Otis spoke up first, the firefighter voicing what everyone was thinking as the first responders of firehouse 51 glanced around at one another. "Did something happen to Dawson?" He pressed when he was met by nothing but silence, it not lost on any of them how urgently Antonio had arrived mere moments ago.

"I don't know… But if I had one guess, I'd say I know what it's about." Cruz replied, Herrmann clenching his neck as he looked at them. "With how Casey and Severide were acting this morning, and Antonio being here, I'm guessing it has to do with Bryan." He continued, lowering his voice slightly though everyone could still hear him. "...But I have no idea, does anyone know?"

Everyone in the room continued to stay quiet, some of them shaking their heads in response, Herrmann releasing a heavy breath before he looked back towards Shay once more, finding her eyes already on him. He raised his eyebrows slightly, the blonde responding with a quiet shrug before nodding once, silently giving him the go ahead to tell everyone what happened.

"Shay?"

Otis' voice hit Herrmann's ears, both him and Shay realizing they'd been trying to get her attention as they looked at him.

"Do you know?" He repeated, the paramedic drawing in a deep breath before she spoke.

"I…"

"Walker showed up at the bar." Herrmann cut in suddenly, his words causing the room to fall completely silent as everyone looked at him, it taking a few seconds for them to register what he'd said.

"What?" Mouch found his voice first, Herrmann feeling the uncertainty and confusion filling the air within seconds as no one in this room aside from him and Shay knew what all went down last night at Molly's.

"Walker was at Molly's?" Cruz added, Herrmann blowing out a sharp breath between his teeth before he nodded. "When?" He questioned, his tone a bit harsher than it had been previously.

"Last night." Herrmann told them, a slight wince covering his face before he stood up as to be able to better address the room.

"But I thought he wasn't allowed there?"

"He isn't… But he didn't come in, Shay and I didn't see him, he only talked to Severide, but he- He was there." His words were getting more and more harsh as his sentence went on, everyone feeling just how tense he was as he slowly started to pace back and forth. "He was hanging around outside the bar, waiting to do God knows what, all because he could." He snapped, a few of the first responders in the room sharing unsure looks as the older man continued to walk back and forth.

"Herrmann…" Mouch tried to calm him, but he waved him off.

"He just showed up, and we can't do anything about it, we can't do anything to stop it." He nearly growled, the room almost stunned by how angry he was. It wasn't like they didn't understand the feeling, because they all felt this way towards the man they used to call a friend. But this felt like something else, like Herrmann had been holding onto this for a while as he was flooded with anger.

"But she has a restraining order-"

"And look what good it's done!" He shouted, his words causing them all to go silent as anger rolled off of him in waves. "He can still get close to her, he can still be outside the bar, or the firehouse, like it's nothing. He can do whatever he wants-"

"That's not entirely true." Mouch interjected, quickly earning daggers from his friend.

"It feels like it is, because there's nothing anyone can do about what happened last night. Because he didn't 'technically' break any laws, but he still was able to mess with her. He was able to mess with her like he's done for years, except now we know about it and we still can't do anything to stop it!" He vented, a few members of the firehouse family getting the sense that this was something Herrmann had pushed down for a long time, likely since they found out about what Bryan had done, but his reappearance into their lives had forced it back to the surface. And now he couldn't ignore it anymore. "She can't even come to work, or go to Molly's without wondering if he'll show up. Because he's out and about in the world, able to do whatever he damn well pleases, and we can't do anything to make that better for her… We can't do anything now, just like we didn't do anything then." He huffed out, the firefighters looking around at one another with confused glances, while Shay kept her eyes on him as the paramedic completely understood the feeling.

"Herrmann, man… We didn't know what he was doing to her-"

"But we should've." He cut him off, shaking his head roughly before running his hand over his mouth. "After we found out what he'd done- what he'd been doing, I think on some level we weren't surprised…" He continued, his voice a bit lower as the entire room listened to him, a few of their eyes widening slightly. "We had no idea what he had been doing, but I think there were parts of us that knew something wasn't right there, just by how much Dawson had changed. But we didn't try and figure out what was going on, we didn't help her- We just listened to Walker, when he told us everything was fine with them… And Gabby paid for it." His heavy words hung in the air, them being a hard pill to swallow for all of them as he voiced the guilt he'd been holding onto for months. "We weren't able to help her then, and I feel like we can't help her now, either… And-" He stopped short, Herrmann releasing a rough scoff as the heaviness of his footsteps increased.

"...Herrmann." Otis spoke, the older man shaking his head roughly before he took a few steps back towards the hallway, clearly rattled by this entire thing despite the fact that they all knew this wasn't their fault. But it was obvious that knowledge wasn't stopping Herrmann from blaming himself as he held his hands up in front of him defeatedly, a harsh look resting across his face before he finally spoke up one last time.

"We weren't there for her when she needed us. And I- I know she didn't tell us, she didn't want us to know, but we still let this happen. We didn't see the signs, the signs we all know about, and she suffered because of it. And now… Now that bastard is back, and we can't make that any better. There's nothing we can do to stop him from coming around and-" He cut himself off, the soft murmur of the television the only other sound that could be heard as Herrmann shook his head once more, his entire body rigid. His eyes soon met Shay's, the man knowing the paramedic was likely the only other person in the room who knew how he was feeling right now. The only other person who had been holding onto all of this since they found out what had been going on. Except despite how awful he felt right now, Herrmann knew it was worse for her, the firefighter drawing in a shaky breath before saying the last thing he needed to get off his chest.

"What good are we when we can't even protect our own?"

He turned around to leave without another thought, everyone watching as he walked towards the garage and pushed the door open forcefully. Clearly he needed some time alone as the weight of his words began to hang in the air around them, no one knowing what to say as they were coming to understand their friend had a point, it just wasn't an easy thing to face.

* * *

Casey pressed his hand roughly against his temple as he listened to Antonio and Severide go back and forth, the squad Lieutenant giving him as much detail as he possibly could about what had happened the night before. And in this moment, Matt was glad Gabby had chosen to not be here for this, as Severide's detail of what had been said was somehow worse the second time around. But despite the constant anger he felt bubbling in his gut, he continued to listen as the two men spoke to one another, Matt sensing just how pissed off Antonio was as well.

"And that's all he said? There's nothing else?" The older Dawson pressed, his entire body tense as he stood at the front of the room with his hands on his hips, Severide shaking his head.

"That was it… He just left, and I went inside." He explained, watching as Antonio nodded before he began to pace in front of them.

"...And Gabby was supposed to be working that night?" The detective questioned, Matt lifting his head up when he realized he was being spoken to, his eyes finding Antonio's before he nodded.

"She was… but I don't know how Walker would've known that, if he was lying and he was there for her. I don't know how he would've known their schedule, but she was supposed to close... I called Shay the day before and asked her to cover it." He told him as Antonio's tongue poked out between his teeth to run along his bottom lip, the man thinking over his words for a few moments before responding.

"Well, he could've just figured Molly's was a good place to start, regardless of if he was trying to get to my sister or not." Antonio replied as Matt nodded in agreement. "If he was trying to mess with her, he knew it was a place he could go and make up an excuse that he was just wanting to see everyone else," He started, Antonio's gaze locked on Casey. "...Or, he actually was telling the truth, and he wasn't there to see her."

A loud scoff escaped Casey's lips before Antonio could even finish the thought, the truck Lieutenant shaking his head as he pressed his palms down against the edge of the table he was resting his weight against. "Not you too, you can't believe that?" He questioned, though from his tone it was clear his words were more rhetorical than anything else. "We all know he went there because of Gabby."

"Casey…"

"No, you can't honestly sit there and say you don't think he went there for her?" Matt fired back before they could get a word in, Antonio shaking his head immediately.

"I do think he was there because of her." He responded before Matt had the chance to cut him off again, the firefighter relaxing slightly when he came to understand he and Antonio were on the same page. "There's not a doubt in my mind that he went there to see her, but the problem is we have no way to prove that." He continued, Casey huffing out a breath. "Based on what Severide's telling me, he never went on the property, and he was adamant he wasn't there to see Gabby… legally, there's not much I can do with that."

"But he was at Molly's." Casey countered with raised brows. "I don't give a damn that he wasn't on the property, he still went there. When he knows he's not supposed to, you're telling me you can't do anything?"

Antonio could hear how frustrated he was, and he felt the exact same way. But his hands were tied here, and he knew Casey already knew that. "Until we have proof of stalking, or harassment, there's nothing I can do." He spoke as he blew out a sharp breath. "Stuff like that, those are grounds for him violating his restraining order, but him showing up outside Molly's one time, when that's a place all of you go… That won't get us anywhere with a judge." He told him, the detective able to tell from Casey's body language alone that he didn't like what he was hearing.

"But-"

"If he keeps doing it, then I've got something we can use." Antonio spoke over him, sensing exactly what Casey was going to say. "Regardless of why he's doing it, if he keeps showing up at Molly's, then I can do something. We can use it as grounds for a harassment charge, and violating his restraining order. But I can't do that until there's a pattern of it… Right now, as much as I hate it, there's nothing I can do Casey." He added, his neck clenching while he spoke.

Blowing out a harsh breath, Matt nodding reluctantly before his head hung down towards the ground, Severide looking between the two men with a concerned look covering his face. The tension in the room was palpable, Matt gripping the edge of the table so tightly his knuckles were turning white as Kelly focused in on him.

"Casey…" Kelly started, his voice causing the man to look up at him, Severide seeing nothing but a dark anger in his eyes. "I know that this probably doesn't help, and you have no reason to believe anything Walker says, not after everything he's done… But I'm the one who talked to him, and I know I told you this already, but… There's a part of me that thinks he was telling the truth."

Matt's gaze narrowed as Antonio took a step closer to both men, Casey relinquishing his grip on the table to push himself up into a standing position, Kelly staying put in his spot a few steps away.

"I'm not saying you're wrong for being worried, and pissed off that he's coming around," Severide continued when Casey had yet to say anything. "But I… I've known Walker a long time, and I know he's not the man I thought he was, but something about the way he was talking…" He trailed off once more, shaking his head as his palm came up to grip the back of his neck.

"Severide, I'm sorry, but I don't really care about your opinion on all this right now." Matt spoke roughly, Severide sensing his defenses rising as he took a step forward. "This man lived his entire life to terrorize her and abuse her for the last three years- almost four now, he was adamant about seeing her while he was in prison, and now you think that's just suddenly changed?" He asked, though his question needed no answer. "Give me a break."

"I'm not saying he's changed." He clarified, feeling the glare of both Casey and Antonio on him. "Because he hasn't, I don't think he can… All I'm saying is the way he sounded, how he was talking about Gabby last night…" He trailed off, not missing how Matt's body tensed slightly. "He didn't sound like he wanted anything to do with her."

Matt thought over his words for a moment, the firefighter glancing to Antonio and finding the same uncertain look on his face as well, both men clearly unsure of what to make of Severide's words. Because while they desperately wanted to believe them, they knew they couldn't.

"Look, I know you both are still gonna be worried," Kelly spoke when they had yet to say anything. "And you have every right to be, I'm just telling you what I think… You know I'd never do anything that might hurt Dawson, but I'm trying to help." He told them softly, Matt drawing in a deep breath before he nodded.

"I know you are, Sev." He replied with a small smile, one that certainly didn't reach his eyes.

"We know." Antonio echoed, his voice causing Kelly to look towards him. "And you are the only one who spoke with him, so that does help, thank you."

Severide gave him a nod, the squad Lieutenant looking back and forth between both men, seeing a look he couldn't read in Casey's eye. He still looked pissed off, like he could throw a punch at any moment, and Kelly knew he would if the source of his anger were here, but there was something else in his gaze that he wasn't able to understand. But before he could linger on it any longer, Matt spoke up.

"Severide, can you- Can you give us a minute?" Casey requested, Kelly pausing for a moment before he nodded, the man already taking a few steps back towards the door to the hallway.

"Yeah, of course." He responded, the man giving Antonio a nod before he turned around just as he got to the door, both men left in the room staying quiet until he was out of sight, needing to ensure they had complete privacy.

Blowing out a heavy sigh, Antonio took a few more steps towards the table Matt was standing in front of, watching as the firefighter leaned his weight back down against it. The air around them was quiet for a few moments, neither man saying a word until Casey eventually looked back towards him with an unreadable expression over his face.

"...You still don't believe any of that, do you?" He questioned, his tone rough, almost like he was challenging Antonio to disagree with him.

"No." The older Dawson replied without hesitation as Casey gave him a nod. "I think Severide might believe what Walker's saying, but I don't- not for a second."

"Good." Casey replied sharply, Antonio giving him a slight nod before continuing.

"Walker's nothing but a narcissistic prick, who, from what I can tell, is obsessed with my sister. And I don't think ninety days in prison could change that… Not when we know he spent at least half of it wanting to see her. I don't think he's changed at all, and I think this little stunt he pulled last night, going to Molly's… I doubt he knew my sister was supposed to be there, but I think he was hoping she would. I think he went there to see her, or least make sure she knew he was there… Everything he told Kelly, I don't buy that for a second."

Casey nodded in agreement once more, Antonio keeping his gaze on him for a few more seconds before he blew out a heavy sigh, Dawson taking the last few steps towards Matt as he came to a stop directly in front of him.

"Look Casey, like Severide said, I know telling you not to worry about this is pointless, because I'm gonna be worried too, but I'm gonna be keeping an eye on him…"

"On Walker?" He questioned, Antonio nodding in response.

"It's not exactly… by the book, but I'm not just gonna let that abusive asshole roam freely without me knowing what he's up to." He elaborated, earning an agreeing look from Casey. "I know I told you that day at the prison that I'd be checking in on him anyway, but now that he's out, I wanna know what he's doing. And that way, if this does become a pattern, him coming around, being where he's not supposed to be… We'll know."

"Good." Matt said once more, his eyes darting out towards the hallway before looking back towards the detective. "Are you, uh… Are you gonna tell Gabby you're doing that?" He questioned, watching as the man pursed his lips together before crossing his arms over his chest. "I mean, does she know you were gonna be doing it in the first place?"

"I never told her." Antonio replied, Matt pausing for a moment before he nodded. "I don't know if you did, but I don't know… On one hand, I don't want to keep her out of this. But on the other, I don't want her anymore worried about this, or him, than she already is… What do you think?" He asked, giving Casey a few moments to think over his response.

"Honestly? I think you should tell her." Casey eventually replied. "I don't want this to consume her, but I think she deserves to know… I don't want to leave her in the dark about anything with him, not again. That's not fair to her. And I also think it will give her some peace of mind." He added, catching the way Antonio's eyebrows raised expectantly as he waited for him to say more. "It'll probably help her feel better, having that assurance that he's been keeping his distance." Matt finished his thought, Antonio biting down on his lip before he nodded.

"I think you're right… I'll make sure to tell her, probably before I leave." Antonio spoke as they caught each other's gaze, Matt giving him an agreeing nod.

"Yeah, that'll be good. And I'll think she'll be glad to see you, she just- she didn't feel like being out there with everyone." He explained, though he didn't really need to as Antonio had come to that conclusion on his own pretty quickly after he'd got here.

Taking a few slow breaths, Antonio leaned back on his heels as he thought over the words sitting on the tip of his tongue before he spoke up. "...How is she really doing?" He asked, repeating his same question from earlier, though now he knew he could get a real answer.

"I… I don't know." Matt breathed out, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "I haven't been able to spend too much time with her, with the call, and then I called you pretty much the second we got back, but so far I can't really tell." He explained, almost defeatedly as he ran his hand along the back of his neck. "She was a little shaken when I first told her, but then when we got back from the call, she seemed to be alright, but… Usually I know where her head is at, I can look at her and know what's going on with her… But right now, with this Walker thing-" Casey cut himself off, shaking his head as a heavy sigh left his lips. "I don't know, man."

"Yeah, she gets like that sometimes…" Antonio responded softly as Matt gave him a slight shrug.

"Through this whole thing, I've pretty much been able to tell what's going on with her… But since I told her about Walker being at Molly's last night, I just- She's hard to reach, and I don't know if that's a good or bad thing." He continued to vent, the older man listening to his every word. "But all I do know to do is just be there for her, and hopefully, despite what we think, Walker does mean what he says… and Gabby can finally move on with her life."

Nodding in agreement, Antonio walked towards him and gently placed his hand on Casey's shoulder, the action causing him to look up at him. "I've lost count of how many times I've said this to you since this whole thing started, but I really am glad she has you, Casey." He spoke sincerely. "You've helped her since you two met, but especially since all that stuff with Bryan went down, and him going to prison… I don't know what she would've done without you during that. You were by her side then, and I know you'll be by her side now."

"Of course I will." He spoke without hesitation as his spine straightened, Antonio giving him an approving nod. "You know she's all I care about here."

"I know." Antonio replied softly, giving his shoulder a firm squeeze before dropping his hand. "She's always been your priority, that's part of why my Ma and Pop love you so much." He added, the light tone in his voice getting rid of some of the tension around them for a few moments, Matt responding with a small smile before he nodded. "Which, speaking of my parents, they're not gonna be happy about this…" He huffed out, Matt sitting up a little straighter. "But I'll tell them Walker's been… whatever he's doing, so Gabby doesn't have to deal with it. The less she has to worry about right now, the better."

"Yeah, I think that's for the best." Casey agreed, Antonio giving him a slow nod before he took a slight step backwards, his head turning towards the hallway for a brief moment as he saw a few firefighters walking by.

"Well, uh, I need to get going here soon… The team wasn't expecting me to leave like I did, but I wanna talk to Gabby before I go." He spoke as Matt pushed himself up off the table. "Is she still in your office?"

"As far as I know, yeah."

"Alright… You mind if I have a minute?" He requested, Casey immediately shaking his head.

"No, of course, take all the time you need." He assured him, though his words got cut off by the bells sounding off above them.

Both men paused for a moment, before hearing that truck 81 was being called out to assist with an accident, Matt blowing out a soft sigh before he took a few steps towards the door. "Will you tell Gabby I'll be back? … I mean, I know she knows, but-"

"I will, Casey." Antonio assured him, Matt responding with a nod. "I'm just gonna check in, make sure she's alright and let her know what we talked about, but I'll let her know."

"Thanks man." He responded before he took a few quick steps towards the door, but he abruptly stopped once more. Antonio was unsure of what he was doing, the detective knowing he didn't really have much time to waste as someone was in need of his assistance. "Just, uh… Can you keep me in the loop… With Walker?" He asked, Antonio's head tilting to the side. "I'm not sure if Gabby will want to know or not, if she'll want you to keep her updated on what he's doing, but I do… Can you just let me know what's going on?"

Antonio nodded without hesitation, Matt giving him a thankful look before pulling the door open. "Yeah, of course I will."

"Thank you." He replied, Antonio giving him one last nod as he stepped out into the hallway.

"Be safe out there." Dawson added, Casey nodding in response before he hurried to the garage, Antonio keeping his gaze on him until he was out of sight. Releasing a soft sigh, the man walked towards the opposite door, the one that would get him to the bunk room quicker as he went in search of his sister, Antonio wanting to see her and make sure she was alright before he went back to work.

* * *

"_Do you really think it's necessary?" Gabby asked as she paced the confines of Matt's office, her brother's words leaving an unsettling feeling in her stomach as she looked up at him. "You think that you need to watch him, to make sure he doesn't come near me?"_

_Antonio blew out a heavy breath, the man leaning his weight down against Casey's desk as his hand came up to rub over the back of his neck, Gabby keeping her eyes on him. "I think it's for the best." He replied as the younger sister pursed her lips together. "This dick- We know what he's capable of, and I'm not taking any chances here… Not with you."_

_A light scoff escaped her lips before she could stop it, Gabby shaking her head as her gut reaction was to fight back. "Tonio, I really don't know if you stalking him will change anything… He's gonna do whatever he's gonna do anyway…"_

"_Not if I'm able to stop it." Antonio replied without hesitation, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before meeting his gaze. "Look Gabby, I'm well aware that you can take care of yourself. But I'm your big brother, and over my dead body will I let that abusive asshole get anywhere near you again." He spoke, his voice faltering slightly as Gabby bit down on her bottom lip, his reaction reminding her of how she wasn't the only person affected by what Walker had done. "So yeah, I'm gonna be watching him, making sure he doesn't even get the chance to get close to you… I know you think this is probably overbearing, but I'm sorry, I don't care. I'm not taking any chances here, all that matters is that you stay safe."_

_The younger Dawson took a few slow breaths, seeing just how much pain her brother was holding onto as he watched her, his eyes shining as she gave him a slow nod._

"_Okay…" She gave in, Antonio's shoulders relaxing before he gave her a small smile. "If you think it's for the best, alright." She added as her brother pushed himself up off the desk and walked towards her, his arms wrapping her up in a comforting hug, one she needed more than she realized._

"Dawson?"

Gabby's eyes snapped into focus when she heard her name being called, the paramedic being pulled from her thoughts of yesterday afternoon as she blinked quickly, before realizing that practically everyone in the common room was staring at her. Her eyes soon found Matt's as the man was sitting beside her, a calming look resting over his face despite the fact she could see the hint of worry in his eyes.

"Sorry, what?" She questioned after clearing her throat, this having been the first time she'd really said much of anything since she'd woken up for her somewhat deep sleep all of ten minutes ago. And while luckily, it had been a slow night at the firehouse and she'd been able to get some sleep in Matt's office, she still wasn't quite awake yet as her eyes moved around the room once more.

"Herrmann was just asking if you wanted some breakfast." Matt supplemented softly, realization covering her face before she looked towards the older man who was standing behind the counter.

"Oh, uh- I'm fine, thank you though." She replied, Herrmann giving her a nod before he went back to his task, Gabby drawing in a slow breath as she felt Matt's gaze still focused on her. "...Yeah?" She asked after a few seconds, her voice a lot quieter than it had been moments prior.

Before he said a word, his eyes traced over her face, Gabby biting down on the inside of her cheek as she could sense his concern from here. It was the same way he'd been acting all shift, the way he always acted with her, Matt clearly worried for her and wanting to know she was alright. And she couldn't even say she blamed him, Gabby knowing she'd given him more than enough reasons to worry about her lately.

"You sure you don't want something to eat?" He questioned, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing slightly before she shook her head. "We have time."

"No, I'm alright. I'll just get something at home." She responded, Casey pausing for a moment before he nodded.

"Alright, well do you at least want some coffee?" He asked, nudging his coffee cup towards her as she gave him a pointed look.

"You mean do I want that black coffee you drink? No thank you." She spoke lightly, Matt unable to stop his grin as he was just glad to see her in a good mood, the man holding his hand up in front of him.

"It's not just straight coffee…" He defended, though he knew he didn't need to as Gabby was well aware of how he prepared his drink, the PIC shaking her head before nudging it back towards him.

"It might as well be… I'm fine, thank you." She replied, Matt opening his mouth to respond to her, but he was cut off by the sound of the bells going off.

A collective groan could be heard throughout the room as the group soon realized their end to shift would be taking a little longer than normal, the firefighters beginning to get up and head for the garage as squad 3 and truck 81 were called out to an apartment fire.

"I guess I'll just wait for you to get back." Gabby told him as Matt pushed himself up from his chair, the man glancing down towards his watch, seeing shift was only a few minutes from being over.

Clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, he shook his head, Gabby giving him a questioning look. "Why don't you just go ahead and go home, I can get a ride from Kelly." He told her, Gabby tilting her head to the side slightly. "There's no telling how long this'll take, I don't want you sitting around here for hours… You know where my keys are in my bag." He added, nodding towards the duffle bag that was sitting on the ground.

"Oh, uh… I don't mind, babe."

"I can drive her." Shay piped in, Matt quickly glancing towards her, knowing he didn't have much time. "That way you don't have to worry about getting home, and Dawson and I can hang out until you get back." She spoke, her eyebrows raising slightly as she spoke to Casey, the man soon understanding the implications of her words.

He knew what she was doing, that Shay knew Gabby wanted to be at home, but she didn't want to be there alone. That she'd feel better with someone else there, and he felt the exact same way, if the wave of relief that swept through him was any indication.

But it wasn't just Casey who had picked up on what Shay's words meant.

"I don't need a babysitter." Gabby cut in, Matt pursing his lips together before he took a few steps back, shaking his head slightly.

"I know you don't, but I think it would be a good idea. That way you two can have some time to hang out without getting interrupted by work." He covered, Matt walking backwards out into the hallway, not leaving Gabby any time to challenge him as he headed for the door. "I love you, I'll see you at home!" He called after her before disappearing into the garage, Gabby rolling her eyes before glancing towards Shay, the woman merely watching her a slight smirk.

"Did you two plan this? So I'd never have to be by myself?" She questioned, Shay holding her hands up in defense.

"I just wanna hang out with my friend." She replied, her words earning a scoff from Dawson before the brunette paramedic got up from her own chair.

"Yeah, whatever you say." She spoke lightly, Shay giving her a bright smile as Gabby continued out of the room, the woman going to get her things from the locker room so her and Shay could leave.

* * *

Bryan sat in his car, his fingers tapping against the steering wheel as his eyes focused on the apartment down the road, the man far enough away from the building to not draw any attention, but close enough to be able to see anyone coming or going as he waited patiently. He wasn't entirely sure if she was home or not, but based on how her car was parked outside across the street, he figured she was inside, Bryan not sure on how long he'd have to wait to be able to get a glimpse of her. But he was willing to sit here all day if he needed to, Walker just wanting to see her at least once. It had been too long, far too long since he'd laid his eyes on her, and that needed to be fixed.

And though he wasn't allowed to see her, the restraining order effectively keeping him from getting too close, at least for now, that didn't mean he couldn't watch from afar. And, despite how much he hated the legal document keeping him from being with the love of his life, it had come in handy for one thing, and that was giving him Gabby's address. It was something he'd tried to find out a while ago, long before he went to prison, but no one would ever tell him. But now, at least with this restraining order he was able to know where she lived. Granted, the only reason it was given to him in the first place was because it was meant to tell him the places he _couldn't_ be, but that didn't matter right now. Not when he knew she wanted to see him.

As he was sitting and waiting, Walker couldn't help but notice the car that pulled up outside Gabby's apartment, his eyebrows furrowing when he saw them park. He was too far away to be able to see who was inside, but his body soon relaxed when he saw her.

The second she got out of the car, he knew it was her, the smile on his face widening as he watched her get out of the passenger side of the vehicle and shut her door, Gabby slinging her shift bag over her shoulder before turning to whoever she was riding with. And as he tore his eyes away from Dawson, he soon recognized the other person to be Shay, his grin growing even more as he felt his body overcome with relief.

Though he had no doubt before he'd even got out of prison, he was glad to see he'd been right about Gabby and Casey not being together anymore. Because if this moment told him anything, it's that with Shay being here with her instead of Matt, that likely meant that Gabby was no longer with his former Lieutenant. With as unnecessarily protective as Casey was, there was no way he wouldn't be here with her if they were still together, but since there was an entirely different blonde here now, that meant his suspicions were correct. And he couldn't be happier.

But he also wasn't surprised, not in the slightest, to see that things had ended with Casey. Not only was their entire relationship based on the fact that Gabby was just trying to mess with him, but he knew she didn't actually have feelings for the man. Their entire relationship had been a sham, one that likely ended the second he was out of the picture. Even though Casey had said he and Gabby were still together back when he visited the prison, Bryan wasn't sure how much he believed that. And even if they were, clearly they weren't anymore. Something had changed, and he was sure it had everything to do with him; in fact if he had to guess, he'd say Gabby probably got mad at the Lieutenant for how he'd treated him during his visit, and things had likely crumbled from there.

But even if that wasn't the case, regardless of what caused it, Gabby was no longer with Casey, and he knew that gave him an opening to fix things between them. With all the time he'd had to think over the last few months, he'd come to realize how he could see why Gabby would be upset with him. That maybe he'd gone too far. But that was only because of the way she'd acted; had she not challenged him, things never would've escalated to that point. Had she not gotten with his former boss, he would've never gotten so mad at her. She caused all of this to happen, and he was sure she knew that.

And if she'd be willing to own up to her mistakes, if she could make it up to him, and then let him apologize, they could move on, and continue having the life they always should've had. He just had to find a way to get close to her to explain all that to her.

But for now, admiring her from a distance would have to do. Until he had some sort of solid plan, he knew he needed to stay away. He couldn't keep trying to see her or visit her apartment, or Molly's, or the firehouse, or he was bound to get caught. So, as much as he hated it, he knew this would likely be the last he saw of her for a little while. And despite the fact that he couldn't stand it, he knew he didn't have a choice.

His smile started to falter when he saw her and Shay begin to walk towards her front door, the man realizing he was about to lose her for a little while. Huffing out a heavy breath, he began to feel around in his pockets as he searched for his phone, Bryan desperate to get a photo of her to have before she was out of sight. But he soon came to realize he didn't have his phone on him, the man cursing underneath his breath as he remembered last seeing it on his coffee table at home.

Releasing another sigh, he chose to focus on Gabby for long as he could, Bryan knowing he had no other choice than to soak her in now, the small smile returning to his face while he watched her walk up the steps.

Right now, he wanted nothing more than to go over there and talk to her. To go and make things right between them, so they could start fresh. That was truly all he wanted, but he knew he had to wait. Now wasn't the right time, no matter how badly he wanted it to be.

But he just had to wait. He had to wait for the right moment.

And he would… No matter how long it took.


	71. Chapter Seventy

**Hi everyone! I hope all of you are doing well and staying safe. I'm back with the next chapter for you all, and I really like how this one turned out, hopefully you all do as well.**

**I know in the last update, I mentioned how things had been a little rough for me personally, as of late. Which is why I wasn't able to post last week. I did mention it in the I Won't Let You Go update last week, but I know not everyone reads that story, so I'm sorry for those who were waiting on this update. But hopefully, we can get things back to normal. I'm just sorry for not being able to post last week, but I hope this chapter makes up for it.**

**Thank you so much for reading everyone!**

* * *

**SEVENTY**

* * *

"Hey babe, we need to get going here in a few minutes." Casey called from his seat on the bed as he was hunched over to tie his boots, the man looking away from the clock once he'd seen the time to continue his task. He finished rather quickly, Matt lifting up as he waited to hear any response from his girlfriend, though after a few seconds she still hadn't said a word. Looking over towards the closet where he knew she was, he waited a couple extra moments, his eyebrows furrowing when he heard what sounded like something falling to the floor. "...Gabby, you okay?"

He was about to go investigate what was going on when she had still not said anything, but before he could stand up, Gabby came hurrying from the closet. His slight concern morphed into a look of amusement as he watched his girlfriend walk towards him half clothed, nothing but her bra covering her chest while her unbuttoned pants hung low on her hips, her long sleeve CFD shirt clutched in her hands.

"Everything alright in there?" He questioned with soft gleam in his eye, Gabby looking up from the clothing in her hands to find his eyes trailing over her, the woman responding with a playful glare before she began to pull her shirt over her head.

"Yeah, I'm fine… Just couldn't find my shirt." She responded, Matt nodding as his eyes continued to carefully trace over her form before they found their way back to her face, the man meeting her gaze as her head appeared through the clothing. Though it crossed his mind to make some joke about him preferring her without one, he decided against it, Matt settling for a small smile instead. "There's kind of a mess in there, and I may have tossed some of your stuff on the ground…" She added sheepishly, Casey raising his eyebrows slightly as his head tilted to the side. "But I'll get it cleaned up tomorrow."

"It's fine, babe." He replied softly, Gabby shooting him a gentle smile before she turned towards the mirror and began to tuck in her shirt, all while Casey was unable to keep his eyes off of her. But he wasn't watching her for the reasons he typically would, though he certainly didn't mind the view, Matt drawing in a deep breath as he tried to get a read on her.

It had been two weeks since this all started; since Walker had been released from prison, since he showed up at Molly's, and in that time, there had been a lot of moments like this. A lot of days where Matt did his best to figure out where his girlfriend's head was at, a lot of moments where he couldn't tell what was going on with her, as well as a times he knew _exactly_ what she was feeling as she navigated her way through the ups and downs of this. It wasn't like she was trying to hide it, as there had been many times over the last fourteen days where Gabby hadn't been okay, where she struggled with the thought of Walker popping back up in her life, and hadn't been able to get control over her worry. But every single time that happened, Matt had been there. He was there to try and help pick up the pieces, there to hold her up when she couldn't do it herself. He had been there through those low moments, doing everything he could to get her through them.

But it wasn't those moments that had him worried, it was the ones like this.

Of course he worried about her all the time, and those times where she'd break, it was hard on both of them. He hated seeing her like that, knowing she felt so scared and helpless, that this man was still able to affect her. And he wished he could do anything to take that pain away, but at least in those times when she gave in to her emotions, he knew she wasn't hiding. She wasn't pretending like everything was okay, she wasn't putting on a brave face, she was letting herself deal with this. So when that happened, he at least had the comfort of knowing she was working through all this.

But in moments like these, moments where she seemed alright, where she'd be joking around and acting like everything was fine, those times almost had him more worried than anything else. Especially now that they were becoming more frequent. Because he didn't know if she actually felt fine, or if she was just pretending. And while he hoped it was the first one, sometimes he couldn't be sure, as he knew she had a tendency to hide away her feelings, even from him at times. So there were moments he never could be entirely sure what was going on in that head of hers.

And this was one of those times.

But sitting here watching her, she did truly seem to be alright. She didn't seem to be nervous, or tense, like she was worried to leave the house; which definitely had been the case some days. She just seemed to be alright, Matt figuring that the good day she'd had yesterday seemed to transfer over into today as well. And he hoped it was something that would continue on like it had been, because she was doing better. Despite his constant worries that she was holding back, he could tell she was getting past this, even if it was a slow process.

There had been hard moments, especially early on, and there was no denying that. Though nothing had happened with Bryan, Gabby was still struggling to work through not only things that he'd done in the past, but the fear that he might do something in the future. Even more than the times where she'd fall apart, she still had moments of nervousness, and she didn't like to be alone if she could help it even if she wouldn't admit it, which Matt had made a point to make sure she never was, but even with all that she still was doing better. All of this, what she'd gone through, it was something that had been a lot to move on from, but with every passing day, those moments of panic seemed to become more infrequent. It seemed like Gabby was slowly starting to trust that everything would be alright, that she was becoming more and more comfortable with the realities of the situation they were in. And Matt knew he also had to trust that, too.

Though he knew if Walker would continue to just do what he was supposed to and stay away, that would help them tremendously in moving on from everything, and Gabby could finally get through this once and for all. At least as much as she possibly could with Bryan being a free man.

And so far, that's exactly what Walker had done. After his visit to Molly's, no one had seen or heard from him once. As far as Matt knew, he hadn't tried to contact anyone from the firehouse, he hadn't shown up anywhere they frequent, he hadn't done anything. And according to Antonio, Bryan hadn't done much at all except stay at home, and it would hopefully stay that way. Because Matt knew a big part of why Gabby was starting to do better was because she had the reassurance of Walker doing what he was supposed to, and that was leave her alone.

"Matt."

Casey blinked quickly before she came into focus, the man soon seeing his girlfriend watching him with a curious look in her eye as she faced him. His eyebrows raised slightly, Matt soon realizing his stares had been noticed as he did a quick once over of her. In however long he'd been caught up in his own head, Gabby had nearly finished getting herself ready for shift as her shirt was now tucked in and her belt was securely in place, as well as her hair being pulled back in a ponytail. When he finally found her eyes again, he gave her a small smile, his grin causing her face to soften.

"Sorry, what'd you say?"

"I asked if you'd mind going to get our coffee ready, so I can finish up in here." She repeated the question he'd missed, Matt giving her an immediate nod before pushing himself up from the bed.

"Yeah, of course baby." He replied softly, Gabby responding with an appreciative nod as she watched him move, Matt grabbing his watch off the nightstand and beginning to secure it into place right above the end of his long sleeve shirt. Once he'd completed that task, he grabbed his phone and slid it into his pocket, Matt glancing towards her before he walked to grab his Lieutenant's jacket resting on top of the chair in the corner of the room. "You want any breakfast? I might make myself some toast." He questioned, not missing the way Gabby was still watching him.

"No, I'm alright… I'll probably just eat at the house, or get something with Shay." She replied softly, Matt giving her a nod before he stepped towards the door.

"Okay, I'll be out in the kitchen if you need me- What?" He cut himself off as her curious stare had yet to leave him, Gabby's head tilting to the side slightly. "What's up?"

"Are you okay?" She questioned suddenly, Matt's eyebrows furrowing in confusion as he turned himself back around completely to face her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world, Gabby looking at him expectantly as she placed her hand on her hip. "Why?"

"You just seem a little out of it, and you kept watching me." She commented, Matt quickly giving her a smile before crossing his arms over her chest.

"Cause I like you." He replied softly, but by the look on her face, she clearly wasn't buying his lame attempt at an excuse as she released a heavy sigh.

"Matt…" She breathed out, Casey pursing his lips together before he took a few steps towards her, both of them knowing exactly what she was thinking.

"Baby, I'm just making sure you're alright." He told her with a gentle look in his eye, Gabby pausing for a moment before she nodded.

"I'm fine, I promise you… Just like I was fine when you asked me when we woke up this morning, and again after my shower," She responded pointedly as Matt ducked his head slightly.

"I just wanna be sure." He replied, reaching out to gently hold onto her arm and give her a little squeeze. "I know I can be overbearing, but this hasn't been easy, for either of us," He continued, Matt always taking the chance whenever he had it to remind her she wasn't alone in this. "But me checking in on you, it's just cause I want you to be okay… You know it's cause I love you, yeah?"

Those words left his lips so softly she couldn't help but smile, Gabby meeting his eyes as his own grin grew, Matt giving her that look he knew she couldn't resist. The one he used when he knew she was aggravated with him, the one that nearly always made her forget about whatever it was he was doing. The look that made her fall in love with him.

"I know it is." She murmured, Matt nodding with a bright grin before he leaned forward to press a kiss to her forehead. "And I love you, too." She added as he pulled back, Casey running his hand along her arm as he pressed another kiss against her skin.

"I know." He replied softly, Matt ducking his head to steal a quick, easy kiss before he pulled away from her, knowing that if he didn't they surely would be lately for work. Giving her nothing more than a quick wink, Matt headed out the door, leaving Gabby on her own to finish getting ready while he prepared their morning coffee.

* * *

"Casey, where do you want us?"

Herrmann's voice hit his ears as the Lieutenant hopped down from the large rig for their first call of the day, the man quickly surveying the scene in front of him. The accident itself didn't seem too bad, just two cars that had run into each other in the intersection. From first glance alone, Casey had the feeling that there couldn't have been any injuries that were too serious, as one of the driver's had already gotten out of the car. And even though the first responders wished he would've stayed put, him being able to move on his own was a sign that the impact likely hadn't been too terrible.

"Herrmann, Mouch, Jenkins, with me… Otis, work on traffic control until a cop gets here." He spoke as he did a quick glance around the road, seeing many cars were stuck with nowhere to go.

"On it, Lieutenant." He heard 81's driver call back before Casey continued on towards the accident. And as he got closer, he could see the small amounts of smoke that were starting to come from underneath the hood of the car still holding one of the victims, Matt looking back towards his firefighters.

"Jenkins, get the extinguishers," He instructed, the woman nodding before she ran back to the rig. "61, hang back till we know what we're dealing with." He called across the road, Matt glancing over towards the ambulance to find the two paramedics standing there ready to go with their gurney. He met Gabby's gaze immediately, Casey giving her a soft nod before refocusing his attention on the task at hand.

"They just- She came out nowhere, I didn't see her!"

The driver that had gotten out was near hysterics, the man pacing with his hands on his head as he looked towards the accident.

"I tried to stop, I-"

"Sir, sir, it's okay." Casey did what he could to get a handle on the situation. "We'll get her out, just go over to our medics and let them take a look at you… Dawson!" He called, waving her over as Gabby began to jog towards him.

"But-"

"We've got it from here. The best thing you can do to help us right now is just let our paramedics take a look at you." Matt repeated himself as Gabby got to him, the Lieutenant giving her a nod before she carefully began to lead the somewhat dazed man back towards the ambulance.

"Come with me, sir, Lieutenant Casey and everyone's got it, she's in great hands."

Whether it was his adrenaline finally wearing off, or Gabby's soft tone of voice, the man complied rather easily as she led him away from the scene and to the rig, Matt now able to focus his complete attention on helping the woman who was still trapped. Stepping closer to the wreckage, he got a better look at what he was dealing with as Jenkins and Mouch put the extinguishers on the smoke, Casey crouching down to look into the car that had been hit.

From his vantage point, he could see a woman in the driver's seat, clearly a little confused as to what was going on as she was gripping the steering wheel tightly. While he couldn't be exactly sure, she seemed to be around Gabby's age, if not a little younger, Casey glancing around to see that luckily, this woman was the only person in the car, meaning their job was now a whole lot easier. He couldn't be sure what exactly happened during the accident, but while her side of the vehicle had taken the brunt of the impact, the second vehicle had hit closer to the back of her car, meaning they had room to get her out without moving anything. And that alone would make this process go by a lot faster.

"Herrmann, get the jaws. And grab a collar from Dawson!" He ordered before looking back into the car, seeing that the woman had barely moved. "Ma'am, are you alright in there?" He asked as he continued looking her over, trying to see if there were any noticeable injuries he could see. But she never answered him, the woman continuing to stare straight ahead as she was oblivious to what was going on around her. "Ma'am, try not to move your neck, but can you hear me?"

"I can… I can hear you." She replied, Casey nodding just as Herrmann got back to him, the Lieutenant grabbing a hold of the collar before crouching back down beside the car.

"Good, that's good. Try and stay still for me, I'm gonna get this on you." He spoke calmly before reaching to secure the c-collar on her neck. "Can you tell me your name?"

"Andrea."

"Well Andrea, I'm Matt. My firefighters and I are gonna get you out of here… Does anything hurt? Anything you notice that doesn't feel right?" He questioned as he took the opportunity of being closer to the car to get a better look at her, Matt still not seeing anything that was a cause for concern.

"I don't- No, I don't think so. I… I'm sore, but nothing too bad."

"Good, that's good… Now, we're gonna start working on getting this door off. It's gonna be loud for a few seconds, but it's gonna help us get you out, alright?" He warned her, Andrea giving him a slight nod, or as much as she could with the collar on, before Matt stepped back and let Herrmann work.

Stepping further out into the road, Casey took this time to take a quick look at his surroundings, the firefighter taking in everything around him; or more specifically, taking in all the bystanders watching them. It was something that had become somewhat of a habit for him over the last two weeks every time they went out on call, especially on calls with Gabby, where Matt would take extra care in seeing who all was around them, or more specifically who was around _her_. Just to be sure.

He knew Walker hadn't been coming around, Antonio had assured him of that, but still he found himself needing the extra confirmation that Bryan wasn't one of the faces in the crowd watching them while they worked. Because he could already see in his mind how that would play out, how Bryan would claim to have just been walking by, or he'd use his past as a firefighter as an excuse for why he'd stopped; there were a million different ways he could spin it to make it seem like he hadn't been following Gabby. And it was something that Matt hadn't been able to get out of his head, especially considering the calls they went out on weren't exactly private information, and anyone would be able to get their hands on that information. Especially if they knew where to listen. So Casey hadn't shied away from checking their surroundings whenever they were out on call, the man knowing he'd rather be a little too cautious than be caught off guard if Walker ever did choose to show his face where he wasn't supposed to.

But thankfully, it hadn't been an issue. Matt's constant checks of the surroundings and who all had stopped to watch hadn't been necessary up to this point, and he just hoped that continued.

Herrmann was close to finishing up the task of getting the door pried open, while Mouch and Jenkins were on either side of him, Casey getting ready to call over to Dawson and Shay for their help. But before he could, he heard Otis start to yell, Matt's eyebrows furrowing when he looked up to see what was going on.

And the second he did, he understood what had Otis so alarmed.

"Whoa, whoa- Easy! Slow down, man!" Otis yelled at one of the cars who had come flying down the road, clearly disregarding their attempts at slowing down traffic. And his complete and utter dismissal of what was going on now had him coming straight for Casey, the Lieutenant's eyes widening as he saw the vehicle get closer and closer to him.

"Lieutenant!"

He wasn't even sure how he reacted, but Casey quickly dove out of the way onto the ground, the car speeding up and swerving at the last minute to avoid hitting the firefighter. As Matt's body connected harshly with the unforgiving pavement, the driver continued on as if nothing had happened, the vehicle soon out of sight before they could even comprehend what had just happened.

"Casey!" Dawson yelled as she broke away from the ambulance and ran towards her boyfriend who was still lying in the middle of the road, Matt immediately feeling some aches of discomfort as his body came to realize just how much that had hurt. "Matt, are you okay?" He could hear how frantic she was, Matt groaning softly before he began to push himself up. "Wait, wait- don't move, let me check you out first, don't hurt yourself." She was all but rambling at this point, Matt shaking his head slightly as he managed to get into a sitting position.

"I'm fine." He told her softly, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing as she began to run her eyes over him. "I'm alright." He repeated as he met her gaze, Dawson drawing in a deep breath before she nodded.

"Casey, you good?" Mouch called over from the car, his firefighter's knowing better than to leave their assignments during a call; especially since Casey was seemingly okay.

"Yeah guys, I'm fine." He called back as he brushed himself off, Gabby continuing to look over him.

"Did anyone get a plate on that asshole? Jesus." Herrmann spoke as he put the jaws on the ground, Matt shaking his head before pushing himself up.

"It doesn't matter, we don't need to worry about it. Let's get back to work." He instructed, his words earning nods from his firefighters before they continued getting the door off, Casey beginning to walk back towards them.

"...Matt." Gabby's voice stopped him, the man turning back to find her worried gaze on him, a soft smile forming over his face before he nodded.

"I'm okay, I promise." He assured her one last time, Dawson giving him a tight nod before they both went back to their respective jobs, though Gabby was a bit more reluctant to just let this go, the PIC knowing she'd need to keep an eye on Matt throughout the day.

* * *

Casey stepped through the open doorway, the man coming to a stop just inside as he lifted his hand up to knock on the door frame, the sound gaining the older man's attention. "You wanted to see me, Chief?"

Boden gave him a nod as a soft smile formed over his face, the older man waving him in as he continued talking on the phone, Matt taking another step inside as he waited for more instruction. Within seconds the Chief had finished up his call, Matt watching as he hung up the phone before looking back towards him.

"Hi Casey, yeah, come on in. Shut the door." He instructed, Matt giving him an understanding nod before he did as he was told. With the door securely in place to give them privacy, the firefighter continued towards his desk, Matt taking a seat as Boden leaned back in his chair. "I heard there was a little bit of an incident out on the call this morning." He spoke with raised eyebrows, Matt releasing a soft breath before he made himself comfortable as well.

"Yeah, yeah… Some idiot not paying attention, but we're all good. I'm fine." He replied strongly, Boden eyeing him for a moment before giving him a nod of his own.

"Yeah, I figured everything was alright, with Dawson there and all, I know she probably would've drug you off to med if it were anything serious." Boden responded lightly, his words earning a soft chuckle from Casey.

"She would've, yeah… I still think she wanted to, but I'm fine, really." He assured him, Boden breathing in deeply as he watched him.

"Good, that's good… And, uh- How's everything else?" He questioned, Matt pursing his lips together as his spine straightened slightly. He knew exactly what Boden was asking, and he knew it had nothing to do with him. "Dawson, is she- She's still doing alright?"

Casey drew in a deep breath as he wrung his hands together in his lap, the man thinking over how to best answer his question. This was a talk they had frequently, usually at least once as a shift as Boden needed the assurance that his PIC was okay. When it first happened, Casey hadn't been surprised by it. He knew everyone was wanting to check in with Gabby, but they didn't want to ask her directly, so he had been the next person they went to. But with Boden, it had been more than the occasional question, and it didn't take long for Casey to find out why.

Boden felt guilty. As much of the house did, their Chief was holding onto a lot of guilt for what happened to Gabby. And that had manifested into him needing to know Dawson was alright.

Matt had known for a while, well before Bryan got released, that everyone had been holding onto some level of guilt because of all this, granted he hadn't spent too much of his energy focusing on it. But then when Shay had told him of Herrmann's outburst a couple weeks back, it was then he realized those feelings hadn't gone away. And his daily meetings with the Chief only solidified that. Everyone felt accountable for what happened, Boden especially as he himself had said he regrets letting Bryan stay as long as he did. That he feels terrible for not seeing the real issue sooner, and for making Gabby continue to work with the man who had abused her for so long. He held onto so much guilt for that, and the rest of the house did too.

But it wasn't their fault. Despite Matt wishing that someone had seen what was happening sooner, that anyone could have helped her, he also knew the house wasn't to blame for what Bryan did. Gabby did all she could to hide what was going on, from her own admission she hadn't wanted anyone to know, so he couldn't fault them for not knowing what was going on. Even though there was a part of him that couldn't help but wonder if the signs had still been there or not, that if Gabby truly had just been able to keep this hidden, or if everyone just missed what was going on. But he also knew there was no use dwelling on that, because it wouldn't help anything. What happened happened, him trying to fault anyone else in this wouldn't do anything to change what Gabby endured, and deep down he knew no one was to blame for it.

No one except for Walker.

Clearing his throat, Matt knew the man across from him was expecting an answer as he looked to him, finding Boden's expectant eyes waiting for him. "She's, uh- She's doing alright… Yesterday was actually a pretty good day for her, for both of us, and she's been fine today, too… Things are looking up, I think." He replied as carefully as he could, Matt having had to walk that thin line of assuring their friends Gabby was okay while also not giving away too much personal information a lot lately. "We're doing fine, just taking things one day at a time. But overall, things are good."

"Good, that's good to hear- great, actually." He responded with a small smile, Matt giving him a nod in agreement. "I wasn't able to see her much today, before you all got called out, but she seemed to be doing alright."

"She is. We're good."

"Good." He replied, Matt giving him a nod before he began to stand up, the man knowing this was usually where their conversations ended. "And, uh-" Boden's voice stopped him, Matt sitting the rest of the way back down into his chair as he looked at him. "Walker's still staying away?" He questioned, as the arrangement Antonio had set up definitely wasn't a secret around the firehouse, considering the detective needed to know if anyone heard from Bryan.

"As far as we know, he is." Casey answered, seeing the Chief release a soft sigh before he nodded.

"Alright, good." He repeated himself, Matt pausing for a moment before he stood up. "I'm glad she's been doing well, Casey… You know you can let us know if either of you need anything."

Casey's face softened before he gave him a small smile, the Lieutenant shoving his hands in his jacket pockets as he nodded.

"I know Chief, we both do. And we appreciate it." He responded, Boden giving him one last nod before Matt headed for the door, leaving both men to go about their day.

* * *

"Earth to Dawson." Shay spoke as she sat on the gurney inside the ambulance, her eyes focused on her friend as Gabby was standing just outside the back of the ambo, her foot propped up on the rig as she looked down at the clipboard in her grasp. But Shay could tell she wasn't really focused on that as her gaze was unmoving, the blonde tilting her head to side as the PIC still hadn't heard her. "Dawson… Gabby." She tried again, but her efforts proved useless. Clearly whatever Dawson was thinking about had captured her complete attention, Shay huffing out a breath before she reached for a roll of gauze and tossed it at her friend. "Dawson!"

Gabby snapped out of her headspace when she registered the feeling of the gauze hitting her in the face, the paramedic hearing her friend call for her as she looked up, shooting the blonde a glare. "Jesus Shay, what?" She replied exasperatedly, Gabby reaching for the gauze that had fallen down onto her clipboard and tossing it back at her partner.

Shay caught it with ease before placing it back in it's bin, the woman raising her eyebrows in near amusement. "I've been trying to get your attention for like ten minutes."

"Somehow I doubt it was that long." Dawson countered, Shay waving her off as she adjusted herself to sit on the edge of the gurney.

"You get what I mean." She replied just as quickly, Gabby scoffing lightly before she returned her gaze back down to their list of inventory, Shay keeping her eyes on her. "...What has you so distracted, anyway?" She questioned after a beat of silence, Dawson drawing in a deep before looking back towards her, her eyebrows furrowed in question. "You're not worried about, Casey are you? Cause I don't even think he has a scratch on him." Shay questioned, Gabby immediately shaking her head.

"No, no it's not that." She was quick to respond.

"...Then what is it?" Shay asked, seeing the slight hesitation written over her friend's face. "Is it… Is it about Walker?" Her voice was soft, like she was almost afraid to bring it up, Gabby and Shay both well aware they usually didn't speak on the subject unless Dawson initiated it. So Shay wasn't entirely sure how this conversation was going to go, if it went anywhere. But to her surprise, Gabby began to respond.

"No, it's not- It's not anything really, and it's especially not him… Well, not really." She stuttered out, Shay's eyebrows furrowing as she focused her complete attention on her friend. Gabby blowing out a heavy sigh. "IIt's more so about Casey, and how this thing with Bryan has… Changed things, I guess. I don't know."

Shay wasn't sure what she was talking about, but she didn't need to know what she meant to see Gabby was clearly a bit frustrated, the blonde resting her hands in her lap as she leaned forward slightly. "What do you mean? Did something happen between you two?" She pressed, hoping that talking through whatever it was would help Gabby feel a bit better, the PIC taking a long, slow breath before she spoke up.

"It's nothing like that. Matt's just being Matt, he's always just being Matt, but that's part of the problem. That things between us, and me and everyone I guess, have just been different, since Bryan was released, and… I don't know, it's hard to explain." She started, Shay waiting patiently for her to feel ready to continue. "Sometimes it just feels like this Bryan thing is all our relationship is now." She breathed out as she confided in her friend, Shay's face softening as she gave her an understanding nod. "And I get it, I do, I've given him more than enough reasons to worry about me over the last few weeks, or months really. But I'm dealing with this the best way I can…"

"I know you are." Shay spoke up when she'd paused for a moment, Gabby catching her gaze. "And so does Casey." She added pointedly, Dawson pursing his lips together as she shot her a knowing look.

"I know… But that means when I tell you all I'm fine, I need you to believe me" She countered, her words earning an unimpressed look from her friend.

"Alright, well in our defense you've been known to lie about that." Shay responded with raised eyebrows, Gabby huffing out a breath before shaking her head.

"You know what I'm talking about." Gabby told her, Shay putting her hands in defense, doing what she could to keep the air around them a little lighter. But she put them down when she saw the way Dawson's face fell slightly, the PIC sighing softly before she continued. "And I- I don't want to be ungrateful, at all. Especially not for Matt. He's been incredible through this entire thing, even before he knew what happened... He's the most amazing man I have ever met," She spoke quietly, Shay giving her a small smile in response as she spoke of her boyfriend, "and after all Bryan put me through, I shouldn't be complaining that the biggest problem Matt and I have is that he can be a bit overbearing… But I just hate that this has become such a big part of our relationship."

Shay could tell this was something that Gabby had been thinking about for awhile as there was an edge of agitation in her tone. But she knew that feeling wasn't so much directed towards Matt as it was the situation, and mostly Bryan.

"And I know it's because this is a part of my life now," She continued on after a few moments. "As much as I hate it and wish things were different, as long as Bryan's out, I don't know if I can ever completely forget about him… A part of me will always be worried about him trying to come back into my life, and I just have to accept that. But I don't want to let it control me… Bryan's done that enough to me already." She spoke quickly, Gabby shaking her head slightly. "But as long it's something I'm worried about, I know Matt will be too. Because whatever I'm going through, so is he, but I just- I hate that he feels like he has to constantly check in with me. But then I can't even fault him for feeling that way after how things have been lately, and it's all just stressful, I guess- I don't even know if that makes any sense." She finished with a heavy sigh, Shay giving her a supportive nod as she digested what all Gabby was saying.

"It does." She assured her, Gabby meeting her gaze. "What Walker did, it affected so much of your life. And it still does. But you don't want you and Casey to be something that changes because of it, I get it… Have you talked to Matt about it?" She questioned, the PIC scoffing lightly at her words.

"A few times." She spoke, though her tone told the blonde it had happened more than that. "We've talked about it before, mostly before Bryan got out, but I know he's not trying to treat me any differently. And I don't even think he realizes it's an issue- That's not the right word, it's not one, but… Casey keeps treating me with kid gloves, like he's waiting for me to fall apart. And I understand it, but I just want things to go back to normal." She finished, Shay tilting her head to the side before she responded.

"Normal as in…?"

"Normal as in us just being able to be a couple. Us acting the way we used to, where Matt's first instinct every time he saw me wasn't to make sure I'm not having a breakdown." She replied without hesitation, Gabby not missing the gleam that began to shine in her friend's eyes before a proud smirk formed across her lips.

"Well, if you want normal for you two, maybe go into his office and take your pants off." She teased, Gabby biting back a smile as she shook her head. She knew what her friend was doing, she was trying to lighten some of the heaviness around them and make her feel better. And to her credit, it was working. "That'll do the trick."

"You think so?" She questioned rhetorically, Shay giving her a proud nod as Gabby released another breath. "Yeah, I doubt that would even work at this point." Gabby muttered under her breath, the blonde's eyebrows furrowing as she gave her a somewhat amused look.

"What? No loving for little Casey?" She asked with a chuckle, Gabby quickly shooting her a slight glare, though the PIC was just glad to see her friend was doing her best to treat her like she normally would. But that moment soon ended when Shay's face fell, the woman clearly questioning herself for a second before she spoke up. "Oh, have you not wanted to? Cause I get it." She added quickly, Gabby shaking her head before responding.

"It's not me, no." Dawson was soon to reply, not missing the look of confusion that formed over her friend's face. "Well, I mean I haven't told him I don't want to, we just haven't really… Neither of us have tried to, I guess." She told her as a hint of realization shined in Shay's eyes.

"How long has it been?" She pressed further, Gabby's head tilting to the side as she narrowed her eyes slightly. "Oh come on, you know I could ask in much more vulgar ways. I'm thinking of you here, now how long has it been since you got some good Casey lovin'?"

Gabby fought the urge to roll her eyes at her friend's terminology as she glanced down to the clipboard in her hands. "Not too long, it was before Bryan got released, I couldn't tell you the exact day or anything." She spoke, her words becoming a little more firm as she neared the end of her sentence, Shay giving her a soft smile as she was just glad to see Gabby continuing to act more like herself.

"Well, my friend, I'm going to repeat my earlier statement and say that if you want things to start being a little more normal, you just need to go into his office, draw the blinds and lock the door, and take your pants off." She told her, Gabby unable to fight off her eye roll this time as she tightened her grip on the clipboard. "Or start with his pants, I'm sure he'd love that, too."

Dawson scoffed once more, the woman shaking her head as she held the list up that was in her hands. "Would you just help me with inventory, please?" She requested, knowing Shay would never stop if she didn't guide the conversation in a different direction. And truthfully, she wasn't wanting to continue this discussion much longer. But the blonde simply dusted her hands off on her pants before she stood up, as much as she could in the back of the rig, Gabby taking a step back to give her room to climb down.

"As much as I would love to, I'm starving. So I'm gonna need to get some food first." She replied, her words earning an understanding nod from Dawson. "You wanna come inside with me, we can get something to eat?" She offered, Gabby thinking over her words for a minute before shaking her head.

"No, that's okay. I'm not hungry." She replied with a slight shrug. "I'm gonna stay out here and get started on this."

"Oh, uh- alright." She responded, Gabby picking up on the slight hint of uncertainty in her words, before Shay began to look around the empty garage. And it quickly became clear to the PIC what her friend was doing, Dawson sighing softly before bringing the clipboard up to rest against her chest.

"Shay, I'm fine." She told her before the blonde could even try and think of an excuse to stay, which is what Gabby was sure she was doing as Shay looked towards her with raised brows. "...You don't need to stay here just for me, I'm a big girl. I can handle myself."

"I know, I just- If you want me to stay out here with you, I will. I don't mind." She reminded her, Gabby giving her a small smile before shaking her head.

"I appreciate it, but I'm fine."

"But-"

"Oh my God, you're as bad as Matt." Dawson huffed out, Shay placing her hands on her hips as her head cocked to the side.

"What? As bad as the guy who wouldn't leave the apartment to go get groceries the other day until your mom came over? There's no way I'm as bad as him." She responded, Gabby glaring slightly at her friend's mention of her boyfriend's overprotectiveness. "He doesn't even want to let you out of his sight…"

"And you're doing what right now, exactly?" She countered as she arched her brow, Shay opening her mouth to respond before quickly slamming it shut, knowing she had no room to dispute her.

"...Fair enough." She replied defeatedly, the blonde paramedic shoving her hands into her pockets before taking a few slight steps backward. "Well, I'm gonna head inside. I'll be back out in a little bit."

Dawson gave her one last nod before returning her focus to the list in her hands, Shay keeping a lingering eye on her before she reluctantly headed inside, leaving Gabby on her own out in the garage.

As a harsh breeze blew through the open garage doors, Gabby involuntarily shivered, the woman zipping up her jacket slightly before returning her focus to her task. But as she continued standing outside the back of the rig, with every passing moment she was becoming more and more aware of just how alone she was. And she'd be lying if she said she didn't feel the slightest bit nervous.

She couldn't say she was surprised to feel that hint of uneasiness, considering this was essentially the first time she'd been left on her own in over two weeks. Shay hadn't been kidding when she spoke of Matt and his assurance of making sure she was never by herself; no matter what needed to be done, her boyfriend made sure there was always someone else with her before he left. Even in the comfort and security of their own home, she hadn't been on her own. And even though she wasn't necessarily thrilled with the arrangement, admittedly it had helped her feel better about the whole thing. So standing here now, in the wide open garage by herself, it was a little unnerving.

But she was determined to push through it, Gabby breathing through the bit of anxiety bubbling in her chest as she continued looking over her list. She meant what she said, she didn't want Bryan to have any sort of control over her anymore, and logically, she knew she had no reason to think she wouldn't be perfectly fine out here on her own. Walker hadn't shown up again, he'd been staying away, there was nothing to say that wouldn't continue for however long Shay was going to be inside.

She had nothing to worry about, she just needed to keep reminding herself of that.

But as she was staring down at the list in her hands, checking things off as needed, she didn't notice the person walking towards her from the other side of the garage. Or hear the sound of their soft footsteps against the hard floor, or feel their presence as they got closer and closer while coming up behind her. She didn't notice any of that.

So when the person behind her placed their hand on her shoulder, she nearly jumped out of her skin, Gabby crying out as she instinctively cowered away from them, the clipboard in her hands crashing to the ground as she nearly fell forward towards the rig.

"Oh, dear I'm sorry-"

Gabby took deep breaths as she registered who was speaking to her, the paramedic recognizing the voice instantly as she tried to regain control of her balance, Dawson now practically crouching on the ground before slowly standing back up. She was forcing herself to take slow, steady breaths, Gabby feeling a near crushing weight on her chest as there was still some lingering fear in her system, despite the fact that the person behind her was nowhere near threatening.

"Gabby, are you okay? I didn't mean to startle you, honey, I thought you heard me."

Nancy's voice continued to filter through her ears, Gabby keeping her eyes closed as she continued drawing in deep breaths, the action necessary before she could try and respond to the woman who was likely here to see her son.

As the older Casey stood there and watched on, she couldn't help but feel terrible for the woman she'd scared, Nancy wanting more than anything to be able to comfort her son's girlfriend as she was clearly having a hard time. But she also didn't want to do anything to make it worse.

With her hand on her chest, Gabby continued to ground herself as he could feel her heart rate slowly returning to normal, her fear morphing into embarrassment as she was coming to realize she'd just freaked out over Matt's mother for no reason.

"Gabby, are you alright?" She asked once more, Dawson bringing her free hand up to rub over the side of her head before she nodded, her body still turned away from the older woman. And just as she was about to turn around, she was stopped by the sound of a voice she hadn't been expecting, Gabby hearing the sound of his footsteps against the ground as he came towards them.

"Mom? What are you doing here- What's going on?"

Gabby could hear the slight hint of panic in Matt's voice as he began to walk a little quicker, the paramedic pressing her hand against her temple as she felt a dull headache beginning to form in her skull. She was sure from her position alone, Matt would be able to tell _something_ had happened, she just wasn't necessarily looking forward to explaining it. How the first time she'd been left on her own, she couldn't even go five minutes without getting scared. Granted, Nancy coming up behind her unannounced likely would've startled her regardless. But if not for everything going on, it wouldn't have been to this extent.

"Gabby, what happened?" Matt asked as he got to them, Nancy taking a step back as her son went to stand by Gabby's side, his only focus on his girlfriend. He placed a soft hand over her lower back, Gabby relaxing into him instantly as she lifted her head.

"I'm alright." She breathed out, Gabby finally meeting his eyes as she saw nothing but worry and uncertainty shining back at her, and she could only imagine what he saw from her right now.

"What happened?" He asked again, his eyes tracing over her as he rubbed her back gently, though he applied enough pressure for her to be able to feel it through all the layers she was wearing.

"It was my fault, Matthew," Nancy spoke up, finally gaining her son's attention as he looked back towards her. He had no idea what she was doing here, but that was something he could figure out later once he knew what was wrong with Gabby. Though even he could tell with each passing second that his girlfriend was starting to feel better. "I came up behind her, I didn't mean to, but I scared her… I saw her and just wanted to say hi, but I should've announced myself." She added regretfully, Matt sensing the concern in her words as he gave her a slow nod. "I really am sorry, dear." She finished, the sentiment clearly directed towards Gabby as the paramedic finally turned around, Matt's hand sliding down off her back as she faced his mother.

From first glance, Nancy could see the exhaustion and uncertainty present in her gaze, though Gabby quickly tried to mask it as she plastered a weak smile onto her face. "It's fine Nancy, really. I'm alright, I was just focused on work and I didn't hear you. But I'm fine." She spoke softly.

"You sure you're alright?" Matt asked her quietly, Nancy not missing just how gentle her son was with his girlfriend, Gabby looking away from her focus on him.

"I'm fine, I promise. I just wasn't expecting anyone." She murmured, Matt pausing for a moment before giving her an understanding nod, Gabby's eyes narrowing slightly as realization swept through her, the paramedic no longer feeling the effects of being startled moments prior. At least not as much as she had been. "Wait- what are you doing out here? I thought you said you had a lot of paperwork to get through after you saw Boden?"

A sheepish look soon covered his features before he quickly glanced towards his mom for a second, Gabby's head tilting to the side as a questioning look covered her face. "Oh, uh, no reason… I saw Shay was inside eating, figured I could come keep you company until she was done." He spoke carefully, Gabby pursing her lips together as she knew that wasn't entirely the truth.

He'd come out here so she wouldn't have to be by herself, and while that was a little frustrating, if her reaction to Nancy seconds ago was any indication, he wasn't entirely wrong for not wanting to leave her alone.

"Matt, I'm fine." She dropped her voice, even though Nancy could still hear them regardless. "I can be alone for a few minutes, I'm alright."

"I know you are, but I missed you." He covered, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before she nodded, knowing she couldn't exactly press the issue right now. Because even if not for Nancy standing right there, she'd still just given him all the reason in the world to worry about her being by herself. So she decided to just drop it, Matt giving her a soft smile before he rubbed her arm gently.

Before any more words could be said, the bells rang out above them, calling 61 out to a person in distress a few blocks away, Matt giving her arm a slight squeeze before taking a step back. "You good?" He asked, Gabby nodding immediately as she put the clipboard securely underneath the bench before shutting the back doors.

"I'm good… Are _you_ good?" She questioned back, Matt's eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"Me? What are you- Oh, after earlier? I'm fine." He promised, Gabby giving him one last nod before she headed for the driver's side door, Dawson getting into the rig just as Shay came jogging out from behind 81.

"Hey Casey, Dawson in there?" She asked as she hurried past him and Nancy, the blonde clearly looking a little surprised at who was standing there, but she smiled nonetheless. "Hi Mrs. Casey, we haven't officially met, I'm Shay-" She was cut off by the sound of Gabby honking the horn, clearly telling her to hurry up. "Guess that answers that question, sorry I can't stay and talk." She rambled out before continuing past the rig, but she didn't get very far until Casey's voice stopped her.

"Shay…" He called after her, the blonde stopping just before she was about to turn the corner, her eyes soon finding her friend as she turned around. "Look out for her." He requested softly, Shay giving him a small smile before she nodded.

"You know I always do." She replied, Shay giving him a quick salute before she ran around to the passenger side door and climbed in, Casey watching the ambo roll out of the garage and exit the driveway.

He didn't look away until the rig was out of sight, Matt releasing a soft sigh before he finally turned back towards his mom, her curious eyes focused on him. And after what she'd just walked in on, he couldn't say it was a look he was surprised to see.

"What happened earlier?" She asked before anything else could be said, the younger Casey's eyebrows furrowing as he wasn't entirely following what she was saying.

"Hmm?"

"Gabby asked if you were alright after earlier." She elaborated, Matt clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth before he nodded.

"Oh, that, yeah I'm fine, it's nothing." He responded, though by the look that appeared over her face he could tell she was wanting more of an explanation. "It was just some freak thing at our call earlier today, a guy wasn't paying attention when he was driving past the wreck. He got a little too close to hitting me, but he didn't. I'm fine." Matt told her as simply as he could, the man not wanting to lie to her, but he didn't want to worry her either. Especially when he was in fact alright. "So, uh, what are you doing here?" He asked, doing what he could to shift the topic of discussion to something else. "I didn't expect to see you today."

"Oh, well actually, you know that new job I was telling you about?" She questioned, Matt wracking his brain as he thought back to the family dinner they'd had with her and Gabby's parents, the son soon remembering her talking about work as he gave her a nod to continue. "Well, I had my final interview with them this morning, and their office isn't too far from here so I thought I'd swing by and check in… We haven't really talked much since our dinner."

Casey winced slightly as he crossed his arms over his chest, knowing how true his mother's words were. He hadn't intended to be so radio silent with her, or with anyone, but with his main priority since that night having been helping Gabby, he hadn't really had much time to devote to anything else as he'd had to cancel plans with his mother a few times.

"Yeah, sorry about that, things have been a little crazy lately." He replied vaguely, Nancy opening her mouth to say something, but she wasn't able to before he continued talking. "But I'm glad to see you heard back from them, I know how excited you were about that job."

"Yeah, yeah I am… They were just interviewing me and one other person, so hopefully I'll get it. You know how much I've been wanting to leave my current job now, so I'm praying this all works out." She told him, Matt giving her a soft smile as he nodded. "But I should be hearing from them soon, and I was thinking… I mean, I don't want to jinx anything, but maybe once I hear back from them, you, Gabby, and I could go out to dinner?" She questioned, Matt's lips parting slightly as he thought over her words. "I mean, even if I don't get it, I think it would still be nice, with the three of us."

"Oh, uh… Yeah, it would be." He responded, Nancy giving him a small smile as his face faltered slightly. "But it would probably only be able to be you and me." He added, seeing the immediate look of confusion mixed with a hint of worry that appeared across her features. "Gabby, she uh- I don't think she'd be able to make it, but you and I could go somewhere. My treat." He spoke with a smile, but he could tell his mother wasn't buying it, the woman shaking her head slightly as she took a step forward.

"Honey, what's going on?" She asked softly, Matt hearing the concern in her voice.

"What?"

"With Gabby." She pushed as Matt bit down on the inside of his cheek. "Is she really alright?"

"She's fine." He answered simply, his words earning a pointed look from his mother.

"Matthew…" She breathed out, causing him to sigh heavily as he lifted his hand up to run along the side of his face. "What happened just now, how scared she was when I got here, that doesn't look like someone that's okay." She continued on carefully. "And that's not the first time she's scared easily, either. Then with you just now, not wanting her to be alone, and at that dinner a few weeks ago with her parents," She continued on, Matt lifting his head up at her last words, "I heard her and her mother talking…"

"About what?" He asked almost immediately, his thoughts going back to how he knew Camila had inadvertently upset Gabby by bringing up Walker; he just didn't realize his mother had heard at least part of that conversation.

"Camila, she… She was worried about Gabby, something with someone getting out of prison." She spoke quietly, Matt's eyes falling closed as his head hung down towards the ground, his reaction alone telling Nancy that whatever Camila had been talking about, that was at least playing a part in whatever was going on with Gabby now. "She was saying something about 'what he'd done', and I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, or hear anything I wasn't supposed to, but… Did something happen to her?"

Casey sighed deeply, the man needing a second to think before he lifted his head, seeing nothing but the worry in his mother's eyes shining back at him. "Mom… I-" He cut himself off, unsure of what to say. There was no point in lying to her, or denying what Camila had said, but he also knew he couldn't get into this. He wouldn't talk about what happened to Gabby behind her back, he'd never do that to her. But he wasn't sure what to say now, the firefighter shaking his head as he blew out a sharp breath between his teeth.

"I… She's okay, Mom." He settled on, Nancy biting her tongue before nodding. "I promise, she'll be alright, but I- I can't…"

"It's not your place to talk about it." She finished for him, Matt's eyes softening before he nodded, Nancy responding with a sad smile. "I get it, I do. It's just… I want her to be okay, I want the both of you to be okay. But sometimes she… she reminds me-"

The woman cut herself off, clearly not wanting to say whatever was going through her mind as Matt's head tilted to the side slightly. "What?" He pushed, Nancy drawing in a deep breath before she met his gaze.

"She reminds me of me." She admitted, Matt's face falling as her statement washed over him, Nancy shaking her head slightly as a heavy feeling settled in the air around them. "How I used to be back then, when your father… She reminds me of that." She continued to explain as Casey swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat, his mom's words feeling like a punch to the gut. Because though he only remembered so much of what had gone on during that time in his life, he knew she had a point. "But if you say she's fine, I believe you. I didn't mean to intrude or anything, I'm sorry for even bringing it up." She finished as she saw the look on her son's face, Nancy realizing she'd unintentionally struck a nerve for him. But to what extent, she wasn't sure. "And I should get going anyway, I know you're working and I don't want to bother you."

"No, uh- no, you don't have to." He replied after clearing his throat, Matt pushing his mother's words aside as he shook his head. Despite the fact he hadn't exactly enjoyed their previous discussion, he still didn't want his mother to leave. Not when she'd clearly come here to see him. "Why don't you stay, come meet everyone." He offered, Nancy's eyebrows raising in slight surprise before glancing back towards the firehouse.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, of course. I want you to meet everyone here." He repeated, drawing in a deep breath before giving her a small smile. "And hopefully Gabby won't be gone too long, it'll be fine."

Seeing that her son wasn't going to let it go, she nodded, Nancy giving him a gentle smile before letting him lead her towards the firehouse, the two continuing to catch up with one another along the way. And while Casey was eager for everyone at 51 to meet his mom and he was looking forward to spending some time with her, he hadn't been able to completely shake off the conversation they'd just had as her words were still ringing around in the back of his head.

And he knew he probably wouldn't be able to for a while.


	72. Chapter Seventy One

**Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter for you all, I hope you enjoy it! I'm sorry I'm getting it posted a little later than usual, I've been in this weird mood lately where I'm second guessing everything I write, so it's taken me some time to get this chapter done. But I think I like where it ended up, and I hope you all do too.**

**Thank you so much for reading. And if you have a minute, it would mean a lot to me if you could leave me a review and let me know what you think. I hope you all have a great weekend!**

**Stay safe everyone xx**

* * *

**SEVENTY ONE**

* * *

Gabby glanced out the window as Shay backed the rig into the garage, the paramedics having just returned from the rather quick call that had taken them away from the house less than an hour ago. Though they'd been called out to help a person in distress, when they got there it had turned out to be nothing, a misunderstanding of some sort as the paramedics were quickly sent on their way when the victim refused treatment. So after getting that paperwork sorted away, they headed back to the firehouse, both women hoping they could have a relatively easy afternoon.

"Wow, I just keep getting better at this." Shay congratulated herself after the rig had come to a stop, Gabby looking over towards her partner with raised eyebrows as the blonde smiled proudly. "Look how perfectly I parked this thing."

"Yes, well years and years of practice will do that." Gabby countered, her words earning a slight glare from her friend before the women climbed down out of the rig. A rush of cold air hit Dawson's face as she shut the door, the PIC shoving her hands into her pockets as she walked around the back of the ambulance to meet up with her friend, Shay standing by the back doors waiting for her.

"Don't be jealous cause I don't let you drive the rig anymore. Just because you almost kill us every time you're behind the wheel, don't take that out on me." Shay continued with a laugh as they began to walk towards the firehouse, Gabby huffing out an amused breath before she bumped her hip into Shay's, the action causing her friend's laughter to get louder.

"That was one time." Dawson defended, but Shay wasn't having it as she shot her a disapproving look.

"One time within the last month maybe." She responded, her words causing Gabby to glare at her. "What? Don't give me that, just face it babe… Driving the rig is not your strong suit, especially when you have to back it up. But it's fine, I still love you." She added as they got to the double doors, Shay pulling one open for Gabby to walk inside before following after her as the common room came into view. Before continuing, the blonde glanced into the room as they got closer, seeing a few pairs of eyes move towards them when the house realized their paramedics were back, one Lieutenant in particular already watching Dawson. "And we all know lover boy loves you despite your terrible driving skills."

Gabby's glare deepend as Shay's words gained the attention of some of the room, Matt biting back a smile as he heard what the paramedic had said. Pausing his conversation with his mom, he moved his complete attention to Gabby and Shay, just in time to see his girlfriend smack her friend's arm lightly, Shay holding her hands up in defense.

"I'm just saying."

"What are you talking about?" Matt finally interrupted as the whole room was watching the paramedics by now, Shay turning to look at him with a proud gleam in her eye while Gabby just appeared a bit annoyed. But her reaction only seemed to encourage Shay further as she turned towards Matt.

"Oh nothing, just how you still love your girlfriend despite her faults." She teased, Shay barely getting the words out before Gabby was smacking her arm again, their coworkers all laughing at Gabby's expense.

"Well, that's pretty easy because she has none." He responded without missing a beat, Matt not seeing the way his mom was smiling at him from her seat to his right, while Shay pretended to gag from across the room. When he met Gabby's eyes, he winked softly, the woman running her tongue along the inside of her cheek before winking back at him, their silent moment not going unnoticed by a few of their friends.

"Okay, that was gross, even for you two." Shay huffed out before stepping away from Gabby and moving towards the table, some of the first responders still laughing from the conversation as the blonde sat down on the other side of Matt. "And we both know that's not true, she can't drive the rig to save her life." She added, Matt biting down on his tongue before he gave in.

"Okay, yeah I'll agree with you on that one." He replied, Shay smirking proudly just as Gabby walked up to them.

"I heard that." Dawson spoke, her playfully narrow gaze focused on her boyfriend as he held his arm out, encouraging her to come closer.

"You know I'm just messing with you, babe." He told her as she came to stand beside his chair, Matt wrapping his arm around her waist to pull her closer as her hand instinctively rested over the back of his neck. "How was your call?" Matt questioned as her body settled against his, Gabby giving him a slight shrug.

"We didn't really do anything." She responded, her statement causing his eyebrows to rise up in question.

"The guy refused treatment, so we went on our way." Shay added on, Matt's eyes flashing towards her before he nodded. "How were things here? I didn't miss all the fun baby Casey stories, did I?" She asked as her gaze moved back and forth between Matt and his mother, her words causing Nancy to chuckle softly.

"No, luckily you're just in time for that." The older Casey played along, Matt releasing a heavy breath as he rubbed his hand gently over Gabby's side. "I should've brought by some baby photos, he really was the sweetest little boy."

"Please, let's not get into all that." He responded with a light chuckle, feeling a few pairs of eyes from around the room on him.

"Oh I definitely think we should." Severide commented from his position back at the counter, Matt knowing if not for Gabby he'd be turning around to shoot him a glare.

"Yeah babe, you were the cutest little baby." Gabby joined in, Matt looking up at her to find a challenging look in her eye, the man soon realizing she was getting him back for his little comment earlier. "I think everyone would love to see your baby pictures." She spoke, scrunching up her nose slightly before she glanced at Nancy and gave her a smile, the woman reciprocating the gesture.

"Mhmm, well maybe next time." Casey said, shaking his head lightly at his girlfriend before guiding her down towards him, Gabby resting her weight on the arm of the chair while Matt adjusted himself in his seat to give her more room, his arm never leaving her waist. "But no Shay, you didn't miss anything like that… My mom's just been getting to know everyone." Matt answered her original question, Shay nodding slowly with a small smile.

"Yeah, it's been nice getting to meet all the people I hear Matthew and Gabby talking about." Nancy spoke up, Dawson's smile widening as she played with the hair at the base of Matt's neck, her boyfriend leaning back into her touch. "And I'm just glad to know he's got a bunch of great friends here to work with."

"Yeah, we're not too bad." Shay responded lightly, Gabby shaking her head at her friend before looking down towards Matt just as the smile on his face grew even wider. And it was a sight that made her body flood with warmth, Gabby grateful to see him so content in this moment with his mom and his firehouse family. "But I'm glad I get to finally meet you…" Shay continued with a bright grin. "Well, actually meet you again I guess. I know I've seen you in passing a few times, and tried to talk to you before our call, but I haven't really officially introduced myself." She rambled on, Matt furrowing his eyebrows in amusement as Gabby's head tilted to the side. "I'm Leslie Shay, Matt's best friend."

A heavy scoff left Casey's lips as Shay shook his mother's hand, Nancy watching on with a delighted smile as she looked between her son and the paramedic.

"Oh really?"

"Yes." Shay answered proudly, Gabby shaking her head as she saw movement out of the corner of her eye, the PIC turning back to see Severide walking towards them.

"She is not." Severide interjected, Matt looking back and forth between the roommates. "I'm his best friend… Kelly Severide, ma'am. We met when you came in, but I know you met a lot of us at once."

"Oh my God, he's laying it on thick." Shay muttered under her breath, her words earning soft laughs from Matt and Gabby.

"I remember you Kelly, I've heard Matthew speak of you often." Nancy responded, the woman unable to stop the smile on her face from growing as she was coming to realize just how wonderful a group of people her son has in his life. And that was all she wanted for him; not only for him to have Gabby, and her family, but to have this firehouse family. Her son truly was surrounded by incredible people, and she felt more than grateful to finally get to be a part of it.

"Well, as his best friend, that's not surprising." Severide responded without missing a beat, Shay smacking his arm before he could even finish his sentence.

"We all know am I his best friend, quit lying to his mom- Casey, tell her I'm your best friend." Shay spoke, Matt's eyes widening slightly as he looked between his two friends.

"Oh no, no way I am getting in the middle of that." He countered, shaking his head slightly. "You two are gonna have to figure that out on your own."

"Yeah, anyway, I think we all know I'm his best friend." Gabby cut in with a soft smile, Matt looking up at her as she continued to mindlessly play with his hair, the man just glad to see her so at ease right now as a warm grin formed over his face.

Dawson's words nearly caused Shay to laugh out loud, the paramedic shaking her head before raising her eyebrows challengingly. "Mhmm, yeah I'm sure… Though Casey's definitely getting more from you than just friendship."

Matt nearly choked on his saliva as Shay spoke, the woman smirking proudly until Gabby kicked her leg, Nancy looking between all of them with an amused grin on her face.

But before anyone could break the awkward silence they'd found themselves in after Shay's comment, the bells went off above them, everyone pausing as they heard squad being called out to assist with a rescue. The needed firemen began to head for the garage, Kelly saying a quick goodbye to Nancy before he followed in that direction as well.

As the firefighters left, Nancy reached down to grab her bag before slowly standing up, Matt looking at her with a bit of confusion in his eyes before he spoke up.

"Oh mom, that's not me. You don't have to leave." He told her, but Nancy merely shook her head, the woman giving him a small smile.

"No, that's alright. I really should get going anyway, I didn't mean to stay this long." She replied, Matt nodding before he slowly dropped his grip around Gabby's waist, the PIC standing up first before he could. "But it was so nice meeting you all," Nancy addressed the room, the remaining firefighters looking towards her with gentle smiles. "I'm glad I was able to finally stop by here, and see where my Matthew works."

"It was great meeting you too." Herrmann called from his place on the couch, his words being followed by a few similar sentiments from the other first responders, Shay saying a goodbye to the woman before Nancy turned her attention to her son and his girlfriend.

"I'll walk you out, mom." He offered, Nancy nodding softly before she turned to Gabby.

"It was great seeing you again sweetheart." She spoke, Gabby giving her a warm smile before they hugged.

"You too." She responded, the two breaking apart after a few seconds.

After Matt's mother and girlfriend shared a few more goodbyes, he was walking his mom out towards the garage, the Lieutenant shoving his hands into his pockets once they'd stepped outside.

"Where'd you park?" He asked, Nancy nodding off towards the right before they began walking in that direction.

"But you don't need to walk me all the way there honey, I'm fine." She responded, Matt nodding after a moment as they got closer to the garage doors. "It was, uh… It was great to meet everyone." She repeated the words she'd said inside. "Seems like you've got some really great friends."

Matt smiled softly before he nodded, their steps coming to a steady stop when they got outside the garage onto the driveway, Nancy turning to look at him. "I do… I got really lucky with this place. I'm happy here." He responded, Nancy reciprocating his genuine smile as she reached out to give his arm a squeeze.

"I'm so glad, honey... And I'm proud of you." She continued on, Matt's eyebrows raising in question.

"For what?"

"For how you've rebuilt your life." She replied, Matt drawing in a deep breath as his face softened. "I wasn't around enough, when you were going through everything with Hallie. But to see how far you've come, and the relationships you've built with all your friends, and with Gabby…" Matt was unable to stop himself from smiling when she said her name, Nancy not missing the way his face lit up at the sheer mention of his girlfriend. "I know I've said this before, but I'm just so proud of you, honey."

"Thanks mom." He replied softly, Nancy nodding with a small smile before giving his arm another soft squeeze. She began turning to leave, but soon stopped herself, Matt's smile starting to fade when he saw her look behind him for a moment before meeting his eyes again, almost like she was checking to make sure they were still alone.

"And, I uh- I didn't want to say anything in there, I know this isn't my place, and I'm not trying to make it my business," She started, Matt breathing in slowly as he had a pretty good idea of where this was headed. "And I know she seemed fine when they got back, then everything with Gabby and I, how we've- well, things weren't always the smoothest between us," She continued to preface, the younger Casey biting his tongue as he waited on her to get the words out. "But if she never needs someone to talk to… About- anything," She spoke carefully as Matt's face softened. "I'm here."

The firefighter swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat as a heavy feeling settled in the cold air around them, Matt unsure of how to respond to her. Though it was pretty clear his mom had a good idea of what Gabby had gone through, he still knew he couldn't say the words out loud. Not without Gabby's okay. So he merely nodded, Nancy giving him a weak smile.

"I promise you, I'm not trying to insert myself into this, honey." She continued on when she saw his apprehension. "And I'm sure she has people to reach out to. You don't even have to tell her I offered, if you don't think it would help her… But if you do, and if she's ready, I'm here if she needs to talk to someone." Nancy spoke, the woman getting as close as she could to the words without actually saying them.

"I… Thanks mom." He settled on, those words being the best he could give her right now as Nancy gave him another nod.

Knowing this conversation had gone about as far as it could, Nancy took a step forward to give her son one last hug goodbye, the two exchanging a few more words before she began to walk the rest of the way down the driveway, Matt watching her as she went.

While standing there just outside the garage, he didn't hear the sound of footsteps approaching behind him, Matt not realizing he wasn't alone until her felt arms wrap around his waist. A soft smile formed over his face as he felt that all too familiar warmth pressed against his back, his hand coming down to rest over top of hers that were clasped together against his stomach.

"Hi." Gabby spoke softly as her cheek rested against the side of his shoulder, Casey's smile growing as he continued watching his mom head towards her car, the woman carefully crossing the street while he felt his girlfriend give his body a slight squeeze.

"Hey." He murmured in response, his thumb rubbing over the top of her hand.

"Is everything okay with her?" Gabby asked before he could say anything else, Matt's eyebrows raising in question despite the fact that she couldn't see his face. "Just… with her coming by, I didn't know if something was wrong." She added, his look of confusion morphing into a soft smile as he realized his girl was just concerned about him and his mom, Matt shaking his head slightly in response.

"Yeah, she's fine. Everything's good with her." He replied, Gabby smiling softly before she nodded against his arm.

"Good, that's good." She told him, Matt feeling her body shiver slightly against his as a breeze blew by. But before he could suggest them going back inside, she spoke up again. "It seemed like everything went well in there… I mean, I know I wasn't there when she met everyone, but I think things were good. Everyone seemed to love her." She spoke, her words causing him to smile before he nodded.

"Yeah, they did. It was just nice to have her here, I'm glad she stopped by." He breathed out, his honest words causing the grin on her lips to widen before she gave his body another firm squeeze.

"Me too." She whispered, Matt drawing in a deep breath before he glanced down towards her. Though from the position they were in, he was only able to see so much of her as she continued hugging his waist.

They stood in silence for a few moments, Nancy having left without any issues as they were now just watching the quiet road. It was peaceful, the overcast sky bringing a feeling of complete calmness as Gabby slowly rubbed her thumb over his stomach. The feeling between them was so tranquil in fact that Matt almost didn't want to bring up his next question, but after how abruptly they'd been separated earlier after the incident in the garage, he wanted to check in with her. While they had a moment alone, he wanted to see how she was, Matt knowing she'd feel much more inclined to open up with just him.

"...You still doing okay?" He questioned softly, Gabby lifting her head up off of his arm to look at him, Matt meeting her gaze as his head was turned towards her.

When they locked eyes, Gabby drew in a deep breath before she nodded. "I'm fine." She replied simply, though he got the sense there was more she was wanting to say.

"You sure?" He pressed, watching as she pursed her lips together before nodding once more, her arms falling from his waist as he turned his body towards her. He could tell based on the look in her eye that she seemed a little apprehensive, but for what reason he wasn't sure.

"I'm good, Matt.. Promise." She repeated, her tone a bit firmer than it had been seconds ago, her words giving him all the answer he needed.

"Alright. I just wanted to be sure." He told her with a small smile, Gabby's face softening slightly before she nodded.

"I know. And I love you for that." She responded, her heart nearly swelling in her chest when she saw the reaction her simple words elicited from him.

Reaching his arm out towards her, Matt pulled her in for a soft, slow kiss, the two taking their time as they had this moment alone in the garage. But just as Matt had wrapped his arms around her, the bells went off, the couple breaking apart as 61 was called out yet again.

Groaning softly, Matt released his grip on her before she began to walk backwards, the soft smile on her face never faltering. "We'll continue this later." She told him with a wink, Matt breathing deeply to steady himself.

"Yeah, we better." He replied back, his joking tone causing her to chuckle before she continued walking towards the rig. But she didn't get very far before she stopped.

"Hey babe?" She called back to him, Matt raising his eyebrows as he looked at her. "How would you feel about us going out for breakfast tomorrow after shift?"

The second she asked the question, he felt a rush of apprehension flood through him, Matt gnawing on his bottom lip as he tried to fight off the uncertainty he was feeling. They hadn't gone out anywhere, not since Walker was released, and Gabby especially hadn't been anywhere. While he'd been the one to run out and do their errands, Gabby had really only gone from work to home. She hadn't branched out to anything more than that, and he was a little surprised now to hear she wanted to go out.

But if she felt up for it, he didn't want to stop her, Matt knowing that as long as she was alright, his role here wasn't to keep her from doing things she felt ready for, but rather to support her while she did them. So without much more thought he nodded, Matt seeing the soft smile that formed over her face as Shay ran out into the garage.

"Sounds good, baby." He replied, Gabby giving him a nod before taking another step backwards.

"Good… Then it's a date." She told him, Matt unable to fight off his own smile as she used the words he'd often used with her in the past, even before they were together.

"It's a date." He repeated, Matt giving her a strong nod before she continued towards the rig. "Be safe out there."

"Always."

* * *

Walker drew in a deep breath before taking a long sip of his coffee, his beverage now almost gone as he'd been drinking it since he got here nearly half an hour ago. He knew it was early, and that there was a good chance he'd come far too soon in the day to get a realistic shot at seeing her right now. Though he couldn't even entirely be sure what her schedule was today, he had a good feeling that she was home considering her car was parked in the same spot it had been in last time. And regardless of the chance he might not see her, he knew he at least had to try, as it had been far too long since he'd laid eyes on her.

Over the last two weeks, he'd done exactly what he told himself he'd do; he kept his distance. He stayed away. And for a little while, it worked. He hadn't even tried to come and see her, he'd laid low, and stayed out of the way. Despite how much he didn't want to, he'd done it out of necessity as to not draw any attention to himself. But he couldn't do it anymore, he needed to see her, and be near her. Be with her. He couldn't stay away from her any longer.

And that's how he'd found himself outside her apartment this morning, his eyes peeled on her front door as he tried not to focus too much on just how much he was missing her. But what he also knew to be true was that no matter how much he was missing her, he was sure she missed him just as much.

No matter what Gabby said, or how she acted around others, he knew she missed him. It would be impossible for her not to, and that fact had very much tested his patience these last couple weeks as all he'd wanted to do was come and be with her, the man having to fight every instinct he had to not come by sooner. Especially as he could only imagine she was as lonely as he was.

With her and Casey not being together anymore, he was sure she was feeling quite alone. And while she had Shay, it wasn't the same as having him or Casey around to help her. Because as much as he hated the thought of it, he knew there had been times in the past where Gabby had gone to his former boss for comfort. But luckily, the Lieutenant wasn't that person for her anymore, but Bryan knew _he_ could be.

He could become that person again, the person she went to when she needed help, the person she relied on. There was no reason he couldn't fill that role for her again, maybe better than he had the first time, and certainly better than Casey ever had. If they could just get everything out in the open between them and work through things, it could be just like old times for them.

It wouldn't be easy, and Gabby would certainly need to change some things, and there were many apologies that needed to be had as Bryan still hadn't completely forgiven her for being with Casey in the first place; but if they could just work through those things, they'd be fine. They could get back what they used to have, and go on with their lives like they always should have. Before he'd stupidly broken up with her.

Though he still believes it was the right choice back then, looking back on it, he wished he'd waited it out. At the time, he knew he'd been close to getting Gabby to where he wanted her to be. That, with a little more time, he could've made her into the perfect woman for him. But he'd become impatient and tired of her games, and he'd ended things. Though he knew now had he just had a bit more patience, everything would surely be different for them right now.

But he couldn't go back and change any of that. Whatever happened between them, it was done. It was in the past. And while they could both learn from their mistakes, they couldn't dwell on them, which is exactly why he wasn't holding a grudge against Gabby for what happened. They'd both messed up, they'd both done things they shouldn't have, and all they could do now was promise not to make the same mistakes again.

And he knew he could follow through on that promise, it was just a matter of whether or not Gabby could. If she'd had the time to realize her mistakes in all this, if he knew what all she'd done to cause him to act the way he did. If she could own up to her failures in their relationship, he knew they'd be fine. And that was all he wanted for them.

Which is what he planned on telling her today. Whenever he would eventually see her, he planned on laying all of that out there to her, Bryan knowing he needed to play this the right way. He wanted her to know how much she still meant to him, how he still loved her and wanted to be with her, in every single way. But he couldn't get too hasty as he knew he likely only had one shot here, one chance to make things right. And he couldn't blow it.

Releasing another deep breath, Bryan finished off the last of his coffee before placing the empty cup down in the holder, his gaze beginning to move around the street as he was tired of looking in the same place all the time. And as he did, he saw something he wasn't expecting as a vehicle turned down the usually quiet road, Bryan's back straightening as his eyes narrowed, the man trying to figure out why that truck looked so familiar.

But within seconds, he knew, Bryan's entire body tightening as he could swear her felt his blood boiling beneath his skin. That wasn't just any truck, that was Casey's truck. And Walker had no idea what he was doing here.

At first he thought maybe the man was just driving by, that Casey, like himself, was missing Gabby and wanted to at least be near her. And while he couldn't fault the firefighter for that, the thought still enraged him as he gripped onto his steering wheel tightly. But Walker's initial thoughts as to why Casey was here were soon proven to be false as the truck came to a stop behind Gabby's car, Bryan's eyes burning as he watched the scene unfold in front of him.

He couldn't exactly see who was present, but he could see two bodies in the vehicle. From his distance, it was hard to make out much more than that as the driver's side door opened, Casey sliding down out of his truck and landing on the pavement. And soon after, the passenger door opened as well, Walker able to see enough of what was going on over the top of Gabby's car, as the last person he was hoping to see stepped out of the vehicle.

A wave of anger rushed over him as he watched Gabby shut the door, the two clearly having a conversation as Casey went to grab something out of the bed of his truck, Walker soon releasing them to be two bags. Knowing they must've been coming from shift, there was a small part of him that felt a little bit better as maybe Casey had just been giving her a lift home. As they were never a serious relationship to begin with, it wouldn't surprise him if the two were still friends, even though he hated the idea.

But as they stood together on the sidewalk, it was soon becoming clear to him that wasn't the case as he watched them both begin to head for Gabby's door, the muscles in his body becoming even tighter as he saw Casey reach for her hand. And when she gave it willingly, he gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white, Bryan watching on in complete and utter rage as they continued to head towards her home.

He wanted to look away, he didn't want to see them together more so than he already had as he was overcome will a hundred different emotions. But he couldn't make himself do it. It was like a trainwreck, he couldn't tear his eyes away from them as they climbed the steps towards her door, the pair never dropping hands until they got to the landing.

He couldn't believe it, he couldn't believe Gabby had gotten back together with Casey. He didn't understand it one bit, not after all he'd done for her. He could've been much harder on her, he could've been angry at her for him going to prison, but he wasn't. He'd forgiven her of everything she'd done to get them to this point, and now for her to throw that all back in his face? For her to get back together with Casey, after he'd showed her time and time again how much she meant to him. That hurt just as much as what he was witnessing right now, and he was absolutely livid.

But just as he thought that feeling couldn't get any worse, Bryan noticed the firefighter using the keys already in his hand to open the door. The door to Gabby's apartment. As far as Walker knew, Gabby hadn't handed him anything, Casey seemingly having his own key to her apartment as he shoved it in the lock. And that revelation did not sit well with him at all.

Casey having his own key to Gabby's place could only mean one of two things; either their relationship was more serious than he ever thought possible, or he lived with her. And both thoughts made his stomach turn, though the second one was definitely worse.

As he watched them walk into the apartment and close the door behind them, it felt like his head was filled with white noise, Bryan still trying to work through the shock he was feeling in this moment as everything he thought he knew had been proven wrong.

Not only was Gabby not waiting for him, she'd thrown herself back into the arms of Casey. She'd spread her legs for his old boss yet again, and used him to occupy her time while he was away. Though, if what he just saw was any indication, it went deeper than Gabby simply using him like he was sure she had been in the past.

Not only were her and Casey still together, but they were seriously together, and he didn't know what to do with that. He didn't know what to do now, or what his next step should be. If he even wanted to take any next steps at all. He had no idea what to do, but all he did know was that right now, he was so incredibly angry. Beyond it.

And as he sat here, it was becoming harder and harder for that anger he'd been holding onto to not be directed towards the one person he'd tried so hard _not_ to be angry at. The only person he hadn't blamed in all of this, the one he'd thought he could start over with.

But apparently, he'd been wrong to think any of that. And in this moment, Bryan was starting to be reminded of exactly why he'd chosen to leave her in the first place, his anger rolling back in waves as he stared at the shut door.

He still didn't know what to do, he wasn't sure what he wanted from her anymore, if he wanted anything at all. But what did know was that if he couldn't be happy, he'd make sure they weren't either.

* * *

Casey locked up the door to the apartment as Gabby continued on inside, the man turning towards her just as she'd dropped her bag by the doorway, Matt smiling softly as that was something she did every morning when they returned home from shift. Placing his bag down beside hers, he knew they could be taken to their room later as he tossed his keys onto the table, Matt discarding his wallet as well before following after her.

"God, I feel gross." Gabby huffed out as she headed straight for the hallway towards their bedroom, Matt deciding to follow after her as she was already working on undoing her belt while she moved. "And I'm so full, but I thought breakfast was good." She added as she stepped into their bedroom, the man only a few steps behind her as he saw her pull her belt from around her waist and toss it onto their bed.

"Yeah, it was delicious… I'm glad we went." He responded with a small grin, Gabby turning to sit down on the edge of their mattress before she began to work on getting her boots off.

"Me too." She responded softly, Gabby looking up at him for a moment before she continued her task. "It was nice to get out." He nodded in agreement as his eyes stayed focused on her, Matt's gaze lingering a little longer than normal as he did what he could to get a read on her.

Gabby was right, it had been nice for them to go out, and for things to feel a little bit more normal. And it helped that everything had gone smoothly for them as they went to a diner they often frequented. Despite his initial worries about the whole thing, they'd had a great time and hadn't had any issues. He could tell Gabby was a little nervous at first, that being out like that for the first time was a little harder for her than she'd care to admit, but after a few moments she'd settled in to their new, yet familiar, surroundings, and everything had gone well. They'd had a great time, and were able to enjoy their meal in peace.

And though he still did have some concerns about the whole thing, Matt was also so damn proud of her. It may have seemed like a small thing to some, but for Gabby, it was a big step for her since everything had happened. Two weeks ago, she would've never been able to calmly sit inside that restaurant, but now she'd done it and been fine. She was getting better, and today was proof of that. And he was just completely and utterly proud of her.

"Okay, well I think I'm gonna take a shower, try and make myself feel a little less disgusting." She continued on, her voice pulling him from his thoughts as his vision came into focus, Matt watching her stand up from the bed.

"Alright babe." He replied, Gabby shooting him a soft smile before she headed for the bathroom, leaving Matt alone in their bedroom.

While Casey worked on changing out of his shift clothes and into something more comfortable, Gabby turned the water on in the shower, getting it to her desired temperature before she began to get out of her own clothes as well. While the water ran, she peeled her long sleeve shirt from her body and tossed it onto the ground, Gabby continuing the process until all her clothes were in a pile on the floor. As she secured her hair back into a ponytail, she could hear her boyfriend moving around in their room, Gabby glancing back towards the open bathroom to door to see if he had any plans to join her. But when she heard what sounded like him falling down onto the bed, she figured he had other plans in mind, Gabby rolling out her stiff neck before she stepped into their shower, pulling the door closed behind her.

She stood underneath the heavy, steady stream of water, the heat helping to soothe her tired muscles as she did all she could to decompress after the long shift they'd just had. Though if she were being honest with herself, she knew it wasn't just the long work day that had left her feeling this exhausted, but just life in general.

Drawing in a deep breath, Gabby took a step forward to let the water fall down onto her face, her body slowly beginning to feel more and more relaxed the longer she stood here. She wasn't even sure how much time had passed, but as the warm water rushed down her body, it was like she could feel her mind clearly, like all her worry and uncertainty were slowly washing away, at least for a few moments. But with how things had been going lately, a few seconds of peace were more than welcome.

She was so caught up in her own head, she didn't hear Matt walk into the bathroom, the man now stripped down to nothing but his boxers and a t-shirt as he was ready for their day of doing absolutely nothing. But as he stepped inside, he soon caught a glimpse of her through the glass shower, a slight look of confusion covering his features as he watched her. He wasn't sure what she was doing, or how long she'd been standing like that, but Gabby was seemingly completely zoned out as the water fell down on her face.

He waited a couple more seconds, Matt coming to a stop by the sink as his eyes stayed on her, the crease in his forehead deepening as he watched her bring her hands up to cradle her head. "You okay?" He finally asked, though between the sound of the water and her so clearly being caught up in her own head, she didn't hear him, Casey taking a few steps closer towards her. "Gabby?"

She looked up when she heard his voice, her hands falling back down to her sides when she noticed him watching her, Matt seeing her blink quickly a few times as she'd stepped back a bit from the water.

"Huh?"

"I asked if you were alright." He repeated, Gabby breathing in deeply before she nodded, flashing him a soft smile.

"Yeah, I'm good. I was just thinking." She responded, Matt nodding with a small grin of his own before he continued on with his routine before they'd likely go to sleep for a little while.

While he brushed his teeth, Gabby finished up with her shower, the woman going through everything rather quickly as she was beginning to realize just how tired she was. And there probably wasn't much that sounded better to her right now than crawling into bed with Matt and getting some rest.

By the time she finished, Matt had already completed his tasks and headed back out to their bedroom, Gabby turning off the water before stepping out and wrapping her towel around her body. Similarly to he'd done, she went through everything she normally did after shift, Gabby very much looking forward to how peaceful the next few hours would surely be here in their apartment before she exited the bathroom.

And to no surprise, she found Matt already laying down in bed, the covers pulled down to the edge of the bed as he was looking at something on his phone. When he noticed her presence, he shot her a soft smile, Gabby reciprocating the gesture before she walked towards their dresser to get changed. After quickly deciding on her usual sleep attire of a pair of underwear and one of Matt's t-shirts, she pulled the clothing out of their drawers and set them on top of the furniture.

"So, uh," Matt spoke up after he put his phone down, Gabby glancing towards him before she took off her towel to begin changing. And it wasn't lost on her how he paused for a moment when he saw her, his eyes raking over her as she reached for his shirt, Matt clearly enjoying the view before he cleared his throat and continued speaking. "My mom mentioned something about us going out to eat," He said as Gabby put his shirt on over her body, the material falling down to her hips. "How if she gets this job, she wants to go have dinner somewhere… At first I told her it would probably just be me," He said as Gabby slid on her underwear before she stood up straight, "I wasn't sure if you'd feel up for it, but after today and how well that went… I figured, if you want to come, I know she'd love to have you." He finished carefully, Gabby smiling softly as she walked towards their bed, Matt adjusting his positioning as she came to sit on the edge of the mattress beside him.

"I'd love to." She responded without hesitation, Matt watching her for a moment before he nodded. "Just let me know when- even though I'm not really doing anything right now anyway," She continued on as he reached out to rest his hand over her bare leg as Gabby gnawed on her bottom lip, Matt sensing there was definitely something on her mind. "Though, uh… while we're on the subject, at least kind of… I was thinking about maybe going back to work. At Molly's."

Gabby saw that the moment those words left her lips, he looked unsure, Matt's breathing halting for a moment before he tried to steady his reaction, knowing his girlfriend would pick up on any little shift in his demeanor. And, to her credit, she had, Gabby pursing her lips together before breathing in deeply, the woman a little unsure of what he'd say.

"I… I just feel like it's time, you know? I can't keep hiding out forever." She started, Matt holding his tongue as he wanted to hear what she had to say. "And being at the firehouse has been good, that's helped me a lot. And us going out this morning was a lot of fun… It made me feel like I'd be fine, trying to get back into more of my life again." She explained as their eyes stayed locked on one another, Matt slowly stroking his thumb along her knee while she spoke. "And I think working at Molly's again would be a nice change of pace, so I think I'm gonna talk to Herrmann about getting back on the schedule. At least for a shift, to see how it goes."

Matt gave her a nod as he thought over her words, Gabby watching him closely as she tried to gauge his reaction and what he was thinking, but he wasn't giving much away.

"What do you think?" She finally asked him, Matt smiling softly when he saw her expectant eyes on her, the man squeezing her knee gently before he spoke up.

"I think if you feel like this is something you can handle, being around that many people and everything, then I think you should." He encouraged her, Gabby smiling softly even though she knew he wasn't done yet. "But… Molly's is a little different than working at the firehouse, or going out to eat. The crowd and everything… I won't lie to you, the thought does worry me a bit." He told her honestly, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before she nodded.

"Yeah, I thought it might." She replied, her words soft as Matt gave her a sad smile.

"I… It's not so much you, or only you. I know you're getting better, I can see it." He started, Gabby giving him a small smile before she nodded, waiting to hear more of what he had to say. "And of course I'll support you if you wanna do this, if you think it's a good idea then I think you should do it. But I also know there's still some moments where things are hard… Like what happened with my mom," He told her with a knowing look in his eye, Gabby drawing in a deep breath before she looked down between them.

"Matt…"

"I'm just worried about you." He continued on, Gabby focusing her attention on the sheets beneath them as he kept rubbing her leg. "This has all been really hard on you, and I worry about you doing too much too soon…"

"I know you do." She replied after lifting her head up, finding that Matt had never looked away from her as his eyes held nothing but an overwhelming amount of love, that look making it all that much harder to push back against him. "I know you're just looking out for me, and want me to be okay. But that's what I'm trying to do… By getting back into my life." She told him, Matt's face softening as he listened to her side of things. "Just like how things were when Bryan first went to prison, the thing that helped me the most was getting my life back…"

"I know it did." He murmured, Gabby nodding softly before she continued.

"And this- this is different, I know it is. But when I feel ready to do something, I want to try and do it." She told him, Matt sighing softly as he gave her knee a soft squeeze. "And I know things like what happened with your mom, I'm not completely past all this. I understand that, and I'm not trying to act like I am… And who knows if that'll ever completely go away. But even if it doesn't, I can't let that stop me from trying to get things back to normal… get _everything_ back to normal."

A heavy silence sat in the air around them as she gave him a moment to really hear what she was saying, Matt staying quiet as he let her words sink in. He wanted to know where she was coming from, and he certainly didn't want to dismiss anything she was saying or what she was feeling as he replayed her words over in his head. He knew she had a point, a very good point, that for as long as he's known her, whenever things got hard the best thing she could do to help herself was to try and get things back to normal. She'd always been that way, and while the circumstances of this situation were different, he knew she was still handling it the same way she did everything else.

Gnawing on his bottom lip, Matt released a soft breath before he nodded, the two meeting eyes once more as he gave her a weak smile. "You're right." He murmured as he nodded slightly. "I know you're right, and I know I've been- overbearing." He breathed out, Gabby's eyebrows furrowing slightly before she shook her head. "I haven't meant to be, but I've just… I need to know you're okay."

"Matt, I am…"

"I need you to be okay." He repeated, her words holding more emotion than she anticipated as she scooted closer to him, Matt clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he tried to figure out what next to say, the words sitting on the edge of his lips not easy ones. "I… I know what stuff like this can do to people, even after the fact." He spoke, Gabby's eyes falling closed as she came to realization this wasn't solely about her. "I've seen it… How this is something that stays with you." He rambled out vulnerably, his words hanging in the air between them before he continued. "And there's nothing wrong with that, but that's why I'm always checking in on you, and why sometimes I might be a little annoying about it, because I just need to know you're alright." As he finished his last words Gabby looked back up at him, the expression in her eyes giving little away as to how she would react to his words.

But when she leaned forward and began to crawl over him onto the bed, he let himself relax as she laid down on the mattress beside him, her body tucking into his side as his arm wrapped around her back. The position was comforting for them, Gabby resting her head on his chest as she held onto his waist, her leg resting up over his. He wasn't sure if it was his words alone that had elicited this type of response, or if he'd struck a nerve with her and she needed the comfort; but whatever the reason, he gladly held onto her as she listened to the steady thumping of his heartbeat beneath her ear.

"You're not annoying." She responded after a few quiet moments, Matt unable to fight off his slight smile as he wasn't entirely surprised that had been the first thing she commented on. "You can be overprotective, but you're not annoying."

"Well, that's good… Cause I'm never trying to be." He played along, the lightness in their words refreshing after how heavy their previous conversation had been.

"I know… And I- I sometimes forget you've seen this happen before. You've seen someone you care about go through this, so I know you're just looking out for me. And I love that about you, I do, I'm just… I guess there's times I'm still not used to it sometimes." She told him from the security of his embrace, Matt nodding understandingly as he ran his hand up and down her back. "But I'm trying." She reminded him, her words earning another nod from him before he kissed the top of her head, his actions telling her he knew she was. "I guess we're both still just trying to figure out how to navigate this. And sometimes it feels like every time we think we've got it, something else happens…" She told him, Matt nodding in agreement as her thumb stroked lightly over his side. "Though, slowly, I do think things are getting better, even though I know this can be up and down a lot of time... But I want things to keep getting better for me, and for me to be able to get a handle on all of this. That's why I need to know things can be normal, for me and for us… that this hasn't changed us."

His eyebrows furrowed as those words left her lips, Matt shaking his head before pressing another kiss to the top of hers. "It hasn't." He assured her, the strength in those few words feeling like a weight had been lifted off her chest. "None of this has changed us." Matt murmured, repeating the words he'd told her before as Gabby's eyes fell closed before she nodded.

"Good… Because that's one thing I don't want to have to worry about." She told him truthfully, Matt tightening his grip on her. "There's some stuff- there's things I don't understand right now, some uncertainty with all this and how I'm feeling sometimes, but the one thing I'm sure about is you, and us. And I want us to just be us."

"We are." He responded firmly as he pulled her closer, her body now partially on top of his. "I know things have been a little different lately, but that doesn't mean we're not still us, because we are. We're still Matt and Gabby, and I still love you more than anything else."

Nodding slowly, Gabby lifted her head up off his chest to face him, their eyes locking on one another as he brought his hand up to cradle the side of her face. "I love you, too." She replied before she pushed herself forward to capture his lips in a gentle kiss, Matt reciprocating the action immediately.

But as the moments passed, they gradually picked up the pace of their movements, Gabby deepening the kiss as she grabbed onto a fistful of his shirt, Matt moaning softly into her mouth. They quickly reached a level of intimacy they hadn't experienced in a while, their lips staying on one another's as Gabby lifted herself up and straddled his hips, Matt's hands instinctively moving down to her waist while they continued to get lost in one another. And right now, nothing felt more right than this as Gabby pressed her chest into his, the familiar actions filling her with a sense of comfort that only Matt could provide her.

And she desperately wanted to hold onto that feeling.

Without warning, Gabby pulled herself back away from him, Matt opening his eyes as she sat upright on his hips, the man seeing her darkened gaze focused on him as they caught their breath. And before any words could be said, Gabby reached for the hem of his shirt that was covering her body and pulled it over her head, leaving her top half bare as she tossed the material to the ground. His eyes moved to her chest immediately, Matt seeing her draw in heavy breaths before she leaned back down and recaptured his lips in hers.

His hands slid over her back, the feeling of her skin against his being a welcome one after so long apart, but as her hands slid down towards his boxers, he knew he had to slow things down. At least for a moment.

"Baby-... baby." He muttered against her lips, pulling back enough for her to stop kissing him before she looked at him, Gabby lifting herself up enough to meet his eyes. "Are you sure?"

It wasn't lost on him how they'd gotten nowhere near this close to being together since before Walker got released, that being one of the last things on his mind as he'd just decided to let her take the lead with this. He knew when she was ready, they'd be able to work on getting that part of their relationship back. But now that the time had come, he still needed to be certain… Before they went any further, he needed to know this was what she wanted.

Though by the intense look of desire mixed with desperation in her gaze, he already had his answer.

"I'm sure." She told him without an ounce of hesitation, Matt smiling softly as he brought his hand up to rest over her cheek. His eyes traced over her face one last time before he nodded, Matt grabbing her chin to slowly guide her back to him as their lips connected once more.

And every movement made after that was done solely for each other, the couple completely devoted to this moment as neither of them wanted to rush through this. Letting her set the pace, Matt followed her lead as they began to fall back into that intimate rhythm with one another, both of them more than eager to do nothing but focus on this time together for as long as they had it.


End file.
